Gaylord Palms ICE! Carving Begins; Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy Appear in Advance of “Christmas at Gaylord Palms Featuring a Charlie Brown Christmas”

Hi everyone!

As the holiday season rapidly approaches in Central Florida – the first Christmas event kicks off the holiday theme park season in a couple of weeks – Gaylord Palms Resort is already getting ready for ICE! Featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas and everything that goes with it. Every year, this event expands into more of a full day experience for those who are looking for one. Christmas at Gaylord Palms begins on November 18th, 2016 and lasts through January 1st, 2017.

This is our sixth year being invited to the Gaylord Palms to cover ICE!, though I’ve been attending longer. And this was our second year being invited as ICE!perts, including having behind-the-scenes access as the ICE! attraction is carved. Yesterday, there was a welcome for the artisans from Harbin, China who are carving the attraction over the next four weeks. Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy were also on hand – they will be meeting guests at  Breakfast with Charlie Brown & Friends (it is not every day, so check the schedule and make a reservation ahead of time!)

The artisans from Harbin, China get off the bus emblazoned with Christmas at Gaylord Palms signage.

Charlie Brown holds his small Christmas tree on the side of the bus.

Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Lucy pose with the artisans, who will be carving 2 million pounds of ice into the story of A Charlie Brown Christmas. A handful will stay on after that as part of the Frostbite Factory live carving zone.

I had the chance to meet the characters as well, which was a first for me!

Here is our video of the characters!

The carving has already started, and we went inside ICE! to check out the progress. ICE! is approximately 9 degrees, so I recommend bringing a hat and gloves. The price of ICE! includes a warm parka to wear inside the attraction.

This is where the four ice slides will be. We saw progress also on the character ice sculptures themselves, but couldn’t take photos yet. But they looked really great, I can’t wait to see them finished! You can see the Charlie Brown theme in progress here.

The ice slides are really fun, one of the highlights of the attraction.

The popular On the Blocks Ice Bar is back again this year. The experience costs extra, and allows guests several drink samples inside the bar – which will be located here.

From a couple of months ago, here is a look at a preview of Cirque Dreams UnWrapped. This is a complimentary show in the Gaylord Palms atrium during the season.

There is a new event this year with Mrs. Claus that guests can book: Mrs. Claus Christmas Traditions and Story Time Sing-a-long. Mrs. Claus arrived to bring cookies during our Twitter party at the resort yesterday.

And for those who might want an overnight stay? There is a new drop-floor slide and two racing slides that have been added to the Cypress Springs Family Fun Water Park. It’s a huge addition to the resort!

Guests can also book this FlowRider for an additional fee.

We highly recommend making Christmas at Gaylord Palms a part of your holiday season!