Are you itching to get away for some fun for the weekend, but don’t feel like traveling? Well let me introduce you to the ultimate staycation: the Once Upon a Springtime event at Gaylord Palms Resort right here in Orlando!
Gaylord Palms hosted our family for the weekend so that we could test out all of the new activities, water rides, and safety measures that they’ve put in place this year for you! We had SO much fun, where do we begin?!
Our family of three arrived on a Friday evening and although it wasn’t our first time visiting Gaylord Palms, the breathtaking atrium never fails to make us pause and soak in just how lucky we are to live in this beautiful place! Nestled in the lush Florida greenery of the St Augustine atrium, were sweet little bunny and egg characters that our daughter could scavenger hunt to find throughout the weekend!
Day one we knew we were going to be ALL about the pool! Excitement for Gaylord Palms’ new water attraction, Crystal River Rapids had us up early and ready to take on the water park! CRR may resemble the lazy rivers of Florida: like rainbow or itchetuknee- but this is more of a CRAZY river! With amped up jet power and a few funny waterfalls, this crazy river will leave your family giggling and wanting more! The force is great enough that there is no tube needed! My husband and three year old and I floated blissfully through the twists and turns for… well, long enough to forget to reapply sunscreen! Ha! We ordered a delicious (and celiac friendly!) lunch to our private and distanced daybed and then it was off to the room to clean up for more spring activities!
That evening we were invited to a performance of the new “Paint Me a Fairytale” interactive show in the St Augustine castle theater. Our group had its own bench distanced comfortably from the other families watching. The show was precious. It used well-loved fairytales in a funny and new way, allowing the children of the audience to join in and help use their imaginations! After the show our daughter was given spring cookies to decorate and a sweet water paint book with the characters from the show to bring home!
After pigging out at one of the many 5 star restaurant options the resort had to offer for dinner, we brought our full bellies back up to the room to sit on the porch and enjoy the view. Every night in spring you can watch the beautiful and festive Springtime Light Display right from your balcony! We were sad to know that it was time to say goodbye the next morning, but it’s never really a goodbye in our City- just a see you later! Thank you for having us Gaylord Palms!
