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A White Christmas in Orlando
The Gaylord Palms Resort near Orlando brings cool holiday cheer to the Sunshine State
By Angel Lee

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Dreaming


A frosty igloo welcomes visitors to ICE! at the Gaylord Palms near Orlando

of a white Christmas? It's a popular pastime for Floridians this time of year, but it's also a wish that can really come to fruition – in Orlando, at least. You don't have to travel hundreds of miles north to get a real taste of winter. Just throw on a heavy sweater, dig out a scarf, leave the flip-flops at home and head to Central Florida to experience ICE! at Gaylord Palms.

The Gaylord Palms Resort, a Florida-themed luxury resort resting on 63 acres only five minutes from Walt Disney World in Kissimmee, puts on an annual holiday extravaganza that promises to delight children and adults alike. For more than six weeks, the resort transforms into a winter wonderland complete with a soaring 54-foot Christmas tree in the main glass-covered atrium. Around the tree, several Florida-themed areas are decked out with whimsical and classical decorations. Holiday fun unfolds around every turn.

It's all part of the resort's Best of Florida Christmas event, which features holiday shows and activities for all ages. The main attraction is ICE!, where a menagerie of hand-carved ice sculptures exude artistry and holiday nostalgia. This unique annual attraction has been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Travel + Leisure magazine, among others.

Warm up to ICE!
Visitors come from all corners of the Sunshine State and beyond to find out what a "white Christmas" is really like (or, to relive the joy of it without the hassle of shoveling snow). At ICE!, be prepared for a true winter experience – the attraction is kept at a chilly nine degrees. Enjoy the rare treat of seeing your breath make chilly clouds in the air as you snuggle into your hooded parka, provided by the resort as part of the admission fee.

Two million pounds of ice and 18,000 square feet of space are used to recreate the stunning holiday scenes you see frozen and crystallized before your eyes. This year, guests will take a holiday road trip through ICE!, traveling into a full-size igloo, across a winter wonderland, aboard a holiday train, through the North Pole and inside the whimsical Candy Land, from one of America's favorite board games. One highlight is the life-size nativity scene chiseled out of crystal-clear ice. If you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of the artists who travel from China to construct these masterpieces.

Near the end of the attraction you'll get another wintry treat – Penguin Pointe. This thrilling tribute to the penguins of the


ICE! features nearly two million pounds of ice sculpted into holiday scenes and even an ice slide

South Pole features three ice slides, including the tallest and longest slide in the attraction's history. The slides are for children and adults (there's nothing like an ice slide to bring out the child in every adult).

Best of Florida Christmas
After leaving ICE!, grab a complimentary cup of warm cocoa and enjoy the rest of the resort's holiday offerings. Start with a visit to the full-size ice skating rink, where you can glide around to upbeat holiday music.

Back inside the holiday atrium, there's the Christmas-inspired show Luminescence – A Christmas Fantasy. The show features lively rock 'n' roll music, a heartwarming holiday tale and an aerial exhibition. This modern-day Christmas fantasy has obviously been designed to awe visitors, and it succeeds in doing just that.

For another taste of a traditional Florida Christmas, check out the County Wreath Collection, where every wreath is designed to reflect a different element of Florida's diverse culture. There's also the Hidden Holiday Gnome Hunt – a bunch of gnomes are staked out in the Christmas décor throughout the resort. Challenge your kids to find them, and they'll happily oblige.

And of course, what holiday event would be complete without Santa? He holds court almost every day at the resort so kids can whisper their holiday wishes in his ear and have their photo taken with the big man himself. For those who like to work all angles, Mrs. Claus hosts her own brunch every weekend at the resort's award-winning Villa de Flora restaurant.

The holidays are a magical time – a time for adults to set aside their stresses and for children to dream of sugar plums, snowballs and, yes, presents. While we enjoy our sandy version of the holiday, it's nice to bundle up and get a blast of cool holiday cheer. The white Christmas Gaylord Palms creates for us is close to home, and a true gift.

To plan your own in-state winter getaway, contact Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center at 407-586-0000, call the ICE! box office at 407-586-4ICE or visit www.gaylordpalms.com/ice. For the best pricing, purchase tickets online. ICE! runs daily from November 19, 2007 through January 3, 2008, including holidays.

Angel Lee is a freelance writer based in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area.


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