FL Orlando Gaylord Palms WDW

[bunny4834]

I stayed at the Gaylord Palms with my son last year and it was well worth the price. It's close to Disney and away from the traffic, beautiful room and wonderful service. They gave us a room with a balcony overlooking the atrium. The only problem I found at the Gaylord was the food is very high, so if you are on a budget look elsewhere for your meals. The pools were great and the alligators in the atrium were a lot of fun for my son. We had free computer and internet service.

I would love to go back to the Gaylord and I thought the rooms and service were much nicer than the Disney Carribean or Orleans rooms.

Enjoy your stay, we didn't want to leave the resort!

[Temujin]

Just following up on my stay from July 26-30th. Hotel is fantastic. You really have to see it to believe it. Didn't get a chance to use either of the pools but they looked fantastic. Three restaurants on site (stay away from Sunset Sam's, poor service). Free internet access, on-site coin laundry (you really have to look for it as they don't exactly encourage it). The resort fee is $10 bucks/day for which you get the internet access, shuttle to and from disney resorts (not Universal), and two bottles of water. Apparently you used to get orange juice too but they knocked that off without lowering the resort fee. Parking is $7 but there is no actual person checking to see if you paid. It's basically three big parking lots so nobody sees you coming or going. We realized this after we told them we had a car. Oh well. The location couldn't be better for accessing any of the theme parks. We got upgraded for free to a suite as well. Great value.

[bluesavvy]

We just got back from an 8 night stay at the Gaylord Palms (7/30/05-8/7/05). The hotel is wonderful. Atrium areas are amazing, and pool was fun. They had a lot of summer activities at the hotels - live shows, alligator feedings, wine tastings... things all weekend throughout the summer. Food was pricey, but the concierge had a list of places that deliver pizza and chinese at reasonable prices. They delivered more water to our room for free with a call to the "consider it done" desk. Coffee maker didn't have tea, but front desk provided it after a couple of calls (again no charge). Resort fee a little high at $10, and they wouldn't budge on it, but in-room internet access was convenient. My husband also connected easily with his laptop.

HUGE PROBLEM is transportation to Disney if you don't have a car. They say they're only 5 minutes from Disney, which means the Disney-owned property. Dropoff at any of the parks is 10-15 minutes, more if there are other parks where they have to drop people off. We planned to go in the morning, return for a swim, then go back to Epcot or MK at night. But the shuttle service follows a strict schedule for pickups, and they don't start picking people up at the parks until 2 pm. Then you have to go to all 4 parks before returning to the hotel. Same for afternoon/evening dropoffs. If you miss the bus, it's 1-1/2 hours before the next pickup time. The driver told us it would take over an hour just to get to Magic Kingdom at 6pm, so we took a taxi one night for $16. Alternative is to get off at the first park stop, then transfer to a Disney bus, which saved some time. Also, the hotel's transportation only takes you to the outer dropoff areas, so you have to plan carefully. At MK, for example, you have to exit the park and take the monorail or boat back to the transportation center, which adds about 15 minutes to your exit time. One day, we did arrange with the driver to pick us up at a special time, since we had small kids. They could do it because there wasn't much traffic that week.

Also, we booked through Priceline at a good rate ($86), and there were no conventions in the hotel, which made it very quiet and relaxing. But the hotel did try to charge us an extra night. They adjusted it without any problem, but we thought it was odd that they would try to charge an extra night. And the rate they wanted to charge was $83, as compared to the $150+ on their website for that date. Maybe they have even better deals if you call direct?

I would recommend this hotel for the area, just make sure you plan the transportation accordingly. It also looks like they have some kind of winter wonderland with ice sculptures at Christmas. And I'd like to see the other Gaylord properties as well.

[louisd]

I won't add many details as the previous reviews covered it, but I recently got back from 8 nights at this property and was thrilled with my stay. I will work hard to get this hotel again the next time I go back to Orlando.

[MJRBIM]

Stayed here for 3-nights on a "regular rate" for a conference. Really nice hotel. $10 per day resort fee covers the highspeed internet and the in-room PC.

I was at a conference, so I didn't get to use the pool or other facilities - but the rooms were good, staff were great and the restaurants were very good (but bring someone else's expense account if you can $$$).

[Kathy813]

Just got back from our stay at the Gaylord Palms Resort and I thought I would give a review:

The Gaylord Palms Resort was very nice. However, you need to be aware of surcharges that will quickly add up. The $126 price I got through Hotwire was only the beginning. There is a $10 a night resort fee that covers High-Speed Internet access, water in refrigerator, and daily newspaper. Then you need to add the parking fees. We got there late at night and the self-parking was rather confusing so we used Valet Parking. The next day we found out that there is a $17.50 a night Valet parking charge in addition to the tips. So we switched to self-parking and there was still a fee of $10.70 per day.

So when you added the taxes, resort fees, and parking fees, we paid approximately $165 a night for our stay.

The food in the restaurants onsite was also very pricey. My husband and I ate breakfast at the Villa De Flora buffet and paid $43.00 for the two of us. Needless to say, we didn't even try dinner at the hotel.

The 4-acre Atrium was very cool and I really liked that each room had a computer provided with Internet Access. You could also check you hotel account online and order any housekeeping services online. We were impressed with the service we received at this hotel. We had put on the electronic "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door while my husband was working from the hotel room and guest services called him around 4 o'clock that afternoon and asked him if there was anything that we needed. He told them that we needed towels and they were at our door within 3 minutes. The housekeeper also used that opportunity to empty the wastebaskets and do a quick bathroom clean up.

Be forewarned that Frommer's is not correct in stating that every room has a balcony. Our room did not have a balcony but the hotel did accommodate my request for a non-smoking room.

All in all, a nice stay in a comfortable, clean room with great service and pricey restaurants and spa services. If you are not there for a convention or spa vacation, then I think I would stay at a less pricey hotel. My husband who travels a lot on business said that the Embassy Suites rooms are as nice as the one we stayed in at the Gaylord Palms. Just out or curiosity, I wandered around various floors in different wings and peaked into the rooms that the housekeeping staff had left open while working. The room we got through Hotwire was just as nice as any regular room in the hotel. The hotel rooms off the atrium had balconies, though.

I hope this review helps anyone who is considering a 4 star stay at the Orlando Disney Main gate.

~Kathy

[oreobigboy]

Stayed at the Gaylord in Orlando on a Monday eve in July of 07 after winning a bid through Priceline. Winning bid was 93.00 :) The service at check-in was fantastic. There was no mention of us using priceline, and we even got a beautiful atrium view room.

Didn't get to stay to enjoy the resort amenities due to an early flight, but was pleased by what I saw while there! However, I have been to the resort before for dinner and can recommend the buffet restaurant! The tomato bisque & make your own pasta station is fab. It is a beautiful resort to just walk around in. The good thing is, it can be enjoyed rain or shine. As a side note, at Christmas time the decor is incredible and they offer some free performances in the atrium for all. When I went to get coffee from the cafe in the morning all the staff that I passed along the way greeted me. Nice touches like that, along with beautiful accommodation both in the room & on the public grounds, would make me return... especially at a rate like that!

[mrslala]

The Gaylord Palms was AWESOME! we got it on Priceline for about $85 night in January of 08.

Just remember, there are a lot of fees involved with staying there, but if you are getting a great deal on Priceline--then it is a wash. I threw myself on the mercy of the front desk clerk & said my husband is a very light sleeper, but I didn't want to lose a nice view, so he put us in the Everglades section on the third floor. We overlooked the Atrium and the Steakhouse (beautiful) but since it was off the beaten path--it was both lovely and private! (by adult only pool--not convenient if the kids want to swim) I would like to take a long weekend and never leave the beautiful and interesting interior.

Our room was positively IMMACULATE...it was a florida themed room & had lovely furnishings. The hallways and elevators were very clean, as was the vending area. The spa looked tremendous--but obviously pricey.

The only downside--after a busy day at the park, it is tiresome to park your car, then navigate your way around the GI-NOURMOUS place. I recommend valet parking for an extra $7 a day, it may be worthwhile to you.

There are a few shops (reasonable!) to keep you busy in your downtime. We used the cafe for buying coffee, but ate in the parks otherwise.

Lastly--every single one of their employees that we encountered were exceptionally polite & friendly. Customer service the way it should be!

two thumbs up! :)

within minutes to the Disney parks & visible from I-4...very easy to find!

[jmcin]

We stayed at the Gaylord Palms March 27- April 3, getting a Priceline deal of $93. Add in $30/day for self park and resort fee, I thought it was still a nice deal for $123/ night. Originally we valet parked, but, our room was closer to the self park so we switched. Likely saved ourselves quite a bit of money in valet tips going that route! We traveled as a family on a vacation and were fortunate to be in the Key West section of the resort, which is near the family pool. There are lots of big conventions going on, and we seemed to be away from the bulk of that activity. The last thing I want to see when I am on vacation is a bunch of folks in suits plugged into their laptops, blackberrys, and cell phones with their name tags around their neck.

Atrium was spectactular, but, I had stayed at the one in Nashville, and sort of knew what to expect. The pool was ope 24 hours and heated quite nicely the first time in. They have just opened a splash park, complete with extra cold water that kids love, and that was fun for younger kids.

I thought the rooms were generous in size, and thougth the housekeeping was above average. Computer in room was nice to be able to stay on top of work and home emails, and is part of resort fee. There is a nice sized mini frig, too, in the room, so you can go to the nearby grocery store and buy some food to keep your costs down.

Getting to Disney Parks was a breeze..great signage. I always got lost on the way home, but, never was too far off. We hope to someday score this place again.

Good luck.

[LouiseA]

I just stayed here for one night.

We got an upgrade on our room because I had my mom with me and since she couldn't walk very far they gave us a first floor room.

The room was very nice and clean and beautiful.

It was pouring rain outside that night but we were able to walk around on the paths and go in the stores etc.

I thought everyone was very friendly and helpful.

On the downside, I felt it was loud because of our room being right by the Key West restaurant and people were standing out there talking and you could hear the music. I was sleeping right near the balcony area in the living room since my mom had the bedroom.

Also there was a large group of soccer kids and they were running up and down the halls, and they rang our room "doorbell" a few times late at night.

[Alaska Don]

Update on how the stay went Booked through HOTWIRE.

My mom checked in and really loved this place.

They were very easy to deal with over the phone so that I could take care of the resort fee and parking in advance, as this weekend stay was a gift for her.

This is just a hunch, but I think that because we put a business card on the account to take care of any incidentals ahead of time, and paid a little extra to have a bottle of wine and plate of their gourmet cheeses in the room upon arrival, they assumed that my mom, despite booking through hotwire, "could" be some kind of potential business client or important guest.

Check-in was a breeze, and I don't think there was any mention of Hotwire, I asked her how checkin went, and she said it took seconds and that when she gave them her name they pulled her up in the computer and said, "everything is already paid for and arranged, Mrs. XXXXX" and then they gave her the room key.

She said she was very impressed with the service and with employees addressing her by name at times throughout the stay, which I think was impressive for a hotel of this size. They put her in a nice veiw room in St Augustine on an upper floor (at no charge).

She was going to go to Disney, but liked the hotel so much, and felt that there was so much to do there, she ended up just staying around the property. She said she wanted to see everything at the hotel, and ended up just going to Dowtown Disney in the evening on one night.

This is a gem for Hotwire because it is SOOOO easy to identify and is offered at about half price. If you are staying in Orlando, and want a nice place for about $100 a night, this is a no-brainer. You could get it for less on priceline... but for me its worth a few bucks to be sure that you get this property.

[The-Bartender]

Three restaurants on site (stay away from Sunset Sam's, poor service).

Just a note for everybody... I work at Sunset Sam's and I am sorry and very disappointed you had poor service at my restaurant. It does occasionally happen that you get a server having a bad day but please be assured that the vast majority of guest experiences at our restaurant (and out resort) are rated as excellent.

We as a staff encourage each other to "Wow" guest and ensure that Sam's becomes a memorable and enjoyable dining experience. Some of our staff are students but most of us do this for a career (Gaylord offers top notch health insurance, 401k, stock purchase in addition to a very employee friendly work culture... that's why most of us are so friendly and happy at work). We self police to make sure our reputation is excellent. If you ever come back to The Palms please give us another chance. We use locally grown produce, Line caught fish right off the boats and hand cut by our chefs and you have the opportunity to dine on a schooner floating in a marine pool stocked with fish and stingrays while in an atrium! We also have live music, stilt walkers, jugglers, fire eaters etc... every night!

Also... We now have 5 restaurants plus a 24 hour coffee shop/deli. Last year we added Sora which is a sushi restaurant.

Thank you to all of you that have written such glowing reviews of The Gaylord Palms and I hope to see you there again soon!

here is a link to a picture of Sunset Sam's... we have dining and a bar on the boat with additional seating on the dock as well as inside plus an additional inside bar.

http://home-workings.com/sunsetsams.jpg

Enough with my totally biased comments... I am off to another forum to find a beach resort in Clearwater for the weekend!

[aliannie]

Just a note for everybody... I work at Sunset Sam's and I am sorry and very disappointed you had poor service at my restaurant. It does occasionally happen that you get a server having a bad day but please be assured that the vast majority of guest experiences at our restaurant (and out resort) are rated as excellent.

(PLEASE SEE NOTE ON REPLY BELOW REGARDING SERVICE AT SAM'S)

[aliannie]

We stayed at the Gaylord June 20 - June 29, 2009. My husband had a convention at the Marriott Convention Center about two miles away; however, we won an excellent rate of $90. per night thru Priceline at Gaylord. Incredible resort and restaurants (for the most part).

Check in was a breeze. We were upgraded to an Atrium view in the Everglades area, overlooking the gators. Our twelve year old daughter, as welll as my husband and I, loved the view and total experience.

All of the valets that we dealt with were very friendly, helpful and ready to attend to our every question or need.

The room was well appointed and convenient. Not loud at night, as others have mentioned. The pools were well maintained and refreshing. The children's pool had a DJ on Wed and Sat nights. The DJ kept all of the children and adults entertained.

Other than the conference, we only left the hotel for Epcot and Disney downtown. There was no reason to leave, since there was so much to do at the resort.

LOVED THIS RESORT AND WILL ABSOLUTELY RETURN WHEN WE GO BACK TO ORLANDO.

One note to Bartender at Sam's per his quote. We visited this restaurant three times. A lady was bartending twice during this time frame (first visit on the day we arrived) and she had the WORST attitude. It was clear that she hated her job and did not want to be there. We (and everyone else at the bar) thought that she was having a bad day and wanted us all to know. However, when we visited again several days later, she acted exactly the same way. It would be a good idea for someone at the hotel to look into this bartender, as I am sure she turned off many customers.

On the other side, an EXCELLENT young male bartender took her place when she left on June 20. He made up for her rudeness. So much, that we went back for dinner twice afterwards. They had live entertainment, a lady that applied temporary tatoos on the children, man making balloon animals, etc.

[sailmaven]

I just stayed at the Gaylord Palms for three nights in April 2010. I paid $99/night plus a $12 parking fee and $17 resort fee. I was there for a medical conference and the conference price was $214/night. I was very happy with my deal. The Hotel was wonderful. The staff was always friendly. The rooms were immaculate. At the price I paid I would take it over any WDW resort. At the normal price of $200+ I think I would have to take the WDW high end resorts.

As far as the complaints about the Key west restaurant at the hotel. I went there every night for my before-bed Pina Colada and had dinner there one night. I had nothing but pleasant experiences. The food was excellent, and the staff was wonderful.

[Andilynn]

We visited Gaylord Palms in 2005 with an infant and pre-schooler in tow. It was one of the best travel experience I've ever had with kids. Even though we booked through priceline ($68/night!) they still treated us like important guests, unlike some other places we've stayed (I'm lookin' at you Trade Winds in St. Pete's Beach.) I don't think I opened a door or pushed an elevator button the whole stay... which is awfully nice when you are carrying a sleepy kid after a long day of Disney. Every person we encountered from the front desk to the restaurant workers were so very friendly and helpful. The pool was wonderful, the atrium was an attraction in itself, and the food, although pricey, was great too. I would love to stay again some day and would recommend it to anyone.