ORLANDO, FLA. — Nicole greets me at the reception area of the fabulous Spa at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort and tells me “you’ll be having our signature Sticks and Stones treatment.” Sounds painful, to which the athletic-looking therapist responds with laughter.
“Quite the opposite,” says Nicole as we enter the resort’s tranquility base — the world-class spa is tucked away on the ground floor of the 443-room luxury resort surrounded by a Garden of Eden.
As I follow Nicole to the treatment room, all I can think about is the children’s rhyme “Sticks and stones will break my bones …” After a few treatments at Four Seasons Orlando’s Spa, though, I think the words should be changed to: “Sticks and Stones will heal my bones and Four Seasons is the reason.”
The 1,208-square-metre spa quickly jumped on the “Best Spas in America” list when it opened in 2014 and the entire Four Seasons Orlando property, which sits on the grounds of Walt Disney World, is being celebrated as one of the top vacation spots in America. And for good reason. Besides the spa, Four Seasons Orlando features spacious rooms and suites that look out on the sprawling Walt Disney World complex, which affords most guests great views of Disney’s nightly fireworks shows. Add to that one of the best restaurants in Florida, Capa, a Spanish-themed room whose decor is as exciting as its tapas, seafood and steak offerings, and a championship golf course, Tranquilo, designed by legendary Tom Fazio, and you can see why this is one of the most sought-after Four Seasons properties in the world.

Above: The Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World Resort is a world class property with lots to offer guests.

While it mirrors most of Four Seasons’ distinguished inventory in palatial ambience and service, the Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World has its playful side, too. Childish laughter fills the air around the resort thanks to its water slide, lazy river inner tube ride, splash zone and enormous family pool with its gradually sloping beach entry — perfect for small swimmers.
Who has time to go to Disney with so much to do for families at Four Seasons Orlando?
For those who do, though, the staff at Four Seasons Orlando will arrange tickets and transportation to Disney parks from a special lobby desk.
Nicole swings open the door to one of the spa’s 18 high-tech treatment rooms and tells me my Sticks and Stones massage will feature sculpted basalt stones and birch wood massage sticks. She begins by rubbing me down with coconut oil before applying the hot stones to my back and shoulder — areas she’s identified that need help. Her long, targeted massage strokes quickly bring me relief and the 50-minute treatment flies by with me totally relaxed.
“Tomorrow I suggest you have our La Floridian treatment (a combination wrap and massage) and that will really help make you feel relaxed,” suggests Nicole.
Tomorrow can’t come soon enough, but before it does, I hang out at the adult pool — the service level here surpasses even Four Seasons’ industry-leading standards — and hop in an inner tube for a ride down the lazy river — it makes people of all ages feel like a kid again.
In the evening, I enjoy a spectacular meal at Capa on the hotel’s 17th floor, where I indulge in Spanish dishes like Aceitunas (traditional Basque marinated olives), Huevos (chorizo-spiced deviled eggs with salmon roe and seaweed), ham croquettes, Cerdo (pork belly with apple and pistachio) and Patatas Bravas (a potato dish made with paprika and black garlic).
The tapas dishes are so filling and fulfilling, I have no room for one of Capa’s signature grilled meat dishes (steak, Iberico pork chop, rack of lamb) that are prepared in an open kitchen, or even the seafood entrees, featuring freshly-caught Florida fish.
We toast our meal with one of the fine wines from Capa’s extensive cellar — the restaurant can be found on Wine Enthusiast magazine’s list of Best 100 Wine Restaurants in the U.S. — and watch the spectacular Disney fireworks display from Capa’s open terrace.

Above: The Four Seasons Resort at Disney spa is world class in every sense - it's sticks and stones treatment is truly amazing.

Up bright and early the next morning for a refreshing swim in the adult pool, I arrive at the spa 30 minutes before my scheduled treatment and relax in the soothing steam room and soak in a whirlpool tub complete with waterfall before moving to an open-air terrace where I soak up the soothing Florida sun. That’s where Stacey, my assigned therapist for the La Floridian treatment, finds me.
A few minutes later, Stacey, who informs me she massages lots of NFL players, starts the treatment by applying a cane sugar body polish that’s infused with jasmine flower and organic pink grapefruit. “I’ve massaged NFL players for up to six hours straight,” says the delightful young woman who recently moved from Hawaii to Orlando. “It takes that long to work through the players’ muscles to get to their problem areas.”
Stacey finds my problems in just a few seconds.
Next, the therapist applies a whipped shea butter and pink grapefruit cream and wraps me with sheets like a tortilla. She tells me this will help hydrate my skin.
While the polish is working its magic, Stacey gives me a jasmine hot oil hair and scalp massage — all part of the treatment.
I leave the spa feeling like a new man. The two treatments have worked wonders. Time to celebrate — with a creamy gelato from Lickety Split, the colourful lobby café where folks gather in the morning for coffee and bakeries.
Later, I walk along a path lined with tropical vegetation and end up at the hotel’s golf course, where I enjoy a Cuban sandwich at Plancha, a clubhouse restaurant that serves up some delightfully spicy cuisine.
The Tranquilo Golf Course is where you’ll see celebrity guests and PGA stars — many call Orlando home — tee it up on a track that has been rated among Florida’s best.
The course has undergone a major renovation in the last year and will soon be the private domain of Four Seasons Orlando’s guests and those who occupy the multi-million dollar Four Seasons Residences that surround the towering resort, whose Spanish Revival architecture reflects Florida’s Golden Age.
From the time you enter this luxury oasis, you’re treated to a magical experience.
Suffice to say, Four Seasons Orlando is another “Magic Kingdom.”

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