Flexible school schedules and accessible e-learning mean it’s now easier than ever to take a family vacation when school is in session.
Parents now have the option of enrolling their little virtual learners in a supervised schoolwork session offered at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, held in a quiet, dedicated learning space. After their schoolwork is complete, kids can experience the ultimate “recess.”
With the Resort’s exclusive 5-acre Explorer Island as their playground, kids will have a blast swimming in the Explorer Pool, floating down the lazy river, zooming down the water slides, and enjoying outdoor recreation such as sand volleyball, basketball, foosball, table-tennis, and more.
“This new offering exclusively for our Resort guests will be both helpful to parents, as well as something really fun for kids to experience,” says Thomas Steinhauer, General Manager and Regional Vice President of Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. “Many kids have been completing school work in their homes for a while now. A chance to mix up their learning environment, and combine school and playtime at the Resort, is sure to be a welcome treat and create a memory that will last a lifetime.”
Study Sessions
The supervised schoolwork sessions will be held in small-group classroom settings, physically distanced with no more than six children per class. The spacious event rooms of Four Seasons Resort Orlando are the classroom setting, featuring airy and open rooms with a wall of windows for natural light, and a private terrace for outside break time. Each student will have a dedicated desk area, physically distanced from the other students, and high-speed premium WiFi will be provided. The schedule is offered as either a half-day from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, or a full day from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, with lunch included.
Schedule
- 9:00 am to 12:00 noon: Supervised virtual learning, snack break included (half-day participants depart at noon)
- Lunch break: Students opting for a full day will order lunch off a set menu and the lunch will be delivered at the student’s scheduled lunch break time
- 1:00 to 2:00 pm: Optional enrichment period for those with flexible schedules including Arts and Crafts and Physical Education
- 3:00 pm: Parents pick up their child(ren)
The supervised study sessions are available Monday through Friday beginning September 14, 2020, for school-aged children for $50 per child for a half-day session or $100 per child for the full session including lunch. Due to capacity limitations, reservations must be confirmed at least 48 hours in advance. Attendees must be registered overnight guests of the Resort.
The team overseeing the study sessions are exceptionally trained Kids For All Seasons staff, who have years of experience in working with children. “Our kids’ club team members have enthusiastic, delightful personalities,” says Sarah Peltier, Director of Recreation. “They are looking forward to supporting the students while they engage in their virtual learning, and bringing fun and creativity to the afternoon enrichment session.”
A Break for Parents
While kids are e-learning, parents can relish in free time to themselves to relax by the Resort’s exclusive adult-only Oasis Pool. Surrounded by palm trees and white cabanas, the lakeside, infinity-edge adult pool is a quiet sanctuary where parents can truly relax and unwind, with attentive cocktail servers at the ready. Additionally, the 18-treatment room Spa at Four Seasons offers a variety of treatments to renew and refresh, from facials and massages to signature treatments such as the Vibrational Sound Therapy, Cryotherapy and Vitality Drips. The full-service hair salon also offers hair colour/cuts and styling services. The Spa’s indoor and outdoor relaxation lounges, plus separate Solarium with zero-gravity loungers and spacious men’s and women’s locker rooms with Experience Shower and whirlpool, provide the ultimate opportunity to relax and de-stress.
Adults can also hit the links at the Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club, enjoying the resort’s 18-hole Tom Fazio designed course, host venue to the LPGA Tour’s 2021 Tournament of Champions, nationally televised on Golf Channel and NBC. A certified National Audubon wildlife sanctuary, the course offers a tranquil escape, and is home to wildlife including deer and osprey.
The Club also features a state-of-the-art practice facility, with a driving range, short course, putting course and TrackMan video monitor swing analysis.
Lessons On and Off the Greens
In addition to golf, the Resort offers three Har-Tru tennis courts and a partnership with Peter Burwash International. Kids and adults alike can enjoy “Physical Education” with one of the Resort’s talented sports instructors. Rod Cook, Director of Golf Instruction, and Alain Labreque, certified PBI tennis professional, are both available for individual or family golf and/or tennis lessons, and Labreque offers three complimentary clinics per week to help guests improve their skillset.
The Resort’s talented team of wellness trainers can instruct, inspire and guide through many different individual or family classes. These experts offer training in the disciplines of yoga, meditation, spinning, body sculpt, high intensity cross-training, and a unique aqua fitness class held in the lazy river using the water current for resistance. These vast instruction offerings are supplemented with the state-of-the-art fitness centre that includes Matrix cardiovascular and strength training equipment, two Peloton cycles, Technogym’s running SKILLMILL, Concept2 rowing machines, free weights, kettlebells, medicine balls and a plethora of additional equipment to help one maintain a healthy lifestyle. The private fitness studio is equipped with Fitness On Demand, a virtual program with hundreds of classes to choose from as an individual, couple, or for family bonding time, for self-guided sessions.
Culinary Classes
Adults can also enjoy a dash of mixology education by learning how to create one of The Lobby Bar’s signature cocktails. The new cocktail kit to-go box, available to purchase in Lickety Split, includes all of the ingredients and tools to make one of the Resort’s signature cocktails, theHemingway Daiquiri. Guests receive a link to view a video with step-by-step instructions to shake, stir and enjoy in the comfort of one’s own guest room.
Additionally, physically distanced cooking classes can also be arranged with the Resort’s talented team of culinarians. Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi, from Torino, Italy along with his team of talented chefs from Ravello can teach a class on pasta or pizza making. Executive Pastry Chef Rabii Saber, a 2019 James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef, can teach a class on the art of chocolate making. The classes can be reserved in Ravello’s private Demonstration Kitchen, a bright space featuring state-of-the-art audio/visual connectivity, ensuring each participant can see exactly which step the chef is demonstrating. Individual and family cooking classes can be reserved and customised by the Ravello team according to the guest’s preferences.
Experience More – Resort Credit Package and Advance Purchase Offer
The Resort’s Experience More package, available through December 18, 2020, includes a $200 nightly credit for stays in a guest room, or a $500 nightly credit for stays in a one or two bedroom suite. The credit can be used toward any Resort activity, including supervised study sessions. Guests have a multitude of ways to spend their credit, including Spa and Salon treatments, golf, tennis, retail purchases, private cabana rentals, in-room dining, and more. Additionally, a new in-room afternoon tea party service is available, featuring an assortment of teas, tea sandwiches, scones and Devonshire cream, all to enjoy in the comfort of one’s guest room or furnished guest room terrace.
The Advance Purchase offer is also available through December 18, 2020, offering 20 percent savings for guest room reservations booked at least seven days prior to arrival, with full pre-payment.
