On Thursday I had the honor of attending a luncheon with two of the media relations people from Experience Kissimmee. We learned about a lot of cool adventures that the area has to offer like hot air balloon rides, air boat rides and zip-lining! We also found out about some great restaurants and places to stay on our Orlando area vacations.

I’ll be honest, I visit the Kissimmee area very regularly and while I have stayed at several hotels and resorts in the area and even eaten in some restaurants, I never realized there were so many other cool things to do. Now that fall is approaching, it is a great time to visit central Florida. The crowds are low and the temperatures will be dropping. If you are planning a visit to the area check out the Experience Kissimmee website and see all of the fun this area has to offer.

Maybe you are looking ahead to your next vacation…why don’t you try to win it? Experience Kissimmee is holding a sweepstakes for and awesome Walt Disney World Vacation called Tweet 2 Repeat. Just click that link, follow @Kissimmee on Twitter and click the “Tweet Now” button. Add what you would like to do or do again on your next Kissimmee vacation to the tweet. The giveaway ends on 9-28-14. You can enter once a day! I’m entering and I hope you do too!

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Here is some great information about all of the Christmas Festivities taking place at the Gaylord Palms.
The “coolest “ Christmas celebration south of the North Pole is coming to Central Florida’s Gaylord Palms Resort, where temperatures will be hovering around nine degrees and guests will be invited to experience SNOW! and ICE!

That’s right. Forty tons of real snow will fill the all-new SNOW! A North Pole Carnival attraction, where young and old can make snowmen and snow sculptures, take aim at a snowball target range, build igloos and have their own personal snow day. And, once again ICE!, a dazzling winter wonderland hand-carved from more than two million pounds of ice returns for its eighth year at “The Best of Florida Christmas Celebration” from November 20 through January 2, 2011. Gaylord Palms Resort makes it easy, and fun, to celebrate the holidays in one of the world’s most exciting family vacation destinations, with unique Christmas packages starting at just $199!

• “Christmas Memories” captures that special time together with family or friends. The one-night package includes accommodations, tickets to ICE!, souvenir photo, self-parking and resort fees.

• “The Best of Florida Christmas” package where guests can enjoy a complete Florida holiday vacation, from beginning to end! This “Best Of” package offers accommodations, unlimited admission to ICE! with priority entry, tickets to SNOW!, A North Pole Carnival, souvenir photo, self-parking and resort fees.

• The Grandparent Getaway holiday package, which includes accommodations, tickets to ICE!, souvenir photo, and a special lunch or brunch dining experience with Mrs. Claus starts at just $459, including resort fees and self-parking,  for a two-night stay.

While staying at the Gaylord Palms Resort, guests can enjoy every detail of the Best of Florida Christmas offerings from ICE! to SNOW! and the myriad of shows and holiday entertainment.

The theme for this year’s ICE! attraction is based on the  beloved Christmas poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The iconic holiday sonnet is captured in intricate hand-carved ice, including “stockings hung by the chimney,” father in his sleeping “cap” and, of course, a sleigh with eight flying reindeer.  Not a single ice-carved Christmas trapping is missed as visitors arrive in the Grand Hall where they can walk up an ice stairway to the second floor and, then, take a slippery slide down one of the attraction’s four two-story ice slides.

A favorite holiday tradition is the attraction’s signature scene, a life-size Nativity carved completely of crystal-clear ice.  Dramatic lighting and a stirring narrative track give guests an opportunity to pause and reflect on the story behind the season.

The massive wintry landscape of ICE! is carved by hand during a month-long visit by skilled artisans from Harbin, China, a city known for its annual International Ice and Snow Festival.  Although the attraction is kept at a frigid nine degrees, visitors stay warm in the oversized winter parkas handed out before entry.

SNOW! offers all the fun of a winter carnival in 40-tons of real snow! Included is a snowball target range, Kiddie Snow Tube Run, Coke Bottle Toss and Flip a Penguin. Food areas, with snow-themed holiday treats, will offer everything from snowberries, snow cones, cotton candy and roasted chestnuts.

According to Senior Vice President and General Manager Johann Krieger, temperatures within the new SNOW! attraction can range from 35 to 60 degrees, comfortable enough for  visitors, and of course Santa, who is available to visit with children at “A Visit to Santa Claus,” conveniently located nearby.

“The Best of Florida Christmas Celebration” encompasses virtually every square inch of the 63-acre resort which is decked out in lights and holiday trimmings inside and out.  The massive 4.5-acre indoor atrium is aglow with thousands of lights, trees, poinsettias, wreaths, bows, and garlands, and serves as a backdrop for dazzling holiday events.

Of special note is “Luminescence,” a musical stage show that fills the atrium with sound, light and high-tech aerial choreography with performers flying through the 18-story, glass-enclosed space.

“Family Traditions,” an a capella choir, performs traditional carols for visitors in the Emerald Bay Plaza.  “Christmas Wonders” a stage review also offers festive holiday tunes, topped off with the lighting of the Majestic Christmas Tree.  Shows take place throughout the day and evening all through the holiday season.

Children of all ages will enjoy “The Polar Bear Pursuit,” a scavenger hunt for holiday trinkets and treasures.  Grand prize is a Gaylord Palms VIP Getaway.

On weekends throughout the holiday season, visitors will have an opportunity to join Mrs. Claus for a Holiday Lunch on Saturday or Holiday Brunch on Sunday at the award-winning Villa de Flora restaurant, where Santa is often a surprise guest.

As a salute to Florida’s vibrant Latin community, Gaylord Palms continues its annual tradition – Noche Latina at ICE! This after-hours exclusive opportunity will be held on Friday, December 3.

For those seeking a little more adventure, the Orlando Polar Bear Club will take the plunge on Saturday, December 4, running through ICE! in nothing but a bathing suit.

Tickets to the ICE! attraction range from $9.99 to $25.99 depending on the type of ticket and day of the week. Entry to SNOW!, a North Pole Carnival, is $7.49 Monday – Thursday and $9.99 Friday – Sunday with the purchase of an ICE! ticket.  Discounted tickets are available online at www.gaylordpalms.com/christmas.

For reservations and further information call 407-586-2000 or visit www.gaylordpalms.com/christmas. Resort package pricing is based on availability, subject to change and exclusive of taxes and assessment fees. The Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center is located at 6000 W. Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee, FL.

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My family has been visiting the Kissimmee, FL since 1972, when we took our first of hundreds of trips to Walt Disney World. My most recent stay in Kissimmee was in December when we were in town for the taping of the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. Yes, I am a Disneyphile but today I want to share with you some of the other great stuff you can do in and around Kissimmee.

If you are looking for affordable accommodations near all of Central Florida’s theme parks and attractions Kissimmee is the place to stay. In December we stayed in a decent budget hotel for $29.99 a night!! It even has FREE Internet! There are hotels, resorts, rental homes and time shares in the area to meet every budget.

I can’t wait to visit SeaWorld Orlando and take another ride on Manta! (I’m the one one the right). My favorite show at SeaWorld is Blue Horizons-make sure you catch this beautifully artistic dolphin show.

My family includes me and 3 car guys-my hubby and 2 teenage sons so when in the area on a Saturday we have to go to Old Town for the Saturday Night Cruise, the largest weekly car cruise in the United States, with over 300 classic cars, hot rods, street rods and antiques from 1974 and before! It’s FREE too! Why not check out the UK’s longest running antiques website here if you’re an antique collector?

Table and glasses made of ice!

Do you want some night life while in Central Florida? Check out ICEBAR Orlando. I was there as part of IZEAFest ’09 and we had a great time.

Another favorite thing to do in the Kissimmee area is SHOP! There are tons of outlet malls and flea markets as well as traditional malls. In December we visited Festival Bay Mall where my 3 guys were in heaven shopping at Bass Pro Shops and watching the skateboarders at the in mall Vann’s skatepark!

There are things I still have never tried in Kissimmee. I want to get to Arabian Nights which happens to be the most honored dinner show in the world! I have lived in Florida for 30 years and I still haven’t ridden in an airboat-it would be cool to do that right at the headwaters of the Everglades.

I know you are already thinking about what fun you could have on a Kissimmee vacation so click on the link and get started! Have you visited Kissimmee? What are your favorite things to do while you are here? Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t tried…yet? Let me know that too. I love reading and responding to your comments!

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