Gaylord Palms Orlando Christmas Shines in 2025

Gaylord Palms Orlando Christmas

For our family, ICE at Gaylord Palms Orlando Christmas marks the official start of the holiday season. This year’s theme for Gaylord Palms Orlando Christmas ICE! is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It’s soooo cute. It’s absolutely incredible what these artisans can create out of ice! You have to see it to believe it.

The best way to experience Gaylord Palms Orlando Christmas is with a stay at the beautiful hotel. The rooms are gorgeous, spacious, and inviting. Our family of 7 easily fit in connecting queen double rooms. It’s the perfect home base for Gaylord Palms Orlando Christmas.

Christmas at Gaylord Palms is a major holiday event held every year (this year: Nov 14, 2025 – Jan 7, 2026) at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida.

What Is Christmas at Gaylord Palms?

1. ICE! Attraction
   • The centerpiece is an indoor ice exhibit called ICE!.
   • For 2025, the theme is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ — featuring roughly a dozen life-size ice scenes from the classic TV special.
   • There are 2 million pounds of ice sculpted by a team of 40 artisans who come from Harbin, China.
   • The exhibit is kept super cold (around 9°F), and guests are provided with blue parkas. You also want to bring your own hats and gloves!
   • There are also giant ice slides — some up to 20 ft high. These things MOVE and they are super fun! Again- gloves highly recommended!
2. Cirque Holiday Show
   • This year there’s a brand-new show: POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance.
   • It’s a 35-minute immersive performance with acrobatics, magic, aerial acts, and original music. Tickets are required.
   • The story centers around three friends learning music, magic, and circus skills at a secret school. Wonderful for all ages!
3. Light & Music Show
   • “Here We Glow A-Caroling” is a synchronized LED light show in the atrium. Twinkling curtains of lights dance to classic carols.
   • The resort’s atrium is amazing: more than 3 million Christmas lights and over 100 decorated trees, including a 60-ft tall tree.
   • This show is free for all and visible to anywhere in the atrium of the resort!

What else can you do at Gaylord Palms Orlando Christmas?

1. Other Festive Activities
   • Snow Factory: Real snow play, snowball building, and snow tubing on ice. You can get a pass to be able to sail down Snow Flow Mountain all day long! We LOVE this and it’s such a unique activity to do in Florida!
   • Gingerbread Decorating Corner: Kids (and adults) can decorate gingerbread treats and meet Nutmeg the Gingerbread Cookie.
   • Jack Frost Chocolate Factory: A newer interactive experience where you can make chocolate snowflakes to keep or gift.
   • Elf Training Academy: For younger visitors to “train” like Santa’s elves and complete a craft.
   • Scavenger Hunt / Escape Room: There’s a Naughty-or-Nice Escape Room challenge, plus scavenger hunts around the resort.
   • Meet Santa & Mrs. Claus: Santa is available for photos (usually through Dec 24), and Mrs. Claus leads storytelling / sing-alongs.
   • There’s also a scavenger hunt around the hotel and you can redeem for a special Rudolph themed prize!
2. Packages & Tickets
   • You can buy day-tickets for individual activities, or get a bundled “Ultimate Holi-Day Pass” to save up to 40%.
   • There are special rates for AAA, military, teachers, etc.

Why We Love It

• It’s a unique holiday experience — walk through massive ice sculptures, something you don’t usually associate with Florida.
• Great for families: lots of kid-friendly activities, plus shows and interactive stuff.
• It offers a mix: both totally immersive spectacles (ice, cirque) and more chill holiday fun (decorating, light shows).
• It’s very Instagram-worthy: the lighting, the ice, the giant tree — there are tons of great photo ops. I’m sure you’ve seen some of our photos! The photos from ICE! are some of our favorite each year.

Tips for Gaylord Palms Orlando Christmas

• Dress warmly for ICE!: Even with parkas, 9°F is cold. You want to enjoy yourself, so dress appropriately and bring hats and gloves!
• Ticketing: Some activities sell out, so it’s smart to book in advance, especially for ICE!
• Time: Plan on spending a few hours if you’re doing multiple activities — the resort is big.
• Consider a weekday visit for lower crowds.
• Staying overnight at the hotel, particularly in an atrium view room, really makes the experience so much more relaxed and magical! Watch the lights show from your balcony in your pajamas!

Be sure to visit Gaylord Palms Christmas for all the latest information and prices!

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