Day 3.1: ICE, Ice Baby!

We'd wanted to do at least one of the many Christmas events at The Gaylord, but since it was New Year's already, most of them had already ended.

The one that intrigued us the most was ICE. We weren't sure what it was, but still wanted to do it. All we really knew was that it was themed to the Rankin-Bass Frosty the Snowman Christmas special. And since this was the very last day, it was our only chance.

We got there 30 minutes before it opened and there was already a bit of a line. It was a bit chilly outside, so between that and the line, we contemplated not waiting. However, we figured they'd open the box office soon enough, so we stuck it out. It was a really good thing we did.

Since we were in the first group, as soon as they opened, the line went quickly and we went straight in. They ushered us right into a little pre-show room with short video explaining just what ICE is and how it got started. This was the first time we really understood what it was. And boy was it incredible! We couldn't wait to see what was behind those curtains.

The pre-show video was all about the annual ice festival in Harbin, China. Every year, artisans carve giant blocks of ice from the Songhua River and create ginormous ice carvings and building-sized sculptures. It was so amazing that we immediately realized that the Gaylord version we were about to see couldn't possibly be as spectacular (but it was close enough).

The Gaylord actually brings artisans from Harbin every year to create their sculptures, which was pretty impressive. Each year has a different theme, from the Grinch, Shrek, and so on. The room, which is divided by curtains to create a maze, is chilled to just eight degrees to keep the sculptures just right. I really wanted to know what happens when it's over. Do they just turn on the heat and let it all melt? That's something I'd love to see.

Went from there to another room where they gave us giant, blue parkas to put on. They were so thick they made you look like a penguin. Finally, we pushed our way through a thick curtained doorway into the exhibit. You could feel the cold the closer you got.

Eight degrees inside! That's bloody cold, I tell you! We were really glad we had the parkas. Luckily, Marsha and I both had our gloves. Unfortunately, Madison had left hers in the car. Either way, we had a hard time taking pictures. With them on, it was hard to work the camera. With them off, your fingers quickly freeze up.

The first section was all themed to Frosty the Snowman. The sculptures were perfect, and walked you through the entire story. They looked exactly like the characters from the cartoon. And Frosty was a perfect match for the ice. And with the songs from the show, it was like walking back into your childhood.

In the middle of the Frosty section was one of the signature pieces -- a giant ice slide. It was a lot of fun, but tough to go down. We thought we'd zip on down, but everyone got stuck and had to keep kicking off to make it to the bottom. Probably needed more of an angle. The exhibit was also billed as having four ice slides, but it was really one ice slide with four chutes side by side. 

The next section was themed to NYC, with a big apple, the Statue of Liberty, and a near life-sized cartoon-style yellow cab. The cab was the highlight with everyone hopping inside to take pictures. 

The final section was a nativity built with clear ice, so that it had a crystal look. With the blue lighting and the music, it was a great way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and end the exhibit.

We spent about thirty minutes walking through the whole thing, and were ready to get out when we did. Even with the parkas, the chill starts to seep in after a while. When we made it to the gift shop area (of course), we were ready to start warming up. We bought a few Christmas ornaments and hot chocolate (big seller). Unfortunately, the hot chocolate was really, really hot and hard to drink. By the time it had cooled down, we'd warmed up enough that we didn't need it as much.

When we went outside, we were even more glad we'd waited. The line was all the way down the sidewalk, so our 30 minute wait had been the shortest of the day. We'd have been idiots to leave. It was definitely an incredible experience, and unlike anything we'd ever done before.