As you may know if you have been following Zannaland for a while, or subscribed to our YouTube channel – we LOVE Gaylord Palms Resort! It’s such an amazing getaway, it’s THE perfect place for a “staycation.” There is so much to see and do within the resort, you have no reason to leave! Now, to celebrate the spooky season coming upon us soon (I know all of 2020 has been pretty spooky, but you might as well have some FUN with it, right?) Gaylord Palms is presenting Goblins and Giggles Getaway Weekends!
What are Goblins and Giggles Getaway Weekends you ask? Let me explain. This Fall, guests are invited to experience spooktacular weekends September 11 through October 31, 2020. Throughout the season, in addition to their amazing holiday experiences, Gaylord Palms creates fun family weekends that really give you a reason to getaway, relax, and have fun. These weekend themed events are such great fun and Gaylord Palms Resort is so huge, a scavenger hunt is really a hunt! There are so many places to explore and discover: pools, a water park, dining, live alligators, saltwater fish, and so much more. Here’s the breakdown of the Gaylord PalmsGoblins & Giggles Weekends:
Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends offers a wide array of family-friendly activities from spooky animal encounters and a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt to wicked pool fun and a meet and greet with Spookley the Square Pumpkin.
Most of the activities take place Friday through Sunday.
• In celebration of Goblins & Giggles, the resort is offering a special package starting at $189.
The package includes overnight accommodations, a Hide and Seek Scavenger Hunt booklet and tickets to the new Castillo de San Marcos ALIVE! Ghost Experience. The package excludes resort fee and parking.
Weekend events and activities include:
NEW! Castillo de San Marcos ALIVE! Ghost Experience features live storytellers who recount real-life ghost stories for all who are brave enough to listen. Guests will explore the fort’s stone walls and encounter the spirits who remain trapped within. Includes an imaginative walkthrough experience transporting visitors of all ages through a world of Halloween Jack-o-Lantern fun.
NEW! The resort’s haunted hideaway SpookEasy offers spine-chilling craft cocktails and a spooky collection of terrifying, ghostly artwork procured by owner’s past. *This haunt is PG-13 due to graphic spooky activities inside.*
NEW! Meet and Greet with Spookley the Square Pumpkin at a fun photo op. One day in the pumpkin patch, the strangest little pumpkin hatched. Spookley the Pumpkin was different. All the other pumpkins teased him, until Spookley proved that being different can save the day.
Spooky Animal Encounters provides guests with the opportunity to conquer their fears by getting up-close to live animals and learn about common myths surrounding some of the world’s most misunderstood creatures.
Guests, young and young at heart, can explore the resort during a Trick-or-Treat Expedition, with stops throughout the resort for some deliciously spooky treats.
Seth the Sea Turtle, Ava the Alligator and everyone’s favorite Adventure Kid Sophie explore Florida’s creepier flora and fauna during Adventure Kids: A Spooky Celebration.
Families can hang out poolside with the Halloween host with the most Jack O’ Lantern for some Wicked Awesome Pool Fun in the Sun.
Spend the evening at Moonlight Movies watching family-friendly movies on the resort’s pool screen at Cypress Springs Water Park.
Daily activities include:
The Hide and Seek Scavenger Hunt featuring Spookley the Square Pumpkin. Spookley found eight spooktacular hiding spots at the resort for his game of Halloween Hide & Seek. Guests solve puzzles to find each clue’s missing word and then use the clues to find Spookley.
The Wildlife Rescue Experience guides guests throughout the resort to track down endangered species and help ensure that they are monitored for their protection. The virtual adventure highlights indigenous animals from Florida and, with the magic of augmented reality, brings them to life before the participants’ eyes.
From the comfort of their guest room, families can enjoy two interactive Halloween videos: Bedtime Stories with Morgana, a treat-making witch from Spooksville, and Monster Mash Bash with Vlad the Vampire.
The Phantom of the Atrium Light Display is a haunting masterpiece filled with mystery, mischief and, of course, magic in the St. Augustine atrium sky.
What About Pools?!
Guests can relax and unwind at Cypress Springs Water Park & Resort Pools, which feature a zero-entry swimming pool, multi-level water playground, racing slides, a drop slide and a FlowRider surf simulator.
The pool experience has been upgraded to implement new cleanliness and social distancing measures. Gaylord Palms has done this while balancing the aquatic experience guests have come to love.
In addition to spaced seating, guests can rent a private cabana for the day including shaded seating, a flat-screen television, refrigerator, and snacks. Premium guaranteed pool seating is also available for purchase.
In accordance with Marriott’s “Commitment to Clean” practices, the resort provides enhanced cleaning technology.
This includes:
hospital-grade disinfectants
attendants dedicated to sanitizing frequently throughout the day
social distancing protocols
hundreds of new cleaning processes
all to take care of guests while they enjoy the resort’s amenities.
This sounds like such a FUN event! With so many Halloween events being canceled this year, it would be such a fun family getaway to make some wonderful memories. Sign me up!
For more information on Gaylord Palms Goblins & Giggles events and overnight room packages, visit GaylordPalms.com. Let ’em know Zannaland sent you! 😉
The Seven Seas Food Festival will begin soon at SeaWorld Orlando!
Coming this spring, guests will be able to experience a festival of fun, food, and music at SeaWorld Orlando. Every weekend during the event, concerts will be held at 6pm at the Bayside Stadium.
THE LINEUP!
· March 7 – AJR
· March 8 – Dylan Scott
· March 14 – Hunter Hayes
· March 15 – Joe Nichols
· March 21 – YES and Alan Parsons Live Project
· March 22 – Edwin McCain
· March 28 – Gin Blossoms
· March 29 – Village People
· April 4 – Jesse McCartney
· April 5 – Gretchen Wilson
· April 11 – Scotty McCreery
· April 12 – Jeremy Camp
· April 18 – Everclear
· April 19 – Grand Funk Railroad and BLUE ÖYSTER CULT
· April 25 – Vanilla Ice and C&C Music Factory
· April 26 – Chris Janson
· May 2 – Billy Ray Cyrus
· May 3 – Sean Paul
All of these performances are included with the price of admission! But for the most exclusive experiences, reserved seating can be purchased online. Additionally, there’ll be a plethora of fun new food items at the event, and the full menu can be viewed on SeaWorld’s website.
The SeaWorld Orlando Seven Seas Food Festival begins February 7th, and lasts Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through May 3rd.
Of course, be sure to keep an eye out for the new ICEBREAKER attraction coming this year as well!
We freeze ourselves while trying to board the Polar Express, but it’s all worth it to see those sculpted Tom Hanks figures! And we get to check out the shows at ‘Christmas at Gaylord Palms’, including a HASHTAG LIT Christmas Tree Lighting! Be sure to like and subscribe for more Orlando fun!
Disclosure: Gaylord Palms hosted us for this event, but these opinions are our own!
Today was the grand opening of the brand new Island H2O Live! water park at Margaritaville Resort Orlando, and they invited me down to check it out, so let’s see what they have to offer!
Roving reviewer and videographer Christian recently visited SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando to experience their newest sensation – Mermaids! Every Friday through Sunday starting May 31 through June 23, visitors can come face to fin with real-life mermaids as they dive into the ocean habitats alongside rays, sharks and all their fishy friends.
Mermaid dive times:
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Check out Christian’s video of the Mermaids at SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando and get your tickets today!
Thanks to SEA LIFE Orlando for having us out to share the Mermaids with you!
This vlog was filmed on June 1st, 2019, at SEA LIFE Orlando, for the opening celebration of the new event, Mermaids at the Aquarium. Check it out below!
If traditional Cinco de Mayo celebrations aren’t really your speed, Merlin Entertainments Attractions has a deal for you. The four fun-filled Central Florida attractions of Madame Tussauds Orlando, SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, LEGOLAND Florida Resort and LEGOLAND Florida Water Park, along with the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Atlanta, are offering a bigdiscount on “Awesomer” annual passes during Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Available May 3 – May 5, 2019, the “Awesomer” Annual Pass will be only $99.99 per person – a $70 discount! The pass includes 12 months of unlimited access to the FIVE attractions named above. In addition to park and attraction admission, the “Awesomer” Annual Pass includes free standard parking as well as discounts on dining and retail at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. “Awesomer” Passholders can take advantage of year-round discounts at LEGOLAND Florida Resort Hotel and Beach Retreat.
The sale comes just in time for guests to experience all-new summer offerings. Passholders can meet real-life mermaids at SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium every Friday through Sunday from May 31 through June 23. The mermaids will dive into the ocean habitat at Orlando’s only aquarium to mesmerize guests with their unbelievable underwater feats.
Visitors can also join forces with The Flash and Cyborg, the latest additions to Madame Tussauds Orlando’s Justice League: A Call for Heroes experience. Only in Orlando can guest complete daring missions alongside the ENTIRE Justice League cast, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and now, Cyborg and The Flash.
Guests can also experience the brand-new flying theater attraction, Masters of Flight, at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. Which you can read more about here on Zannaland!
We bought this pass ourselves on the last sale like this, and it is SO worth it! If you plan on experiencing any of these fun attractions, especially LEGOLAND Florida, we highly recommend snagging this deal!
It is no secret thatI LOVE LEGOLAND. It may be more of a secret that I love all things 80’s, from my Lisa Frank stickers to rainbows and unicorns and brightly colored everything. That’s not so much a secret as it is just something a normal woman my age might not admit, but normal is not fun. Anyway, I digress. My point is, The LEGO Movie features a particular character, Unikitty, which embodies many of those same qualities as my childhood. LEGOLAND Florida has taken the background, setting and characters from The LEGO Movie, and brought them to larger-than-life fruition. And it’s amazing.
It’s impossible not to be cheerful in such a big, bright place. You walk in to this area of the park and feel as though you’ve stepped into The LEGO Movie itself.
Here’s the rundown of what to see and do:
Mrs. Scratchenpost and Jeff are ready for your photo ops!
WHAT:
The LEGO Movie World consists of 3 rides, a kids playground area, a Taco Tuesday Everyday quick service restaurant, a small gift shop, and an indoor character meet and greet area. We’ll break down each of these spots below.
WHERE:
As you enter the park, go to the right and right again through the Duplo Valley. You will see the GIANT dog building ahead, and that’s where you’ll find The LEGO Movie World. Very close to the front of the park.
If you are coming from the back half of the park or the Water Park first, head toward the Dragon Coaster area where the Lost Kingdom is, and Movie World is right next to the Dragon Coaster.
HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS/RIDE RESTRICTIONS:
Unikitty’s Disco Drop – Height/Age Requirements:
Guests under 40” in height or under 3 years of age are not allowed on the ride
Guests between 40” to 48”, and 3 to 6 years of age, must be accompanied by a supervising companion age 14 years or older and capable of ensuring the child’s safety
Guests 48” in height and above 6 years of age may ride unaccompanied
Masters of Flight – Height/Age Requirements:
Guests under 40” in height or under 3 years of age are not allowed on the ride.
Guests 52” in height and above 8 years of age may ride unaccompanied.
Battle for Bricksburg – Height/Age Requirements:
Guests who can sit upright without assistance may ride.
Children under 6 years of age or less than 48” must ride with a responsible person age 16 years or older and capable ensuring the child’s safety. The responsible person must be seated on the same bench as the child.
Ride Rundowns:
Unikitty’s Disco Drop – This is a super bright fun and quick ride that you can see as soon as you enter the LEGO Movie World area. There are no surprises for kids who may be a little wary to try a ride like this, you can see it when you walk in, and watch others ride before you. Unikitty narrates the ride, changing things based on her various moods, and it’s full of fun music to make you feel like you’re right inside the movie. This is a quick ride, so the waits shouldn’t be too long, and if it’s not crowded, that means you can ride again and again.
Masters of Flight – The premier ride of LEGO Movie World, this is probably the most technologically advanced ride in all of LEGOLAND Florida. It is definitely along the same lines as Epcot’s Soarin’ down to the fact that you don’t need any 3-D glasses to ride. There are three different levels to load into the attraction, we went up to the 3rd floor, and I think based on the screen vantage point, that was the best place to be, but we’ll have to go back and try them all.
Queue activities
You are given a spot to stand on so you know where to sit
Master’s of Flight seats
You load into a seating system very similar to Soarin’ except that you are facing the way you walked in. This made a few of us fear we were going to go upside-down to get to the screen part of the ride, but that was not the case. You tip back a little, then just turn around to the screen surrounding your viewing area. At first, I was afraid I was going to get a little motion sick, but I quickly adjusted and it was a SUPER FUN ride.
My 10 year old LOVED it, and I think any fans of the LEGO Movies and LEGO Movie video games will feel like they are right there with Emmet, Unikitty, Benny and more. You’re also treated to some fun scents to match your environment, but I won’t give anything else away. You’ll definitely want to check outMasters of Flight, and I don’t think you’ll be alone, so be prepared for a bit of a wait. Luckily there are several LEGO play areas throughout the queue to keep little folks entertained.
Battle for Bricksburg – Those familiar with LEGOLAND Florida will recognize this attraction as the former Legend of Chima boat ride. It has been completely re-worked and re-themed to fit in to the LEGO Movie World. Now you are battling aliens (made from DUPLO) to keep them from invading and stealing LEGO bricks, by spraying water at targets from your boat. If you’re not on the ride, there are water cannons outside, where you can spray guests (who are also getting soaked from water spraying as they sail by), making for lots of fun. You WILL get wet, in fact, you’ll probably get SOAKED, so be prepared for that and plan accordingly. It might be a welcome side effect on a hot Florida day!
Everything Else
The three attractions aren’t all in the LEGO Movie World, there is also a quick service taco stand straight from the movie, where it’s not just Taco Tuesday, it’s Taco Everyday! There you can grab a quick grilled chicken or brisket taco or some dessert sopapillas – the Double Decker Sofa-Pilla Bites, along with drinks as well.
There is also a play area called Benny’s Play Ship with two slides and lots of fun places to climb and run around. Despite all the rides, the play areas of LEGOLAND are always a must-do for my son!
Rounding out the area is Emmet’s Super Suite – a meet and greet area where throughout the day you can meet Emmet, Wyldstyle, Benny, and General Mayhem. The photo area is inside, and exits into a small LEGO Movie World themed gift shop, so you can leave with some souvenirs of your favorite LEGO friends.
Again, this is an amazing new addition to LEGOLAND Florida and I can’t wait till we can get back again. I’d recommend getting there early, and heading straight to Masters of Flight to start your LEGOLAND day off right, then enjoy the rest of the park, and maybe stop by on your way out.
For more info on LEGOLAND Florida hours, ticket prices and hotels, head to LEGOLAND.com/Florida.
*Disclaimer: LEGOLAND Florida provided us with complimentary admission to the park to preview the LEGO Movie World area, but my opinions are, as always, my own.
It’s no secret that LEGOLAND’s Brick or Treat is one of my family’s favorites. My youngest son, Gio, has had the good fortune of being a part of a few of their local social media campaigns, but we were fans far before that. It’s such a fun, family experience and included in park admission on those dates! This year they are offering even more dates, and some new surprises too. Here’s the complete rundown, and you can always take a look at the past posts on LEGOLAND Florida fun.
The Halloween party built for kids returns to LEGOLAND® Florida Resort on nine dates in October. Brick or Treat features a lineup of kid-friendly, Halloween fun! No extra ticket is require
d to enjoy a brand-new show, loads of candy along a uniquely LEGO® trick-or-treating trail, interactive character meet-and-great experiences, a fireworks spectacular and much more.
New this year, a pair of curious trick-or-treaters will sing, dance and chant their way through solving “A Candy-Coated Curse,” a new show on the LEGO City Stage – showing on event dates only! Also, making her Brick or Treat debut, LEGO Spider Lady will be weaving webs of fun inside LEGO Kingdoms.
Except for Wednesday, Oct. 31, each Brick or Treat date will conclude with a ghostly show featuring the “Tale of Pirates’ Cove,” and a Halloween fireworks spectacular in the skies above Lake Eloise. Wear a complimentary pair of viewing glasses for a brick-tastic LEGO twist.
Guests can sip in spooky style with an event-themed Coca-Cola Freestyle® collector’s cup, indulge in Pumpkin Spice Granny’s Apples Fries and nibble on a variety of Halloween-themed snacks. Back after popular demand, Be-A-Minifigure Costume Shop will offer more than 20 LEGO minifigure outfits for boys and girls allowing kids to dress up as their favorite LEGO characters. Guests who spend $50 will receive a special gift-with-purchase item, LEGO Penguin Girl Snow Hut. The seasonal retail shop is available for a limited time only.
Staying the night at the LEGOLAND Hotel is getting a lightly-frightful touch with Halloween-themed rooms. Guests will be able to boo-k a night – or two – beginning August 20 by calling 1-888-690-5346.
My family and I have been visiting Gaylord Palms ICE! as part of our holiday traditions since 2007, before I even wrote about it in Zannaland. It has really become one of the things my children most look forward to, and they ask every Fall – “when does ICE! start?” (Part of the perks of being Orlando locals; our holiday traditions are just a little bit bigger and over the top than many places.)
Over the years, we’ve seen the displays and offerings change and grow – ice skating outside, ice skating inside, snowball fights, snow tubing, enchanting circus performers, characters, and differing Christmas themes in ice. In all those years, none has been so magical, to me personally, than this year’s theme – A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Growing up in the 1980’s, I have very specific and very wonderful memories of Christmastime. Christmas is always exactly 2 weeks after my birthday, so the whole month of December has forever been overwhelmingly magical to me. I remember the weeks leading up to Christmas were filled with Christmas specials: Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,” the Rankin Bass productions of “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” and of course, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
I can see myself clearly, sitting on the floor close to the T.V. in my festive Christmas nightgown, while the lights on the Christmas tree twinkled behind me and the scent of pine and the cookies my mother was baking wafted around me…watching those shows, commercials and all, once a year. At the risk of sounding even more ancient than I already do, this was before a time of cable and satellite television, before 300 channels and DVR’s and Netflix and Roku and Apple TV, or even Blockbuster and VCR’s at this point. So waiting all year to see these shows and making sure you didn’t miss them was a big thing. It became a part of the season, a part of the traditions, a part of the magic.
So to walk in to Gaylord Palms at 9 degrees (a very common temperature feel growing up outside of Boston), and see “A Charlie Brown Christmas” larger than life, right before my eyes, was pretty special for me. The detail was absolutely mind-boggling. Every character, every color, every detail from the television special was carved in perfection. Add to that the music and audio clips from the show, and it was truly a wonderland for anyone who’s grown up with the show, or the Peanuts in general. They were my grandmother’s favorite, and she loved Snoopy, so the Peanuts Gang were always a big part of family visits to her house. I left the ICE! display and wanted to go right back in and see it all again, so I could be little 8 year-old excited-for-Christmas-me once more. If anyone is a fan of the Christmas special or Charles Schulz’s work in general, you must go, you will not be disappointed. The night we were there, Charles Schulz’s son, Craig Schulz, was on hand and seemed to be enjoying himself as well. I can only imagine the memories he must have of these characters.
More to see at Gaylord Palms
Also a part of Christmas at Gaylord Palms is a tree lighting display, A Christmas Wish Light Show, which is the most impressive display yet. Returning for the second year is Cirque Dreams, an impressive show of acrobatic artisans performing in the lobby stage nightly. Alpine Snow Tubing also makes a come-back in the ICE! area, where you can tube down snow-covered slides, as well as other fun activities like photos with Santa, stories with Mrs. Claus, a Build-a-Bear Workshop, and much more. ICE! runs this year through January 1, a perfect treat for winter break from school or work. The property itself is so beautiful, it’s like another world when you are inside and my kids ask me all the time when we can stay there next!
Thank you to Gaylord Palms for inviting my family and I to experience the magic of Christmas at Gaylord Palms and see ICE! and the other entertainment offerings first hand. My opinions, as you can see, are my own. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
