One of my favorite restaurants in Orlando is Shula's Steakhouse at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. I recently spent a night at the hotel and had another fabulous dining experience at Coach Shula's restaurant.
I'm thoroughly convinced if you want to visit theme parks, enjoy great dining with a prime location near Disney's golf courses, the Walt Disney World Dolphin is your best choice. It's located within walking distance of Epcot and the Boardwalk Disney entertainment, shopping and dining complex, a few minutes from Disney's golf courses and about a 5 minute drive to Disney Springs, the dynamic entertainment complex formerly known as Downtown Disney.
GOLF OPTIONS
Once you leave the hotel, you can be on a first tee in minutes. Walt Disney World has three championship layouts, the Magnolia, Palm and Lake Buena Vista, and a 9-hole walking course, Oak Trail, that's ideal for beginners, juniors and super seniors.
Disney offers a 4 round "Play Around the World" golf pass that can save golfers up to 30% on a four-round package at their courses. Packages also come with a souvenir "Disney Golf Passport" booklet. All four rounds must be played within 30 days. Call 407-939-4653 or visit www.golfwdw.com for questions or booking.
Another great option is the Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Orlando that's situated adjacent to Golden Oak at Walt Disney World, an uber-luxurious residential community. It's the course formerly named Osprey Ridge. The Original designer Tom Fazio was invited back to re-create the course in a different form and he did an outstanding job.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The hotel has 1,509 rooms. Soft, muted colors of silver, white and blue give the rooms a bright and positive feel. I absolutely love the great shower head and luxury bedding.
Main amenities include:
--Mandara Spa
--3-acre pool complex
--Camp Dolphin
--Complimentary Disney Bus Transportation
--Self-parking
5 Little Things I Liked
1. The huge lobby with lots of chairs and couches so you can lounge, read or check social media.
2. Fantastic location that allows you to walk to the Swan Hotel, Epcot and Disney's Boardwalk.
3. The phenomenal BBQ Shrimp we enjoyed as an appetizer at Shula's Steakhouse.
4. The beautifully decorated, refurbished guest room.
5. The view from my 5th floor room of the Swan Hotel and pool complex.
DINING/LOUNGES
Shula's Steakhouse--One of the highlights of my stay was dining at the oh-so-convenient Shula's, which is located just off the main lobby. For football fans and steak lovers, it's the ultimate dining experience. The entire restaurant celebrates the NFL's only undefeated team, the 17-0, 1972 Miami Dolphins, coached by, of course, Don Shula. The decor of the restaurant is dominated by beautiful polished wood and vintage photographs and memorabilia with familiar Dolphin icons like Larry Csonka, Bob Griese and Earl Morrall. A nice touch, too, is the teal and white football placed on your table detailing the steaks available. Undoubtedly, the star of the restaurant is the beef, which is some of the best on the planet. Shula's gets their Premium Black Angus Beef from the Graham Angus Farm in Albany, Georgia. This quality is absolutely amazing.
The highlights of our dinner included the BBQ Shrimp, a sumptuous appetizer with large shrimp stuffed with basil, wrapped in Applewood Bacon and coated in a tangy BBQ sauce, grilled asparagus, Potato Gratin with garlic cream reduction topped with Panko Parmesan Crust and our juicy, succulent steaks. I savored every bite of my 20 oz. Kansas City Strip and my wife waved about her Steak Mary Anne, two 5 oz. filets with Cognac-Peppercorn Sauce. We complemented this epic feast with a superb bottle of Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon by Arrowood. Here's the MENU.
Todd English's Bluezoo--This sleekly designed restaurant has a hip ambiance with lots of glass accents and aquariums. Celebrity chef Todd English presents a menu featuring entrees like bbq-rubbed swordfish atop risotto and Maine Lobster tossed in a Cantonese-style soy glaze. For dessert, how about a Mai Tai Banana Cream Tart.
There are also various casual and poolside restaurants and lounges.
THINGS TO DO
--Visit Epcot, which is just a 5-minute walk away
--Dine at the various restaurants at the Boardwalk such as Flying Fish, ESPN Club, Trattoria Al Forno and Big River Grille & Brewing Works
--Play Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
--Dine at restaurants at Swan Hotel such as il Mulino New York Trattoria and Kimonos.
--Visit other Disney Theme Parks
--Shop and dine at Disney Springs, which is located a 5-minute drive from the Dolphin Hotel
LOCATION
Situated adjacent to Disney's Boardwalk entertainment, dining and hotels complex. 1500 Epcot Resorts Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32830.
GET THE SCOOP
Call 407-934-4000 or click HERE for more information.
During PGA Merchandise Show week in Orlando, I spent an afternoon playing golf, enjoying lunch at the clubhouse and taking a brief tour of this luxury resort property.
Opened in August 2014, the Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World has been creating lots of buzz, especially among leisure luxury travelers, golfers and business meeting groups.
While Orlando has more than 115,000 hotel rooms, its upscale, luxury offerings are somewhat limited and the Four Seasons is a welcome addition for those who like a 5-star resort experience on and off the fairways.
GOLF
Originally built in 1992 and designed by Tom Fazio in Disney's portfolio of courses (named Osprey Ridge), the resort's Tranquilo Golf Club was re-designed by Fazio as well. His enhancements included renovating bunkers, expanding and re-positioning landscaping to enhance visibility and airflow and creating a completely new hole.
I liked the course as Osprey Ridge and like it even better as Tranquilo Golf Club. The golf experience encompasses varying elevation changes, some elevated tees, protected wetlands and numerous Southern live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. Fazio is one of my favorite designers because he has mastered the technique of making courses enjoyable for all skill levels, not just for power hitters and scratch players.
All the greens have been resurfaced with Tiff Eagle Bermuda grass. The new hole is the par three 16th, which measures 163 yards from the back tee. Interestingly, the course concludes with a 217 yard par three fronted by a large bunkers and a pond to the left.
The 6,901-yard course is a par 71 with four sets of tees to accommodate all skill levels.
"I am very proud of the transformation of the Tranquilo Golf Club golf course," says Tom Fazio. "Since the course opened more than 20 years ago, it has been considered among the best courses in the region, and the recent upgrades and improvements to the course will surely solidify that reputation for many years to come."
ACCOMMODATIONS/AMENITIES
Designed in a Spanish Revival architecture style, the hotel has 443 rooms (including 68 suites). The lobby and common areas are luxuriously appointed with beautiful art, flooring and furniture.
The guestrooms feature tasteful soft, elegant colors (beige, teal and orange) with white furnishings. In the evenings, you can view the Magic Kingdom's nightly fireworks from your room.
Guestroom amenities include:
--Twice daily housekeeping service
--Hypoallergenic bedding
--Thick terry bathrobes
--Flat screen television
--Device charging station
--Marble mosaic bathroom with deep soaking tub, a separate oversized glass-walled shower, a separate WC and in-mirror T.V.
Resort amenities include:
--Adult-only pool
--Family pool with lazy river
--Full-service spa
--5-acre Explorer Island family playground with rock climbing wall, two water slides, sand volleyball and more
--3 Har-Tru tennis courts
--On-site Tom Fazio designed 18-hole championship course
--37,450 square feet of meeting space
DINING
For those tired of the same ol' hamburgers and wings at the clubhouse grill, the Four Seasons Orlando responds with Plancha, a Cuban American restaurant located at their golf clubhouse.
On my visit, I dined on empanadas, smoked bacon and black bean soup and marinated chicken followed by Tres Leches cake and a chocolate banana torta. My dining companions raved about their selections: The La Plancha burger with chorizo, maduro and smoked gouda cheese and the classic El Cubano grilled sandwich.
A unique touch is the outdoor smoking lounge area where you can enjoy an "apres golf"
cigar. Better still, you can purchase a Plancha Cigar, which are hand-rolled and made exclusively for Tranquilo Golf Club. They also offer additional cigars from Davidoff, Padron and Romeo Y Julieta from their humidor.
Other dining options, include:
Capa--A 17th floor rooftop steakhouse bar with an open-kitchen and wood-burning grill.
Ravello--Features modern Italian cuisine, including pizza made in a wood-burning oven.
PB&G--A pool bar and grill with smokehouse grilled favorites like pulled pork sandwiches and smoked brisket burgers.
THINGS TO DO
--It's only minutes away from Disney's theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom).
--Downtown Disney with Cirque du Soleil, House of Blues, Planet Hollywood and an AMC 24-screen theater is a five-minute drive.
--Other golf options within a 10 to 15-minute drive are Grand Cypress Resort, Marriott's Grande Pines, Celebration Golf Club, Falcon's Fire and Disney's other courses.
--Luxury shopping at Mall at Millennia is 15-minute drive away.
LOCATION
Four Seasons Orlando is situated in Golden Oak, Disney's new, private, luxury, residential community of upscale, custom homes. Hotel address: 10100 Dream Tree Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32836.
GET THE SCOOP
For more information, click to Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World or call 407-313-7777.
