Four Seasons vs Ritz-Carlton Orlando
The Short Answer
We've stayed at both, and we loved both. But Four Seasons Orlando beats the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in almost every category. It wins on Disney access, dining, rooms, service and kids' perks. The Ritz wins on two things: price and the water park. In our family the vote split cleanly. We parents preferred the Four Seasons. Our kids, 6 and 9, preferred the Ritz, for the water park alone. So if Disney is the point of your trip, book the Four Seasons. If it's a kid-focused pool vacation and the parks are optional, the Ritz saves you real money and your kids may like it more.
Four Seasons Orlando
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World is the better resort, full stop. It sits inside Disney's gated Golden Oak community, so you're surrounded by the parks without the crowds. Guests get Early Theme Park Entry, which puts you in the parks 30 minutes before everyone else. We were upgraded to a Park View Suite with a sofa bed and a huge balcony. Every night at 9pm we watched Epcot and Magic Kingdom light up from it.
Dining is a clear win too. Capa, the rooftop steakhouse, has held a Michelin star every year since Florida's first guide. The steak at Ravello is a must. And Ravello's free Pasta & Play program lets kids 4 to 12 go off for supervised play after dinner on Thursday through Saturday nights while you finish your meal. Add a free daily kids club, kids 5 and under eating free at most restaurants, and service that's genuinely great with children, and it's hard to beat.
The water park, Explorer Island, is very good. Five acres, a lazy river, two slides, a splash zone and dive-in movies at the family pool. It's just not the Ritz's. The other con is the Disney shuttle, which runs infrequently. Read our full review here.
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The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes wins where kids care most: the water. Guests share the Grande Lakes Waterpark with the JW Marriott next door. It has a quarter-mile lazy river, among the longest in Florida, plus three heated waterslides, an AquaVenture obstacle course and a splash area for little ones. When we stayed, our kids barely wanted to leave it. Ask them which hotel was better and it's the Ritz, no contest.
We loved the hotel too. It's polished and calm, set on a 500-acre estate with a Greg Norman golf course, a huge spa and the Ritz Kids club for ages 4 to 12. Knife & Spoon, the steakhouse, is Michelin-recognized and very good. It just doesn't have Capa's fireworks view or current star. As parents, though, it wasn't particularly close. The Four Seasons was our clear favorite. The Ritz is still a genuinely great family resort, just not in the same league for grown-ups.
The tradeoff is Disney. The Ritz is about 15 minutes away by car, outside the parks entirely. There's no Early Theme Park Entry, the theme park shuttle needs booking 24 hours ahead, and you won't see fireworks from your room. Budget for a nightly resort fee too.
The upside is price. The Ritz typically runs several hundred dollars a night less than the Four Seasons, which adds up fast over a week.
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Best Time to Visit and Book
The best time to visit either resort is late September through early November, skipping holiday weeks, or January into February. Park crowds are lighter and rates are softer at both hotels. Summer, spring break and the Christmas to New Year stretch are peak, with the highest rates of the year.
Four Seasons Orlando usually starts above $1,000 a night and can pass $2,000 in peak weeks. The Ritz-Carlton tends to sit well below that for the same dates. Book three to six months ahead for holidays. At the Four Seasons, request a park-view room and reserve Capa early. At the Ritz, grab a cabana at the waterpark in advance on busy weekends.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Four Seasons Orlando if Disney is the reason you're going. Early entry, the location inside Walt Disney World, fireworks from your balcony and a Michelin-starred dinner make it the best luxury Disney hotel, and worth the premium. It's also the pick for parents who want the trip to feel like their vacation too.
Choose the Ritz-Carlton Orlando if it's a kid-focused trip and the parks are optional. Maybe you're doing a day at Disney or Universal, or none at all. Your kids get the better water park, you get a quiet Ritz with a great spa, and you save money. For kids around 6 to 10, that lazy river and those slides can honestly be the highlight of the whole trip.
Splitting a longer trip works well too. A few pool days at the Ritz, then a few park days at the Four Seasons, gives you the best of both. See our full ranking of the best hotels in Orlando for more options.
Check rates at Four Seasons Orlando
Check rates at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
FAQ
Is Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton better in Orlando?
Four Seasons Orlando is better overall, winning on Disney access, dining, rooms and service. The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes wins on price and has the better water park.
Which Orlando resort has the better water park?
The Ritz-Carlton. Its shared Grande Lakes Waterpark has a quarter-mile lazy river, three heated slides and an obstacle course. Four Seasons' Explorer Island is excellent but smaller.
Is the Ritz-Carlton Orlando close to Disney World?
It's roughly 15 minutes by car. The Four Seasons is inside Walt Disney World itself.
Do Ritz-Carlton Orlando guests get early entry to Disney?
No. Early Theme Park Entry is for Disney hotels and select partner hotels like the Four Seasons.
Is the Ritz-Carlton Orlando cheaper than the Four Seasons?
Usually, yes. It typically runs several hundred dollars a night less for the same dates.
Which is better for kids?
For a pool-focused trip, kids often prefer the Ritz for its water park. For a Disney trip, the Four Seasons is better, with early entry, a free kids club and free childcare during dinner at Ravello.