Gaylord Palms - any good?

[ms.ojo]

Basically, I'm wondering what the shuttle service is like from this hotel to the disney parks. How often does it run? How long does it take? Does it drop you off at TTC at MK or up where the resort busses drop off? Does it provide transport to Downtown Disney too? What about in evenings of special ticket events like MNSSHP or Christmas parties?

I posted on the other thread where a person questioned allergies but no one seems to be checking that link anymore. Hope someone can provide some insight!! Thanks in advance!

 

[spiceycat]

I think it drops you off for the MK where the other off site shuttles do - another words at TTC

for any of the extra events at night - if staying off site I wouldn't chance it - I would get a rental car.

 

[ms.ojo]

Thank you.

 

[pilgrimage]

Just a reminder--they are the only property I know which charges $7 per day for self-park.

 

[ms.ojo]

That's expensive. FOrtunately we won't be having a car for this trip.

 

[the kabuki]

Just another tip from someone who found out the hard way. Make sure you ask how often each shuttle runs to each park, get real specific. And do they pick up any other hotels or just Gaylord. The one and only time we stayed off site, I just took the front desks word that they had shuttles running to and from the parks all day which souded fine. Problem was that they ran at certain times during the day only, not one every 30 minutes or so. If you missed one of the 2 buses in the morning, you were SOL. Also, the off site shuttles would drop off/pick up at 2 different parks, so you would have people going to say the MK and Epcot on the same bus, which usually resulted in there not being enough room on the bus. Again,no room, too bad wait for the next bus in 3 hours. And these same buses would also be servicing other hotels, so you better hope you first in line to be picked up.

I won't even go into what a nightmare trying to get home at closing was.

The pick up area was in the bus parking lot, past the disney buses, where you go to a numbered spot and wait for the time specified. No lines, benches,or anything, just wait on the blacktop in the middle of the parking lot along with the other 150 people that all want to get on the one and only bus that's coming next. Of course, there's another one that comes along in 1 1/2 hours, and maybe the driver of the first bus calls to order another for the overflow, but it's still another 45 minute wait.

Call ahead of time, ask specific questions as to where , when , times, etc.

 

[ms.ojo]

I have heard those horror stories. I did call Gaylord Palms and they say "they have a schedule which they give out at check in" and since I didn't have a fax machine they weren't going to get it to me but I asked for them to send me a copy in the mail which they're doing reluctantly. It's as you say, not every xmins...but at certain times of the day and shared w/ other parks.

This is why we're adding days to our trip when we'll be staying ON SITE. Those will be our primary WDW touring days! but we were thinking of doing 1 or 2 days during the conference IF the bus svc wasn't bad. So far, no one who has stayed at Gaylord palms on this board has used the svc...so I have no first hand experience yet. But I'm still hopeful!

 

[the kabuki]

If you're staying onsite for some days, then you'll be fine. It's just when your entire time is spent off site that the shuttles really get bothersome.

 

[momm2four]

kabuki,
Your experience is identical to mine. My DH, my two oldest sons and I stayed at MK one night, while my mom took the two youngest back to HIFS. We thought that we'd simply catch the bus back to the hotel after MK closed. Well, we got over to the "waiting area", which as you stated is an area marked off on the pavement. We waited and waited and waited. The bus was over 30 minutes late, and there were lots of us waiting to get on. After we were packed in there, the bus still stopped at several other places. I felt sorry for the people who were standing. Of course, I also felt sorry for myself for having to ride for 40 min on a bus with my then 7 year old on my lap.

Lori P.

 

[the kabuki]

Exactly the reason we rented a minivan this trip, even though we stayed on site. Had never rented before and boy was it great. No waiting, no standing, total freedom. And
it wasn't that much more than if we had gotten a town car to and from the airport. This way we had a car for 7 days.

 

[krick]

I heard they have a shuttle every hour to the parks.

 

[spiceycat]

that would generally to expensive for offsite resorts to do.

Gaylord is a deluxe.

I have looked on the website for a bus schedule and I can't find one.

So I would definitely call them and have them verify that in writing to you.

of course parks might be the key word here - one shuttle to every park not only WDW but Sw, US/IOA - of course I think that would definitely take longer than an hour.

 

[Lewisc]

Many (most?) of the deluxe off site properties are starting to charge for self parking. The Universal hotels, Gaylord Palms, MOWC, JW Marriott and others.

I didn't use the shuttle but I remember the schedule was decent. You might want to supplement the shuttle with a cab as necessary.

BTW Gaylord Palms has a mandatory resort fee. It isn't optional. It includes 2 bottles of water and OJ /day, in room safe (large enough for a laptop and includes a power outlet so you can charge your laptop or cell phone),not only high speed internet but a monitor/keyboard/mouse so you can access the internet without bringing a computer. I think it also includes local/800 phone calls. It also covers the cost of the Disney shuttles which some off site properites are starting to charge for.

 

[agnes!]

I'd like to put my two cents in about an off-site resort that we stayed at back around Halloween - Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. They are a deluxe and still have free self-parking. (It is also fairly close to the main building, not out in parking "Siberia"!) Their $13/day resort fee covers the use of their fabulous health club, bikes (both surry & regular), boating(canoe - I think..., sailboats, pedalboats), newspaper, any children's activities('smores on their beach, trick-or-treating at Halloween), shuttle to Disney, etc, etc. We did not use their shuttle since we had a rental car, but we saw it often during the day.

I know, I know, not about the Gaylord Palms, but I just couldn't help myself .

agnes!

 

[krick]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into that. Although the Gaylord Palms has availability when we want to go, they told me that they are having a huge Government convention during those same days. Ugh.

 

[Thmacs1]

I know it is risky if you have your heart set on a particular resort, but I got Gaylord Palms on Priceline for $80/ night for the week after Easter. Even with the $10 per day resort and parking fees, it is $100 less per night than I could find on any other site for Gaylord Palms that week.

 

[krick]

WOW! I cannot believe you got that price!! I am going to go on priceline right now! We are going to be there at that same time. There is a huge government convention going on there so I know that sunday night (april 3rd) is all booked but I will try anyways.
Thanks for the tip!!!!

 

[ms.ojo]

There is a special on the Travel Channel on Orlando hotels. It aired Fri night at 9pm est and will be on again tomorrow, 2/13 at 1pmest. It features Gaylord Palms, and some other very fine orlando hotels. You might want to tune in!!

Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread. I'm looking forward to our trip there in Dec. (Of course as you'll see from my signature we're going to WDW in April too. It's a big (lucky!) year!!!)))

I did call about the shuttle schedule and they emailed me a sample schedule from this time of yr. It looked like it would work out fine. I still prefer to visit the parks from on-site hotels....and we'll be doing that for part of our trip. But the few days we plan to visit from GP I think it will be just fine. At least I hope so. And if not, we'll take a taxi back at closing time.