Nearly Two Million Pounds of Frozen Fun at Gaylord Palms Resort’s ICE
November 21st, 2008Gaylord Palms ICE! 2009 »
Orlando, FL – Gaylord Palms Resort, the “headquarters hotel” for the Christmas season in Orlando, features Best of Florida Christmas celebration, featuring live entertainment, unique attractions and holiday activities for the Christmas season. The event’s marquee attraction, ICE!, is in its fifth year in sunny Orlando.
This cold-weather fun is part of a flurry of holiday activity at Gaylord Palms Resort, located five minutes from Walt Disney World theme parks. At this landmark resort, visitors flock to ICE!, Orlando’s coolest holiday attraction, hand-carved from nearly TWO MILLION pounds of ice.
Inside, guests explore a whimsical winter wonderland of larger-than-life, three-dimensional, hand-carved ice monuments and sculptures, including fantastic frozen creations, slippery ice slides, and memorable holiday scenes. As for the chill, visitors are given oversized parkas to stay comfortable inside the attraction, which is kept at a blustery 9 degrees.
In its sixth season, ICE! will reflect the theme “Santa’s Arctic Blast,” featuring several scenes that star “Jolly Cold Saint Nicholas” himself. One such scene is an oversized “Santa’s lap” photo opportunity that’s likely to be the most photographed element inside the attraction. Another guest favorite, the ICE! castle and slides, have been re-designed to celebrate Santa’s Christmas Eve flight… reindeer and all.
The attraction’s signature scene, a life-size Nativity carved completely of crystal-clear ice, has been described as one of the most breathtaking depictions of the birth of Christ. Dramatic lighting and a stirring narrative track give guests an opportunity to pause and reflect on the story behind the season.
“Not only is the artistry amazing to enjoy, but the brisk environment inside the attraction creates a winter holiday experience like no other in the Sunshine State—rosy cheeks and all!” said Kemp Gallineau, general manager of Gaylord Palms.
The attraction is carved by a team of 40 artisans from Harbin, China. The talented artisans spend nearly an entire month in Kissimmee creating this one-of-a-kind attraction. Harbin is best known for its annual International Ice and Snow Festival, where more than 2,000 sculptors annually carve a 100-acre walk-through Ice Park with ice taken from the Songhua River.
Produced exclusively for Gaylord Hotels, the artisans’ work appeared for the first time in the United States in 2001, when a similar attraction debuted at Gaylord Opryland® Resort’s “A Country Christmas” celebration in Nashville. The project expanded in 2003 to include ICE! at Gaylord Palms, and in 2005 to include ICE! at Gaylord Texan® Resort in Grapevine, Texas, located near Dallas/Fort Worth.
In addition to ICE!, this year’s Best of Florida Christmas program will include an entire slate of holiday revelry:
Hidden Holiday Gnome Hunt: Families can hunt throughout the Gaylord Palms atriums to spot cleverly hidden gnomes.
Christmas in Florida – The County Wreath Collection: An exhibition of wreaths decorated to reflect Florida’s diverse destinations, from coast to coast.
Brunch with Mrs. Claus: Santa’s “better half” is the star of the show at Villa de Flora restaurant (weekends).
While most activities are intended for both day guests and hotel guests, this year’s celebration will include special experiences created exclusively for guests who purchase the Best of Florida Christmas overnight package:
The Best of Florida Christmas overnight package, which also includes an ICE! commemorative photo, resort fee and self parking, is available from $199 per night, based on a two-night stay.
