Memorial Day Family Weekend at Gaylord Palms

This year for Memorial Day, my parents got rooms at Gaylord Palms in Orlando with Bonvoy points for our family, and my brother and his girlfriend. We were so excited to be together at a resort for the first time in a while.

The resort was huge, with so much to explore, and it was seriously packed! I think everyone really wanted to get away for the long weekend, especially now that more people are vaccinated. We spent most of the time outside at the pool and water park.

Memorial Day Weekend at Gaylord Palms - Feature Image

They had two pools, a kids playground, a “not-so-lazy river” as we called it, three huge slides and a Flow-Rider!

The food on property was really good, too. We went out to MOOR on the first night for a fancy seafood dinner which was definitely a highlight. The food and the drinks were amazing!

The next night we hit up Wreckers, a sports bar themed restaurant with huge TVs and the best nachos ever. Because the property was so packed that weekend, we had to wait about an hour and a half to get a table because it rained that day and pretty much everyone went to eat right after. The kids and I were starving by then, so no pics of that meal, but we were all stuffed afterwards!

The property also had a really cool vibe so after the kids spent the day at the pool, there was a grass area where what seemed like all the kids at the resort gathered to play every sport imaginable.

And the lobby turns into a dark, castle-like maze that the kids loved exploring after the light show.

We had a blast and the property was really nice! It’s definitely a bit pricey for an ordinary staycation for us, so I don’t think we would stay again unless it was on points. Also, if it wasn’t a busy weekend like Memorial Day, we probably could have gotten away with not purchasing chairs—as long as we got there when it opened at 8:30am. The property is close to Disney and they have a free shuttle included in the $30/day resort fee that also includes waters in the room, internet access and “access the pool and water park.” Would have been more worth it I guess if we went to Disney. I really don’t know why properties have a “resort fee” when it doesn’t include anything special. I mean, the pool is part of the reason why you book there, crazy you wouldn’t be able to use it without an additional cost. Oh and let’s not forget the $28 per night for parking!

Aaaaaanywho…. it was overall a really great time spent with family. We made the best of it and really enjoyed being together and by the pool over the weekend!

When we got back on Sunday, we decided to watch a show on Netflix called Medal of Honor. The show highlights Medal of Honor recipients and tells their incredible stories. We thought it would be a great way to honor service members by learning about their inspiring true stories and get a better understanding of what kind of bravery it takes to be a hero. I highly recommend the series.

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