ICE! Is back at Gaylord Palms
This signature Gaylord Hotels Original Experience is a delightful winter wonderland of fun! Click to learn more about this iconic experience featuring sculptures from your favorite Christmas story in more than two million pounds of ice!
ICE! Is back at Gaylord Palms
ICE! is back in Kissimmee, FL. Step into a winter wonderland spilling over with more than two million pounds of colorful ice. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!™ is retold in larger-than-life ice sculptures. For unforgettable and original experiences near Orlando, ride the slides made of ice.
Using more than 2 million pounds – or 1,000 tons – of ice, the classic Dr. Seuss story and animated special – “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!™” – will be brought to life by a team of 40 ice artisans who work approximately six weeks to create the nearly 20,000-square-foot, frozen attraction.
Starting with more than 6,700 massive ice blocks – created by three different ice manufacturers because of the amount needed – carvers will tally more than 12,000 man-hours. The artisans, using skills passed down from generation to generation, follow a 300-page design book to create the spectacle.
Don’t Be A Grinch! Come Cool Down At ICE!
This year, ICE! will feature more than 10 scenes from “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!™” starring classic characters like The Grinch™, his canine sidekick Max and Cindy-Lou Who. Ice carvings range in size from details as tiny as a coin, to soaring scenes measuring nearly 30 feet tall.
“We can’t wait for our guests to once again experience the magic and wonder of ICE! during this year’s Christmas at Gaylord Palms celebration,” said Johann Krieger, general manager of Gaylord Palms Resort. “Since debuting here in 2003, ICE! has always been a one-of-a-kind attraction for our guests, and we’re excited to welcome this Gaylord Hotels tradition back this year with ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!™’ and all the beloved characters in the classic Dr. Seuss story.”
Get To Know The Artists Behind ICE!
In addition to seeing characters from the classic Dr. Seuss tale, guests can also take rides down two-story-tall ice slides, traverse through ice tunnels and arches, and visit Carver’s Showcase to see live sculpting demonstrations. The ICE! experience concludes in a separate area dedicated to a Nativity scene, meticulously carved and shaped in a dramatic display of crystal-clear ice.
The talented carvers that create this arctic artwork will travel more than 7,000 miles from their homes in Harbin, China, to Kissimmee, Fla. Known as “Ice City,” Harbin is no stranger to elaborate ice carvings – it’s home to the world’s largest annual ice and snow sculpting festival in the world.
See Who Ville Come To Life!
At Gaylord Palms, some of the same artisans who create the Harbin festival will carve 300-pound blocks of ice into the larger-than-life, whimsical scenes. Carvers will use chisels, chippers, tongs, handsaws, grinders and chainsaws to bring The Grinch™ and the residents of Who-ville to life.
The artisans from Harbin have created ICE! for Gaylord Hotels for many years, but haven’t been able to travel to the United States the past two holiday seasons because of international travel restrictions in place due to COVID-19.
Here’s a rundown of the events, live entertainment, hands-on activities, holiday meals, exciting attractions and notable news taking place this holiday season at Gaylord Palms:
Shows and Live Entertainment Highlight the Holidays
Yule Be Amazed
A Gaylord Hotels original production, “Cirque: Spirit of Christmas” features high-flying stunts, acrobatic feats, elaborate staging and a dramatic musical score. Returning after its successful debut in 2021. This Cirque-style show centers on Noel.
A child dismayed by the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Throughout the 30-minute atrium show, Noel is visited in dreamlike chapters by trapeze artists, acrobats, aerial silk performers and others who help rekindle the Christmas spirit.
A Musical, Storytelling Celebration
The birth and life of Jesus Christ has been called “the greatest story ever told.” Guests can experience it through the eyes of six international storytellers in “The Greatest Story,” a musical stage show and multicultural celebration of everlasting faith, hope and love.
Ready, Set, Glow!
The skies above the Gaylord Palms atrium burst in a spectrum of animation in Shine. Vivid LED curtains suspended from the ceiling come to life in a light show that features an original musical score, dancing spotlights and a Christmas tree bathed in an ever-changing array of colors.
Winter active Fun with the Adventure Kids
Adventure Kid Sophie joins her best pals Ava the Alligator and Seth the Sea Turtle for yuletide fun in Adventure Kids: Wonders of Winter. The trio stars in this interactive stage show that teaches young adventurers about the environment, wildlife and the world around them.
Journey of the Three Kings Guests experience The Journey of Los Tres Magos, a live stage production that honors the date Jesus was visited by the Three Wise Men. Told through story and song, the show commemorates the Christian tradition celebrated in Latin America, Spain and around the world.
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