Families across the country have long marked the start of the holidays with a trip to one of Gaylord’s resorts, where the annual “ice!” attraction turns ordinary hotel spaces into elaborate winter environments carved entirely from ice. This season brings notable changes, including fresh pop-culture themes and two additional sites that extend the reach of the event to the West Coast and the Southwest. The result is a larger footprint that invites more visitors to step into nine-degree rooms filled with hand-sculpted scenes from beloved stories.
New Themes Draw From Familiar Holiday Favorites
Three new walkthrough experiences join the lineup this year. Guests can navigate an icy version of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” explore the halls of Hogwarts through a “Harry Potter” lens, or recreate the chaos of “Home Alone” in frozen detail. These additions sit alongside returning favorites such as “Elf,” “The Polar Express,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” each rendered in multi-room installations that emphasize storytelling and photo opportunities.
The shift in themes reflects an effort to refresh the attraction while preserving its core appeal. Organizers have selected stories that resonate across generations, allowing parents and children to share the same immersive spaces. The ice itself remains the central draw, with every element shaped on site by teams of artisans who arrive each fall to begin the months-long carving process.
Two New Sites Extend the Tradition
For the first time, “ice!” will appear at the Gaylord Pacific Resort in Chula Vista, California, and the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. These additions join six established Gaylord properties and one additional JW Marriott location, bringing the total to eight venues. Each site adapts the same high-volume ice construction to its own regional setting, yet the nine-degree indoor temperature and floor-to-ceiling carvings remain consistent.
The expansion allows travelers in the western states to participate without crossing the country. Marriott International has described the move as the largest footprint to date for the attraction, which has welcomed tens of millions of guests since its debut. Regional vice president Johann Krieger noted that the goal is to create extraordinary holiday memories for even more families through this broader availability.
Artisans Shape Millions of Pounds of Ice
More than 300 expert carvers travel to the United States each year to produce the installations. At every location they work with roughly two million pounds of ice, forming everything from towering character figures to functional two-story slides. The process yields fully enclosed environments where visitors move through sequential rooms that follow the narrative arc of each chosen theme.
Because the ice must be maintained at a constant low temperature, the experience includes practical elements such as the distribution of blue jackets to guests. The result is a controlled winter setting that contrasts sharply with the mild climates outside many of the resorts. The scale and precision of the work distinguish these displays from smaller seasonal decorations found elsewhere.
Activities and Planning Details Vary by Property
Beyond the ice walkthroughs, participating resorts offer complementary experiences that range from ice skating and tubing to carriage rides and character breakfasts. Scavenger hunts and photos with Santa appear at several sites, though availability depends on the specific hotel. Most activities require separate tickets, and early purchase is recommended for peak periods around Thanksgiving and the December holidays.
Marriott Bonvoy members receive additional advantages, including discounted ticket bundles and the option to apply points toward stays. Overnight guests at the resorts also gain skip-the-line access, which can reduce wait times during busy weekends. Packages that combine lodging with event admission frequently provide the most economical route for families planning a multi-day visit.
A Growing Tradition Continues to Evolve
The addition of new themes and locations keeps the “ice!” event aligned with changing audience interests while maintaining its reputation for technical ambition. Travelers who have followed the attraction over multiple seasons will notice both continuity in the carving quality and variety in the stories being told. For those considering a first visit, the expanded schedule offers more flexibility in choosing dates and destinations between mid-November 2026 and early January 2027.
Whether the draw is the chance to stand inside a frozen Hogwarts or simply the novelty of an indoor winter landscape, the event remains a reliable marker of the holiday season for many households. The current expansion suggests that Gaylord intends to keep refining the format in the years ahead.
