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Christmas at the Gaylord Palms 2019

The Gaylord Palms will be bursting with the magic of Christmas during the resort’s signature holiday experience from November 25 – January 5, 2019!

Christmas at the Gaylord Palms will feature new and returning holiday fun as well as “The Polar Express” is featured inside the nine degree ICE!

All Aboard for Ice!

A Christmas classic, Warner Bros.’ “The Polar Express” arrives at Gaylord Palms as an all-new theme for ICE!, presented by DEI.

A truly heart-warming tale, “The Polar Express” will come alive for guests in a world made from more than two million pounds of ice, hand-carved into sculptures and interactive features to recreate iconic scenes from the film about a magical adventure to the North Pole full of lessons on friendship, bravery, and the true spirit of Christmas.

“We can’t wait to debut ‘The Polar Express’ as this larger-than-life attraction,” said Johann Krieger, General Manager for Gaylord Palms Resort. “Christmas is a truly magical time here at Gaylord Palms, and this film embodies the magic and wonder of the season. We know guests of all ages will love experiencing ICE! this year to feel that holiday joy.”

The ICE! attraction is crafted by artisans from Harbin, China, home of the world’s largest ice and snow sculpture festival, who travel more than 6,000 miles to hand-carve more than two million pounds of colorful ice, creating larger-than-life sculptures.

This year, as guests explore the nine-degree attraction, they will discover more than ten favorite scenes from “The Polar Express,” along with the event’s two-story ice slides and the popular Frostbite Factory live ice carving showcase.

The ICE! experience concludes with a separate area dedicated to a traditional Nativity created with crystal clear ice.
Brand New Interactive Experience

Families can experience a day in the life of one of Santa’s toy makers inside the new Elf Training Academy at Alpine Village where guests become honorary gift maker elves as they create the perfect Christmas present for someone special, all under the guidance of the elf supervisor.

Exciting Celebrations Of The Season

The Sounds of the Season Concert Series will once again fill the atrium of the Gaylord Palms Resort with the joyful music of the season as VoicePlay returns to join a line-up of other performers, who will be announced later this season.

All performances will include a concert patron-exclusive admission to the ICE! attraction.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms will again present the Three Kings Festival, a special commemoration of the extended holiday season celebrated by many Christians in Spain and Latin America honoring the Three Wise Men and their visit to meet baby Jesus as told in the Gospel of Matthew.

Among the special activities planned is a musical show “The Journey of Los Tres Reyes Magos” along with special food and beverage options.

The Three King Festival will run from December 27 through January 5.

Christmas Classics Return

“Holiday thrills” take on a whole new meaning during Cirque Dreams Unwrapped, a 25-minute, action-packed experience featuring soaring acrobatics, theatricality and imagination that will have guests on the edge of their seats. Cirque Dreams Unwrapped features new acts and performers each year to bring to life a magical and timeless Christmas wonderland, all imagined by Broadway director and renowned Cirque Dreams founder Neil Goldberg.

Gaylord Palms’ St. Augustine atrium will be home to an all-new, dazzling light show for the 2019 season. The multisensory experience will feature a new musical score accompanied with millions of dancing, choreographed lights all around the resort’s six-story Christmas tree during nightly shows.

Guests exploring the meandering paths inside the resort’s Everglades atrium will find the Christmas Tree Trail, a display of nine magnificent trees provided by Balsam Hill^TM. Sparkle the Elf, Santa’s chief Christmas Tree Decorator, has personally prepared these for grand display at Gaylord Palms. From snowmen and candy canes to reindeer and nutcrackers, each tree represents one of Sparkle’s favorite things about Christmas, with one even honoring the Florida-themed resort!

The Secret Santa Scavenger Hunt will have families and friends enlisting in Santa’s Secret Service to decode some fun. Guests will utilize their very own Santa’s Secret Service Decoder Ring to decipher clues to become full-fledged members of Santa’s Secret Service. Only the most elite yuletide sleuths will be able to locate the unique Christmassy clues hidden throughout the resort’s atrium to break the code and earn a Santa’s Secret Service badge.

All ages will delight in the holiday hijinks inside the Naughty or Nice Escape Room, as mischievous Jack Frost has moved the names of “Nice” Gaylord guests onto the Naughty side of Santa’s delivery list! Guests will need to work together to follow the clues and solves the puzzles to secure a spot on the better side and avoid a stocking full of coal!

The immersive, interactive Reindeer Express Post Office returns this year, where everyone isinvited to jot down their top Christmas wishes on a postcard before entering this special facility to launch their wishes off on a journey to Santa.

The festive Alpine Village will again be the central hub for holiday happenings. In addition to ICE!, the village is home to various attractions and shows, Photos with Santa, seasonal food and beverage options plus holiday retail locations, including a Build-A-Bear Workshop, where imaginations soar. Guests choose from all kinds of furry friends to make and bring home, including a Gaylord Hotels-exclusive bear.

Gingerbread Decorating Corner returns, now located inside the Alpine Village Sweet Shop! Guests may select a gingerbread house or a themed cookie kit to enjoy a sticky and fun interactive experience, creating sweet souvenirs to take home. The Alpine Village Sweet Shop will offer additional candies and treats for purchase to decorate sugary masterpieces or to delight someone’s sweet tooth. The deliciously fun gingerbread pair, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, will also be available for toasty hugs and holiday photos.

Every evening, the Alpine Village Sweet Shop will present Sugary Sweet Storytime, transporting guests to the world of “The Nutcracker” during an interactive show led by the Sugarplum Fairy herself. The experience is completed with a one-of-a-kind, super sweet, super sparkly and super tasty Sugarplum Hot Chocolate in a festive souvenir mug.

Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions brings the First Lady of the North Pole back to Gaylord Palms as she leads a half-hour interactive show. Guests enjoy classic holiday stories and a sing-a-long, plus a delicious finale as the holiday hostess presents everyone with warm cookies and a glass of cold milk.

Santa’s Snow Throw puts real snow in the hands of guests as they show off their pitching prowess by tossing snowballs at a variety of interactive targets created by Santa’s Elves. Bragging rights go to those with the best aim!

Snow Tubing sends guests zooming down an eight-lane tubing hill covered in real snow. This all-ages attraction offers both single and double tubes to accommodate children and parents.

During the season, the Orlando-area resort welcomes guests to make memories amongst festive décor and an endearing mix of Christmassy activities and shows, becoming “Everything Christmas in One Extraordinary Place” for Christmas at Gaylord Palms, presented by Pepsi.

To make your reservations and to find out even more information, visit their official website.

Gaylord Palms Resort hosts Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends

Halloween hijinks take over the Gaylord Palms Resort during Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends until November 3!

This fall the Gaylord Palms Resort is welcoming back their seasonal Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends where guests of all ages can pack their costumes and swimsuits for fun inside the resort’s atrium and outside at the Cypress Springs Water Park as special visitors from the town of Spooksville have arrived for their own vacation.

New for 2019, guests will get to experience Adventure Kids: A Spooky Celebration. This new interactive show features the Gaylord Palms’ unique characters Seth the Sea Turtle, Ava the Alligator and Adventure Kid leader Sophie as they explore Florida’s creepier flora and fauna.

Gaylord Palms continues to host Spookley the Square Pumpkin, a little gourd with a big message about anti-bullying! Spookley is the star of the Halloween Hide & Seek scavenger hunt. Guests search high and low while solving puzzles and following clues to find all the hidden Spookleys to win a prize!

Little spooks can gather ‘round for the special Storytime with Morgana where they will hear the story of Spookley from the best-selling children’s book with a message of tolerance and kindness. Grimm the Goblin joins Morgana to meet guests after the story for fun and games!

Another new fun treat is the addition of Ice-Scream! with Grimm and Morgana. During this meet and greet experience, guests can mix and mingle with Spooksville’s sweetest witch and goblin at Honeybells Frozen Yogurt, where they can also purchase a spooktacular sundae!

The popular Monster Mash Bash and Costume Contest also returns, inviting guests of all ages to BOO-gie down with Gaylord Palms’ resident spooks Vladimir the vampire and Morgana. Grimm the Goblin will join this duo to teach guests dance moves and songs before inviting everyone to join in a costume contest with terror-ific prizes.

Halloween treats continue for overnight guests at Cypress Springs Water Park with the Wicked Awesome Pool Party. Vladimir (thanks to the power of sunscreen) entertains guests poolside with ghoulish games and other interactive fun. The resort’s FlowRider® – The Wake Zone – is also featured with the Wicked Waves Surf Show, a frightfully-fun evening showcase of Gaylord Palms’ highly-decorated flowboarders’ best tricks and treats on the wave.

Guests can dare each other to face off against a fearsome seafarer inside The Pirate’s Treasure Escape Room! Bold guests will join Emerald, the wayfaring wife of the dread pirate Captain Hornswoggle, becoming part of her crew needing to ransack the Captain’s Quarters in search of the ultimate treasure. The Captain has hidden a priceless jewel somewhere inside and refuses to give away the prized gem, even to his wife! He is due back in 30 minutes and guests must find the gem and escape before his return.

Spooky Animal Encounters connect guests with some frightful yet delightful creatures for close-up meet and greets. On Saturdays, animal experts introduce snakes, vultures and other “creepy critters” to guests as they debunk myths about some of the world’s most misunderstood animals.

The resort’s Trick or Treat Expedition will have guests venturing through the winding paths of the 4.5-acre glass-enclosed atrium to find scrumptious sweets on Saturdays.

When spooks and spirits get hungry, guests will discover seasonally-themed food and drink offerings throughout the resort’s dining options, including MOOR, Wreckers Sports Bar and Villa de Flora.

The best way to experience the Halloween fun at Gaylord Palms is by booking a Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends Package, starting at $189 per night, plus tax, resort fee and parking. Packages include accommodations, Monster Mash Bash tickets, the Trick or Treat Expedition, a Halloween Hide & Seek scavenger hunt activity book, Storytime with Morgana, and the poolside activities only available to overnight guests.

Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends activities are offered Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until November 3, 2019. Activity availability varies by date and time. Additional charges apply for certain activities.

To learn more or to book a Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends stay, visit GaylordPalms.com/Getaways.

Island H2O Live! Water Park At Margaritaville Resort Orlando

Margaritaville Resort Orlando Announces Island H2O Live! Water Park Details

Island H2O Live! water park set to bring chills and thrills to Central Florida in Spring 2019

I don’t know about you, but I am STOKED for the opening of the Margaritaville Resort Orlando in Spring 2019!

And as I’ve been driving by the site, I can’t help but notice the HUGE water park area that is taking shape next to 192 in Kissimmee.

Today I was excited to learn that Central Florida’s newest and most immersive water park will be called Island H2O Live!, and will be opening with the Margaritaville Resort Orlando in Spring 2019.

Island H2O Live! will unleash the power of pure play and enthusiasm with nine different thrill rides, a lazy river, a wave pool, a kids’ area, and a river raft ride for the whole family. Designed to enable guests to customize their experience and share it with the world, the park uses a new RFID wristband system that will enable guests to personalize the music and lighting they experience on select rides, making every time very unique.

The park, owned by Horizon Waterpark, LLC and developed in collaboration with Encore Capital Management and Innovative Attraction Management, will change the way people think about water parks.

Island H2O Live Park Map Rendering — Margaritaville Resort Orlando

“Water parks are known for exhilarating rides and attractions, but Island H2O Live! will let guests be playful in interactive ways that have never been seen before,” said Albo Antenucci Jr., Executive in Charge, Horizon Waterpark, LLC. “These incredible opportunities for engagement will be what Island H2O Live! is all about.”

BEHIND THE TECHNOLOGY

The wristband system at Island H2O Live! is called Vantage and is the latest offering from water slide manufacturer WhiteWater West.

The Vantage system works through an app that guests download either before or when they arrive. Once they arrive at the park, guests sync the app to their wristbands and the fun begins, as a scanner on certain slides will read their wristband and automatically play songs and lighting effects from the previously established selections.

On some slides, the technology will enable cameras to snap pictures and video and share the content directly to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or other social media sites. Guests can also use their creativity and personal style to produce their own slide experience by choosing music playlists, lighting preferences and tagging their social media handles for easy sharing.

Another high-tech feature: “Be Live” invites guests to sing karaoke or star in other audio/visual experiences with clips from these sessions shared through the app.
The gamified app also allows guests to earn loyalty points with every ride. Guests can win prizes such as free food and beverage items, skip-the-line passes, and more.

“These features speak to the ‘Live’ part of our name,” Albo Antenucci Jr. “Customization offers guests the creative space to develop their own adventures, to be in the moment, but then capture those moments and share them in real-time.”

Margaritaville Resort Orlando The Island Rendering Island H2O Live — Margaritaville Resort Orlando

PERSONALIZED PARADISE

The experience at Island H2O Live! will be all about creating your own, unique, customized experience. For those looking to soak in the island vibe, listen to music, and have some chill with their thrill, tropically-inspired havens will abound with hammocks, cabanas and soft sand beaches around every turn and adult-only areas will offer cocktails only steps from your beach chair.

To keep the fun going. Island H20 Live! is within walking distance or a short trolley ride to Margaritaville Orlando Resort hotel and cottages, and Sunset Walk, the resort’s retail, dining and entertainment district featuring everything from Studio Movie Grill, to Rock & Brews, BurgerFi, Capone’s, Ford’s Garage, GameTime, Sketchers and more.

AFFORDABLE FUN

Island H20 Live! admission will offer the most fun you can have in the water at a great value. Please visit IslandH2OLive.com for specific ticket pricing or to book tickets call 407-910-1401.

Westgate River Ranch Introduces Luxe Teepees

Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo elevates glamping to a new level of luxury with Luxe Teepees

Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo announced the expansion of its lodging offerings with the addition of 10 Luxe Teepees, offering the next evolution in all-inclusive glamping luxury (glamorous camping).

The 651-square-foot Luxe Teepees provide guests the pinnacle of luxury living in an outdoor adventure atmosphere. Each Luxe Teepee can accommodate up to four guests and is uniquely designed with décor themed in Native American style with such comforts as a double-sided stone rock hearth fireplace, screened private patio deck, microwave, mini refrigerator, leather chairs, a king bed, full sleeper sofa and air conditioning and heating. The Luxe Teepees also feature their own private ensuite bathrooms with vanity and porcelain cast iron claw bathtub and shower. In addition, every Teepee has a distinctive name, such as “Dancing Warrior,” “Roaming Buffalo” and “Soaring Eagle.”

The Luxe Teepees are located in an exclusive area of Westgate River Ranch Resort, clustered around a canopy of 100-year-old oak trees. This new area, named Takoda Village, is designed to embody the warm spirit of the Native American word “Takoda” or “friend to everyone”. In addition to the Teepees, Takoda Village features an authentic tribal council pavilion built by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. This pavilion, known as a Chickee Hut, features a palmetto thatch-roof and is the ideal place for gathering together surrounded by natural Florida beauty with friends and family, just as the Native Americans of the past did. Complete with outdoor fire pits, swinging hammocks, festoon lighting and outdoor dining tables, Takoda Village offers an idyllic environment for family gatherings, special celebrations or a very special romantic escape.

Included in a stay in the Luxe Teepees is unlimited access to all Westgate River Ranch & Rodeo activities, which include horseback riding, trap and skeet shooting, access to the adventure park, airboat rides and more. Teepee guests also receive complimentary use of a golf cart for the duration of their stay and VIP seating for the Saturday night rodeo. Overnight all-inclusive rates for the Luxe Teepees start at $450 per night, based on double occupancy (two night minimum).

The introduction of the Luxe Teepees builds upon the success of the introduction of glamping tents at Westgate River Ranch & Rodeo in 2013 and an expansion of the glamping inventory in 2014.

“Following the incredible demand and guest feedback from our glamping tents, our guests told us they wanted an even higher-end, all-inclusive experience offering the finest in amenities, luxury and service,” said David Siegel, CEO of Westgate Resorts. “Guests of our Luxe Teepees can expect a five-star hotel experience in a camping setting.”

Guests who book their stay in the Luxe Teepees will enjoy a hassle-free vacation from start to finish, with a concierge dedicated exclusively to assisting Teepee guests from pre-arrival through the completion of their stay. The concierge will provide everything from complimentary morning coffee service and pastry delivery to assistance booking ranch activities.

To celebrate the addition of the Luxe Teepees, Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo is offering one lucky winner and their guest to be among the very first to experience a Luxe Teepee vacation. Those 21 years of age and older can enter to win a three-day, two-night stay by liking the Westgate River Ranch Facebook page and posting on the page’s timeline why they should be one of the first to experience the Teepees. The contest runs through March 31, 2016. For official rules, visit www.westgatedestinations.com/promos/luxe-life-rules.

The Luxe Teepees join a variety of accommodations currently offered at Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo, including glamping tents, cabins and lodge suites. For more information, visit www.westgateriverranch.com.Follow us for more updates: