Gaylord Palms Resort Family Getaway in Orlando, FL

Mission: To plan a short family getaway for my Dad’s birthday that doesn’t involve a lot of walking.

Destination Selection Process

My parents had been stuck at home for a while due to my mom’s foot surgery.  Fortunately, she has recovered well and is able to walk around on her own for a bit and use a walker for relatively longer distances.  Additionally, we have a 3-month-old daughter that can’t be out in the scorching Florida summer weather for too long.  Therefore, we had to look for place that had was almost an all-inclusive resort with indoor & outdoor activities but, close to home!

After brief contemplation, we agreed on Orlando due to the abundant entertainment/amusement opportunities it offers.  We go to Orlando quite frequently and have stayed at numerous hotels and resorts especially since we are former Disney annual pass holders.  One of our favorites is the Hilton Lake Buena Vista due to its extremely close proximity and access to Disney Springs.  It’s practically next to Disney Springs, you hop on the bridge across the street to get into the Marketplace at Disney Springs.  We considered staying there but nixed it as it would require a decent amount of walking for my mom.

We were not planning on going to any theme parks either so didn’t need to stay on Disney property.  Additionally, we wanted to have indoor entertainment options, so we looked into the Gaylord palms since we heard a lot of good things about it especially during the holiday season.  After doing some research on the property, we decided to give it a shot and we are so glad we did!  They do offer special rates and packages, which was quite helpful.  Oh, and it’s a Marriott property which I was unaware of initially, so you can use your points if you are a Marriott member.

The Resort

OMG!! This resort is awesome.   It is a very expansive resort and has everything onsite so you don’t have to leave the resort at all.   The indoor atriums and outdoor grounds are clean and maintained really well.  It has 4 sections:  Everglades, St. Augustine, Key West and the newest Emerald Bay.  Each section is set up and themed well according to the region.  The Everglades Atrium is set up like swamp which has a little old shack with snakes and baby gator display.  The Spa, Arcade and pools are located by this Atrium as well.  As you walk through the Everglades Atrium you can hear the sound effects of wild life (frogs, crickets and all sorts of things) and see the real lush greenery.  You can also pamper yourself with a visit to the Relache Spa, which offers massages, body treatments, and facials.

This Atrium also has a rustic steakhouse by the wooden bridge.

Next you have the St. Augustine Atrium which is set up like the town of St. Augustine.  There is a George St, the stone streets with court yards and Castillo de San Marco Fort (Where they hold private events).

The court yard was one of our favorite spots to enjoy some Frozen Yogurt or some hot tea.

Then there is the Key West Atrium which set up with a boat, which is the seafood restaurant ‘Moor’ sitting in clear blue water pond with live fish.

Then lastly the Emerald Bay Atrium which had the Market Square.  This was set up with all kinds of shops and restaurants.  The coffee shop was located here (serves Starbucks coffee).  The honey bell frozen yogurt shop was located here along side their buffet style Italian restaurant.

Once you go through the Market square, you get to the convention center.  Down the stairs from there is Wreckers sports bar.   The Main Lobby sits right between St. Augustine and Key West Atrium which has the Socio bar and lounge (tapas bar).

Something I found very amusing that hubby did not, were the lobby bathrooms (look at picture to see if you can figure out what that is 😉 ).

All this is INDOORS except for the pools and the Green Lawn. You feel like you are sitting outside but you are enjoying everything indoors.  It was great because you don’t have to worry about weather or bugs.  It was too hot for us to walk around with the baby outside so this was great because you felt like you were walking outside but only cooler.  A storm came through but we didn’t feel like our vacation was interrupted because there is enough to do in the Atriums.  You’re sure to appreciate the recreational amenities, which include 2 outdoor swimming pools, 2 spa hot tubs, a complimentary water park and a fitness center. Additional amenities at this resort include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and babysitting/childcare (surcharge). They also offer a complimentary theme park shuttle, but I wouldn’t want to leave :).  As per Vineet my son,  “can we stay here every time we come to Orlando.”  Can’t wait to check it out during Christmas!!

The Rooms

We booked 2 rooms: One with a king bed for my parents and one with 2 queen beds (yes Queen Beds!) for our family of 4.  Both of our rooms were in the Everglades section of the resort.   My parents room (#4003) had a view of the pool and the atrium since it was a corner room.  Their bathroom had a double vanity and a nice stand up shower.  We were right next door (#4001) with a pool view.

Our bathroom had a double vanity and a tub 😊, which was helpful with our 3-month-old.  The rooms were spacious enough with a refrigerator (which came in handy for milk and drinks for the kids).  The room with a king bed has a large lounge chair in the room as well, since it has more room.  We took along a travel crib that is small enough to fit anywhere.  We traveled to NY last month when my daughter was 2 months and this crib came in very handy.  Overall the rooms were clean and tidy but, they will need a little TLC soon as I noticed some minor wear and tear.   The resort has a few room options that you can select while booking.  We just had the standard rooms.  There are balcony rooms, which are Atrium facing and even one-bedroom suites.

Dining

There are many options for you to pick without leaving the resort as I mentioned above there is a steakhouse Old Hickory Steakhouse which is there fine dining restaurant with a large wine selection. There is a seafood restaurant MOOR which is located in the Key West atrium serves fresh seafood combined with innovative and sustainable dishes. There is an Italian restaurant Villa de Flora where you can sit under traditional wood pergola and enjoy a buffet style Mediterranean feast.

They even have their own herb garden growing right outside the restaurant.

They have a sports bar called Wreckers where you can watch all of your favorite games on their 37-foot screen and over 50 HDTVs in a casual atmosphere, ideal for sports fans.  They also have a poolside bar and grill the SandBar where you can grab a bite while enjoying the wonderful weather in by their resort-style pools. We enjoyed a meal here while hanging out at the pool.  My son ordered a burger from the kid’s menu, hubby and I shared a fish sandwich, and my parents shared a buffalo chicken sandwich.  They all came with yummy fries.  The meals were big enough for us to share and be satisfied.  They have a tapas bar and lounge Socio where they serve shareable Cuban inspired small plates and specialty beverages.

We enjoyed our dinner here on their comfy chairs and sofas.  My 3-month old was able to lie down and kick her arms and legs on their sofa while we sat and enjoyed our  dinner next to her.

They have a coffee shop The Cocoa Bean where they serve Starbucks® coffee and bakery items or grab-on-go snacks. We enjoyed breakfast here, their bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches were really good.  We also really enjoyed the frozen yogurt at Honeybells, where we loaded up on our favorite toppings.

Lastly there is the Emerald Bay Marketplace where you can enjoy a variety of fresh pastries, on-the-go sandwiches, house-made wraps and fresh salads and a cold beer or wine.

Activities

Right now, they have their SummerFest until August 12^th featuring pool parties, sing-a-longs, a surf show and a scavenger hunt (for a small fee).  On the weekends they also have a tattoo and hair wrap stand (for a fee) poolside for the kids. Their water park features a zero-entry swimming pool, multi-level tree house playground, racing slides, a drop slide and a double Flow Rider ($25 fee for half an hour).  My son really enjoyed to flow rider.

The adults can enjoy the less noisy and tranquil adult only South Beach Pool located adjacent to the Sandbar pool bar and grill.  They also offer private cabana rentals by the adult only pool that have mounted TVs.

The kids can choose from all kinds of furry friends, add lots of stuffing and make a wish on a heart at the Build-A-Bear Workshop (open Friday-Sunday) which is located right in front of the Arcade in the Everglades Atrium.

We did not try this but might try it next time The Swamp Witch Escape Ghost Tour (for a fee).  They offer Dive-In Movies only on Saturday nights by the pool.  During Summerfest on Saturdays they offer The Exotic Animal Encounter at the Sawgrass Place in the Everglades atrium where you will find snakes, turtles and baby alligators.

Every night they put on a Sounds of Freedom Light Show in the St. Augustine Atrium.

They offer a Kids’ Nite Out which is an in-room child-care service that customizes the experience based on the age of the child.  They also have many different events going on for the holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and even Easter.

Overall, this resort has all you need to please every member of your extended family.  Good luck with your gateway/vacation planning.  Please give us a shout if you have any questions regarding this Orlando resort or another.  If you like this post, please do like/comment and share it with your family and friends.