Ice! As well as Christmas at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention center (located just outside of Orlando in Kissimmee around a mile from the start of Disney property) has been a Central Florida landmark event pretty much since the Resort opened back in 2002 with the earliest Ice! I can find info of on youtube being 2006.
Ice! is a walk at your own pace recreation of famous Christmas time themes and stories that starting in Mid November through mid January every year. Sounds pretty normal right? Well I haven’t mentioned the fact that it’s all made with 2 MILLION pounds of ice and kept in a 9 degree multi room multi thousand square foot space, in the middle of FLORIDA!
Now I’m embarrassed to say it but as an 30+ Orlando native, not once have I gone to Ice! at Gaylord Palms, and after finally going I regret to have put it off for so long! New yearly tradition? Umm not so fast…
Like I said..today we are talking ice
The decision to finally see what Ice! was really all about came for several reasons.
My girlfriend and I had been wanting to do something coupley, but something new. I had been hearing ads since early November and on a matching Saturday off, we decided to go see it!
Tickets are available a number of ways. Most direct being off of the Gaylord palms website or driving to the resort before hand a buying tickets. I suggest the former being that the attraction runs in half hour time slots and times, which especially on weekends sell out quickly.
The resort is simple enough to get to being just off of I-4 or the 417 Greeneway. About 15-20 minutes outside of Downtown Orlando. Ok easy enough but how was ICE! itself? Ok here we go!
Ice! Changes in theme every year. This year was “A Christmas Story”
Upon walking into the attraction you are given stylish knee length parkas (gloves NOT provided) and they do an amazing job keeping you mostly warm in the attractions 9 +/- F temperatures. However I would consider gloves a must. Being a Floridian I don’t own anything other than a pair of motorcycle gloves and did not even think of bringing those. By the time we left my hands were screaming.
After getting you parkas you move on to a photo backdrop and then onto the entrance to the frozen area of the attraction. An attendant gives you the rundown and warnings (no licking the ice), and opens the door to let you in.
The doors open and much to the feeling of Willy Wonka opening the doors to the candy forest you are greeted to an ice sculpture wonder land. Really its AMAZING!
The entire experience is different scenes (from the movie in this case) played out with ice sculptures, several scenes per “room”. With matching music and soundbites from the movie playing in the background to match the scene. Each scene is extremely well done and the event as a whole is very well done and true to the material.
Even if you don’t know the scenes from the theme Ice! Is amazing to see no matter what it’s based on….It’s a major award!
You wander your way through the scenes free to roam but obvious where to go next kind of way. There is an attendant shadowing the group, I’m sure to make sure no one is climbing or licking the sculptures as well as to keep track of sections being clear for the next group but we never felt rushed (at least by the workers..more on that soon). In fact the guy shadowing our group let me hang back several times to get clearer shots of things.
About half way through is a massive ice slide,free for anyone to slide down. For those that have seen the movie (WHY haven’t you?!) It fits right in. As well as an ice sculptor working his/her craft in front of you. If they had seating I would have been more than happy to sit and watch longer, freezing to death or not.
I personally relived the “lifeboy” scene a few times in childhood.
After finishing the “movie” you enter the final room which is devoted to a massive nativity scene. All done in crystal clear ice in matching lighting. I believe the nativity returns every year possibly with changes year to year.
You then go out the exit door, walk back down the hall drop off your parka and poof! You’ve reached the end of your ICE! At Gaylord Palms experience. Perfect right? Wwwweeelllll….
Could have watched this guy all day. Freezing and all.
There are a few downsides to all the frozen magic unfortunately, and lets get them out of the way.
Price: Two adults $25.00 per (Florida resident discount). Parking $23.00…$73…thats right $73 not great but wouldn’t be bad if.
Time: 30 minutes- 1 hour. We spent about 45 minutes in the attraction. Saw everything and had enough of the cold.
Crowds: True we went on a Saturday so crowds were to be expected. But cattle drive is a better term.
Other events: Ok there are other things to see outside of ICE! itself. A toboggan run (extra $$) beer, a target range (again $$), see Santa (oh yeah $$) shopping. You get the idea. Although there is a FREE Cirque de soleil show!
So is ICE! worth, sure go for it! It’s a blast. It’s gorgeous, it makes for a great date day stop. Is it expensive? Yeah it is. Even by tourist money hungry central Florida standards. And the connected attractions and overall feel outside of ICE! leave a feeling of nothing more than a fancy money grab. But splurge if you can and see and just as importantly FEEL what it’s about!