Thoughts on Gaylord Palms

[mayesq]

We are going to WDW 9/25-9/28. The couple we are going with insisted we do Gaylord Palms (instead of staying onsite in a moderate). Did we make the right decision? Please tell me that my kids will enjoy it.....

 

[MattM]

It is no doubt a beautiful resort, and huge! The rooms we have stayed in have been very nice, and there are good restaurants on site. Overall, the hotels are nicer than the moderates in terms of amenities, etc, but then you dont get the Disney theming there, nor the transportation.

I think you'll like it just fine.

 

[Carolinagirl77]

We went from the Gaylord Palms to a disney moderate and my DH flipped out. He immediately wanted to go back to Gaylord Palms. It was our first visit to disney. We stayed at the Gaylord Palms for a night and the moderate for two nights. The Gaylord Palms won hands down.

In fact, we are going back to disney this year taking our DD and my DH refuses to stay at a disney moderate. He wants to stay at Gaylord Palms.

ETA: We went from valet parking, having concierge service and free internet access with a computer already in the room at Gaylord Palms to parking our own car, paying for internet access and carrying in our luggage at a disney moderate. Plus we paid more for the disney moderate.

 

[minniemomof3]

I just booked Gaylord Palms today! We will be their from Dec 19 to 26. I had a difficult time deciding between staying onsite (which we do annually) or staying at Gaylord Palms.

We chose Gaylord Palms for a variety of reasons....the awesome Christmas lights they have and the ICE event. From my research, they seem to do an exeptional job at decorating for Christmas.

The other reason is the price....you can't beat the rate of 109 from Dreams Unlimited...even with the resort fee and parking, it's an awesome rate for the holiday season.

I still need to book 3 more nights....I'm looking at booking Royal Pacific at Universal to get the FOTL access.

Although I LOVE Disney, I decided I wanted this vacation to be a little more deluxe without paying the hefty rates Disney charges for their deluxe accomodations.

At first my kids were upset about staying offsite, but when I showed them the pictures of ICE and the iceskating, they can't wait!

Hope this helps with your decision.

 

[dunkie7557]

I do not think the GP is for kids. it can have a ton of adults there for conventions. There are no kid friendly restaurants really. it is upscale food and big prices. There is no Disney magic there at all. and it is in the middle of nowhere. But it is a very nice place for the adults. There are lots of other offsite choices that the kids would like better. look into the Marriott timeshare resorts like Horizon, Grande Vista, Sabal palms etc.. or the Hilton TS resorts or even the newer part of the Vistana. You will have so much more room to spread out and have full kitchens and much better pools and facilities. The GP is just a hotel room albeit a bit bigger. The kids will not be thrilled and you will be cramped. They have suites but not at a discount rate like you will get with a regular room.

 

[DiscussDisney]

Hey....We'll be there at the end of September too.

While I have not stayed at the Gaylord Palms, I've done a lot of research before booking. While it is more of a convention resort, it is very kid friendly from the reviews I've read. The theming seems amazing from the pictures I've seen. Different areas of the hotel have different Florida themes (e.g. Everglades section, Key West Section, etc).

I would definitely compare the Gaylord Palms to the deluxe Disney resorts, not the moderates. It is a full service hotel with many restaurants and amenities.

Some things to keep in mind: They charge for parking $18 for valet and $12 for self-parking. There is a $15.00 +tax daily resort fee (Includes 2 bottles of water, access to the internet on the in-room computer or free wireless access for your computer, newspaper++). The buffet breakfast costs $18.50 for adults and $9.25 for kids 12 and under (From what I've read, the food prices are on the high side in the hotel).

You can find lots of information on the internet simply by searching Gaylord Palms.

Have fun...See you there.

 

[CarolA]

I would say that kids would like the hotel.

Good pool, alligator feedings... what more do you need LOL!

 

[webray]

Gaylord Palms instead of a disney moderate, lol. OF COURSE YOU MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.
There is no comparison between the two. It is very close to disney, and so, so much nicer than a moderate resort. You are going to love it!

 

[webray]

I just booked Gaylord Palms today! We will be their from Dec 19 to 26. I had a difficult time deciding between staying onsite (which we do annually) or staying at Gaylord Palms.

We chose Gaylord Palms for a variety of reasons....the awesome Christmas lights they have and the ICE event. From my research, they seem to do an exeptional job at decorating for Christmas.

The other reason is the price....you can't beat the rate of 109 from Dreams Unlimited...even with the resort fee and parking, it's an awesome rate for the holiday season.

I still need to book 3 more nights....I'm looking at booking Royal Pacific at Universal to get the FOTL access.

Although I LOVE Disney, I decided I wanted this vacation to be a little more deluxe without paying the hefty rates Disney charges for their deluxe accomodations.

At first my kids were upset about staying offsite, but when I showed them the pictures of ICE and the iceskating, they can't wait!

Hope this helps with your decision.

I can see you are a very smart women.

Besides ice at Gaylorld Palms during the holidays, they have a bunch of other holiday activities, free holiday concerts, gingerbread house building, find the travelocity nome, etc. You and the kids are going to love it, and yes, the decorations are fantastic.

Royal Pacific is also wonderful during the holidays. Check out the special meals, possibly a special holiday luau, and the decorations are wonderful. When we were there they also had people in traditional holiday dress standing near the decorations. You will love royal Pacific also..it is fantastic!

 

[webray]

I do not think the GP is for kids. it can have a ton of adults there for conventions. There are no kid friendly restaurants really. it is upscale food and big prices. There is no Disney magic there at all. and it is in the middle of nowhere. But it is a very nice place for the adults. There are lots of other offsite choices that the kids would like better. look into the Marriott timeshare resorts like Horizon, Grande Vista, Sabal palms etc.. or the Hilton TS resorts or even the newer part of the Vistana. You will have so much more room to spread out and have full kitchens and much better pools and facilities. The GP is just a hotel room albeit a bit bigger. The kids will not be thrilled and you will be cramped. They have suites but not at a discount rate like you will get with a regular room.

GP's is a great place for kids. The restaurants are very kids friendly and the resort is full of families. The pool is fantastic for kids, and they have a wonderful drop in childcare center.

The resort is not in the middle of nowhere, it is just minutes from disney. We have stayed several times..this place is fantastic!

 

[webray]

Hey....
I would definitely compare the Gaylord Palms to the deluxe Disney resorts, not the moderates. It is a full service hotel with many restaurants and amenities.

Have fun...See you there.

Yes, you can compare it to a Disney deluxe resort, but Gaylord Palms is so, so much nicer than a disney deluxe resort.

 

[DisGal520]

Does the GP have free transportation to Disney parks? Or does it have transportation there for a fee?

Also one more ques - do they have a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel?




DisGal

 

[webray]

Does the GP have free transportation to Disney parks? Or does it have transportation there for a fee?

Also one more ques - do they have a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel?

DisGal

check gaylordpalms.com. I just saw something on the website about transportation.

 

[DisGal520]

thanks!

Here is what I found on their site, if anyone else is interested.

"Most attractions are located within several minutes from Gaylord Palms, and our staff is happy to assist with directions and transportation needs. Complimentary scheduled shuttle bus service is available from the resort to area theme parks. Tickets to area attractions can be purchased at the hotel at the Destination Universal ticket center located in the transportation lobby. "


DisGal

 

[rie'smom]

The DU site for Gaylord Palms is currently unavailable. Wonder when it will be up and running?

 

[mayesq]

Thanks for all of your responses. My kids have seen the pictures and are very excited. Trip advisor has mostly favorable reviews.

So, I think that we made the right decision.

Also, they pretty much guaranteed that we will have connecting rooms with the family we are travelling with which the kids will love.