Looking for a fun family get away to celebrate Halloween? Gaylord Palms in Orlando has the perfect family friendly vacation with their Goblins & Giggles Weekends. They offer 13 separate themed events including, costume contest, Halloween characters, dance parties, pop-up bar and spooky cookie decorating.
Thank you to Gaylord Palms for hosting us. As always opinions are 100% my own.
Gaylord Palms knows how to celebrate holidays. And Halloween is no different. Their Halloween fun started September 10th and runs through Halloween weekend. There is truly something for everyone in your family. Slade is 1 and B is 9 and they both LOVED the experience. Kurt and I loved it too. Making it great for kids and adults of all ages. Here are some of the highlights for our family.
Gaylord Palms Halloween Events
About Gaylord Palms Resort
First, are you familiar with Gaylord Palms Resort? It is located in Orlando, Florida just minutes from your favorite theme parks like Walt Disney World®, Universal Orlando Resort™, and other Orlando theme parks. If you have been to the parks you have probably driven by this incredible property. It includes a 4.5 acre atrium and a water park. On property they have something for everyone including lots of animals, their water park with cabanas (more about that in another post), an active river (think a lazy river pumped up with extra fun by speeding up the water), 9 restaurants, bars, fitness center and a world-class Spa. They also have over 500,000 square feet of meeting space with almost 2,000 guest rooms.
I have not been to Gaylord Palms in two years and I had almost forgotten just how lust and beautiful the property is. We spent the first couple of hours sitting on our balcony overlooking the atrium and then exploring the lobby. There is so much to see. Slade did not want to leave Gator Springs, he was so captivated by the turtles and gators.
Then we made it outside to explore Cypress Springs water park. When I stayed previously it was for a work trip when I worked in corporate American and I never made it out to the pool. I was blown away. They had two pools with two different feels including the main pool with a beach entry and a huge screen. And then we explored the South Beach pool lined with palm trees. And the new Crystal River Rapids action river. Plus lots of slides for extra fun.
Halloween Hide & Seek featuring Spookley the Square Pumpkin
Have you heard of Spookley? He is an adorable square pumpkin. You can purchase a booklet that is filled with clues as to wear to find Spookley hiding around the resort. If you solve all the puzzles you can win a special prize! B was really into this game. It also gave us a chance to explore the resort. The property is so lush and gorgeous even the adults will want to join in on the fun.
Spookly the Square Pumpkin Dive in Movie
Spookly also stares in his own movie and they play it on the big screen next to the pool.
Monster Mash Bash Dance Party and Costume Contest
If you are looking for a Halloween Costume Contest in Orlando your kids will not want to miss this one. We joined Morgana the Witch, Vlad the Vampire and Grimm the Good-Hearted Goblin for a fun dance party. The highlight for our family was a tie between learning the Halloween dances and being selected as one of the costume contest winners.
Wicked Brew Spookeasy
It is a pop-up Halloween bar in a Prohibition-era setting, they serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic craft beverages. It is the perfect place to stop by after the dance party.
Jack-O’-Lantern Walk
We spent a lot of time exploring this area and each time we found a new pumpkin that we liked. They showcase elaborate pumpkin art. Some of our favorites were the surfer and State of Florida pumpkins. Be sure to top and get a photo of these pumpkins by the exit.
Eat, Drink and Be Scary
Story time and sweets, my kids were both so excited for this party with Morgana the Witch and Grimm the Good-Hearted Goblin. Morgana read to all of us while we put together a spooky house and decorated pumpkin cookies.
Wildlife Rescue Experience
While this is not Halloween themed our family had so much fun exploring the resort using the Wildlife Rescue Experience. There are circles around the property with names of animals. When you see them you scan and virtual animals pop up in your phone. You can take photos with these augmented reality animals. You also get badges as you scan the animals B loved that part of it too.
Gaylord Palms Pictures
As I mentioned the property is so beautiful we spent the first night roaming around and we took tons of photos.
Gaylord Palms Halloween Video
We had so much fun and so many photos and videos I thought they best way to share a wrap up is with a Gaylord Palms Halloween Video
Gaylord Palms Events
We are already planning our next trip to Gaylord Palms.
- So Much Christmas - Gaylord is known for the Christmas celebration and this year they have a new plan. There is no better way to celebrate the holiday season in the Orlando, FL area than gathering your family for holiday fun during Christmas at Gaylord Palms. Explore acres of twinkling lights and decorations and more than 12 hours of exciting holiday activities, shows, and events.
- Spring it On - Get ready to Spring It On with lots of family-friendly seasonal events! Including interactive live shows, scavenger hunts, art activities, cookie decorating, live entertainment, and more.
Pin for Later: Gaylord Palms Orlando Halloween Events, Goblins & Giggles
