Sunshine State's Annual Winter Wonderland Getaway

As a native Floridian, it is not very often that I get to experience a white Christmas, but thanks to the

Gaylord Palms in Orlando, we get to drive about one hour to visit their annual winter wonderland known as ICE! And there is so much to see and do, that we always make it a two-night stay.

ICE! is a 9-degree, indoor holiday event.  It features a walkable attraction that with two million pounds of ice, four 2-story ice slides, six rooms depicting the story of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (this year’s theme), The Frostbite Factory with live carving zone, and a breath-taking Nativity scene carved from crystal clear ice.

Between my two brothers and I, we have six kids under the age of 7, and they all look forward to going to ICE! each year.  Our annual Gaylord Palms visit is highly anticipated not just because the kids love the ICE! experience, but they also love spending time together and ‘sleeping in a nice

hotel.’

Upon arrival, our first stop was breakfast with Mr. Claus at the Villa de Flora restaurant (voted Critic's Choice for Best Brunch by the Orlando Sentinel), which provides an incredible breakfast buffet, as well as visits from some of Santa’s top elves who visited our table.  We all ate until we could pop, and the kids all took turns on Mrs. Claus’ lap letting her know what they’d like for Christmas.

After we ate breakfast, we walked to the Convention side of the resort where most of the ICE!

festivities take place in the Alpine Village.  We had 11:00 AM reservations for the Gingerbread Decorating.  The kids (and adults) got into the holiday spirit decorating their gingerbread cookies, which then went straight into their bellies. We even enjoyed a visit from Gingy.

The Alpine Village also features an eight-lane tubing hill that’s fun for all ages and covered in REAL SNOW, visits and photos with Santa, hot chocolate and holiday shopping.  Other activities include the hotels Elf on the Shelf® Scavenger Hunt, which make strolling through the resort a ton of fun.

After cookie decorating, we made our way into ICE! with its various rooms filled with beautiful ice sculptures and several depicting scenes from the popular story ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.  The boys had a blast on the 2-story ice slides, and

we are always mesmerized by the talented ice carvers.  Next stop: hot chocolate and photos with Santa.

We ate an early dinner at the hotel’s revamped and renamed seafood restaurant, MOOR, which provides fresh seafood caught nearby for freshness and prepared just the way you like it.  The adults had a great meal, and the kids had fun eating dinner on the large ship placed inside the resort.

In the evening, we enjoyed Cirque Dreams UnWrapped Live Stage Show and the hotel’s amazing 54-foot Christmas tree with more than 2 million twinkle lights.  The 25-minute show features an array of seasonal characters brought to life in a dreamscape of imaginative costumes and creativity, while stunning feats of showmanship are unwrapped, performed on stage and in the air.

Many thanks to the Gaylord Palms Resort for their amazing hospitality and for providing a white

Christmas for those of us who call the Sunshine State home.  

We cannot wait to come back next year!

Girls & Family Holiday Getaway to Orlando

A holiday getaway to Orlando has become a family tradition for the past three years.  My nieces and nephews start asking about our upcoming adventure in August, so there is quite a bit of pressure on “Aunt Casey” to deliver a stellar and unforgettable Christmas vacation. 

This year, the ‘moms’ in the family opted to change things up a bit with our own (and childless) Girls Getaway to Orlando before the rest of the family arrived.  With two Scorpio birthdays and two Sagittarius birthdays, we decided this adventure would be our own birthday celebration and Merry Christmas to us.

My mom, Jeri, as well as sister-in-laws Merideth and Carly plus Ann (Carly’s mom), all set out for a

full night away at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando.  We checked in around noon, enjoyed lunch at Wreckers Sports Bar (with vino) and then headed to our afternoon of pampering at Relache Spa, which is located inside the hotel.  I opted for the Botanical Body + Scalp Massage and the Signature Botanical Facial.  The massage was great, but the facial, by Sarah, was the best I have ever had.  My skin is still glowing and my husband even noticed the day after.  After our rest and relaxation in the spa, I did some Christmas shopping in the spa gift shop and returned to our room to get ready for dinner.

We had reservations at Old Hickory Steakhouse located just below our rooms.  We started with a few

bottles of Meiomi wine, a favorite of all of ours.  We followed that with some incredible steaks, salads and soups, as well as the amazing sides the restaurant offers for the table to share. After our servers presented us with a special dessert to commemorate our birthday celebrations, we returned to our rooms to rest for our big holiday shopping extravaganza the next day.

After fueling up at the Gaylord’s coffee shop, The Cocoa Bean, we caravanned to the Mall at Millenia where we spent the next six hours power shopping for Christmas.  After getting most of what we needed, we traveled home to unload our goods and get the family ready for the rest of our holiday getaway.

Just a few days later we returned to Orlando with five adults and six kids under the age of six.  Yes,

we were outnumbered, but we felt as though we had a good handle on the situation with this being our 3^rd annual holiday trip as a family.  We arrived at the Renaissance Orlando Sea World, which is conveniently located just across the parking lot from the park entrance.  We unloaded our vehicles, packed up our warm clothes and drove to the Gaylord Palms for our annual visit to ICE!, which is going on until Jan, 4, 2015.

After a quick dinner at Wreckers Sports Bar (we are now regulars), we bundled everyone up, got our 

blue ICE! coats on, and stepped into the 9 degree winter wonderland known as ICE!  This year’s theme is The Nutcracker as Clara and her Nutcracker Prince experience a magical adventure in more than TWO MILLION pounds of hand-carved ice sculptures and four fun slides. Visitors can relive favorite scenes from the classic ballet, accompanied by the original Tchaikovsky score.  This indoor winter wonderland also  features: six individual rooms depicting the story of The Nutcracker and The Frostbite Factor, which is a live carving zone you can watch the carvers in action.  The final room is a breath-taking nativity scene carved from crystal clear ice.  New this year is the snow tubing, which our older kids enjoyed. Also new is On the Blocks ICE! Bar where visitors 21 + can 'chill out' at On The Blocks—the exclusive bar inside ICE!. Adults 21 and over can upgrade their ICE! experience to enjoy a adult beverages. We kept it kid friendly this trip, and headed back to our hotel with an exhausted bunch.

On Saturday, the kids woke up excited about our adventure to SeaWorld.  The park transforms to a

wintery wonderland itself and offers special holiday activities such as Santa’s Fireside Feast, Shamu® Christmas Miracles, O Wondrous Night, Winter Wonderland on Ice and THE POLAR EXPRESS Experience.  We enjoyed the dolphin show, petted stingrays, visited the shark encounter, as well as the penguins where Yale and Miles (both 1 year old) got to ride side-by-side in their first amusement park ride.  We also watched the sea lion movie and got to see a lot of marine life up close and personal.  After afternoon naps, the kids enjoyed decorating cookies in the lobby of the Renaissance.  They had fun and, of course, ate them right away.  We returned to SeaWorld for Santa’s Fireside Feast, and all of the kids got to tell Santa what they wanted to Christmas. 

We could not have asked for a better holiday getaway to Orlando.  The staff at the Renaissance was extremely accommodating and helpful.  The wait staff in the hotel’s Tradewinds Restaurant was warm and friendly and tolerated our rowdy bunch both Saturday and Sunday mornings. On our final morning, Ana brought all of the kids souvenir stuffed dolphins to take home.  Tommy named his Finny!

Our third year of holiday memories has been completed.  My brothers and I with their wives are so

happy this is something our kids will grow up doing and remembering together each year.  

Many thanks to the Gaylord Palms and the Renaissance Orlando SeaWorld for helping us create lasting memories.  We thank you so much!  

Win a "Christmassy DreamWorks Experience"

The "12 Days til Christmas" Getaway Giveaway is back and you could win a Girls Getaway to Orlando &  the "Christmassy DreamWorks Experience" package that includes: one-night room accommodations at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center valued at $564.

Enter to win at http://www.girlsgetawayguide.net/12days.html

Win a Girls Holiday Getaway to ICE!

Sun-drenched and spectacular, Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center brings excitement to life through world-class restaurants, dynamic on-site recreation, and breathtakingly beautiful gardens under glass. The signature atriums, tropical and lush, recreate three Florida environments, immersing you in the sights and sounds that make the Sunshine State a top vacation destination. From the gently rising mists of the Everglades, to the funky and vibrant island revelry of Key West, to the Spanish-infused, old-world charm of St. Augustine, you'll delight in these unique Florida-themed settings

With more than two million twinkling lights, an amazing 54-foot-tall Christmas tree, heartwarming visits with Santa, captivating musical events, and exclusive holiday events and attractions for you and your entire family, Gaylord Palms offers some of the most distinctive holiday entertainment you can imagine.

On Dec. 13, the Girls Getaway Guide's 6th Annual '12 Days til Christmas' Getaway Giveaway will give away a 2-night Christmassy Dreamworks Experience package at the Gaylord that includes 2-night room accommodations, unlimited visits to ICE!, Shrekfeast, character meet & greet and more all valued at $1,000.  Enter now to win at Girls Getaway Guide.

Family Getaway to ICE!

Brrr! Do you feel that chill in the air? It’s time to bundle up in those cozy winter coats, hats and scarves and slip on over to Central Florida’s coolest one-of-a-kind 9-degree Christmas attraction: ICE! featuring DreamWorks Animation  SKG Inc.’s “Merry Madagascar” at Gaylord Palms. Celebrating its 10th year, ICE! is more fun than ever, exhibiting more than 20,000 square feet of hand-carved ice sculptures made of 2 million pounds of ice — including four incredible two-story ice slides. The adventure began Nov. 10 for people of all ages, and is open seven days a week.

I had the opportunity to take my family on a 'getaway' to see ICE!  On the trip: my brothers TJ & Marty, sister-in-law Merideth, nephews Maclyn (4) and Tommy (2.5), and niece/faux daughter Maura (1.5).  We had a blast decorating at Gingy's, seeing the ICE! exhibit, telling Santa what's on our Christmas list, having breakfast with Shrek, seeing all of the characters from Merry Madagascar at the VIP Pool Party, visiting the Relache Spa (for the big girls), watching the alligator feeding and hanging out at the resort's arcade.

ICE! at Gaylord Palms is a can’t-miss event for everyone this Christmas season. Whether you’re looking for something to do during the afternoon to ignite the holiday spirit or you’re a thrill-seeker in search of your next daring adventure, ICE! is for you. Additional activities offered around the resort free of charge include a massive 54-foot tall majestic Christmas tree lighting; live stage shows, including the spirited Luminescence – featuring The Edge Effect Christmas show; and the Polar Bear Pursuit Scavenger Hunt.

However, the best way to benefit from all that Gaylord Palms has to offer is to book a room and become immersed in the splendor of Christmas. Guests seeking a complete Christmas experience can purchase special “Christmassy DreamWorks Experience” packages starting at $189.99 per room, per night (for a three night stay)! Packages include unlimited visits to ICE! and a number of other activities, including a ShrekFeast Interactive Character Meal, and more!

You may feel a chill in the air, but you’ll feel warmth in your heart as you create wonderful holiday memories that last a lifetime.

ICE! is open daily through Jan. 1, 2013, including holidays. Ticket prices for children start at $9.99, and adult ticket prices start at $18.99. Florida Residents — Save an extra $4 per ticket. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.christmasatgaylordpalms.com. ICE! is presented by Coca-Cola.

Gaylord Palms Resort is located five minutes from the gates of Walt Disney World at 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746. For more information, visit www.gaylordpalms.com or call 407-586-2000.

Just Add 'ICE!" at the Gaylord Palms

Brrr! Do you feel that chill in the Florida air? It’s time to bundle up in those cozy winter coats, hats and scarves and slip on over to Central Florida’s coolest one-of-a-kind 9-degree Christmas attraction: ICE! featuring DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.’s “Merry Madagascar” at Gaylord Palms. Celebrating its 10th year, ICE! is more fun than ever, exhibiting more than 20,000 square feet of hand-carved ice sculptures made of 2 million pounds of ice — including four incredible two-story ice slides. The adventure begins Nov. 10 for people of all ages, and is open seven days a week.

Prepare to be mesmerized by the vibrant color blast as you wander through the icy wonderland at your own pace. Relive the story of how Alex the Lion and his friends saved Christmas after Santa and his reindeer crash onto the island of Madagascar with this inspiring tribute to the unforgettable DreamWorks Animation TV classic “Merry Madagascar.”

Eleven vignettes showcase different scenes from the TV classic. Capture the charm of the “Florida Freezer” with characters such as Melman the Giraffe, the tallest sculpture, standing at 10 feet. Dare to disregard the pizzazz of the penguins. Not to disappoint, we’ve also got something for those thrill-seekers searching for a way to make their indelible mark. Enter a room featuring the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, St. Basil and the sphinx and plummet down one of four massive ice slides!

A team of 40 talented artisans traveled from Harbin, China, to work meticulously for more than a month to slice and shave 6,000 blocks of colored and clear ice, each weighing approximately 400 pounds, to carve this incredible experience. To illuminate their craftsmanship, they froze more than 1,000 LED light tubes into the attraction.

ICE! at Gaylord Palms is a can’t-miss event for everyone this Christmas season. Whether you’re looking for something to do during the afternoon to ignite the holiday spirit or you’re a thrill-seeker in search of your next daring adventure, ICE! is for you. Additional activities offered around the resort free of charge include a massive 54-foot tall majestic Christmas tree lighting; live stage shows, including the spirited Luminescence – featuring The Edge Effect Christmas show; and the Polar Bear Pursuit Scavenger Hunt.


ICE! is open daily from Nov. 10, 2012 through Jan. 1, 2013, including holidays. Ticket prices for children start at $9.99, and adult ticket prices start at $18.99. Florida Residents — Save an extra $4 per ticket. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.christmasatgaylordpalms.com. ICE! is presented by Coca-Cola.