It took 8 years since their original announcement and my have things changed. Four Seasons is now a private company, the CEO has retired and the original piece of property they wanted is gone.
As a result, Four Seasons will build it's largest hotel in Orlando and take over the Tom Fazio Osprey Ridge golf course. Article below:
It's not so small a world for the Four Seasons. The luxury hotel company just announced plans to open the world's largest Four Seasons resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando in 2014.
The $360 million luxury resort will be located inside the theme park, giving travelers a high-end hotel option without all the Disney-themed amenities and adornments. But, that doesn't mean the hotel won't have a little fun (this is Disney World, after all).
According to the Four Seasons, the new Disney digs will include 444-rooms, as well as several dining venues, including a rooftop restaurant with Magic Kingdom views. Travelers looking for a little peace from all the Disney antics can seek refuge the 14,000 square foot spa, complete with 18 treatment rooms and a full fitness center. Families will enjoy the three pools and a “lazy river”, tennis and basketball courts, a climbing wall, and two recreational centers for children, teens and families. The development takes over the existing Tom Fazio-designed Osprey Ridge 18-hole championship golf course, which will be renovated and subsequently managed by Four Seasons.
So just how much will a stay at the Four Seasons Disney World resort cost? The room rates haven't been announced yet, but Barbara De Lollis at USA Today's Hotel Check-In estimates rooms could easily run upwards of $600, especially if the travel industry continues on its rebound from the recession. Rooms at Disney's highest-end hotel, the Grand Floridian, currently cost between $440 to $2,185 a night, according to its website.
Four Seasons and developer Silverstein Properties announced it will break ground on the project in December for a planned opening in 2014.