Check out this very cool attraction.
It happens every year, during the holiday season, and it’s just a stone’s throw away from the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”
It’s ICE!. Literally.
Over at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, the hotel constructs its ICE! Attraction and Alpine Village. It’s a holiday spectacle that draws thousands of visitors for the 52-day run of its showing.
It’s ice sculptures, winter fun, shopping and more, all family and couple-friendly, while bringing holiday cheer to those, young and old.
And, it’s totally worth the trip.
Jingle Bells, Santa Claus and ho ho ho
Merry Christmas, Peanuts fans!
You have come to the right place, whether that be wanting to see ice sculptures in Florida, life-size scenes from the beloved TV special “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” or both. Gaylord Palms, each year, chooses a different theme, and this year, it has gone back to the tried-and-true classic of the aforementioned lead character, his “going commercial” dog, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and the rest of the Peanuts gang.
Before entering the ICE! exhibit, visitors will be given a comfy parka because the 16,000-square-foot cold room stays at a very chilly 9 degrees thanks to seven air handlers. Gaylord Palms employs a team of 35 ice artisans to shape the 300-pound blocks of ice into sculptures, spending 12,000 hours transforming the 6,000 blocks into spectacular ice scenes.
The attraction features nearly 2 million pounds of ice that come to life through the exquisite sculptures.
There’s Charlie Brown and Linus picking out the little tree, the gang goofing off at rehearsal for the Christmas play and even when Snoopy wins first place in the “commercialized” decorating contest.
Ah, but there’s more.
Visitors can also head down ice slides, perfect for videos and pictures. Of course, everyone can pose with their favorite characters and spend as much time with the sculptures — depending on how long you can stand the cold.
Going commercial
While going into the ICE! area is the main attraction, there is still plenty more to see and do, thanks to the Alpine Village, in which visitors exit out into from the chilly exhibit.
Hard to miss will be the indoor Snow Flow Mountain, a tubing experience that requires additional tickets and can be bundled with other attractions. Those include the game Snowball Build and Blast, photos with Santa, storytime with Mrs. Claus, Elf Training Academy (a toy workshop), gingerbread house decorating and even a Snoopy Scavenger Hunt.
There also is a gift shop — what central Florida attraction wouldn’t have one? — where there’s plenty of Peanuts’ and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas souvenirs, as well as other Christmas knick-knacks, like ornaments and snow globes.
Additionally, there’s a snack bar and, for all you weary parents out there, mercifully, a bar.
Not a bad little exhibit after all
In the final scene in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the Peanuts gang comes together and fixes up the little tree Charlie Brown thought “he killed.” But they do it just right, finding out, as Linus says, “it wasn’t a bad little tree after all.”
Gaylord Palms does the same thing, bringing to life its convention center with a holiday classic, and some winter fun, with ice, flair and holiday cheer. Even if someone hasn’t seen the TV Special, or hasn’t seen it in years, after leaving this exhibit, they’ll want to watch it as soon as they get home.
Because, after all, during this holiday season, seeing this icy attraction is absolutely worth the trip.
ICE! and Alpine Village
Where: Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, in Kissimmee
When: Daily, running through Jan. 3, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Prices vary on dates, but start as low as $20 for children under 12 and $30 for adults.
Details: ICE! is Gaylord Palms yearly, signature holiday attraction, and this season features favorite scenes from the beloved TV special “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The television special is brought to life in magnificent sculptures hand-carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice. The attraction also includes Alpine Village, which is chock full of options. Visitors to the village can shop, eat and drink, get pictures with Santa, tube down the indoor Snow Flow Mountain, play games, see storytime with Mrs. Claus, enroll at the Elf Training Academy (toy building and painting) and even decorate Gingerbread Houses.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.marriott.com/all-activities.
Published November 29, 2023
