One of the amazing perks to living in Florida is all of the fun attractions and events that surround us. Within just a couple of hours, we can be right in the middle of Gainseville, Daytona or Tallahassee. A favorite of my family's, though, is Kissimmee, Florida. There's so much to do and see in Kissimmee...especially during the Holidays!
Recently, Jonah and I had the privilege of experiencing Kissimmee and quite a few of it's popular Holiday attractions. Over the next few days I'm going to share our Snowy Holiday travels with you. If you're looking for some incredible attractions and events to go to and make memories with your family, you'll want to be checking back often! I'll be sharing stories from Disney, Sea World and also from places you may have never heard of like, U Can Cook and Fun Spot...and boy, do I have stories to tell! Jonah and I had more fun in four days in Kissimmee, FL than we've had together in years!
The first stop on our Snowy Holiday Adventure was Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. We were there to enjoy dinner at Sunset Sam's, watch a preview of The Nutcracker by the Orlando Ballet, see a performance by Luminescence, feel the wind in our hair as we rode Snow Tubes at Alpine Rush and set our eyes on breath-taking displays of ice sculptures at ICE! featuring The Nutcracker. You could say we were in for a very eventful evening of {very COLD} fun!
photo credit
Gaylord Palms features three historic locations in Florida within their beautiful indoor atriums: St. Augustine, Key West and the Everglades. You can also see South Beach featured at the Quiet Adult Pool. In the photo above you see St. Augustine's Castillo De San Marcos.
Our dinner reservations were at Sunset Sam's Fish Camp, located in "Key West" at Gaylord Palms. We boarded our vessel and dined under the twinkling lights. The atmosphere is romantic enough for date night and family friendly, too. Your kids will love that they get to eat dinner on a sailboat!
I enjoyed a Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, Fingerling Potatoes and a Grilled Tomato. It was divine. The steak was so tender and the chimichurri sauce was an excellent compliment to it.
Next, we made our way to see the Christmas Tree Lighting and watch a preview of The Nutcracker performed by the Orlando Ballet. The dancers were are so graceful and beautiful. It made me want to find the nearest location to see the full performance.
After the ballet, we were dazzled by the breathtaking musical performance of Luminescence. When I say "breathtaking", I mean BREATHTAKING. There were numerous times throughout this show that I found myself either near tears or in complete awe of their talent. This band and group of entertainers will have you in the Christmas Spirit in no time!
{pictured is +TampaMamaAdventures and FrugalandFunMom's kids with Jonah}
The night just kept getting better; there is so much to do at Gaylord Palms during the Holidays! After the tree lighting, ballet and musical performance, we went to Alpine Rush to Snow Tube down one of EIGHT lanes of snow. This time my breath was taken by the sheer fun I was having! I felt like I was a kid again racing down the slopes in my snow tube. After tubing, we enjoyed a Hot Chocolate Bar, Rice Krispy Treats and Italian Ice.
Finally, we went to discover what 3 million pounds of ice looks like. ICE! at Gaylord Palms is an exquisite display of The Nutcracker depicted in the form of sculpted ice. It's truly amazing.
Before you step foot inside the 15,000 square foot, 9 degree "cold room", be sure to grab one of 1,500 parkas that is provided so you don't freeze your buns. Did you know it took Harbin Ice Carvers 11,160 hours of total carving time to create this Winter Wonderland.
Photos truly don't do this attraction justice. I'm not sure what I expected to see when I first walked in...but, I was blown away by how beautiful and cold and colorful and cold it all was. {Yes, I said cold twice. It was cold, y'all!}
If you're looking for a fun Holiday event for your family then you'll want to be sure to check out Christmas at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, FL! On top of everything that I've mentioned above, you can also see Santa Claus or have Breakfast with Shrek and his Friends!
Win a Snowy Holiday of your own from Experience Kissimmee by either texting "snow" to 82257 or going to SnowyHoliday.com. The prize is a 3-day, 2-night stay at a Kissimmee destination resort, theme park admission and tickets to local attractions for the winner and three guests.
1 comment:
I've driven by this place so many times, but was always staying at another resort. I think this post just convinced me it needs to be on my list for future visits. It looks amazing!
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