Visiting Gaylord Opryland in Nashville is shortly turning into one among my household’s favourite vacation traditions. With its magnificent glass atriums, lush landscaping that magically brings the outside in and countless actions and eating places, it is lovely any time of yr, however much more so in the course of the holidays.
However it’s not only a Nashville factor. There are different Gaylord resorts throughout the nation in locations like Kissimmee, Florida; Aurora, Colorado; Grapevine, Texas; and Nationwide Harbor, Maryland. Collectively they mild up the vacation season with greater than 7 million Christmas lights (that is 295 miles of lights if you happen to stretch them out end-to-end), 110,000 toes of garland, 600 Christmas bushes and 30,000 poinsettias.
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That is an entire lot of Christmas, however that is not even the primary attraction. In addition they create life-size, walk-through winter wonderlands utilizing 33,500 blocks of ice, therefore the identify of Gaylord’s flagship vacation occasion — Ice!
If you’re planning so as to add this to your lineup of vacation traditions, this is all the things it is advisable to know earlier than you ho, ho, go, together with tips on how to discover Ice! reductions for 2023.
E book early and search for reductions
Some Ice! actions, like character breakfasts and tickets to stroll by the carved ice shows, have timed entry reservations. The sooner you buy your tickets, the higher likelihood you may have of getting the precise date and time you’re hoping for. That is particularly essential if you happen to go to on or proper round a vacation or on weekends when the occasion is even busier than regular.
Reserving early additionally opens you as much as extra alternatives for reductions on Ice! and the opposite actions at Gaylord. For Black Friday this yr, every property affords reductions on in a single day stays, Ice! tickets and trip packages that may prevent lots of of {dollars} in your vacation keep.
Gaylord Rockies – Aurora, Colorado
- Purchase two Ice! tickets, get two free in November
- Save as much as 30% on in a single day resort and Ice! ticket packages
- Save as much as 50% on Ice! tickets
- Save as much as 30% on in a single day resort stays
See all Gaylord Rockies Ice affords.
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Gaylord Opryland – Nashville, Tennessee
- Save as much as 30% on in a single day resort and Ice! ticket packages
- Save as much as 30% on Ice! tickets
See all Gaylord Opryland Ice affords right here.
Gaylord Palms – Kissimmee, Florida
- Save as much as 30% on Ice! tickets
- Save as much as 30% on in a single day resort and Ice! ticket packages
See all Gaylord Palms Iceaffords right here.
Gaylord Texan – Grapevine, Texas
- Save as much as 30% on Ice! tickets
- Save as much as 30% on in a single day resort stays
- Save as much as 30% once you bundle Ice! actions
See all Gaylord Texan Ice affords right here.
Gaylord Nationwide – Nationwide Harbor, Maryland
- Save as much as 30% on in a single day resort and Ice! ticket packages
- Save as much as 50% on Ice! tickets
- Save as much as 30% on in a single day resort stays
See all Gaylord Nationwide Ice affords right here.
Every property’s Ice! occasion is exclusive
Gaylord Lodges has 5 properties throughout the U.S. Every one invitations visitors to expertise their very own immersive (and chilly!) walk-through shows themed to numerous in style Christmas films. Whereas every show is totally different, all of them have one factor in widespread — they’re made out of hundreds of blocks of ice coloured and carved by world-renowned consultants into vacation masterpieces that may delight visitors of all ages.
Throughout all 5 properties, knowledgeable carvers from Harbin, China, traveled to the U.S. to rework 10 million kilos of ice into whimsical and surprisingly real looking vacation shows as much as 30 toes tall. The spotlight of the occasion for youths — and youngsters at coronary heart like myself — is crusing down a frosty slide product of ice. There’s even a shorter slide designed for youths too small or frightened for the full-size slides.
This yr’s Ice! themes embody:
There are a whole lot of festive actions
The splendor of Ice! could also be what will get you thru Gaylord’s door, however the walk-through shows are hardly the one factor you are able to do once you go to a Gaylord Resort in the course of the vacation season; there are sufficient actions to maintain your loved ones entertained for a full day or a whole weekend.
The choices fluctuate barely from property to property, however you may discover experiences like snow tubing, holiday-themed scavenger hunts, gingerbread adorning, ice skating, ice bumper vehicles, family-friendly escape rooms, horse-drawn sleigh rides, photographs with Santa, vacation character breakfasts and extra.
After two years of visiting, our favourite actions are the Ice! walk-through, ice skating (they’ve pushchairs that you should use for steadiness and to assist younger youngsters), the scavenger hunt and the ice bumper vehicles.
Most actions require an advance ticket buy, however throughout my household’s latest go to to Gaylord Opryland, we spent as a lot time strolling by the atriums and marveling on the dazzling decor and dozens of Christmas bushes (which prices nothing in any respect) as we did constructing snowballs and sliding down the tubing hill.
Costume appropriately
Spoiler alert: Ice! is chilly. Very chilly. 9 levels Fahrenheit to be actual. The type people at Gaylord will offer you one of many pretty blue parkas pictured above, however you may additionally wish to be sure you are sporting closed-toe footwear, pants and gloves so you’ll be able to comfortably benefit from the expertise.
The jackets do have hoods, however you might also wish to deliver a hat to carry in a few of that much-needed physique warmth. If in case you have them, deliver touchscreen-friendly gloves as a result of there are picture alternatives round each nook and frozen fingers do not take the very best photos.
If you’re additionally planning on tubing or ice skating throughout your go to, you may be pleased you packed your cold-weather gear, even when the temperatures outdoors are hotter than they’re contained in the attraction. In the event you occur to overlook a hat and gloves, you should purchase them on the resort.
Construct in some downtime
This yr was our second time visiting Gaylord Opryland in the course of the holidays and we realized a number of issues from our first go-round that influenced this yr’s itinerary.
Each years, we stayed on the resort for 2 nights, however final yr we packed nearly each out there second of time with the above-mentioned actions. When our youngest son was too exhausted to swim on the indoor water park and fell asleep in his stroller, I knew we had in all probability tried to do an excessive amount of.
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It is also value mentioning that the sheer measurement of most Gaylord resorts means numerous journey time between your room and no matter enjoyable exercise you’re headed to, so it could begin to really feel such as you by no means cease to relaxation until you deliberately construct in some downtime.
This yr, we scheduled solely two to a few actions per day. We left time in between to return to our resort room for a snack or, after visiting the Ice! walk-through, for snuggling in our beds to heat up.
Even if you happen to aren’t staying in a single day and are solely visiting for the day, I’d advocate selecting just a few actions as a substitute of making an attempt to do all of it. A part of the enjoyable of being at a Gaylord resort is exploring the outlets, eateries and gardens that span the attractive glass atriums — you wish to depart loads of time for spontaneous wandering if you are there.
If you’re staying on-site, I like to recommend taking an hour or so after you verify in to do a lap across the resort and get the lay of the land. It will assist ease the stress of making an attempt to make it to any actions with time-based tickets on the appropriate time.
Lodge visitors obtain additional perks
Aside from the apparent perk of having the ability to earn and redeem your Marriott Bonvoy factors and free evening certificates in any respect Gaylord properties, in a single day visitors obtain Ice!-specific perks, as properly. All in a single day visitors can make the most of the “Chill Cross” for front-of-line entry and shorter wait occasions when visiting Ice! This complimentary perk is included along with your keep, so that you need not do something extra to put it to use, however you do nonetheless have to buy a ticket for Ice!
In a single day visitors may also make the most of “Further Cool Hour,” a profit that permits resort visitors to enter Ice! one hour earlier than it opens to day visitors. Fewer crowds means shorter traces and extra journeys down the ice slide.
The simplest strategy to achieve entry to the occasion throughout Further Cool Hour is to make your room reservation earlier than you buy your Ice! tickets.
If you buy your Ice! tickets, filter the ticket kind to “In a single day Company Solely” and select your most popular date and time. It’s best to obtain a code in your pre-arrival affirmation electronic mail that you could enter in the course of the buy course of if you happen to select a time in the course of the first hour of the day. Alternatively, you should purchase a room and Ice! ticket package deal and you’ll obtain electronic mail directions on reserving a day and time to go to the attraction.
As a result of entry to Ice! is timed, it did not really feel overly crowded after we visited throughout regular working hours, however as we close to the vacations or if you happen to go to on a weekend, the Chill Cross and Further Cool Hour could turn out to be useful.
E book an atrium-view room
The distinctive glass atrium design is what makes staying in a Gaylord resort so particular.
My household likes to get up within the morning and throw open the balcony doorways to hearken to the dashing waterfalls and see the decor. We normally eat breakfast on the market, as properly. When the solar units within the night and the atrium darkens, the twinkling lights and glittering decor tackle a wholly totally different — and magical — look.
Staying in an atrium-view room can value wherever from round $70 to $100 extra per evening than staying in an ordinary exterior-view room, however I used to be capable of get it for no extra value — and you may, too.
As a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite member, I’m eligible for a complimentary room improve once I keep at a Marriott Bonvoy property, primarily based on availability. You’ll be able to earn Gold Elite standing with 25 eligible stays per yr, however you’ll be able to earn it a lot faster with a bank card that mechanically grants you Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite standing (you’ll have to enroll on-line or by calling your bank card’s customer support and giving them your Marriott Bonvoy quantity), like The Platinum Card® from American Categorical.
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I made a decision to roll the cube and booked an exterior-view room with the hopes of being upgraded to an atrium-view room. The improve sometimes cannot be assured till check-in, however I figured it could not damage to name previous to our arrival and have them make an observation on the reservation. I spoke with a pleasant customer support agent who made a be aware on my account. I anticipated to have to attend till I checked in for the improve to be confirmed, however the subsequent time I opened the Marriott app, my room kind confirmed as an atrium-view room.
I am not an enormous gambler, however this one paid off and I saved some money.
Backside line
With 5 resorts throughout the nation, there is a good likelihood you are not too removed from a Gaylord resort.
Every one has festive actions, decor, treats and drinks (scientifically, a sizzling toddy can assist you heat up after you have been within the chilly) to assist your loved ones create vacation recollections and traditions that may maintain you coming again to Gaylord yr after yr.
