Orlando area resorts
Gaylord Palms Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party with Puss in Boots and Friends
Pack your favorite pajamas to party with the most darling swashbuckler and all around coolest cat in Central Florida! Gaylord Palms invites guests and their families to a brand new DreamWorks Experience, the Puss in Boots & Friends’ Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 16 because this exclusive event will take place one night only!
Guests have one chance to participate in this purrrrrrfect family friendly adventure. Clad in your party pjs enjoy an exclusive meet & greet with your most admired feline hero, Puss in Boots. Package guests will want to bring their DreamWorks autograph book amenity for this one – and don’t forget a camera! Tap into your creative genius by decorating and customizing your very own Puss in Boots pillowcase while snacking on cookies and leche (milk). The party continues outside at Gaylord Palms’ Cypress Springs Family Fun Water Park as you settle in for a Splash ‘N’ Screen viewing of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.’s Academy Award® nominated film, Puss in Boots.
Upon check-in, children will get their paws on some special gifts including their very own magic beans and a memento from DreamWorks’ most recent film, Rise of the Guardians. Additionally, package guests will embark on an adventure like no other in the Rise of the Guardians Adventure Scavenger Hunt. Join forces with Jack Frost and the legendary Guardians to solve exciting puzzles, crack codes and find the clues needed to defeat the evil spirit, Pitch, and his devious plan to engulf the world in darkness and fear. Are you brave enough to take the challenge?
Why let the fun stop there? For an additional charge, guests can start the next day with a ShrekFeast Interactive Character Breakfast. Kids will love becoming an honorary Ogre and joining Shrek and friends for a fairytale feast fit for a king. Tableside hugs included! This experience features a Magic Fountain bubbling over with intoxicating chocolate potions and Shrek-shaped waffles with syrup.
The feline fiesta is part of The DreamWorks Experience and takes place at Gaylord Palms on Saturday, March 16. Visit www.gaylordpalms.com today to book your Puss in Boots & Friends’ Purrrrrrfect Pajama Party package. Package rates start at $189 per night for a family of four (exclusive of tax, resort fees and parking).
Gaylord Palms Resort is located five minutes from the gates of Walt Disney World at 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746. For more information, visit www.gaylordpalms.com or call 407-586-2000.
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It’s ICE ICE Baby! – Top 5 Favorite Scenes From Gaylord Palms Merry Madagascar
One of my favorite parts of living in Orlando are the wonderful holiday events and happenings. Gaylord Palms is an absolutely gorgeous resort and it becomes a sparkling jewel for the holidays. My family and I love making ICE! an annual tradition, where over 2 million pounds of ice are carved by skilled Chinese artisans, with a new theme for each holiday season. This year, it’s “Merry Madagascar” and all of your favorites are there; King Julien, Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, and of course, MORT! There are SO many amazing things to see at ICE!, I think I took over 100 photos. However, rather than show you everything, I want to share my top 5 scenes, and hopefully entice you to get over to Gaylord Palms and see the rest in person!
My Top 5 Favorite Scenes at Gaylord Palms ICE! – Merry Madagascar
5. Frozen Coconuts!
4. Sparkly Penguins!
3. Pink Eiffel Tower and pastel St. Basil’s!
2. Super Slides!
1. Frozen Waterfall!
But there is much more to the holidays at Gaylord Palms than just ICE! Within the ICE! area, there are also special character greeting photo ops and Gingy’s Gingerbread Decorating, as well as a huge selection of holiday and themed merchandise and a cafe serving holiday treats. In addition, the main atrium lobby has breathtaking Christmas decorations and a nightly Christmas show called Luminescence – featuring The Edge Effect, and the Polar Bear Pursuit Scavenger Hunt. Below is a gallery of some more highlights from Gaylord Palms holiday happenings – click any photo to view as a slideshow:
You can see the rest of my photos on my ICE! 2012 flickr set.
The best way to see all of the wonderful holiday offerings is of course, to stay right at the Gaylord Palms. Guests seeking a complete Christmas experience can purchase special “Christmassy DreamWorks Experience” packages starting at $189.99 per room, per night (for a three night stay)! Packages include unlimited visits to ICE! and a number of other activities, including a ShrekFeast Interactive Character Meal, and more!
ICE! is open daily from Nov. 10, 2012 through Jan. 1, 2013, including holidays. Ticket prices for children start at $9.99, and adult ticket prices start at $18.99. Florida Residents — Save an extra $4 per ticket. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.christmasatgaylordpalms.
Disclosure: I was provided tickets to attend a media preview of ICE! but my thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hilton Orlando’s Summer Birthday POOL-ooza Offers Fun for Locals and Visitors
If someone you love has been cursed blessed with a summer birthday, you know how difficult it can be to ensure they have just as much fun as those with birthdays during the school year when folks are not away on vacation somewhere. Well, the Hilton Orlando has solved that problem by letting the birthday boy or girl have a pool party they’ll remember all summer long. Located right in the middle of all the theme parks and attractions, The Hilton Orlando’s summer birthday pool package is available to non-hotel guests and local residents – perfect!
The package is available Monday – Thursday for a maximum of 25 people (including adults). Party guests will receive:
- Two poolside cabanas for four hours (between 11 am and 3 pm or 4 pm and 8 pm),
- One custom-decorated cake
- Two large two-topping pizzas and four pitchers of soda
- Full access to the main pool, the adult “quiet” pool, whirlpools, water slide and lazy river
- A one-hour activity of choice (volleyball, basketball, or water balloon toss) hosted by Hilton Orlando recreation staff
- 50% discount on self-parking
The cost of the package is $25 per person with a 15 person minimum, and will provide hours of fun for both adults and children alike, so be sure to splash on over to Hilton Orlando for your birthday celebration. It’s sure to be a swimmingly good time!
Sounds great, doesn’t it? My birthday isn’t even until December and I want to go hang out in the lazy river all day!! We may just have to do this for my daughter’s birthday in August. Check out the other amazing packages the Hilton Orlando offers – they look fantastic! Head over to TheHiltonOrlando.com or call 407-313-4300 to book your getaway now!
Celebrate Father’s Day at the Swan and Dolphin Hotels
In honor of Father’s Day, guests can receive a special rate and complimentary room upgrade during Father’s Day Weekend
I’ve stayed at the Walt Disney World Dolphin a few times, and dined there and the Swan and loved it each time. The “Heavenly beds” live up to their name and there is a feel of ultimate luxury when you walk in the lobby. The Swan and Dolphin are now offering a deal for dads for the upcoming Father’s Day weekend – check out the details below:
Families looking to give dad the vacation he deserves can now do so with a special Father’s Day offer from the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel. For the weekend of June 15-17, guests can receive rooms starting at $199 per night and a complimentary room upgrade at the Orlando hotel.
Located in the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel offers easy access for dads to spend time with their families in the Disney theme parks, unwind on one of the four championship golf courses or drive an exotic sports car at the Richard Petty Driving Experience.
In addition, the hotel itself offers a number of amenities and activities that will appeal to dad and the entire family including five pools, recreational activities, and numerous dining options such as Shula’s Steak House and character dining.
Reservations can be made online at www.swandolphin.com/offers
In the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort, the award-winning Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is the gateway to Central Florida’s greatest theme parks and attractions. The hotel is located between Epcot andDisney’s Hollywood Studios, and nearby Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Magic Kingdom Park. Guests can discover 17 world-class restaurants and lounges, sophisticated guest rooms with Westin Heavenly Beds and the luxurious Mandara Spa. The hotel features five pools, two health clubs, tennis, nearby golf, complimentary transportation throughout the Walt Disney World Resort and the Extra Magic Hours benefit, where each day, one of the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks is open extra time to enjoy select attractions. (Valid Theme Park admission and Resort ID required). The hotel can be reached at 800-227-1500, www.swandolphin.
Gaylord Palms Family Fun Night Package With Shrek & Friends
One of our family’s favorite parts of visiting Gaylord Palms ICE during the holidays was the Dreamworks’ characters. They are so larger than life, it’s impossible not to want to hug them (especially when I see Puss in Boots). Even better, the resort itself is just gorgeous, you could walk around in the atrium and various themed areas for hours, not to mention the wonderful dining options and relaxing spa.
Now Gaylord Palms is offering another DreamWorks Experience package for Saturday, February 18, 2012. Families will have an immersive experience with Shrek, Fiona and Puss in Boots that features dancing, movies, scavenger hunts, crafts and special treats. And best of all, kids stay FREE*!
From $99* per person based on double occupancy, The one-night package includes:
- Accommodations at Gaylord Palms Resort for a family of up to four (4)
- Admission to DJ dance party with appearances by Shrek, Fiona and Puss in Boots
- Admission to a DreamWorks movie shown on a big screen
- Puss In Boots Quest for the Magic Beans Scavenger Hunt
- Swamp Juice & Ogre Treats
- A Family Souvenir Photo
- DreamWorks craft activity
- Resort Fee
- Self-Parking
Guests are encouraged to make it a two- or three-night stay* to take advantage of all the entertainment and extraordinary experiences available. Gaylord Palms Resort features signature, glass-covered atriums that offer acres of sculpted indoor gardens, walkways, and streams that feel like the outdoors but are kept at a pleasant, 72 degrees year round. Visitors can also indulge in rejuvenating treatments at Relâche Spa & Salon, voted a 4-Star Spa by Forbes Travel Guide; enjoy world-class cuisine at a multitude of award-winning restaurants, including the new Wreckers Sports Bar; and enjoy excellent shopping and nightlife options. Gaylord Palms Resort, located in the heart of Central Florida, is the perfect “home base” for day trips to some of the nation’s most thrilling and exciting attractions and theme parks!
For a full itinerary, more information and to book the Family Fun Night With Shrek & Friends, visit www.GaylordPalms.com
*Per person based on double occupancy plus tax and Osceola County Assessment Fee for two occupants; up to two children (age 12 and under) stay FREE. Limited availability. Extra nights and atrium upgrades may be available at prevailing rates. Not valid or combinable with other offers or groups.
Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and all related characters and properties © 2012 DreamWorks Animation L.L.C.