It's no secret that Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is our family's largest annual tradition, so just as I did with Kennedy, I wanted Fallon's first time visiting Disney World to be for the event. It's so crazy thinking back to 2008! K -was ten months old, dressed up as a fairy; and myself in minimal face paint, doning a Tinkerbell t-shirt and wings, thinking... is this weird? Do adults come to the parks in costume? By round two, it was game on.
Now here we are, FIFTEEN YEARS IN, with twenty MNSSHP's or so under our belt; and even when I swear I'm going to reel things back, our group theme gets more and more over the top each time. (Sorry not sorry, Marissa).
Fall at Four Seasons Orlando
I posted a full resort overview here, but there are certain seasonal amenities Four Seasons Orlando offers during #spookyseason that made this year so special (and helped take some of the party stress off my shoulders).
Fall Celebrations
This fall, Four Seasons Orlando has added Halloween-theme offerings to provide resort guests with even more on-sight entertainment! There's everything from poolside trick-or-treating, spooky scavenger hunts and pumpkin decorating at the Kids for All Seasons program --- as well as family-friendly Halloween movies on the dive-in movie screen.
And although Fallon and Malia weren't old enough to participate in the Kids for All Seasons day camp, Four Seasons Orlando does offer this service complimentary from 10:00 - 5:00 pm each day (closed noon to 1:00 pm for lunch). So for those who go hard into costume prep like us, that's a great place for the littles to go while you get ready.
Sinisterly Sweet Treats
The Lickety Split is featuring its own #PSL with house-made pumpkin spice syrup, and also has a bunch of other fall beverages and pastries available, especially for fall. Our favorite? The chocolate-dipped strawberry ghosts and monster donuts!
Room Size
Even the standard FSO rooms offer way more space than the branded Disney hotels. With every suite being 500 square feet or larger, that makes the accommodations at least 60 square feet larger than at the Grand Floridian, about 100 square feet larger than the Polynesian and Contemporary, and almost double the size of Art of Animation, Pop Century, etcetera...
Our room offered a double vanity, separate sinks, and a full marble tub -- which made party prepping (and dismantling) so much easier! (Watch my #GRWM video here). Marissa and I could do our makeup at the same time without being on top of each other, and when we got back to the hotel and it was time to wash the spray color out of Malia's hair (and the Jeferee Star *lipstick off of our *faces ---- it holds better than face paint; just trust me) we were all able to clean up without begrudgingly waiting on one another, before bed.
Magical Moments at the Spa:
The Spa offers Magical Moments, which is most akin to a trip to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but without the need to book reservations weeks (or months) in advance. So, if your child is attending the party as a princess or knight, the Four Seasons Hotel can literally get them ready for you, at an additional cost.
Park Transportation:
Not only does FS Orlando provide shuttle transportation to the parks, you also can book a private driver to and from. During our Halloween trip, we took the resort shuttle on our way to the party, which gave us ample space for our cars and strollers, and because we didn't enter the park until roughly 5:00 pm, we actually had the entire shuttle to ourselves.
For separately ticketed events, it is important to check and see if there will be shuttle service available for your return. In this case, there wasn't. So while normally, we would have just opted to drive ourselves over, being as though we each had our own race cars (plus Fallon's stroller) we just weren't up for multiple rounds of trunk Tetris. So instead, we booked the private car service directly through the Four Seasons app, as we were leaving Magic Kingdom! This was perfect, because we just told them the age of our littles and they provided the appropriate sized carseats (these are the sort of things you do not think of in advance, when you've got a fourteen year spread between your kids). Pick up was directly adjacent to the monorail, and they brought us a large luxury SUV, with enough space for all of our stuff - plus ice cold water and a blasting AC. (What even is "fall" in Florida?)
Order Ahead Room Service:
A major draw back of the Moderate and Economy Disney branded hotels is that they do not offer room service, and frankly, since COVID, almost none of the hotels in Orlando have fully brought in-room dining back (sans pre-packaged grab and go delivery.. which... no.)
Don't get me wrong, room service naysayers...I get where you're coming from. Why spend more to eat in your room when you could enjoy dining at one of the amazing venues? But with four costumes, four cars to touch up, a toddler, and a newborn - our MNSSHP day required us to do lunch AND dinner in the room (as we got ready, without disrupting nap time.)
PLUS, we were able to have room service waiting for us when we got back, after the party. When we arranged the direct transfer through the Four Seasons app, I went ahead and ordered the artisan cheese plate, butchers board, cocktail shrimp, and the mezze platter (along with a bottle of Moet). And let me tell you, there is nothing better than coming back after a long night at the parks, peeling off your costume, wig (and ridiculously uncomfortable shoes), then diving into bed with bubbles waiting, chilled and ready.
We left the party after the first parade -- so after the babies went down, Marissa and I finally were able to get in some *chill one-on-one girl time (without having to craft like machines). Within ten minutes of getting back to the room, we were under the covers, eating and drinking, having a Friends Marathon for our grown up sleepover. And with so much going on in both of our lives, it was just what we needed. Sometimes (especially with small children) its easy to forget it's supposed to be a vacation -- so these lesser discussed amenities really do make all the difference.
Wind Down at the Spa/Pool:
We spent the entire next day in recovery, enjoying the Spa's relaxation areas. Overnight guests receive complimentary access, and there is really no better way to recuperate after beating your body up at the park. Right now, Four Seasons is offering a seasonal treatment - the Spiced Pumpkin Purifying Body Polish! So be sure to check that out.
After that, the girls tuckered themselves out at the splash pad, then napped poolside, while we did a really classy pairing of guac and Moet. As I always say, plan your pre and post MMNSP game just as a hard as you plan the party! And I truly cannot think of any other hotel that makes that easier, than the Four Seasons.
In-Room Celebrations
Definitely the coolest add-on we did was the in-room tent. It was there waiting for us, when we checked in, and oh my gosh, the squeals Malia let out ("Sooooo cute!") made all the stress of flying across country and executing a theme change in 24 hours totally worth it for this Tia. Plus, it made the cutest spot for Fallon to get her tummy-time in!
You can arrange for the #FSOrlandoPlayTent to be set up in advance through the concierge, and on-site through the Fable retail team.
Special Offers
While Not So Scary has been sold out since the beginning of September, resort guests still have access to the Four Seasons on-site Disney Planning Center in the Resort lobby, which can assist with arranging their Disney tickets and Park reservations. And, when booking a stay at least seven days in advance, there is an Advance Purchase Offer, now through November 30, 2022 for stays experienced through December 31, 2022.
Suggested Minimum Length of Stay: Two nights
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