Our Christmas at Gaylord Palms Adventure

Disclosure: I was invited by the Gaylord Palms Resort to experience Christmas at Gaylord Palms, but all opinions and overuse of exclamation points are all my own!!!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms has become a valued holiday tradition in my family over the years, and the holiday season begins for us when we walk through the revolving doors of the resort.

There’s a special magic to their larger-than-life celebrations!!!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

And with it being 2020 we were nervous about what that would mean for our beloved tradition, but I’m BEYONDDDD excited to say that their magic is still there and even more joyful than before. 

Commitment to Clean

The Gaylord Palms Resort STARS really have gone above and beyond when it comes to making their guests feel comfortable with enhanced cleaning procedures and new contact-less service options.

There’s absolutely NOTHING like waking up to this view…

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

Or taking a moment to sit on your atrium balcony at the end of your day. 

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

See? That’s some holiday Magic right there!!!

I Love Christmas Movies 

This year the new I Love Christmas Movies takes you through 17,000 square feet of holiday movie magic.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

A Production assistant takes you and another party through iconic movie scenes from THE  POLAR EXPRESS, A CHRISTMAS STORY, ELF, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION, and THE YEAR  WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

We had a great time enjoying the interactive elements, and went through several times during our stay!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

It’s a unique experience chocked full of fun movie facts, movie replicas, special effects, and fun photo opportunities. 

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020
Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

We had a great time, and our PA was awesome at helping us snap family photos!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

Just make sure to hit your mark!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020
Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

I do have to say that I was super excited to see the Nativity scene they created to keep the tradition going…

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

And for the return of ICE! in 2021!!!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

Snow Factory 

While the Snow Factory has looooong been a favorite stop for us, this year the area has been completely been redesigned.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

Let’s start with the slides!!!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

This year 6 slides made of REAL ice let guests can choose their thrill experience! There’s the speed slide for a race to the bottom or the opportunity to brave the “ice coaster” plummet.

Then our favorite…the Snowball Build & Blast lets families compete to see who can make the best snowballs out of ice AND how accurately they can throw them. 

We are a SUPER competitive family, so we played as much as we could during our stay!!!

Explore the Alpine Village 

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

The Alpine Village is really the heart of Christmas at Gaylord Palms, and this year the village has been designed with more room for social distancing with the same amount of fun!

Zoe was stoked for her annual visit to the Build A Bear Workshop! She always makes a special friend, and this year it was awesome to see costumes that tied to the movies in I Love Christmas Movies!

Why yes…that is a Cousin Eddie outfit for your Build A Bear!!!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

And you can’t sleep on the outfits that are exclusive to the Gaylord Palms Resort!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

Also tucked into the Alpine Village are fun, hands-on experiences. 

We had a blast in the Elf Training Academy making ornaments.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

You seriously aren’t shocked that I monogrammed mine…right?

And we created our annual Gingerbread house with Nutmeg the Gingerbread Man!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

PRO-TIP: At the entrance to the Alpine Sweet Shop, you will find bags of candy to purchase. Our bag was less than $3 and having the extra options made the decorating process less stressful. It was AWESOME!!!

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

Help the Grinch

A staple of every event at the Gaylord Palms Resort is their scavenger hunt, and this year you get the explore the beautifully decorated resort to help The Grinch. 

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

The Grinch’s Wonderful Awful Idea Scavenger Hunt lets families solve puzzles together for a great prize. 

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

Time together + holiday fun + the opportunity to walk-off and earn more holiday treats = Priceless

Amazing Entertainment 

Christmas at Gaylord Palms has gone out of its way to maintain its fantastic entertainment schedule in a safe environment for performers and audience members.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2019

Cirque Dreams Unwrapped is once again filling the St. Augustine Atrium Stage with thrilling acts several times a night. 

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

The Greatest Story, a multicultural, musical journey celebrating the story of Christ, will fill your heart with the holiday spirit.

Christmas atChristmas at Gaylord Palms 2020 Gaylord Palms 2020

And you won’t want to miss the #LIT light show featuring thousands of sparkling lights, a larger-than-life Christmas Tree, and holiday music.

Tickets and Packages 

Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2020

Tickets and overnight Christmas packages including admission into the I Love Christmas Movies experience are available now at ChristmasatGaylordPalms.com and ILoveChristmasMoviesExperience.com.

Online advance reservations are required for all ticketed Christmas at Gaylord Palms events and face-coverings must be worn at all times during activities. 

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