KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Gaylord Palms Resort has revealed this year’s ICE! theme, and you might say it will go down in history.
For the first time, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer will be the star of the resort’s popular holiday attraction, running from Nov. 14 through Jan. 7.
Featuring 2 million pounds of intricately carved ice sculptures, the 20,000-square-foot walk-through attraction showcases about a dozen larger-than-life scenes from the classic 1964 stop-motion animated TV special.
Guests can crawl through a snow-covered tunnel, play music alongside giant ice sculptures of Santa and Rudolph, step inside a crystal-clear ice gift box, and climb into the arms of Bumble, the giant Abominable Snow Monster.
A team of 40 expert ice carvers from Harbin, China — known as “Ice City” for its world-famous ice carving festival — will spend over a month crafting the sculptures inside a 9-degree Fahrenheit environment.
Guests will once again have access to the slide room and the 2-story-tall slides made of solid ice. Sharp-eyed guests are challenged to locate a “secret slide” inside the room that instantly transports them to the next scene.
While Rudolph has appeared in ICE! at other Gaylord Hotels, this is the first time at Gaylord Palms.
[VIDEO: A tour of ICE! featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]
Beyond ICE!, Gaylord Palms offers a full slate of holiday events and activities across its 65-acre resort.
New this year is “POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance,” an immersive cirque holiday show featuring acrobats, magicians, and Broadway-style performances running Nov. 14 through Jan. 4.
Other highlights include the “Here We Glow A-Caroling Light Show” in the atrium, visits with Santa Claus in Alpine Village, Mrs. Claus’ sing-along storytelling, Wintertime Animal Encounters, and interactive attractions like the Snow Factory tubing hill and the Naughty or Nice Escape Room.
Guests can also enjoy hands-on holiday fun such as gingerbread decorating, chocolate snowflake making at the Jack Frost Chocolate Factory, Elf Training Academy crafts, and Build-A-Bear Workshop experiences.
The resort is decorated with more than 3 million sparkling lights and over 100 Christmas trees, including a 60-foot-tall centerpiece tree in the atrium. Alpine Village hosts one of Florida’s largest annual Christmas shops, open through Jan. 7, 2026.
Tickets and special room packages are on sale now. Advance reservations are required for all ticketed events.