Relaxation at Salamander Resort & Spa

We all could use a little relaxation right now. I can think of no better place than the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, as a quintessential "get-away-from-it-all" destination. Located just over 30 minutes west of Dulles airport, you never would know that you were only an hour away from the nation's capital. Idyllic rolling hills, farmland, and wineries abound in this bucolic landscape, where the Kennedy's and the Obama's have been known to frequent.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando: A Night of Luxury in the Presidential Suite

When you disembark from a Disney cruise, life is sad โ€“ very, very sad. But, when you extend your vacation by one night, you can gently help ease yourself back into the real worldโ€ฆ I booked the Waldorf Astoria for a one-night stay after our seven-night Eastern Caribbean Disney cruise because our flight back home was the day after disembarkation. Rather than stay at an Orlando airport hotel, we wanted to check this place out. We were in for a treat!

Day 6 – Day at Sea: Seven-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Fantasy

Finally โ€“ another day at sea! Days at sea are the epitome of what Disney Cruise Line is all about. You can do as much or as little as you want, with no set schedule, if you desire. After two straight days in ports, I was ready for a relatively lazy dayโ€ฆ I started my lazy day by gathering various breakfast items from both Cabanas and the Concierge lounge and bringing the food back to our stateroom to eat. Then, I went to the gym, and, afterwards grabbed some lunch to eat in the stateroom (snacks from the Concierge lounge and a sandwich from Floโ€™s Cafรฉ). (Yes, if you havenโ€™t figured it out by now, Disney cruises are all about EATING!)

Getting to Orlando/Port Canaveral & Day 1 – Embarkation: Seven-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Fantasy

Another year, another Disney cruise โ€“ thatโ€™s what I like to say! It was August 23, 2018, and time for my family of three to board our JetBlue flight to Orlando, Florida. Two days later, we would be back in heaven, boarding the Disney Fantasy, our third Disney cruise in less than three years.

Oasis in Orlando: The Four Seasons at Walt Disney World Resort

The Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort is located in the Disney Springs area and is closest to Epcot (of all four Walt Disney World Parks). We stayed at this hotel for the fourth time in August 2018, prior to our seven-night Eastern Caribbean Disney Cruise. The Four Seasons Orlando is absolutely my favorite hotel ever! You can read my detailed Tripadvisor review from our first stay in 2015 here.