This fall, gather your family and head to the Gaylord Texan Goblins and Giggles weekend event. This new family Halloween event occurs during the September and October weekends (September 11 through October 31, 2020)
Last holiday, our family won a 2-night stay because of the Gaylord Texan Ice contest. We finally booked our stay and got to experience one of our favorite hotels during the Fall.
Check out 15 Fun Fall Things to Do in Dallas
From the decor to the activities to enjoying Paradise Springs, it was the perfect last-minute staycation our family needed! Keep reading to find out how our stay went and if it’s a good fit for you.
What is the Gaylord Texan Goblins and Giggles event?
Goblins and Giggles is Gaylord Texan’s newest Fall attraction and offers a wide array of family-friendly activations from spooky animal encounters and a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt to pumpkin decorating and a trick-or-treat expedition. Most of the activations take place Friday through Sunday. The atrium is transformed into vibrant Fall colors with hints of Halloween fun throughout. There are so many gorgeous Fall photo opportunities for families.
Gaylord Texan Goblins & Giggles Weekend events and activities:
Please note some activities require tickets and cost extra. Get Gaylord Activities tickets before for the Escape Room, Scavenger Hunt Booklet, Pumpkin, and Canvas Painting and Ghost Stories LIVE show.
- Spooky Animal Encounters, an educational opportunity to interact with and learn about a variety of animals including a kangaroo!
- A Trick-or-Treat Expedition – our kids enjoyed walking to different stops in the Atrium for candy. Tip: Bring your own bags for your kids. They do not provide. Also, dress the kids up for Halloween!
- Canvas and Pumpkin Decorating – we did not have a chance to do this, but it looked like so much fun.
- Ghost Stories LIVE! Guests learn about haunted Texas history in an interactive experience allowing the audience to become part of the story.
- A SpookEasy, the resort’s haunted hideaway, featuring spine-chilling craft cocktails and a spooky collection of terrifying, ghostly artwork procured by the owner’s past.
- An Escape Room, that challenges guests to race against the clock to unlock clues and solve a puzzle before the time runs out.
Gaylord Texan Goblins and Giggles Self-led Daily activities include:
- The Hide and Seek Scavenger Hunt featuring Spookley the Square Pumpkin. Spookley found eight spooktacular hiding spots at the resort for his game of Halloween Hide & Seek. Guests solve puzzles to find each clue’s missing word and then use the clues to find Spookley.
- The Wildlife Rescue Experience guides guests throughout the resort to track down endangered species and help ensure that they are monitored for their protection. The virtual adventure brings the animals to life before the participants’ eyes with the magic of augmented reality.
- The Jack-O-Lantern Walk is an imaginative self-guided walkthrough experience, transporting visitors of all ages to a world of Halloween fun.
Guests can also enjoy other themed activities including family-favorite Halloween movie showings on the big screen, interactive trivia, bingo, and Bedtime Stories with Morgana the Witch on their in-room television.
Is Gaylord Texan’s Paradise Springs open?
If you go on a weekend in September, yes! Starting in October this attraction will be closed.
This resort’s 10-acre outdoor pool, features a 6,000-square-foot family lagoon, giant water playhouse, 600-foot long lazy river, and multiple winding waterslides. Paradise Springs is an exclusive amenity for hotel guests.
Paradise Springs Gaylord Texan reservations
On Saturdays, guests must make reservations to secure their spots at Paradise Springs. Make reservations by calling 817-778-1000.
We reserved chairs next to the kid’s area that was perfect and shaded under an umbrella. Wait staff served us and we had a safe lock box in between our chairs when we needed to leave to visit other parts of the park. Guests can book a Paradise Springs cabana or upgrade poolside chairs here. There are a limited number of first-come, first-serve chairs available.
2020 Paradise Springs Food & Drink Menus
My kids shared the Chicken Tender meal while my husband and I shared the Burger. The portions are big enough. Each kid’s meal includes a rubber duck to play with at the pool, so if your kids don’t like sharing maybe get two orders or teach them to share.
From the drink menu, my husband enjoyed the Karbach Southern Wheat draft beer while I enjoyed the Texan Sipper. I also recommend the Pina Colada if you are looking for something sweeter!
2020 Gaylord Texan Dining Options
Dining has changed a bit since our 2019 visit, but there is still some variety of food families can enjoy by scanning a QR code provided at check-in. (This is subject to change)
- Texan Station Sports Bar & Grill – Open breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Mission Plaza Marketplace – Find Starbucks coffee, pastries, salads, and sandwiches.
- Zeppole – traditional Italian and seafood dinners. Open for dinner on Friday and Saturday.
- Silver Bar – Serves a variety of cocktails, wine, and beer. Open Friday – Sunday.
- Texan Eats – Available for guest room delivery or pick up, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Available to resort guests only.
Gaylord Texan Safety Precautions
First, cue the disclaimer: I am not telling you these activities are 100% safe and COVID-19 free. You are responsible for making the decision of whether or not to visit public businesses. If you feel uneasy, consider these stay at home activities for kids .
- Enhanced cleaning – During our stay we saw staff cleaning and sanitizing several times throughout the resort.
- Masks and Face Coverings – Face coverings are required. Staff, including lifeguards, wear personal protective equipment at all times. We did not wear masks at the restaurants or the pool.
- Hand sanitizer stations are located throughout the resort and available for use. z
- Health Screenings – We did not have to participate in a temperature scan; however, any employee of the resort with a temperature over 100.4°F or exhibiting any known symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to work.
- Social Distancing – Floor decals and stanchions help with line management with family activities, checking into the hotel, and other places that require guests to line up.
- Contactless Check-in and Check out is available. There are dining options available for guests that want to have food delivered straight to their hotel. We did this for breakfast and the food was delicious.
- Housekeeping is “upon request only”
Read more about Marriott’s “Commitment to Clean” practices here. Read more about the Gaylord Texan Paradise Springs safety precautions here.
Don’t have a mask? Get adult masks here or kids masks here.
How to book a Gaylord Texan stay this Fall
In celebration of Goblins & Giggles, the resort is offering a special Family Fall Fest Package starting at $259. The package includes a one-night stay, a Hide and Seek Scavenger Hunt booklet, and two tickets to Canvas and Pumpkin Decorating. The package excludes resort fee and parking. For more information or Goblins & Giggles events and overnight room packages, visit GaylordTexan.com
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Conclusion
Our family always has a good time at the Gaylord Texan. It was a first for us to stay during the Fall months. We enjoyed the addition of the Fall/Halloween activities for the kids. I hope they consider hosting Goblins and Giggles for years to come. It felt like a little sense of normalcy. We felt safe, but I understand if some families are still uncomfortable getting out. The one thing we really miss is the all you can eat breakfast buffet, but I completely understand why it’s not there. I don’t think any buffets exist in 2020.
Have more questions about our Gaylord stay?
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Scarlet says
Wow. What a fabulous fun time. Gaylord really does things right an the is goblins and giggles event looks worth a trip:)