Gaylord Palms

[mmullaney]

Greetings!

Can you offer me any insight into the Gaylord Palms Resort ?

Also,

How about the Portofino Bay resort at US?


Thanks so much!

 

[adrien32]

I'm supposed to be at the Gaylord soon, and I've been having trouble finding a lot of detailed info about it. I'd be interested as well.

 

[CarolA]

I stayed there a few months ago. Very nice hotel. My room overlooked the atrium which is huge (but not as big as the one in Nashville) Make sure you spend some time exploring. The room was very nice but only had a shower so prepare yourself. (Nice big stone shower with glass door!)

I recommend just biting the bullet and paying for valet parking if you have a car. Self parking is $7 and I think I drug my luggage about 2 miles between the lot and the front desk LOL!

There is also a resort fee. Gives you a free internet (and they provide the screens and keyboards) a couple of bottles of juice and water each day. The room had a small refrigerator

I would stay there again.

 

[daannzzz]

I have stayed at both Gaylord Palms and Portofino Bay. Both are very nice resorts. Gaylord Palms is impressive in it's size when you approach but it really doesn't look very exciting until you get inside. It has 3 LARGE themed atriums that half the rooms look into. The other half of the rooms look out around the area...which also means the parkinglot. The main pool is large and fun and the quiet pool is nice as well. There were numerous places to eat. I only ate at the little deli and it was just okay. The room was nice and comfortable.
Portofino Bay was nicer than Gaylord Palms. The rooms were a hair bland but very nice with a large bathroom. The two main pools are very nice and there is ons small unthemed pool. I had a nice view of the bay. You can catch a boat at the dock that will take you to the Universal Parks and Citiwalk.

 

[webray]

We toured Gaylord Palms when it opened, checked out everything and tried the restaurants. It is fabulous, we would love to stay there, although everytime we go, it is booked..lol.

As far as Portofino over at US..it is excellent..top notch!

 

[SammieG]

Gaylord palms seems so expensive... are there deals to be had?

 

[CarolA]

Got a decent rate via hotels.com

 

[ms.ojo]

We are going to be at GP in Dec. w/ dh who's at a conf. Planning on extending the trip to stay on-site at Disney first...but also hoped to do a day or 2 from GP. Would be very interested to hear your experiences w/ their shuttle svc.

Also, the atrium view rooms sound very appealing...are there any outside rooms (that if you don't look down at the parking lot) would have a nice view of MK or Epcot (to view fw at night at either) or perhaps Universal?? i know they would be in a distance, just wondering if there is a view like that and if it's at all interesting.

My ds age 6 then, is SO excited to be at a hotel w/ alligators! FYI - Travel channel has a special on Great Orlando hotels and GP was featured!! Look for it to repeat!!

TIA!
Janet

 

[ms.ojo]

bump

 

[daannzzz]

There are some of the non atrium view rooms that would look toward WDW. Epcot would be the closest but it is still several miles away. I would imagine a top floor room would get you views of the fireworks in the distance but these rooms would be looking down at parkinlots as well. Be aware that the "Florida view" (non atrium view) rooms don't have balconies either.

 

[ms.ojo]

I think we'll stick w/ requesting an Atrium view room. Anything else you can tell me about room preferences??? We have 2 young children. Which atrium has the pool...and sand play area? Is there a playscape there too??

Thanks,
Janet

 

[daannzzz]

I didn't notice a playground which doesn't mean there isn't one. The quiet pool is next to the Everglades room, where I was. These had a dragon fly motif and were done up in tans and greens. This is where my room was and I liked the decor. From the pictures on the Gaylord Palms website I could see there are four sections. Everglades, St. Augustine, Key West and South Beach. I like the decor in all with South Beach being the least interesting.
The Key West Atrium is next to the main, fun pool with giant octopus which has water squirting out of the tentecles.

 

[UKDEB]

We've stayed at PBH twice and visited GP many times to eat.

Needless to say, PBH has the benefit of being onsite at Universal and, for me, the whole experience is greatly enhanced by being onsite. And, of course, you receive the FOTL perk. Each time we've stayed onsite at US (twice at PBH and twice at HRH) we've managed to get an Annual Passholder discount. At rack rates both resorts are overpriced.

GP is an amazing resort, literally just outside the bottom right-hand corner of WDW property. It's worth a visit just to look around and all 3 eateries are good - Sunset Sam's Fish Camp is set partly on the sailboat on the marina in the Key West area inside the hotel; Villa de Flora is a mediterannean buffet in the St Augustine section and very good as buffets go; The Old Hickory Steakhouse in the Everglades part of the hotel is one of our favourite places to eat, but quite expensive. However, I can't imagine choosing to stay there. I'd rather either stay onsite with all the benefits that brings, or at The Ritz-Carlton which is incredible both in terms of quality and service.

 

[adrien32]

I just got back from the Gaylord on Wednesday and really enjoyed it. I loved the "theming" inside, and the food was very good (I was part of a conference and only ate catered meals). My husband ate at the restaurants and thought they were good. Try to get an atrium view in the Everglades section. They were playing loud music until late at night in the Key West section, and I imagine that you could probably hear it in the room if you had a lower level atrium view. I had a parking lot view in Everglades, but it wasn't so bad because we could see the EPCOT fireworks at 9:00!

They had live alligators in the atrium just outside the lobby!

 

[dgaston]

Both the family and adult pools are outside! Sometimes people think they are inside the atria, but they're not. This hotel is definitely worth exploring. We stayed for one night on Priceline, and we'll go back sometime.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We stayed at Gaylord Palms last summer, and absolutely LOVED it! We had 2 rooms in Emerald Bay, one with an Atrium View (with balcony) and one with a Flordia View (it was of the marine pool). The rooms are beautiful, and very comfortable. We will definetly stay at GP again.