Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center: A Family-Friendly Oasis in Orlando
Our stay at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center was an unexpected, but delightful, addition to our 2025 travel plans. We found ourselves there when our oldest child competed in a national competition held at the resort. While not initially on our radar, this Marriott property, part of the Gaylord chain, proved to be a fantastic destination for our family.
A Grand Scale with Something for Everyone
The sheer size of the Gaylord Palms is impressive. Connected to a massive convention center, the resort boasts 1,718 guest rooms and 129 suites, according to their website. Beyond the standard upscale hotel amenities like a fitness center and spa, the biggest draw is undoubtedly the three-acre water park and pools. This outdoor aquatic wonderland features a zero-entry pool, thrilling water slides (including a drop slide and racing slides), and a rapid river—perfect for endless family fun.
Dining Delights
The resort offers a variety of dining options to suit every palate. Here’s a rundown of where we ate:
- Wreckers: This spot serves up classic bar food like burgers, chicken, and salads, along with a robust appetizer menu. Our oldest couldn’t get enough of their loaded tater tots!
- Sandbar: Located by the pool, the Sandbar offers typical poolside fare, but with a few elevated options like a lobster roll. Their alcoholic beverages, available by the glass or pitcher, were a nice touch.
- Old Hickory: For a more upscale experience, Old Hickory specializes in delicious steaks. While the food was superb, the kitchen was exceptionally slow during our visit. However, our thoughtful server noticed the long wait and surprised us with complimentary desserts—the dark chocolate cake was particularly amazing and easily shareable!
- Villa de Flora: During our stay, Villa de Flora primarily served a breakfast buffet, due to the conference. We enjoyed it twice; even at the regular price (though conference attendees received a special rate), you’ll leave with a full tummy. Their options included scrambled eggs, made-to-order omelets, super yummy bacon, sausage, assorted pastries, fruit, and breakfast potatoes.
Several other dining options were on-site, but we didn’t get a chance to try them due to limited hours during the competition.
On-Site Amenities and Logistics
The Gaylord Palms also offers several convenient amenities and important logistical considerations:
- Shopping: You’ll find stores stocking forgotten essentials (like that $26 bottle of sunscreen – ouch!), souvenirs, and quick treat options including Cold Stone Creamery and Jamba Juice.
- Check-in/Check-out: Check-in is officially at 4 PM, but we were able to get into our room by 1:30 PM. Even if your room isn’t ready, you can access the resort’s amenities all day. Check-out is at 11 AM.
- Parking: As of June 2025, self-parking costs $40 per night, with valet at $52 daily. We didn’t have a car, but this is a consideration if you’re driving or renting.
- Cashless Resort: The Gaylord Palms is a cashless property, but you can conveniently charge everything back to your room, even at the on-site stores.
- Resort Fee & Disney Shuttles: A daily resort fee of $45 (as of publication) includes access to the water park for up to four guests, internet access, and shuttle service to all Disney theme parks and Disney Springs. We missed out on the Disney shuttle because we didn’t know reservations were required, so plan ahead for that! The fee also includes a daily yoga class for up to two guests, though we didn’t partake.
The Water Park Experience
The sheer size of the water park offered our independent swimmers a fun time where they could enjoy themselves without us being right next to them. We consistently found lounge chairs before 10 AM, though they did start filling up quickly after that. Beyond the exciting water slides and rapid river, there’s a nice swimming pool and hot tubs. Complimentary life jackets are available for guests (both children and adults). To enter the water park, you just need to provide your room number and last name for the required wristbands.
The Enchanting Atrium
My favorite part of the resort was undoubtedly the magnificent atrium. This expansive indoor area features stunning water features, rock structures, and houses many of the shops and restaurants. During our visit, they were celebrating a “DC Summer” theme, complete with an evening light show that delighted our kids. Our children also received lanyards upon arrival, choosing between Batman and Superman. These lanyards had fun activities that, once completed, earned them a superhero certificate! We also loved the augmented reality app, which brought animals to life when pointed at specific spots in the atrium, allowing for fun photo opportunities. And don’t miss the alligators and turtles – on select days, you can even watch them being fed! Do watch out for the arcade. Unfortunately, the air hockey table ate a few dollars.
Exploring Beyond the Resort
The hotel’s location is fantastic for exploring Orlando’s famous attractions. It’s very close to the Disney parks and Disney Springs. We easily hopped over to Disney Springs for dinner using a rideshare service, which proved to be a more cost-effective option than paying for Disney parking. The Gaylord Palms would be a convenient place to stay if you wanted to stay off property for Disney, Universal, or Sea World.
Final Thoughts
The Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando is a wonderful blend of luxury and kid-friendly fun. While it might be a bit more challenging with very young children, it’s certainly doable. For families with more independent kids, it offers an incredible experience, allowing everyone to enjoy and make lasting memories. We had a fantastic stay and would absolutely return!
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