Have you heard the news? ICE! is on display at the Gaylord National Harbor now through January 1st!!! If you’re any thing like my family, we seek out festive and spirited fun this time of year. This event is an amazing natural wonder of frozen water (ice) touched by 40 international artisans and kept at a chilling 9 degrees. Each year they change the art theme. So many families make ICE! a tradition – with the day long festivities whats not to love!! Read on for my review of ICE!
So just in case you’ve never been to this event let me help you to start at the beginning….. ICE! is an indoor wonderland! Once you’ve received your blue parka (trust me you’ll definitely need it) you’ll head inside where your family can explore a variety of holiday scenes created entirely of two-million pounds of ice. It’s hard to even comprehend that much ice but once you see the sculptures you’ll soon understand what so much ice is needed. You’ll find chilling ice slides that stand more than 2 stories tall as well as everything carved of ICE and colored magnificiently! Each of the Gaylord Hotel/Resorts that offer ICE have a different theme:
- Gaylord Opryland – A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Gaylord Texan – ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
- Gaylord Palms – Christmas Around the World (I saw this one last year & it was spectacular)
- Gaylord National – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
My favorite part of the ICE! event this year is how they’ve turned it into a day long family adventure! We started with a lovely character sing along buffet breakfast and picture with the Abominable Snowman (the cute, fun, happy version). Then, we migrated to the Gingerbread House Making Station – talk about fun! Whats not to love about someone providing a gingerbread house, all the supplies, the box to pack it back up, then cleaning up any mess your family made.
After getting crafty with gingerbread, we migrated over to pick up our #blueparka (trust me you’ll need it!) we headed into see ICE! It was especially spectacular this year featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It is so fun to see this Christmas classic all in colored ice sculptures – even down to the elf that always wanted to be a dentist! Adorable! 
After you’ve become sufficiently chilled from the ice slide and are finished seeing the sights and return your #blueparka, head over to the hot chocolate station to warm your bones before you pick your next family activity. There’s a Build a Bear Workshop with great seasonal bears, dear etc to choose from as well as a really fun and festive gift shop, ice skating, merry go round and train ride for tots.
Before you leave be sure to check the schedule for the evening tree lighting and holiday show featuring Broadway quality singers and dancers followed by a light show when the tree is lighted.
Oh, and don’t forget the candy scene of Washington DC with the Abraham Lincoln monument made of ….well, candy! What a way to end the most spectacular day…!
The above opinions & excitement are 100% mine – I did not receive compensation by Gaylord however I was given tickets to ICE to assist in my review! Big thanks to Gaylord – an amazing 5 star family brand in the hospitality industry!
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