Beloved ICE! Attraction Returns for the 2024 Christmas Season

USA's most extraordinary frozen holiday attraction, ICE!, has announced its 2024 Christmas season lineup and its debut in San Antonio, Texas. Kicking off this November, the 24-year-old holiday tradition created by and featured across all five Gaylord Hotels will also be held at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Each location will feature 2 million pounds of expertly hand-carved, larger-than-life ice scenes and fan-favourite characters from memorable Christmas classics. Two iconic holiday favorites will join this year’s roster including Elf™ and the long-awaited return of Frosty the Snowman™. Tickets to all ICE! locations have now gone on sale.

Overnight and local day guests at each destination will step into a winter wonderland that includes more than 10 immersive walk-through scenes, thrilling two-story ice slides, awe-inspiring passageways, and photo-worthy moments the entire family can enjoy. The dazzling ICE! holiday attraction is masterfully carved by a team of 240 expert artisans from Harbin, China, home of the world-famous Harbin Ice Festival. These skilled craftsmen spend about 40 days across six locations creating a vibrant, icy spectacle that fills a grand total of nearly 120,000 square feet. Visitors across the country will journey through vivid floor-to-ceiling scenes hand-crafted from 12 million pounds of ice. The attraction is kept at a chilly 9 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve the intricate, frozen detail. To stay warm, guests will don the attraction’s signature blue parkas.

Classic Characters at ICE! Destinations

This year, six cherished classics will be reimagined at ICE! destinations in USA:

• ICE! featuring Frosty the Snowman at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tenn. – Experience the magic of the snowman who came to life in this frozen, holiday wonderland.
• ICE! featuring “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at Gaylord National on the Potomac in National Harbor, Md. – Guests will follow along with the lovable Charlie Brown as he rediscovers the meaning of Christmas.
• ICE! featuring New Line Cinema’s Elf™ at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla. – For the first time, experience New Line Cinema’s hilarious story which tells the tale of a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later Buddy learns he is not really an elf and goes on a journey to New York City to find his true identity.
• ICE! featuring Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™ at Gaylord Rockies in Aurora, Colo. – Based on the beloved Warner Bros. film, families are invited to take an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, embarking on a journey of self-discovery that shows the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
• ICE! featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ at Gaylord Texan on Lake Grapevine, Texas – Visitors will enjoy their favourite scenes from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the story of a young reindeer who used his luminous red nose to save Christmas.
• ICE! featuring Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas – Showcasing the 1957 Dr. Seuss classic, families will experience the memorable evolution of the Grinch as he fails to destroy the Whos’ holiday spirit. 

ICE! serves as the centerpiece attraction to each destination’s over-the-top lineup of Christmas activities, live shows, and dining experiences. Among the family-friendly activities featured at each resort is a festive-themed Snow Factory, where visitors can take a breathtaking plummet through a thrilling ice tube adventure and boost the power of the snow machines by crafting and hurling snowballs at designated targets. New resort-specific highlights for the 2024 season include an original production of Cirque: Frost, a live show at Gaylord Rockies, and a Christmas dinner show at Gaylord Opryland.

Guests who stay overnight will be able to access resort-only benefits including the Extra Cool Hour and Chill Pass, which allow overnight visitors early admission into ICE! and the Christmas Village, as well as front-of-the-line access to the attraction. Benefits may vary among resorts.

ICE! Dates

ICE! will be presented during the following dates:

• Gaylord Opryland: Nov. 8, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025 featuring Frosty the Snowman™
• Gaylord National: Nov. 15, 2024 – Dec. 28, 2024 featuring “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
• Gaylord Palms: Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025 featuring New Line Cinema’s Elf™
• Gaylord Rockies: Nov. 22, 2024 – Jan. 1, 2025 featuring Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™
• Gaylord Texan: Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025 featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™
• JW Marriott San Antonio: Nov. 23, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025 featuring Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!