As a child I remember waking up every winter morning and looking out the window, hoping to see beautiful white snowflakes fluttering from the sky by the millions. On those lucky mornings I would race to the kitchen to turn on the local AM radio station and listen and pray for my school's name to be listed. Once I heard those magical words I was on cloud nine. My brother and I would race to get our hats, coats, boots, snow pants, gloves and scarves on to get outside and begin our day of sledding. Living in Florida, my children do not get to experience this pure delight of a day so it was such a treat for me to get to watch them sledding in tubes down a huge slide within Gaylord Palms in Orlando, FL. Not many things bring more smiles to the face of children then the feeling of the wind hitting their face as they race down a hill and Gaylord Palms has done a magnificent job at recreating this precious experience in a place that never gets snow.
After sledding my family had the pleasure of getting to enjoy the beauty within ICE! We bundled up in our hats, scarves and gloves from home and made our way to the desk where we received our winter parkas. Yes... Parkas in Florida! Moments later we were captivated by the beauty within ICE! We slowly made our way from room to room admiring each of the majestic sculptures. All of my children delighted in finding new ice slides inside and did several trips up and back down, making sure to get those parkas under their bottoms for optimal speed. As we continued through the rooms and the story of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" we soon came to a room where two men were carving ice sculptures. They had an enormous diamond ring that they were allowing children to hold. My three year old eagerly accepted their generous gift but was rather confused and sad when she realized she did not get to keep the coldest, largest piece of jewelry she had ever laid eyes on. Thankfully there was more to see and do so she quickly forgot!
In addition to sledding and ICE! there is so much more to see and do at Gaylord Palms and most of it is... get ready... FREE! For starters there is a 54' Christmas Tree lighting daily at 6:15pm. Following the tree lighting guests can make their way to the Cirque Dreams UnWrapped Stage Show at 6:30 daily (other times are available as well). Photos with Santa can be done daily (there is a fee included). Don't forget to participate in the Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt throughout the resort! For a fee you can also decorate ginger bread or have breakfast with Mrs. Claus. And, last but certainly not least be sure to experience The Grand Snowfall! All information about these events is available HERE including dates and times. **Also keep in mind that there is a fee for parking**
The festivities within the walls of this beautiful resort are nothing short of spectacular! This is an amazing opportunity for families to make lasting memories and would be a great place to bring friends or relatives from out of town. Where else could you "cool off" in such a fun and adventurous way? Make sure to tag them in your social media posts using #CAGP2015 and tag Kissimmee-St. Cloud Macaroni Kid using #MKKissimmee!
Here is a sneak peak at some of the fun to be had at ICE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_swCZMZ03Y
