Are you looking for a fun Christmas adventure for your family? If so, be sure to check out the Gaylord Hotels in Washington, DC, Nashville, TN, Orlando, FL and Dallas, TX. The Gaylord knows how to do Christmas and boy do they have some fabulous new surprises in store for your family this year!
I was able to take my son to the Gaylord National last year and he still cannot stop talking about it. To give you an idea of what you can expect this year at the Gaylord hotels, I must first tell you that Gaylord has formed an alliance with DreamWorks! I cannot imagine two better companies to put on a Christmas Spectacular!
Most of you probably know that the Gaylord Hotels offer a one-of-a kind ICE! Experience. To give you a general idea, ICE! is made of 2 million pounds of ice and takes 40 artisans from China about 40 days to hand-carve. The show consists of 10 wintertime scenes along with four slides (three of which are two stories high). This year's ICE! scenes will come from some of our favorite DreamWorks movies. At Gaylord National and Gaylord Opryland, you will be able to visit a Merry Madagascar ICE! Experience. At Gaylord Texan and Gaylord Palms, this year's theme is Shrek the Halls. Gaylord Palms and Gaylord Texan also offer SNOW!, where you can find your inner child while playing in real snow! Whether or not you are staying at the hotels, you are able to buy tickets to enjoy one or both of these fabulous events.
The Gaylord Hotels could not stop there. Instead, the fun continues with interactive experiences with beloved DreamWorks characters from movies such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar. You and your family enjoy an interactive character meal, "Character Passport" meet & greets, a DreamWorks themed scavenger hunt, DreamWorks character wake-up calls, Gingerbread decorating with Gingy, and more!
And the Hotels have some other magical treats in store for you and your family. At the Gaylord National, tons of beautiful Christmas trees adorn the lobby and give you your first peak at what is to come. The hotel decor is beautiful and classic. The main focal point in the Atrium is a 60 foot glass Christmas tree crafted of 108 individual holly leaves. Every night at 6pm there is a tree lighting show which is amazing! Not only does the Christmas tree light, but the fountains dance, the trees all sparkle, the northern lights above glow and all of this is choreographed to beautiful music. Under the tree, you'll find the Potomac Express, an adorable miniature train. I would recommend buying the 3 rides for $5, as one trip was not enough for any of the kids I saw. The Brightest Star Fountain Show also takes place in the Atrium. During the show, you'll hear a heartwarming narration of the classic Christmas story and watch as choreographed water "dances" to the music. The show takes place nightly at 7, 8 and 9pm. The fountain also runs 2-3 minute shows throughout the day from 11am to 5pm. In addition to all of this, it actually snows in the Atrium every night at 6:15 and 9:15pm. Don't worry, you don't get wet, but it really does snow! It is so cool and definitely a must see!
Oh, make sure to look up! There is a Northern Lights display nightly from 5 to 10pm. There are 50-150-foot curtains hanging from the ceiling over the atrium. Choreographed to music, the lights appear to "dance" and the colors change overhead just like the real Northern Lights.
At Gaylord Opryland, you can see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring The Rockettes, attend the Louise Mandrell Christmas Dinner Party, take a carriage ride, view the amazing outdoor nativity scene, take a Christmas Cruise on the General Jackson Showboat, ride the holiday kids train, attend storytime with Mrs. Claus and even attend wreath-making and food demonstrations. Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time as the decorations at Gaylord Opryland are not to be missed!
At Gaylord Palms, families can enjoy the 2011 holiday release "Puss In Boots" playing on a 35-foot 3D screen while enjoying a fantastic meal and a performance by all your favorite DreamWorks characters on one stage. Your family can also watch Mrs. Claus cook while you enjoy a fabulous meal at the Villa de Flora Holiday Brunch.
And finally, at the Gaylord Texan, families can enjoy a Lone Star Christmas with magnificently decorated resort atriums featuring over 1.5 million holiday lights, electric train displays, a life-size Gingerbread House, and 12,000 sparkling holiday ornaments... just to name a few. Special guests of Lone Star Christmas will include Santa Claus, a variety of strolling holiday entertainers, and much more!
Visit the Gaylord website to find out more and book your own DreamWorks Experience for this holiday season. See more here: www.gaylordhotels.com/dreamworks
*Additional fees may apply, and some experiences are only available with the purchase of a DreamWorks Experience package.
Please note that the author and her family were invited to visit the ICE! Experience and stay over at Gaylord National in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are her own and no other form of compensation was received.
