Tourexpi
More than 2 million pounds of ice at each of the brand’s five resorts
transform into colorful, larger-than-life, story-driven holiday showplaces
featuring characters and scenes from beloved Christmas classics. It is all part
of the brand’s So. Much. Christmas. extravaganza, featuring dozens of holiday
activities, entertainment, unique dining experiences, and more. The Christmas
events return this November to Gaylord Opryland in Tennessee, Gaylord Texan in
Texas, Gaylord Palms in Florida, Gaylord Rockies in Colorado, and Gaylord
National in Maryland. ICE! will anchor each resort’s over-the-top festive
showcases of traditional ice sculptures and light and fountain shows, alongside
returning marquee programming, including the original production of Cirque:
Spirit of Christmas live show and a brand-new Christmas in
Tennessee dinner show at Gaylord Opryland.
To celebrate the start of the season, Gaylord Hotels is offering a
special early bird offer, where guests and visitors can save up to 20% off
Christmas packages and room nights and up to 30% off ICE! tickets.
ICE! at Gaylord Hotels A holiday tradition at Gaylord Hotels for
more than 20 years, the dazzling ICE! experiences begin to take shape in
October, as expert artisans from Harbin, China (home to the renowned Harbin Ice
Festival) hand carve characters, scenes, stories, and epic slides out of
colorful, vibrant ice. Each resort will feature a theme different than last
year, allowing visitors to experience a fresh new showcase. The unique
sculptures will be created from more than 33,500 massive blocks of ice weighing
more than 10 million pounds – or 5,000 tons – across the five resorts. The
holiday-themed spectacle crafted with meticulous detail will be kept at a
chilly nine degrees to ensure every feature remains frozen. The carving takes
place over six weeks, using skills passed down from generation to generation
and a mix of modern and hand-built, custom tools. Each theme’s vivid colors
come to life with the help of an expert chemist who prepares a proprietary
formula to ensure the ice sculptures maintain their bright and festive colors
all season long.
This year, visitors will be able to experience five quintessential
holiday classics:
·
ICE! featuring The Polar Express™ at Gaylord
Opryland – Based on the beloved Warner Bros. film, families are invited to
take a journey of imagination through this heartwarming story as a young child
embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole while learning about
friendship, bravery, and the true spirit of Christmas.
·
ICE! featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas at Gaylord
Palms – Guests will follow along with the lovable Charlie Brown as he
rediscovers the meaning of Christmas.
·
ICE! featuring Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole
Christmas! at Gaylord Texan – Showcasing the 1957 Dr. Seuss classic,
families are invited to experience iconic scenes such as the Grinch lurking
through the chimneys of the Who-ville homes, the Grinch’s heart growing three
sizes after realizing Christmas means a little bit more, and sitting down at
the Whos’ feast where the Grinch carves the roast beast.
·
ICE! featuring A Christmas Story™ at Gaylord
Rockies – Fans of this humorous Warner Bros. perennial holiday classic
will rejoice in experiencing their favorite characters and scenes in this
magical ice showcase.
·
ICE! featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ at
Gaylord National – Guests will enjoy favorite scenes from Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer, brought to life in this colorful winter wonderland.
Christmas Shows at Gaylord Hotels
Returning for the season, Gaylord Hotels presents an original production
of CIRQUE: Spirit of Christmas at Gaylord Rockies, Gaylord Palms,
Gaylord Texan, and Gaylord National. This unique, Cirque-styled live show will
feature dazzling acrobatics, feats of flexibility, and high-flying stunts. This
Broadway-style spectacle centers around Noel, a child dismayed and distressed
by the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Trying to recapture her lost love of
the season, she is visited by spirits who bring back the true meaning of the
season in energetic, dreamlike chapters.
Wintertime Activities for All Ages Alongside ICE!, families and guests
can enjoy a lineup of winter festivities and holiday-themed events, with
something for guests of all ages. Throughout the festive season, each
property’s signature atrium will transform into a winter wonderland full of
dazzling decorations, including millions of lights, elaborately themed
Christmas trees, and miles of garland, as well as festive menus at restaurants,
pop-up dining concepts, and retail opportunities to bring home gifts and
stocking stuffers.
Visitors can look forward to a number of amazing, Christmas-themed
activities available within the resorts’ winter wonderlands this upcoming
holiday season, including snow tubing, ice skating, caroling, gingerbread
decorating and adventurous scavenger hunts. Highlights include Snow Flow
Mountain, a magnificently sculpted tubing course for friends and families to
race each other down; ice skating, various atrium light &
fountain shows; gingerbread decorating experiences; winter
wellness treatments at the brand’s Relâche Spa, and so much more.
Additional programming as part of Gaylord Hotels’ So. Much. Christmas.
offerings will be announced in the coming months.
Tickets and Packages Tickets for ICE! and Christmas at Gaylord
Hotels are on sale now and can be purchased at ChristmasatGaylordHotels.com. Advance
online reservations are required for all ticketed events.
To celebrate the start of the 2023 season, Gaylord Hotels is offering a
special early bird offer, where guests and visitors can save up to 25% off
Christmas packages and room nights and up to 30% off ICE! tickets.
Christmas at Gaylord Hotels will be presented over the following dates:
Gaylord Opryland: November 10, 2023 – January 1, 2024
Gaylord Texan: November 10 – December 31, 2023
Gaylord Palms: November 17, 2023 – January 3, 2024
Gaylord Rockies: November 17, 2023 – January 1, 2024
Gaylord National: November 19 – December 31, 2023
Image Credit: © Gaylord
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