Christmas at Gaylord Palms opens Nov. 13 and runs to Jan. 3. ICE! tickets are timed, online only and up to 30% off if booked by Nov. 16. Parking is $38.

Last checked Nov. 12, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: Gaylord Palms’ Christmas at Gaylord Palms site, its ICE! page, FAQs and offers page, and its ticket site, GaylordPalmsTickets.com.

Yes, it is on this year. Christmas at Gaylord Palms runs Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, at Gaylord Palms Resort, 6000 W. Osceola Parkway. The headline attraction is ICE! featuring The Polar Express, carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice. Every ticket is bought online in advance, and day guests pay to park.

Updated Nov. 5: the resort is selling ICE! tickets at up to 30% off when booked by Monday, Nov. 16, and has added the Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan, Nov. 23-26 only.

At a glance

  • Dates: Nov. 13, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027
  • Where: Gaylord Palms Resort, 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee
  • Tickets: online only at GaylordPalmsTickets.com; ICE! is timed entry
  • Parking: self-parking $38, valet $55, plus tax; cashless
  • Inside ICE!: 9 degrees Fahrenheit; parkas provided
  • Resort: 407-586-0000

ICE! featuring The Polar Express

The resort says ICE! has 11 scenes from The Polar Express, carved from 6,700 blocks of ice by 40 artisans from Harbin, China, over six weeks. It fills a 19,000-square-foot hall and includes five ice slides, among them a kid-sized one, up to 10 feet high. Scenes include dancing waiters serving hot chocolate, the train racing through “Glacier Gulch” and an 11-foot Santa at the North Pole.

  • Time inside: most guests spend 20 to 40 minutes. Tickets are single entry.
  • Temperature: 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Everyone gets a hooded, calf-length parka, in sizes from infant to adult 4XL.
  • What to wear: long pants and closed-toe shoes, which are required on the slides. Hats and gloves are strongly recommended and are sold on site. The floors are carpeted.
  • Access: the slides need guests to climb steps unassisted and meet height rules; the resort says much of the rest of the hall is fully accessible.
  • Photos: phones and cameras are allowed; tripods and extra lights are not.

Everything else at the resort

The resort lists these as separate tickets, or as part of a bundled activity pass:

  • POMP, SNOW and CIRQUEumstance, a music, magic and cirque holiday show
  • Snow Flow Mountain ice tubing. Riders must be at least 42 inches tall and carry their own tube, one rider per tube.
  • Gingerbread Decorating Corner
  • Photos with Santa
  • Snowball Build and Blast
  • Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions, story time, sing-alongs and cookies
  • An Alpine Village with shows, characters and hot chocolate, and Market Square, which the resort calls one of the largest Christmas stores in Florida
  • More than 3 million lights through the resort’s glass-roofed atrium
  • The Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan, Nov. 23-26 only: the Coca-Cola Polar Bear and giveaways, the resort says

Activity times vary by day; the full schedule and height rules are on GaylordPalmsTickets.com.

Tickets: what to know before you book

  • Advance only. There is no on-site box office. Tickets are emailed and scanned from your phone.
  • Timed entry. ICE! and many other attractions sell a set date and time. The resort says to arrive at least 15 minutes early; entry is not guaranteed for anyone more than five minutes late.
  • Refunds. Day guests’ tickets are nonrefundable. You can ask to move to another day or time by replying to your confirmation email before your slot, if space allows. Ticket insurance is sold at checkout.
  • Prices vary by date and attraction and are shown on the ticket site. Only one discount applies per ticket.
  • Early deal. The resort’s offers page lists “Merry Deals,” up to 30% off ICE! tickets, for bookings made by Monday, Nov. 16.
  • Hotel packages with ICE! tickets run for the same season, with blackout dates, according to the resort’s offers page.

Parking and getting there

Gaylord Palms charges every car. The resort lists self-parking at $38 a day and valet at $55, plus tax. Day guests are charged per entry, so leaving and coming back means paying again; in-and-out privileges are for overnight guests only. The resort is cashless, including at the parking exit.

Check our road construction and closures page for work on the route, and getting around Kissimmee for other ways in.

Dining

The resort says table-service restaurants take reservations at GaylordPalmsDining.com, that overnight guests get priority, and that on select peak evenings table-service dining is for overnight guests only. Day guests are seated as space allows.

What this means for you

  • Book ICE! for a set time, then plan parking and dinner around it.
  • Bring long pants and closed-toe shoes, even on a warm Florida night.
  • Budget $38 for parking on top of tickets, and expect to pay again if you leave and return.

Related: holiday lights and Christmas events in Kissimmee, Christmas parade and tree lighting, Black Friday and holiday shopping and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is Christmas at Gaylord Palms 2026?

Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, at Gaylord Palms Resort, 6000 W. Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, according to the resort.

How do I buy ICE! tickets at Gaylord Palms?

Online in advance only, at GaylordPalmsTickets.com. The resort says it has no on-site box office. ICE! tickets are for a set date and time, are emailed to you and are shown on your phone. Day guests’ tickets are nonrefundable, though the resort may exchange them for another time if you ask before your slot.

How much is parking at Gaylord Palms for Christmas?

The resort lists self-parking at $38 a day and valet at $55, plus tax. Day guests pay per entry, and the resort is cashless.

How cold is ICE! and what should I wear?

The resort keeps ICE! at 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Every guest gets a hooded, calf-length parka. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes, which are required on the ice slides; hats and gloves are strongly recommended.

Do you have to stay at the hotel to see ICE!?

No. Day guests can buy tickets. Overnight guests get front-of-line Chill Pass access to ICE!, and on select peak evenings the resort’s table-service restaurants take reservations from overnight guests only.