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!!!
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…
Or taking a moment to sit on your atrium balcony at the end of your day.
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.
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.
We had a great time enjoying the interactive elements, and went through several times during our stay!
It’s a unique experience chocked full of fun movie facts, movie replicas, special effects, and fun photo opportunities.
We had a great time, and our PA was awesome at helping us snap family photos!
Just make sure to hit your mark!
I do have to say that I was super excited to see the Nativity scene they created to keep the tradition going…
And for the return of ICE! in 2021!!!
Snow Factory
While the Snow Factory has looooong been a favorite stop for us, this year the area has been completely been redesigned.
Let’s start with the slides!!!
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
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!!!
And you can’t sleep on the outfits that are exclusive to the Gaylord Palms Resort!
Also tucked into the Alpine Village are fun, hands-on experiences.
We had a blast in the Elf Training Academy making ornaments.
You seriously aren’t shocked that I monogrammed mine…right?
And we created our annual Gingerbread house with Nutmeg the Gingerbread Man!
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!!!
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.
The Grinch’s Wonderful Awful Idea Scavenger Hunt lets families solve puzzles together for a great prize.
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.
Cirque Dreams Unwrapped is once again filling the St. Augustine Atrium Stage with thrilling acts several times a night.
The Greatest Story, a multicultural, musical journey celebrating the story of Christ, will fill your heart with the holiday spirit.
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
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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