Step into the season as Gaylord Hotels’ immersive ICE!™ Christmas experience opens at six destination resorts across the country. Guests are invited to explore cherished holiday stories brought to life through more than 2 million pounds of hand-carved ice sculptures, meticulously crafted into floor-to-ceiling scenes. In addition to this larger-than-life frozen showcase, visitors can enjoy a full slate of festive activities, including Broadway-style cirque performances, themed character dining and a variety of classic family-friendly holiday entertainment. To buy tickets to the ICE! experience and book exclusive holiday packages, visit ICE.marriott.com.
Opening this month, the holiday lineup featuring the signature ICE! attraction will be available at six exclusive resorts nationwide:
ICE! featuring “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is offered at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn. from 7, 2025 to Jan. 3, 2026 – Guests will follow along with the lovable Charlie Brown as he rediscovers the meaning of Christmas.
ICE! featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ is offered at Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla. from 14, 2025 to Jan. 7, 2026 – Visitors will enjoy their favorite scenes from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the story of a young reindeer who used his luminous red nose to save Christmas.
ICE! featuring Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™ is offered at Gaylord National Resort on the Potomac in National Harbor, Md. from 14, 2025 to Jan. 4, 2026 – Based on the beloved Warner Bros. film, families are invited to take an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, embarking on a journey of self-discovery that shows the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
ICE! featuring Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is offered at Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colo. from 24, 2025 to Jan. 2, 2026– Showcasing the 1957 Dr. Seuss classic, families will experience the memorable evolution of The Grinch as he fails to destroy the Whos’ holiday spirit.
ICE! featuring New Line Cinema’s Elf™ is offered at Gaylord Texan Resort on Lake Grapevine, Texas from 14, 2025 to Jan. 4, 2026 – Experience New Line Cinema’s hilarious story which tells the tale of a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later Buddy learns he is not really an elf and goes on a journey to New York City to find his true identity.
ICE! featuring Frosty the Snowman is offered at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas from 22, 2025 to Jan. 4, 2026– Experience the magic of the snowman who came to life in this frozen, holiday wonderland.
Discover the tradition of Gaylord Hotels’ ICE! experience
Kept at a frosty 9 degrees Fahrenheit, the ICE! experience is a walk-through winter wonderland featuring more than 10 immersive scenes, thrilling two-story ice slides and awe-inspiring passageways. Guests receive signature blue parkas to stay warm inside the nine-degree experience and enjoy countless photo-worthy moments throughout the attraction. Depending on the location, visitors of all ages can step into beloved Christmas classics such as Frosty the Snowman, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Elf™, The Polar Express™, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Inspired by the world-renowned Harbin Ice Festival in China, Gaylord Hotels introduced the ICE! experience in 2001 to bring the magic of hand-carved ice displays to the United States. It takes 40 artisans nearly a month to create each 20,000-square-foot attraction. Working from a 300-page design book and using techniques passed down through generations, they sculpt more than 6,000 blocks of ice into intricate, detailed scenes that highlight the craftsmanship behind this unique holiday tradition.
Dazzling holiday resorts overflowing with festive cheer
From the moment guests arrive at each resort, they are immersed in a spectacular holiday environment filled with millions of twinkling lights, towering Christmas trees and festive décor that captures the spirit of the season. Alongside the marquee ICE! attraction, each resort serves as a complete holiday destination, offering a wide variety of classic and original experiences to create a personalized seasonal visit.
Guests can enjoy Broadway-style cirque shows, themed character dining, ice tubing adventures, interactive scavenger hunts, live stage performances, pop-up Christmas villages and cherished photo opportunities with Santa. These offerings reflect Gaylord Hotels’ signature all-under-one-roof experience, designed to help guests celebrate every holiday tradition in one unforgettable stay. Activities vary by resort.
Highlights of Christmas activities include:
Audiences can experience original cirque-style shows including the debut of POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance at Gaylord Opryland and Gaylord Palms. A new musical, magic and cirque holiday show based on the acclaimed book series and TV special, the show dazzles with world-class acts, immersive storytelling, and uniquely lavish costumes. Cirque: Frost at Gaylord Texan and Cirque: Spirit of Christmas at Gaylord National also bring heartwarming holiday stories to life through high-flying stunts and dazzling acrobatics.
Ice tubing returns to all destinations, offering guests the thrill of racing down icy lanes for a high-speed winter adventure.
Snowball Build & Blast, where guests can dig into real snow and launch snowballs at festive targets, is available at Gaylord Palms, Gaylord Texan, Gaylord National and JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country.
Elf Training Academy, where kids can learn the secrets of magical gift-giving and create a keepsake craft, is featured at Gaylord Palms, Gaylord Texan and Gaylord Rockies.
Claus’ Christmas Traditions, a cozy storytelling and cookie-sharing experience, can be enjoyed at Gaylord Palms, Gaylord Texan, Gaylord National, Gaylord Rockies and JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country.
Holiday Atrium Light Shows featuring thousands of glowing lights synchronized to festive music, will dazzle guests at Gaylord Palms, Gaylord Texan, Gaylord Opryland and Gaylord National.
Ice Skating, offering guests the chance to take a yuletide glide across real ice, is available at Gaylord Opryland and Gaylord Texan.
The Naughty or Nice Escape Room at Gaylord Palms challenges guests to solve riddles and escape Santa’s office before he returns, in a race to get off the Naughty List.
Carriage Rides through glittering holiday grounds are a magical experience exclusive to Gaylord Opryland.
Guests who stay overnight will be able to access resort-only benefits including Chill Pass, which allows overnight resort guests front-of-the-line access to the frozen holiday attraction. Benefits may vary among resorts. Guests can book tickets by visiting ICE.marriott.com.