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Gaylord Palms vs Margaritaville Resort Orlando comes down to one question: do you want an all-weather resort with a water park that stays open in winter, or a laid-back lagoon-pool resort with bigger suites, rental cottages and a bus to Universal? The two Kissimmee resorts are about 7 miles apart by road.
Both charge a mandatory resort fee, both fund a Disney shuttle through it, and neither has Disney’s Early Theme Park Entry. Gaylord Palms is a 1,718-room convention resort run by Marriott around 4.5 acres of glass-roofed atriums. Margaritaville Resort Orlando has 265 hotel rooms plus rental cottages, next to Island H2O Water Park. One date shapes the choice: Margaritaville’s free Island H2O admission applies only to stays through October 31, 2026, and the park is closed from mid-November until its next season.
Quick answer: Book Gaylord Palms for a November-to-February trip, for children who want slides from 36 inches, for rainy days, for Christmas and ICE!, or for the earliest Disney bus (8:15 a.m.). Book Margaritaville Resort Orlando for five or six people in one suite, a group that needs a cottage, a small dog, a Universal or SeaWorld bus covered by the resort fee, or lower nightly add-ons: $68 for the resort fee and self-parking, against $83 to $85 at Gaylord, before tax.
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Gaylord Palms vs Margaritaville Resort Orlando at a glance
| What matters | Gaylord Palms | Margaritaville |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Osceola Parkway; about 3 miles to Hollywood Studios | Off US-192; about 4 miles to Animal Kingdom |
| Standard room | 410 sq ft; king for 2, two queens for 4 | 470 sq ft pool view, balcony or patio; king for 2, two queens for 4 |
| Largest hotel room | Suites sleep 4 | One-bedroom suite sleeps 6 |
| Water | Cypress Springs: 7 slides, action river, 2 heated pools | 3 heated lagoon pools; Island H2O next door, closed in winter |
| Resort fee | $45 a day + tax | $48 a night + tax |
| Self-parking | $40 a day ($38 in the holiday FAQ) + tax | $20 a night + tax |
| First Disney bus | 8:15 a.m., all four parks | 9:15 a.m., Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom |
| Universal and SeaWorld bus | None | 7:20 a.m., one return |
| Early Theme Park Entry | No | No |
| Pets | Not allowed | Dogs up to 30 lb, for a fee |
| Christmas | ICE!, Nov 13, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | Resort holiday events in December |
Figures come from each resort’s own pages and booking systems on October 28, 2026. Rates vary by season, availability and how far ahead you book.
Gaylord Palms Resort: a Florida garden under glass
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center is a Gaylord Hotels resort run by Marriott at 6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee. Its glass-roofed atriums stay at about 72 degrees, with gardens, waterways and animal habitats. Free alligator and fish feedings run five days a week, and daily Sunrise Yoga is part of the resort fee. It is also a major convention hotel, so expect conference groups. Our Gaylord Palms Resort review covers every room type and restaurant.
These photos come from the resort’s own gallery. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or see the full gallery and current rates on Booking.com.
See prices and availability at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
Margaritaville Resort Orlando: lagoon pools, suites and cottages
Margaritaville Resort Orlando is a Jimmy Buffett-inspired island resort at 8000 Fins Up Circle, Kissimmee, off US-192 near State Road 429. Its 265 hotel rooms and suites surround the Fins Up Beach Club, with three heated lagoon pools and a sandy beach. Its one- to eight-bedroom cottages and two- to four-bedroom villas are vacation rentals, not timeshares. The resort puts Island H2O and the Promenade at Sunset Walk about 0.2 miles away.
Margaritaville is a Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel; Gaylord Palms is not on that program’s list. The badge brings Disney ticket sales and planning help in the lobby, not Early Theme Park Entry or a longer Lightning Lane window. See our Margaritaville Resort Orlando review and our guide to Disney Good Neighbor hotels.
Check your dates for Margaritaville Resort Orlando on Booking.com
Water parks and pools: Cypress Springs vs Island H2O
This is the biggest difference, and it depends on your travel month.
Gaylord Palms: Cypress Springs Water Park
- Slides: seven in a 3-acre park, including the Florida Free Fall drop slide, the Tamiami Twister racing slides and four kids’ slides in the Tree House playground. Minimums are 48 inches (tower slides), 40 (upper) and 36 (lower).
- Crystal River Rapids: an “action river” with currents of nearly four feet per second, not a slow lazy river.
- Pools: the zero-entry Cypress Springs Pool and the narrow South Beach Pool. Marriott says both are heated, “even during the winter months”, but publishes no water park hours.
- Included: four wristbands per room for overnight guests, through the resort fee. Children under 15 must be with an adult. The Wake Zone FlowRider, cabanas and daybeds cost extra.
Margaritaville: Fins Up Beach Club and Island H2O
- Resort pools: three heated pools. License to Chill opens dawn to dusk, and Fins Left and Fins Right open at 9 a.m. The pool page lists no waterslides.
- Island H2O Water Park: a separately run park next door with the Live! Lagoon wave pool, the Chat Creek lazy river, multi-rider slides and two kids’ areas.
- The 2026 perk: the resort’s Island H2O page gives free admission to guests who pay the full resort fee, for stays from March 6 to October 31, 2026, valued at $65.99 per person per day.
- Winter: the resort and the park both say the 2026 season ends on October 31. At our October 28, 2026 check, the park’s calendar also showed November 1 and November 6 to 8 open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., then closed every day through April 2027. The park calls itself a March-to-October park, and no 2027 dates had been posted.
The resort’s pages disagree: the Island H2O page limits the perk to 2026 season stays, the resort’s rooms, cottages and villas page lists “complimentary access to Island H2O Water Park” in the resort fee, and the FAQ says passes “will need to be purchased separately”. For a 2027 trip, get the perk confirmed in writing.
The verdict: from November to February, Gaylord wins, because Island H2O is closed and Margaritaville’s pools have no slides. In season, Margaritaville can win if the perk returns: a wave pool and a lazy river beat a fast action river for a slow afternoon. Compare more resorts in our guides to Orlando hotels with water parks and waterslides and Orlando hotels with lazy rivers.
Rooms, suites and cottages: who fits where
Gaylord’s standard rooms are about 410 square feet. Rooms with one king bed list two guests (one rollaway allowed, $30 a night), and rooms with two queen beds list four, with no rollaways. The Executive Suite (625 sq ft) and Deluxe Suite (831 sq ft) also list four. Every room type has a mini-fridge and a coffee maker, but none lists a microwave.
Margaritaville’s pool-view rooms are about 470 square feet with a furnished balcony or patio: one king bed for two guests, or two queen beds for four. The king room page lists two guests, but the resort’s terms allow up to three in king rooms. The One-Bedroom Two-Queen Pool-View Suite is 940 square feet, with two queen beds and a queen sofa bed for up to six. The King Suite Studio (675 sq ft, two guests) has a kitchenette.
Margaritaville’s cottages range from one bedroom (at least 660 sq ft, four guests) to eight bedrooms for 18, with a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. Their resort fee depends on size and is included in the rate on the resort’s site, from $34.40 a night for one bedroom. Cottages are booked through the resort or its rental partners.
With a baby, note that Marriott’s room listings allow one crib in every Gaylord room type, while Margaritaville’s Booking.com listing says cribs and extra beds are not available. Ask the resort before you book.
Resort fees and parking: what you pay each night
Both fees are mandatory. On Booking.com price breakdowns for a November 17 to 19, 2026 sample stay, Gaylord showed a US$90 resort fee for two nights ($45 a night) plus 14.5% in taxes (13.5% plus a 1% city tax), and Margaritaville showed US$96 ($48 a night) plus 13.5% tax.
| Included in the fee | Gaylord Palms ($45) | Margaritaville ($48) |
|---|---|---|
| Disney shuttle | Four parks and Disney Springs | Four parks (EPCOT via the TTC) |
| Universal and SeaWorld | Not included | One bus a day |
| Water park | Cypress Springs, 4 guests a day | Island H2O, 2026 season stays only |
The nightly cost of the fee plus parking, before tax:
| Charge | Gaylord Palms | Margaritaville |
|---|---|---|
| Resort fee | $45 | $48 |
| Self-parking | $40 ($38 in FAQ) | $20 |
| Valet parking | $55 | $45 |
| Fee + self-parking | $85 ($83 at $38) | $68 |
| Five nights, fee + self-parking | $425 ($415 at $38) | $340 |
The parking sources disagree. Gaylord’s Booking.com listing shows US$40 a day, while its Christmas FAQ lists $38 a day for self-parking and $55 for valet. Margaritaville’s FAQ and terms list $20 plus tax per vehicle per night and Booking.com shows US$21.50 a day, but Disney’s Good Neighbor listing says “complimentary self-parking”. Budget for the resort’s figure. Driving to a Disney park adds $35 a day for standard parking. Our explainer on Orlando resort fees puts both fees in context.
Disney and Universal shuttles: times compared
Both shuttles are paid through the resort fee and need a reservation. Times come from Gaylord’s booking portal and from Firefighters All Services, Margaritaville’s operator, for sample dates of November 4 and December 9, 2026; they matched on both dates.
| To | Gaylord Palms leaves | Margaritaville leaves |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Kingdom | 8:15, 9:15, 10:15, 11:15 a.m. | 9:15, 10:40 a.m. (TTC) |
| EPCOT | Same four times | Same bus, then monorail |
| Hollywood Studios | Same four times | 10:40 a.m., 12:30 p.m. |
| Animal Kingdom | Same four times | 9:15 a.m. |
| Disney Springs | 11:15 a.m., 5:00 p.m. | None listed |
| Universal, Epic Universe, SeaWorld | None | 7:20 a.m. |
- Gaylord returns: pickup windows of 5:30 to 6:00 p.m., 7:15 to 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 to 10:10 p.m. (the last two also from Disney Springs), and 10:50 p.m. Book up to five days ahead and at least 30 minutes before departure, for up to five guests per reservation.
- Margaritaville returns: 5:30, 9:15 and 10:30 p.m. from the Transportation and Ticket Center (EPCOT guests take the monorail there), 5:15, 9:00 and 10:15 p.m. from Hollywood Studios, and 5:45 p.m. from Animal Kingdom. The single Universal, Epic Universe and SeaWorld returns leave between 6:45 and 7:15 p.m.
- Margaritaville rules: book 24 hours to 1 hour ahead. Groups of 10 or more cannot ride, and strollers and luggage are not allowed.
Margaritaville’s transportation page still shows a schedule “updated January 7, 2026” with other Disney times, such as 9:05 a.m. for Magic Kingdom. Go by the booking system for your date and confirm at the ticket desk.
The verdict: Gaylord suits early starts and Disney Springs evenings; only Margaritaville goes to Universal and SeaWorld. Neither has Early Theme Park Entry, and both get the 3-day Lightning Lane window. Compare our guide to Kissimmee hotels with a Disney shuttle.
Location: which is closer to Disney World?
Gaylord Palms sits at the southeast edge of Disney property, Margaritaville to the southwest. Gaylord is closer to every Disney park except Animal Kingdom, and to Universal, SeaWorld and the airport. Distances are October 2026 public-road routes to each park’s guest parking (for Magic Kingdom, the Transportation and Ticket Center lot); drives back can differ by up to a mile.
| Destination | Gaylord Palms | Margaritaville |
|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Studios | About 3 miles | About 6 to 7 miles |
| Animal Kingdom | About 4 to 4.5 miles | About 4 miles |
| EPCOT (toll plaza to main lot) | About 5 to 6 miles | About 7 to 8.5 miles |
| Magic Kingdom (TTC lot) | About 6.5 to 7 miles | About 8.5 to 9 miles |
| Disney Springs | About 5 miles | About 9 miles |
| SeaWorld Orlando | About 7 to 7.5 miles | About 12 to 12.5 miles |
| Epic Universe / Universal | About 10 / 11 miles | About 15.5 / 16.5 miles |
| Orlando airport (MCO) | About 19 miles | About 25 miles |
From the airport, Mears Connect serves Gaylord Palms for $17.60 per adult and $14.30 per child aged 3 to 9 one way, plus a 6% fuel surcharge. Margaritaville is not on its list. Its FAQ says it has no direct airport shuttle, although another answer mentions one for an extra charge.
Dining and evenings
- Gaylord Palms: 11 outlets on Marriott’s dining page, including Old Hickory Steakhouse, MOOR for seafood, Villa de Flora with an attended buffet for breakfast, Wreckers Sports Bar and SandBar by the pool. There is no room service; A la Carte Room Delivery brings packaged meals from 6 a.m. to midnight.
- Margaritaville: Euphoria for seafood, Tapas by Euphoria, Salty Rim Bar & Grill by the pool, Provisions for grab-and-go food, and room service from select nearby restaurants. Sunset Walk next door adds restaurants, bars, a movie theater, an arcade and live music venues.
Neither resort includes breakfast in its resort fee. Gaylord keeps more choice under one roof for rainy evenings.
Christmas and the holidays
Christmas at Gaylord Palms runs from November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Its headline is ICE! featuring The Polar Express, ice sculptures and slides kept at 9°F, with tickets sold separately. Overnight guests get the free Chill Pass for front-of-line ICE! entry but still need tickets. Our guide to Christmas at Gaylord Palms has ticket prices by date.
Margaritaville’s holiday calendar is smaller: a Holiday Hunt from December 5, a Holiday Celebration on December 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Holiday Pancakes on December 24, 2026. From Margaritaville, ICE! is about 7 miles away by car, and day visitors pay Gaylord’s parking: $38 a day for self-parking in its Christmas FAQ.
Pets, deposits and what to check before you book
- Pets: Gaylord Palms does not allow pets. Margaritaville welcomes dogs of 30 pounds or less: $75 plus tax a night in the hotel, capped at $300 per stay.
- Check-in age: at Margaritaville, the guest named on the reservation must be at least 21.
- Deposits: Margaritaville’s terms pre-authorize $50 per night, up to $300, for incidentals, while its Booking.com listing mentions a US$350 damage deposit. Ask which applies.
- Listing name: Booking.com calls the hotel “Margaritaville Resort Orlando with H2O Waterpark”, but free admission is not promised after October 31, 2026.
- Gaylord’s fee list: Booking.com’s fine print omits the water park; Marriott’s current list includes it.
- Loyalty perks: Marriott Bonvoy and Margaritaville Perks benefits are tied to direct bookings, so do not count on them with a Booking.com reservation.
Choose Gaylord Palms if…
- You travel between November and February, when only Gaylord has open slides.
- Your children are 36 to 48 inches tall and want real waterslides.
- You want an indoor, climate-controlled resort for rainy or cool days.
- You want the earliest Disney bus (8:15 a.m.) and a shuttle to Disney Springs.
- You are coming for Christmas, ICE! and the overnight guests’ Chill Pass.
Choose Margaritaville Resort Orlando if…
- You are five or six people and want one suite with two queen beds and a sofa bed.
- You are a large group that needs a cottage with a full kitchen and laundry.
- You travel with a dog of 30 pounds or less.
- You want a bus to Universal, Epic Universe or SeaWorld at no extra charge.
- You want lower nightly add-ons: $68 for the fee and self-parking, against $83 to $85.
- You travel in spring or summer and the resort confirms the Island H2O perk for your dates.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gaylord Palms or Margaritaville Resort Orlando better for families?
It depends on the season and your family’s size. Gaylord Palms is better from November to February, when Island H2O is closed, and for children who want slides from 36 inches. Margaritaville is better for five or six in one suite, for cottage groups, and for summer trips if the Island H2O perk is confirmed.
Which is closer to Disney World, Gaylord Palms or Margaritaville?
Gaylord Palms, for most parks. By road it is about 3 miles from Hollywood Studios, 5 to 6 miles from EPCOT and 6.5 to 7 miles from the Magic Kingdom lot, against about 6 to 7, 7 to 8.5 and 8.5 to 9 miles from Margaritaville. Animal Kingdom is about 4 miles from both.
Is Island H2O free for Margaritaville Resort Orlando guests in winter?
No. The resort’s Island H2O page gives free admission with the full resort fee only for stays from March 6 to October 31, 2026, and the park’s calendar showed it closed from November 9, 2026 through April 2027. No 2027 season dates or perk had been posted at the time of writing.
How much are the resort fees and parking at Gaylord Palms and Margaritaville?
At the time of writing, Gaylord Palms charges a $45 daily resort fee and $40 a day for self-parking ($38 in its Christmas FAQ). Margaritaville charges a $48 nightly resort fee and $20 a night for self-parking. All are plus tax, so the two together come to $83 to $85 a night at Gaylord and $68 at Margaritaville.
Do both resorts have a shuttle to Disney World and Universal?
Both run a reservation-only shuttle to the four Disney theme parks, paid through the resort fee. Gaylord’s first bus leaves at 8:15 a.m. and it also serves Disney Springs. Margaritaville’s first Disney buses leave at 9:15 a.m. Only Margaritaville runs a bus to Universal, Epic Universe and SeaWorld, at 7:20 a.m. with one return.
Can a family of five or six share one room at either resort?
Only at Margaritaville. Its One-Bedroom Two-Queen Pool-View Suite has two queen beds and a queen sofa bed for up to six, and its cottages sleep 4 to 18. At Gaylord Palms, every room type sold online lists four guests at most, so a family of five needs two rooms.
Bottom line
Gaylord Palms vs Margaritaville Resort Orlando is mostly a question of dates and party size. Gaylord wins for winter trips, small children who want slides, rainy days, Christmas and early Disney mornings. Margaritaville wins for families of five or six, cottage groups, dog owners, Universal days and lower nightly add-ons. For another option, see how Gaylord Palms compares with Orlando World Center Marriott and read our Orlando World Center Marriott review.
Compare rates for Gaylord Palms Resort or see available rooms at Margaritaville Resort Orlando on Booking.com.
How we checked this guide: fees, rooms, pools, pets and the Island H2O terms come from each resort’s own pages and the park’s calendar on October 28, 2026, with Booking.com fee breakdowns for a November 17 to 19, 2026 stay. Shuttle times come from Gaylord’s booking portal and the Firefighters All Services system for sample dates in November and December 2026, and distances from public-road routing. Read how we research our guides.
Sources checked in October 2026: Gaylord Palms: What to Expect, Cypress Springs Water Park, Margaritaville Resort Orlando FAQ, Margaritaville Island H2O admission, Margaritaville theme park transportation.