The Solo Scale:

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Recently, I did a milestone birthday in Disney World. Instead of spending all day waiting in lines at the parks, I opted to spend my time doing things like Enchanting Extras, eating at wishlist restaurants, and getting pampered. With that in mind, I booked two treatments at the Senses Spa, located at the Grand Floridian. The first was a foot massage, because I was five days into my week in Florida and knew my feet would be aching. The second was a blowout for my hair so I could look my best and not worry about my hair’s appearance for a while.

So, what should you expect if you go to Senses Spa?

To get to the spa, you’ll need to travel to the Grand Floridian. It’s located near the DVC tower and not the main building. If you’re taking the bus or monorail, it will be a little bit of a hike. I chose to take a ride share that dropped me off at the front door. It helped create the luxurious and relaxing atmosphere. Plus, the price was decent seeing as it’s a short ride from Port Orleans, where I was staying.

I chose to book in a couple of services back to back. The first was a foot massage as this appointment was five days into my trip. I wanted to have the chance to cope with the soreness of my feet. Before you even begin your appointment, you get to indulge in the lounge area. This is where you’ll get a dedicated locker that you can set the combination for. It’s got enough space to store clothes, makeup, and a small bag in case you want to bring something with you. Here, you get slippers and a robe and can undress to your comfort level before heading back out to the lounge.

When it’s time for your appointment, you’ll have your masseuse come and get you and bring you to a room. Here, they’ll set the mood with scent and sight. Based on the rock I chose at the start, they introduced a concoction of scents into the room and created soft purple lighting above me. The whole appointment was incredible and they were very receptive to any areas that were sensitive.

More than that, it’s truly relaxing. I get plenty of massages thanks to an athletic lifestyle. This is the first one where I genuinely fell asleep in the middle because I was so relaxed. That benefit can’t be undersold in the middle of a super active Disney vacation. At the end, I returned to the lounge as I had a second appointment. That means that I didn’t settle the bill until the very end.

My second appointment was for a hair style appointment as I had a fancy dinner booked and wanted my hair to look a little nicer than the Florida water was treating me. Here, they took me into a different area of the spa. I was the only client here and got the full hair wash and blowout experience. It was so nice to let someone else at my hair. Plus that meant that I had some great hair for the next few days. Once I was done, they allowed me to head back to the lounge. I had plenty of time to change into my dinner clothes, but I could have stayed longer if I wanted to.

When you’re done relaxing in the lounge, you’ll settle your tab. Keep in mind that your bill will automatically have a 20% gratuity applied to it. It’s nice not to have to worry, but it’s good to be aware of for budgeting purposes.

In general, the spa prices are steeper than what you might pay for at home. However, to be able to step out of theme park chaos and get the privacy and serenity made me feel like it was worth it. In future trips, this is absolutely something I’d love to put back in my budget, especially when paired with a dinner trip to the Grand Floridian!

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