ICE! Returns to Gaylord Hotels and JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country with New Holiday Experiences

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Travel PR News Editor

Overnight and local day guests at all Gaylord Hotels and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country can experience the frozen attraction along with an extensive lineup of Christmas activities

(IN SHORT) ICE!, the iconic holiday attraction, is now open at all five Gaylord Hotels and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, featuring over 2 million pounds of hand-carved ice sculptures based on beloved Christmas classics. The attraction includes immersive holiday scenes, thrilling ice slides, and photo opportunities. Additionally, each resort offers a variety of festive activities, such as Broadway-style Cirque shows, light displays, snow play areas, and ice skating rinks. Overnight guests can enjoy exclusive perks like early access to ICE! and front-of-the-line entry. Exclusive packages and tickets are available at ICE.marriott.com.

(PRESS RELEASE) Bethesda, MD, 2024-Nov-12 — /Travel PR News/ — This holiday season, guests at Gaylord Hotels and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa can experience the magic of ICE!, the beloved frozen attraction that has become a hallmark of festive celebrations. The spectacular frozen wonderland, which showcases over 2 million pounds of hand-carved ice sculptures, is now open at all five Gaylord Hotels and, for the first time, at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Running at a frosty 9 degrees Fahrenheit, ICE! immerses visitors in scenes from beloved Christmas classics like Frosty the Snowman™, A Charlie Brown Christmas, *Elf™, The Polar Express™, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.

In addition to the awe-inspiring ice sculptures, each ICE! location features more than 10 immersive holiday scenes, thrilling two-story ice slides, and numerous photo opportunities, offering a festive experience for families and guests of all ages. The icy masterpieces are crafted by a team of skilled artisans from Harbin, China, renowned for their work at the world-famous Harbin Ice Festival. The carving process spans around 40 days, with artists following a detailed 300-page design book to bring each scene to life.

This year, ICE! attractions are open at the following Gaylord Hotels:

Gaylord Opryland (Nashville, TN) features Frosty the Snowman from Nov. 8, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025.
Gaylord National (National Harbor, MD) brings to life A Charlie Brown Christmas from Nov. 15, 2024 – Dec. 28, 2024.
Gaylord Palms (Kissimmee, FL) hosts Elf™ from Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025.
Gaylord Rockies (Aurora, CO) showcases The Polar Express™ from Nov. 22, 2024 – Jan. 1, 2025.
Gaylord Texan (Grapevine, TX) features Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ from Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025.
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country (San Antonio, TX) presents How the Grinch Stole Christmas! from Nov. 23, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025.

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Beyond ICE!, each resort offers a full slate of holiday activities and events. These include Broadway-style Cirque shows like Cirque: Frost at Gaylord Rockies and Cirque: The Spirit of Christmas at Gaylord Palms and Gaylord Texan. Guests can enjoy an array of festive attractions such as snow play areas, ice skating rinks, and light displays, including the enchanting “Here We Glow A-Caroling Light Show” at Gaylord National and Gaylord Palms. Gaylord Opryland will also host its Country Christmas Dinner Show featuring performances by Terri Clark and The Frontmen.

Those staying overnight at the resorts can access exclusive perks such as early access to ICE! with the Extra Cool Hour and front-of-the-line access through the Chill Pass, available at most locations.

For those looking to make the most of their holiday getaway, exclusive packages and tickets are available at ICE.marriott.com.

ABOUT ICE! 

The annual ICE! events bring to life beloved Christmas stories hand-carved by master artisans from Harbin, China at resorts around the United States. Created and designed by Gaylord Hotels, ICE! debuted at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn. in 2001. ICE! has been visited by tens of millions of visitors who travel to each resort to see more than 2 million pounds carved into beloved scenes and characters, two-story ice slides, photo-worthy tunnels and archways, and more. ICE! takes place at each Gaylord Hotels resort across the United States, including Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md., Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn., Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla., Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colo. and Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, in 2024, ICE! makes its debut at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas. More information can be found at ICE.marriott.com.

ABOUT GAYLORD HOTELS

Gaylord Hotels, part of the Marriott portfolio of brands, welcomes guests to more, with extraordinary environments, diverse dining options, full-service spas, pools, top-notch entertainment, shopping and more. Locations include Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee; Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida; Gaylord Texan on Lake Grapevine, Texas; Gaylord National on the Potomac in National Harbor, Maryland; Gaylord Rockies in Aurora, CO; and making its debut in 2025 Gaylord Pacific in Chula Vista, California.

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ABOUT JW MARRIOTT SAN ANTONIO HILL COUNTRY RESORT & SPA 

Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences (WBDGE) is a worldwide leader in the creation, development, licensing and operating of location-based entertainment based on the biggest franchises, stories, and characters from Warner Bros.’ world-renowned film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, Cartoon Network and more. WBDGE is home to the groundbreaking locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal theme parks around the world, award-winning Warner Bros. Studio Tour locations in London, Hollywood, and Tokyo, the iconic Harry Potter New York flagship store, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, The WB Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS Experience, The Game of Thrones Studio Tour and countless other experiences inspired by Harry Potter, DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, FRIENDS and more. WBDGE is part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Revenue & Strategy division.

ABOUT WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY GLOBAL EXPERIENCES

ABOUT DR. SEUSS ENTERPRISES

Founded in 1993, Dr. Seuss Enterprises is a leading global children’s entertainment and licensing company focused on promoting literacy, education, self-confidence, and the wonderful possibilities of a child’s imagination through the beloved works of Dr. Seuss. All Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ profits benefit charitable organizations that focus on causes such as education, health, animal conservation, and the arts. For more information visit DrSeussEnterprises.com or follow us on Instagram.

ABOUT UNIVERSAL LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Universal Live Entertainment partners with best-in-class entertainment companies to bring today’s most popular stories, characters, and adventures to life in a city near you. From larger-than-life touring shows to immersive, walk-through exhibitions and family entertainment centers, Universal’s world-class entertainment brands are delivered across the globe for families, friends, and people of all ages to enjoy. Productions include Jurassic World Live Tour, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, A Minion’s Perspective, The Office Experience, American Ninja Warrior Adventure Parks, Film with Live Orchestra concerts and more.

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Universal Live Entertainment is a division of Universal Destinations & Experiences, a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal. With incredible theme park destinations across the globe, Universal Destinations & Experiences offers guests of all ages the most exciting and popular entertainment experiences. Universal theme parks are known for immersive experiences that feature some of the world’s most thrilling and technologically advanced film-and-television-based attractions.

ABOUT PEANUTS

The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz, who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.

– Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™: THE POLAR EXPRESS and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Media Contact:

Ali McFarland
Manager, Brand Public Relations
Gaylord Hotels
Marriott International
Ali.mcfarland@gaylordhotels.com

Source: Marriott International, Inc.

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