ICE! at Gaylord Palms themed to ‘Elf’ for 2024 holidays in Orlando
ICE! at Gaylord Palms returns for the 2024 holiday season near Orlando, debuting the classic film “Elf” as its theme.
‘Elf’ coming to ICE! at Gaylord Palms
ICE! — the annual walkthrough exhibit of ice sculptures at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla. — will return Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025. This year, ICE! will spotlight “Elf,” the 2003 film from New Line Cinema starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the elf.
Characters and scenes from the Christmas classic will populate different rooms of the ICE! exhibit, from the snowball fight in central park to Buddy’s impromptu dance break in the mailroom of his father’s office building.
Pivoting from “Elf,” the walkthrough will conclude with a Nativity display.
As in years past, 40 artisans from Harbin, China will travel to Gaylord Palms to carve 2 million pounds of ice for the 20,000-square-foot exhibit. The resort keeps the temperature inside ICE! at a cool nine degrees (parkas provided).
This marks the first time “Elf” has been the focus of ICE! at Gaylord Palms or any of its sister hotels (though the resort did host an interactive “Elf” walkthrough a few years ago, sans ice).
Dreaming of an ICE! Christmas
“ICE! is a favorite tradition of many of our guests here at Gaylord Palms and we are excited to introduce them to the beloved world of ‘Elf’ this Christmas,” said Ross Barker, general manager of Gaylord Palms. “The nine-degree attraction provides a one-of-a-kind experience for friends and family to enjoy together, and complements the many other family-friendly activities, events, live shows, and dining experiences we have planned this holiday season.”
In addition to ICE!, other holiday season happenings throughout Gaylord Palms for 2024 will include a cirque show, snow slides, carolers, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and more.
Tickets for ICE! at Gaylord Palms start at $30 for adults and $18 for kids. Visitors do not need to be staying overnight at Gaylord Palms to visit ICE!
Other familiar holiday favorites will be the subject of ICE! exhibits at various Gaylord properties:
- “Frosty the Snowman” at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tenn.
- “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at Gaylord National in National Harbor, Md.
- “The Polar Express” at Gaylord Rockies in Aurora, Colo.
- “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at Gaylord Texan in Lake Grapevine, Texas
- “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas
We recently stopped by Gaylord Palms to check out Old Hickory Steakhouse, now open following its $7.25 million renovation.
ICE! video from 2023’s ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’
In 2023, the theme of ICE! at Gaylord Palms was “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” See highlights from the exhibit in our video:
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