Last week I left unseasonably warm Iowa and hopped a plane to Orlando with my girls. Our destination- the Gaylord Palms resort. Our plans- to play in snow and ICE. (Video tour of ICE below- including a ride down the ice slide!)
But instead of bringing my husband along- he unfortunately had to work- we brought Grandma! Because you can read my tales of ICE at Blissfully Domestic, I thought I would get my mom's thoughts on our trip.
I recently had the privilege of accompanying my daughter and granddaughters to the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida, for two and a half days of fun and relaxation.
Gaylord Palms Decorated for Christmas
The resort is beautifully designed and decorated; the staff is wonderfully helpful and courteous. Everything you might wish for is under one roof: restaurants, shops, luxury spa, entertainment, all without feeling crowded. (Be sure to wear very comfortable shoes; you will be walking the four acre compound extensively.)
Brenna and Caelan were in awe of the decorations and pointed out displays that I would have overlooked. One of the fountains was under repair and the girls were so concerned about it. Before we left, the fountain was fixed and I took their picture setting on the edge of the pool.
During our stay, we saw ICE, the fantastic sculpture featuring Shrek and all his friends. The display is crafted from 200 tons of ice and is breathtaking. Also featured is SNOW, a winter wonderland, especially for those who live in more tropical areas. Since Iowa has not had snow that has stayed on the ground yet this season, Brenna and Caelan enjoyed building snow sculptures. We also enjoyed the movie “Puss In Boots.” This is a great movie for the whole family.
Later, we decorated gingerbread houses and families at Gingy’s house. All materials are included and provided lots of sticky fun! We managed to pack our projects and take them home with minimal damage.
Caelan very seriously informed us that she was Gingy’s girlfriend and an argument ensued when Brenna declared that she was his girlfriend too! Caelan was very adamant that SHE was his girlfriend, and when we asked about Mrs. Man (Gingy’s real name is Gingerbread Man), Caelan’s response what that Mrs. Man wasn’t real.
Brenna had a very loose top tooth and we tried to enlist Shrek to help pull it out; very comical since his fingers were too large to fit in her mouth. We had a lot of fun teasing and Shrek tried to sneak up and surprise Brenna; we even tried to solicit help from Princess Fiona. Great fun!
During our stay, two scavenger hunts were featured. We had a lot of fun looking for Coca Cola bears, hidden in niches and displays throughout the resort. Some were difficult to spot but we managed to find the 10 bears with clues and most of the bears without clues as well. The Magic Bean hunt won activity books and a bean to take home and plant.
In retrospect, this is probably not a trip I would have taken on my own; most of my pleasure came from watching Brenna and Caelan and their enjoyment. In our hectic world, all too often we forget the wonder of discovery; being able to travel with my family and especially to view the world through the eyes of a child makes it the best experience of all.
We so thoroughly enjoyed ICE at Gaylord Palms that I have the idea of visiting each Gaylord resort over the next few years and experiencing ICE at each one! Check out what is going on at the other Gaylord resorts this Christmas:
3 Comments