Do you hear what I hear? Jingle bells and caroling choirs, belly laughter and clinking mugs of hot cocoa can mean only one thing: Christmas is coming! Gaylord Palms Resort brings the icy North Pole to Central Florida starting Nov. 23. Celebrate the traditional values of Christmas with fun for the entire family.
This year, everyone’s favorite snowman comes to ICE! Frosty the Snowman, the jolly, happy soul with a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal, will be featured in a colorfully frozen retelling of the original Christmas classic. More than 2 million pounds of hand-carved vibrant ice sculptures bring your favorite scenes to life in a 9-degree frosty palace, so you’ll want to bundle up (oversize parkas provided). Besides, a little extra padding will come in handy when sliding down the four, two-story ice slides in the slide room!
New in 2013, a bonus area – the Frostbite Factory featuring Artisans in Action – a live ice-carving zone – allows you to get up close to watch a masterful ice carver from Harbin, China, home of the International Ice and Snow Festival, as he creates amazing sculptures before your eyes! He is part of a team of 40 talented artisans who travel from Harbin to work meticulously for more than a month to slice and shave 6,000 blocks of colored and clear ice, each weighing approximately 400 pounds, to carve this incredible experience.
This awe-inspiring journey concludes with the wonder and grandeur of the traditional nativity scene in ice. After all that, what better way to warm up than to sip on some hot cocoa.
Guests can also purchase Gingy’s Gingerbread Decorating experience. Hosted by Gingy from DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, this traditional encounter offers several different design options. After you’ve decorated to your heart’s content, make your way to meet Gingy for a heartwarming hug that you can capture with your own camera.
Christmas at Gaylord Palms is a place where the happy get happier and the giddy get even giddier. Picture-perfect with poinsettias, more than 2 million twinkling lights and lavish holiday displays, the resort features the famous 54-foot-tall majestic Christmas tree in a magnificent tree-lighting ceremony; DreamWorks Animation characters; and spectacular live entertainment that crowds have grown to love: the spirited Luminescence show in Emerald Bay Plaza and carolers guaranteed to generate the spirit of Christmas.
The best way to benefit from all that Gaylord Palms has to offer is to book a room and become immersed in the splendor of Christmas. Guests have two Christmas packages to choose from: Christmassy DreamWorks Experience, which includes unlimited entry to ICE! with priority access, and Christmas at Gaylord Palms, which includes unlimited entry to ICE!
Let’s not forget this is Florida, folks! After all the shivering and shimmying inside with Frosty and friends, hotel guests can head outside to delight in the light of the sun! Slide into more fun at Cypress Springs Family Fun Water Park and participate in a Crack-A-Lackin’ Pool Party with your friends from DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar, and then catch a Splash ‘N’ Screen movie poolside. Get together with your favorite characters from DreamWorks Animation films for hugs, photos and fun with Character Meet & Greets throughout the resort.
Can’t get enough of the character carnival? The ever-popular ShrekFeast Interactive Character Breakfast at Villa de Flora is sure to please. Kids will love becoming an honorary Ogre and joining Shrek and friends for a fairytale feast fit for a king (additional charges apply).
Gaylord Palms is chock-full of top-notch entertainment, events and attractions. Don your magic hat and treat your family to a traditional Christmas at Gaylord Palms.
ICE! is open daily from Nov. 23, 2013 to Jan. 5, 2014, including holidays. Ticket prices start at $16.99. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.com.
Gaylord Palms Resort is located five minutes from the gates of Walt Disney World at 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746.
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