ICE! at Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida returns for its 22nd year and the artisans from Harbin, China have done it again with masterpieces of clear and colored ice sculptures to amaze all ages. This year, we are joined by none other than Charlie Brown and the gang. Of all the Charlie Brown experiences in the world, this is by far the Charlie Brownest with over 10 million pounds of ice bringing these classic characters to life.
ICE! at Gaylord Palms is the highlight Christmas time attraction at the resort and is held kept a chilly 9 degrees (the only place in Florida you will find those temps). You are free to bring your stroller and wheelchair because the area is carpeted and easy to push through. On average, people spend about 15 minutes in the attraction (and then about 45 minutes thawing out in the Alpine Village with some hot cocoa).
Parkas are provided in a range of sizes for free and are highly encouraged so you can enjoy the experience in some comfort. I recommend you bring your own hat, scarf, gloves, and maybe even a pair of leggings to go under our pants. My hands were physically hurting after being in there for 20 minutes and taking pictures with my gloves off.
While shorts are permitted in ICE! open-toe shoes are not, so make sure to leave those sandals at home and wear sneakers instead.
Charlie Brown made its ICE! debut seven years ago and it was a blast then. This year, some of the scenes from the original ICE! attraction returns with a little reimagining as well as a few new scenes including the popular ICE! slides.
My favorite new scene this year is by far how the ice slides were redesigned. Instead of walking in and seeing all of the scene in front of you as you climb the slides, you slide into the scene. It’s pretty cool to slide into the famous scene of Charlie Brown screaming from his director’s chair for the group to STOP! And while Charlie Brown might have thought the scene was “all wrong” in the famous animated special, I’m more of a Lucy this time with it being “just great.”
When walking into the “school” make sure to take your time and look at the lockers, featuring the personalities and names of your favorite characters.
Special note! If you don’t want to wear one of the parkas they provide at the start of the 9-degree attraction, that is fine, but without a parka, you can’t experience the slides for your protection and the preservation of the slides themselves.
I’ll admit that at first when I heard Gaylord Palms was doing Charlie Brown again for ICE! I was skeptical about how this was going to work with it being done already. How could they make a barely 20-minute special with only a few key scenes into a new experience? Well, they did it. With a few of my favorite scenes returning and a few being redesigned for the crowd who remembers the original. This is sure to freeze your family into the holiday spirit in a state that rarely sees below 60 this time of year.
The final scene is the classic nativity scene. Even if you are not religious by nature, the pure amazement of the crystal clear ice and the artistry of the sculptures is worth stopping and appreciating.
After you are done exploring ICE! spend some time thawing out at the Alpine Village complete with the only snow slides in Florida. You can also meet Mr. and Mrs. Clause, do a little Christmas shopping at Build-A-Bear, and have some snacks like hot cocoa and cookies.
Access to the atrium is included with your ticket, so make some time to go check out the Christmas tree and other fun that Gaylord has planned while you are there. It’s really a full day of fun if you take the time to explore and enjoy yourselves.
If you are traveling to Orlando, Florida this holiday season, make sure to stop by Gaylord Palms for this spectacular display with characters we all know and love.
Tickets start at $32.99 per Adult / $22.99 per Child and vary based on date. Christmas at Gaylord Palms runs through January 3rd.
Disclaimer: GeekDad attended a media preview of this event.
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