Gaylord Palms is a resort and convention center in Kissimmee, FL, located near Disney. The resort offers Cypress Springs Water Park that will keep the whole family entertained, a spa, nine on-site restaurants, a 4.5 acre garden atrium that has baby gators, and outdoor spaces that allow the kids to run around and play.
Gaylord Palms is home to So Much Christmas, a seasonal event that features ICE! And other winter activities. Our family has been for the past 3 years and loves it. They also offer other seasonal activities throughout the year. This summer they are doing a Super Hero Summer featuring DC with activities that include some of your favorite DC characters, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
If you are local and wanting a staycation or if you want some fun pool days in between park days, this resort is a great option.
To read about other resort options in Orlando, Orlando activities, or see my resort essentials with kids, check out these posts:
Rooms & Pricing
Gaylord Palms has recently renovated their guest rooms, lobby, and other spaces and they did a great job. The lobby area was gorgeous; I was even taking pictures for inspiration in my own house. And the guest rooms they did a great job with as well. In our most recent stay, we stayed in a queen guest room with an atrium view. Our room was located in the Everglades Atrium, which is closest to the pool.
When you walked in, they had a large closet on one side and the bathroom on the other. The closet reminded me of the closet at the Conrad Orlando. It was separated into two parts, one with space to hang clothes and store your luggage and the other with drawers. Right next to the closet was a bar area that included a mini fridge. The bathroom has two doors, one that closed off the entire bathroom and another that closed off only the shower and toilet area. This allows you to use the sink or mirror even if someone else may be showering.
As you walk further into the room, you will see the two queen guest beds and a bench that allows additional seating but also has two drawers underneath it. For rooms with a king bed, there is a chair and ottoman as well.
The entrance to the balcony has two French doors that can both be opened wide to really make you feel like the balcony is an extension of your room. I love this! When staying at a resort with kids, the balcony has always been a big thing for me. Whether you are in the room while your kids nap or the kids need downtime in between the pool and dinner or the kids are asleep for the night and you want somewhere to hang out, the balcony is the perfect place to relax. That is, if it is the right balcony. All balconies are not created equal. The first time we stayed at Gaylord, we had a first-floor room, and the balcony was very spacious. The second time, we had a room on a higher floor, and it was smaller. So, for our most recent stay, I requested first floor and was very happy with our balcony.
Suite Options: Gaylord Palms has their standard rooms that I just discussed but they also have suite options. They have a deluxe suite and executive suite that offer a separate living area and dining table. However, while the living room has a sofa bed, the main bedroom is a king bed. This means the suites only offer sleeping arrangements for up to 4 people. As a family of 5, I like to look at suites to see if they make more sense than a standard room. But in this case, they would not. The executive suite does have the option to connect to another room but that would come with an additional cost. Now you are paying for both the suite and a standard room.
Atrium Options: For rooms, the view options are Florida view, atrium view, or main atrium view. The Florida view is looking outside, what you would typically expect from a resort. The main atrium view includes the St Augustine atrium and the Emerald Bay atrium. The standard atrium view is the Everglades and Key West atriums. The St Augustine atrium is my favorite but with that said, I don’t think it’s necessary to pay the extra for main atrium. I do think it’s well worth it to get an atrium view, but I don’t think main atrium is needed. Now if you are there for So Much Christmas, main atrium would be wonderful because you can see the light show at night and other Christmas activities.
Pricing: Pricing will vary based on what room option you choose, when you go, and what view you want. March and April will be high prices due to spring break and so will major holidays such as New Year’s Eve and 4th of July. Below I include base line pricing but please note, these rates are as of the time I reviewed. Resort pricing fluctuates and is always subject to change. Gaylord Palms is also a part of Marriott. So, if you are a points person, make sure you check out availability to use your points to stay here.
- Standard room, Florida view: $260+
- Standard room, atrium view: $350+
- Executive suite: $690+
Pool & Cypress Springs Water Park
This pool area is one of my favorites in Orlando and offers so many options for the whole family. They pack a lot into the space though so on busy days it can feel crowded. Whereas with Evermore Resort, the space is so large that there is plenty of space to spread out, even when it is crowded (see my review on Evermore Resort).
Treehouse Water Playground: This was definitely a favorite spot for the kids and is perfect if you have little kids in your family. It is a large play structure that looks like a treehouse with lots of interactive water activities. There are multiple slides that start at different heights and have differing heigh requirements for kids. On the side of the playground is a slide shaped like a shell and that is the perfect slide for all ages. Our kids went down over and over and there is plenty of space for adults to sit and watch their kids. The treehouse has buckets that fill up and you can splash down below, water blasters, etc. And the pool that the treehouse and slides sit in is not deep, which works great for little kids to be able to stand up and for adults to be able to sit down and cool off when needed.
Cypress Springs Pool: This is a zero entry pool that slowly gets deeper as you walk out. There is a large television screen at the end of it that they use for movies by the pool on select evenings. The World Cup was on while we were just there and they had the matches playing. In the deeper end, there is also a basketball hoop area that has 4 different basketball hoops. This spot was always busy with kids playing.
Crystal River Rapids: This is a unanimous favorite in our house, even for my 3-year-old. There are multiple entrance points, both with stairs and a walk in option. And there are life jackets available for all different sizes for both kids and adults. This is nice for kids to be ensure it doesn’t get too much for them or for adults, they are even fun because then you can just float through the rapids. It has a spot where you go fast, it has waterfalls, it has a big sun shelf area, it has spots you can pull off to the side to if you want to take a break…it has it all and is just so much fun.
Wake Zone Surf Experience: My husband and two older sons did this experience and had a great time. The cost is $35/person and you sign up to do it. You can sign up online (what I did) or you can sign up at the building when you first walk into the pool. You select a 30-minute window, and they had 3 other people in their window with them. The instructor did a great job of helping and keeping everything moving. They all got plenty of turns. For the kids, they rode a boogie board on the wave and then for my husband, he rode a surf board.
Free Fall Drop Slide & Twister Racing Slides: Three of the adults in our family did the free fall drop slide and said it went very fast, but they had a good time. The twister racing slides are enclosed slides, and I don’t know if it was just because it was summer and very hot out, but everyone said those slides were really hot and did not want to do them again.
South Beach Pool: This is a pool that is off to the side of the poolside restaurant and is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main pool area.
Cabanas & Premium Seating
In our most recent stay, we were there over the summer and the pool was very busy. Which is to be expected, everyone is trying to beat the heat. But lounge chairs went quickly so I would get there early to grab a chair. Or, if you prefer, they have cabana and premium seating options that you can reserve ahead of time.
For cabanas, they have them in 3 different locations: Cypress Springs, Crystal River Rapids, and South Beach Pool. We did cabanas both days that we were there because there were 10 of us so this allowed us to have a space to all come together, we were celebrating my mother-in-law’s birthday and Father’s Day, and it was nice to have lots of shade for both the kids and adults. The cabana came with a fruit tray and water. The first day we had one by the Crystal River Rapids and that was $350. The second day we had one by Cypress Springs and that was $500. When booking, I did not realize there was a difference in cost for the two but after, I understand why there is. The Cypress Springs cabana was much bigger and included a table and chairs. If you reserve them for a small party, I think any option would be fine. But for our large party, having the bigger one was so nice.
For premium seating, they have options in the same 3 locations as the cabanas (Cypress Springs, Crystal River Rapids, and South Beach Pool). The cost for Crystal River Rapids starts at $25, Cypress Springs starts at $35, and South Beach Pool starts at $50.
Dining Options
Gaylord Palms has several dining options to choose from and we have always had a great experience. Let’s talk through them.
- Moor: This is an upscale seafood restaurant that is unique because it has seating options on a boat. They only offer two person or four-person table options to sit on the boat though. In our most recent stay, we were a party of 10 so we did not sit on the boat but were able to sit just outside of it. The restaurant is kid friendly, we have eaten here on two separate stays, both times with our kids. They have a kids menu and everything we ordered was very good. It is pricey though, so keep that in mind. And I do recommend making reservations ahead of time.
- Old Hickory Steakhouse: This is an upscale steakhouse. We have not eaten here because we were not able to get a reservation for our large party at the time we wanted but the employee we talked to did say that they are kid friendly. The ambiance of the restaurant looked really nice, we overlooked it from our balcony in the Everglades atrium. They are only open for dinner and I do recommend making a reservation.
- Villa de Flora: This is a casual restaurant. We have eaten here multiple times for breakfast and it has always been a buffet style when we have gone. The buffet has a lot of options so there is something for everyone in the family to eat. We have eaten here for Easter brunch and for the super hero breakfast where Wonder Woman and Batman walked around to greet the kids.
- Wreckers Sports Bar: This is a casual restaurant and a great option with kids. They have a lot of TVs going with sports games so if the kids made noise it was never an issue. Right outside is a big field that the kids can run around as well. So when the kids got antsy after dinner, we went out there and threw the ball around and let them run.
- SandBar: This is the restaurant by the pool and has plenty of options that you would expect to see at a poolside resort restaurant.
- Socio: This is the lounge and bar that is in the lobby area. It is very cute and I’m sure the drinks are delicious, but we have not had time to stop in and enjoy it when we have been there. If you’re staying here with grandparents though, this is the perfect spot to get away for a little bit and have a mini date night.
- Emerald Bay Café & Market: This is where we got Starbucks coffee and breakfast each morning. There are breakfast sandwiches, fruit, cereal, and lots of the other options you can grab and go.
- Room Service: This resort does offer room service.
- Jamba: They have a Jamba within the resort and it offers smoothies, juices, and bowls.
- Coldstone Creamery: Ice cream is always a favorite with kids so it’s nice that they have this option.
Activities
This resort has lots of activity options to keep you entertained. We love walking around the main atrium that is filled with beautiful plants and even has Gator Springs that has baby gators. At night, the lights at the top of the atrium are lit up and sometimes they have a light show. There is an arcade that my kids love and is perfect if it is raining or they need time away from the sun. The field that is outside by Wreckers is a great spot to burn off energy at the end of the day and in the evenings, we saw it filled with families. We bought a moonball from the toy shop in the lobby ($14) and would throw that around. Depending on the season, the resort usually has a list of activities designed for families, such as a scavenger hunt.
Seasonal Activities
Their biggest seasonal activity is hands down So Much Christmas! It starts in November and goes through December. It includes activities such as decorating gingerbread houses, story time with Mrs. Claus, snow tubing, creating snow balls, and the main attraction, which is ICE! We have done it 3 years in a row now.
During the spring, the atrium is filled with flowers, decorated for Easter, and they have visits with the Easter bunny. Over the summer, they were having their Super Hero Summer that featured DC characters. During the fall, they have fall décor and fall themed activities. I recommend looking into what activities will be going on while you are there. When it comes to seasonal activities, I would place this resort as one of the top resorts in Orlando.
Overall Feedback & FAQs
We love Gaylord Palms and would recommend it to any family looking for fun filled pool days, lots of dining options, indoor options to keep the kids entertained, and has seasonal activities. The cost does add up though when you factor in food so I would keep that in mind and budget for it. I also wish they had a suite option that was targeted towards families with more than 4 people. Conrad Orlando and JW Marriott Grande Lakes have great options for families that would accommodate 6 people. And one thing I love about Disney resorts is that they have the 5th sleeper.
- Would I stay here again? Yes, I have stayed at this resort 3 times now.
- What is the closest airport? Orlando International Airport.
- Is an atrium view worth the extra cost? In my opinion, yes. But I don’t think you necessarily need to do the main atrium, I think the atrium view is great.
- Is the resort kid friendly? Absolutely. From the family friendly activities they offer to the amazing pool and water park to the kid menus offered at the restaurants, this is a great option for families.
- What is your favorite dining option? All of them but for different reasons. If you are looking for a nice dinner, MOOR is unique and the food is great. Villa de Flora and Wreckers are great for casual options. And if you’re like our family and typically eat poolside or order room service after a long day by the pool, they have those options as well.
- Is the pool heated? Yes, both pools are heated so during the winter months (and even spring break), you don’t need to worry about the pools being cold.
- Which cabana do you recommend? My favorite was the Cypress Springs one because it was bigger and included a table. But it is more expensive, so the Crystal River Rapids cabana is a great option as well. If you are looking for a quieter atmosphere, then I would recommend South Beach cabana.
- Where can I get coffee? At the Cocoa Bean Coffee House located in the Emerald Bay Café & Market.
- How far is it from Disney? About 10 minutes.
- Is there a kids club? No, this resort does not have a kids club.
- What is the cost? That will depend on when you go and what accommodation option you choose. The rooms and pricing section at the beginning of this post provides additional details.
- How much is parking? Self-parking is $40 and I believe valet is $50.