The classic holiday film, “A Christmas Story,” will be the featured theme for ICE! at this year’s Christmas at Gaylord Palms, the resort revealed this week.
The hilarious family tale will come to life through hand-carved ice sculptures and displays, inviting guests to relive the film’s iconic scenes such as The Old Man’s Major Award, Aunt Clara’s pink nightmare, and the ultimate triple dog dare at the school’s flagpole.
This year, as guests explore the nine-degree attraction, they will discover more than a dozen fan-favorite scenes from “A Christmas Story,” along with the event’s two-story ice slides and the popular Frostbite Factory live ice carving showcase. The ICE! experience concludes with a separate area dedicated to a traditional Nativity created with crystal clear ice.
The ICE! attraction is crafted by artisans from Harbin, China, home of the world’s largest ice and snow sculpture festival, who travel more than 6,000 miles to hand-carve more than two million pounds of colorful ice, creating larger-than-life sculptures.
But while ICE! is the centerpiece of Christmas at Gaylord Palms, there are so many other nightly events to enjoy, as well.
Festive Alpine Village will again be the central hub for holiday happenings. In addition to ICE!, the village is home to Photos with Santa, Gingerbread Decorating Corner, seasonal food and beverage options plus holiday retail locations, including a Build-A-Bear Workshop, where guests choose from all kinds of furry friends to make and bring home, including the Gaylord Hotels-exclusive light-up Snowburst polar bear.
Also in the Alpine Village, Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions brings the First Lady of the North Pole back to Gaylord Palms as she leads a half-hour interactive show. Guests enjoy classic holiday stories and a sing-a-long, plus a delicious finale as the holiday hostess presents everyone with warm cookies and a glass of cold milk.
Plus kids of all ages will enjoy the Snow Tubing, featuring real snow! It’s one of my favorite things to do there!
In the resort’s atrium, Christmas at Gaylord Palms offers up several free shows to enjoy.
Cirque Dreams Unwrapped, a 25-minute, action-packed experience, featuring soaring acrobatics, theatricality and imagination, is so much fun to watch. Every year the acts get even more amazing.
Guests exploring the meandering paths inside the resort’s Everglades atrium will find the Christmas Tree Trail, a display of nine magnificent trees provided by Balsam Hill. Sparkle the Elf, Santa’s chief Christmas Tree Decorator, has personally prepared these for display at Gaylord Palms. From snowmen and candy canes to reindeer and nutcrackers, each tree represents one of Sparkle’s favorite things about Christmas, with one even honoring the Florida-themed resort.
Speaking of trees, don’t miss Dreams of Christmas. This multi-sensory experience will feature a new musical score accompanied with millions of dancing, choreographed lights all around the resort’s six-story Christmas tree during nightly shows.
To complete the experience, start the day off with The Elf on the Shelf Character Breakfast, where guests can join Santa’s Official Scout Elves for a fun and festive character breakfast. Kids and adults will enjoy a delicious buffet spread complete with classic breakfast favorites and live cooking stations, enjoying special visits from Santa’s Official Scout Elves as they dine.
Or experience all of Christmas at Gaylord Palms is with an overnight stay. One-night packages start at $250 plus tax, resort fee and parking. Packages include ICE! tickets for two (with option to add additional adults or children) plus a souvenir family photo. Overnight guests may also schedule a visit to ICE! during the daily hotel guest-exclusive Extra Cool Hour from 9am to 10am
Christmas at Gaylord Palms runs nightly from November 16, 2018 to January 6, 2019. For additional information and to book packages or tickets, visit ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.com.
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