The Polar Express™ Chugs Back Into Gaylord Palms for the Resort’s 2026 ice! Immersive Christmas Experience
The coldest place in the Sunshine State is returning to Central Florida this holiday season, as Gaylord Palms Resort presents ice! featuring The Polar Express™. The walk-through holiday attraction built from approximately 2 million pounds of ice takes place Nov. 13-Jan. 3 at the Kissimmee, Fla., resort, where guests can trade Florida’s sunshine for winter parkas, larger-than-life ice sculptures, two-story ice slides, interactive photo spots and more.
The attraction will recreate approximately a dozen scenes from the classic tale. Guests will follow Hero Boy’s Christmas Eve journey to the North Pole, featuring a full-size frozen locomotive, the famous hot chocolate scene, the thrilling trip down an icy mountain and the train’s grand arrival at the North Pole.
Nearly 40 ice carvers have traveled more than 7,000 miles from Harbin, China, to create the 20,000-square-foot arctic attraction. The artisans will spend approximately 35 days transforming 1,000 tons of colored and clear ice using chainsaws, chisels, tongs, grinders and other specialized hand tools. LED lighting, including lights frozen inside sculptures, will add extra glow and ambiance to the completed scenes.
Guests receive the resort’s signature blue parkas before entering the 9-degree environment, though they are encouraged to bring additional winter wear. Once inside, guests are welcome to stay as long as they like.
Beyond the movie scenes, ice! also will feature live carving demonstrations in Carver’s Showcase, where master artisans demonstrate their craft throughout the day. The attraction culminates in a separate area featuring a full-size Nativity scene carved from crystal-clear ice and accompanied by a dramatic soundtrack.
While ice! featuring The Polar Express™ is the centerpiece of the celebration, it’s only one piece of the Christmas at Gaylord Palms yuletide lineup.
Back this season is “POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance,” an immersive stage production created by Broadway director and show founder Neil Goldberg. The live show combines acrobatics, illusions, dance, animation and Broadway-style theatrics. It received a Telly Award for “Best Immersive Family Holiday Show” following its Gaylord Palms debut last season.
New for 2026 inside Snow Factory, a wintry activity area near the resort’s Alpine Village, is a Christmas Carousel. Snow Factory also features ice tubing down Snow Flow Mountain and Snowball Build & Blast, where guests can make real snowballs and toss them at targets. Admission to Snow Flow Mountain includes unlimited tubing rides on the ticket date.
Elsewhere around the resort, the 4.5-acre atrium will host the “#LIT” light show, featuring giant LED light curtains and a 60-foot Christmas tree. In all, Gaylord Palms’ holiday display will include more than 3 million lights and more than 100 decorated Christmas trees.
Santa Claus will meet guests in Alpine Village from Nov. 13 through Dec. 24. Other activities include Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions, the musical Nativity production “The Greatest Story,” Wintertime Animal Encounters, a Naughty or Nice Escape Room experience, the Snowman Scramble Scavenger Hunt, gingerbread decorating, Elf Training Academy and Build-A-Bear Workshop.
For guests looking to make a night of it and stay in the middle of the fun, Gaylord Palms offers holiday room packages and additional perks for overnight guests.
Guests staying at the hotel receive complimentary Chill Pass privileges, providing a shorter entry line for ice! (attraction tickets must still be purchased separately in advance). Guests can also upgrade to atrium-view rooms that overlook the resort’s holiday decorations, and select rooms offer balcony views of shows including “POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance” and the “#LIT” light show.
Villa de Flora will also serve special Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve buffets exclusively for overnight resort guests.
Tickets and packages are on sale now at ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.com. Advance online reservations are required for all ticketed events, with capacity limited for many experiences and showtimes.
