Christmas in July at Gaylord National

Behold the Shrek Decorated Candy Canes

A few weeks ago, our family was invited to the Christmas Media Preview at our beloved, Gaylord National Resort!  Since Christmas is my favorite time of year, I enjoyed celebrating a few months early with Christmas carols, snow in July, and gingerbread decorating.  But, they didn’t invite us just to drink hot chocolate (shocking, I know!).  Gaylord was also unveiling the theme for its magnificent 2012 ICE! production.   This Christmas, you’ll be greeted by Shrek and his entourage of funny friends, when you step into the ICE! wonderland.

It's Shrek!

Wondering what on earth an ICE! Celebration is?  For the last five years, Gaylord National has dazzled the DC area with its two-million pounds of colorful ice, hand-carved into a superb walk-through attraction.  They select 40 artisans from Harbin, China to craft the 5,000 ice blocks (each weighing nearly 400 pounds!) into a winter wonderland that spans a 15,000 square foot structure.  My husband was most impressed, hearing about the five ICE! slides, the tallest of which is 2 stories high!  And, this holiday season, families will “Shrek the Halls” with Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Gingy, and Puss in Boots, as Shrek learns the true meaning of Christmas!

Decorating Our Gingerbread House

ICE! isn’t the only holiday extravaganza that you’ll find at Gaylord National.  In addition, you can choose from a myriad of great, family activities (some of them free!):

:: Gingy’s Gingerbread Decorations
This culinary experience will be hosted by Gingy, and you choose between decorating a gingerbread family, tree, train, or house.  Afterwards, snap a picture with Gingy for your Christmas card!  Prices start as low as $29.95, and include all the supplies.  We had the opportunity to decorate a gingerbread house at the Media Preview, and my daughter loved every second!  Since I’m usually trying to juggle gingerbread decorating with a messy preschooler, house cleaning for out of town guests, and baking our favorite Christmas recipes, I was thrilled for the chance to focus on the the gingerbread decorating experience with “A”!  I had all the enjoyment with none of the clean-up – it was fabulous and would definitely be worth the price!

:: Potomac Express Train Rides
Kids can take a ride on a winter themed miniature train – ticket purchase is required.  My daughter adores trains and declared that she needs to visit “Thomas” at Gaylord this Christmas!

:: Nightly Tree Lighting Show
Every evening, Gaylord’s impressive 60-foot tree will come to life.  This free 15-minute show features music, the DreamWorks characters, a light show, and a dancing fountain that shoots 60-feet into the air.  Plus, it will snow inside!

:: Photos with Santa Claus
Photo packages start as low as $20 – your children will get a keepsake photo, while they chat with Santa!

:: Brightest Star Fountain Show
This free show features a heartwarming narration of the classic Christmas story as choreographed water dances to traditional holiday music.

Gaylord National’s ICE! celebration kicks off on Friday, November 16th and runs through Sunday, January 6th.  The event is open daily, but hours vary, so be sure to check this calendar.  To save money, be sure to purchase your ICE! tickets before Monday, October 1, 2012.  You can visit their website or call (301)965-400 to place your order.  I highly suggest going on a “non-peak” day – lines will be shorter, prices are cheaper, and you’ll be able to soak in the Christmas spirit without battling the crowds!

As many of you know, it’s very expensive to park anywhere in the National Harbor.  But, for the ICE! event, you can purchase a $10 parking voucher online.  The ICE! Pavilion and entrance to self parking is located on the corner of Waterfront Street and St. George Boulevard. Gaylord National Parking Garage is the official parking lot for ICE! and is the only parking location where online parking purchases and the $10 parking voucher validation is accepted.

For those of you who would like to combine the ICE! experience with a hotel stay, you can choose from a Two-Night or Three-Night Christmassy “DreamWorks” Experience Hotel Package.  A Two-Night package starts at $219 per night (based on two occupants per room) and a Three-Night Package starts at $199 per night (also based on two occupants per room).  It includes tickets to ICE!, a souvenir family photo, front of the line access to ICE!, dining at a ShrekFeast, and much more!

Attending ICE! has been at the top of my bucket list; and this year, I’m determined to carve out time in our hectic holiday schedule to enjoy this superb production!  How about you?  I would love to hear your thoughts of ICE!

{Disclosure: Our family was invited to Gaylord’s Media Preview Event, but I was not compensated for this post.}