NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Christmas at the Gaylord National is back with the highly anticipated D.C. region holiday favorite, ICE! This year will feature Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang at the center of it all.
The ICE! experience is open from Nov. 15 through Dec. 28. Visitors can rediscover the meaning of Christmas along with Peanuts characters, coming to life in more than 2 million pounds of colorful, larger-than-life ice sculptures hand-carved by 37 artisans.
“We bring in 6,000 blocks of ice --it’s about 2 million pounds-- and it’s all pre-colored, food grade dye," Production Manger, Gavin Sorenson said. "Then we bring in 37 carvers from Harbin, China. They come in two teams. We have the builders that will build the big structures and then we have the fine detail carvers that are going to bring all the character and life to the show."
Walking through the scenes, visitors can see wood grain carved into fence posts and the texture of bricks on the school.
The walk-through experience is kept at a crisp 9 degrees Fahrenheit in a state-of-the-art chilling system. Guests will be provided a signature blue Gaylord National parka to keep warm.
The artisans work from 7:30 am until 6pm for more than 30 days preparing the Charlie Brown scene and classic nativity.
They are familiar with these freezing temperatures -- as Harbin is home to a famous ice festival.
Carver Liu Zeyong has participated (and won awards) in that festival -- and has helped to bring these holiday installations to life-- for years.
“I would like to show the culture of Harbin, the ice and snow culture to the United States of America, to the people here," he said.
His craft started in woodworking, and then he moved to ice carving after going through some trainings. Zeyong said he takes inspiration from reading books and continuing to learn.
He said he loves to see the children's smiling faces as they admire his and his team's work.
When asked how he stays warm while working for 12 hours, Zeyong said he dresses warm and eats well.
His favorite character to create is Charlie Brown with his giant hat.
The main attraction of the installation is the slide room, and this year, they have redesigned it. A Gaylord National spokesperson said the slides will look different, and they've added space for more people to slide.
"My favorite part is getting to see the kids when they come in, and they're going to get to see Charlie Brown in real life, this big huge Charlie Brown, get to see the show that they love to watch, and then you'll get to see them go down the slide and enjoy," Sorenson said.
Beyond the slide, guests have the opportunity to crawl through Snoopy's frigid dog house and take pictures with their heads through an icy wreath.
Tickets for ICE! are now on sale here. In addition to the ICE! attraction, the resort will be packed with events and activities for families and people of all ages to enjoy. These include:
- An immersive walkthrough Christmas Village where guests will be transported to the North Pole for family fun, holiday shopping and delicious hot chocolate.
- Photos with Santa, where the entire family can meet the big man himself, make sure everyone is on the nice list and capture the moment with a keepsake photo.
- Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions featuring a retelling of the Christmas classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and Santa’s favorite holiday snack, Christmas cookies.
- The Snow Factory’s Snowball Build and Blast attraction allows guests to build and toss real snowballs to boost the power of the snowmaking machines.
- Snow Flow Mountain’s indoor snow tubing offers a thrilling ride down real frozen ice lanes.
- Cirque: Spirit of Christmas live stage show features dazzling acrobatics, feats of flexibility and high-flying stunts in a Broadway-style spectacle that fills the Atrium with energetic, dreamlike chapters each night.
- The all new Here We Glow A Caroling laser light snow celebrates and highlights the tradition of caroling door-to-door without moving a muscle. Through thousands of glowing lights and a custom score, each door created will take the audience through a musical time warp.
- A Merry Snoopy Scavenger Hunt gives families the chance to help Snoopy out by following clues to find the most festive décor for Snoopy’s doghouse.
- Holiday drink specials in the resort’s various restaurants, as well as special Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners at Old Hickory Steakhouse.
- Peace, Joy and Aromatherapy spa offerings at award winning Relâche Spa throughout the Christmas season including massages, facials and manicures/pedicures for seasonal relaxation.
- Build-A-Bear Workshop has been adding a little more heart to life for more than 25 years! Visit Build-A-Bear to experience the fun of personalizing furry friends and taking part in our one-of-a-kind Heart Ceremony. Add adorable outfits, sweet scents and fun sounds to make any furry friend the perfect gift or a cuddly Christmas keepsake!