ICE! at Gaylord Palms 2026: The Polar Express Tickets, Dates and Tips

ICE! at Gaylord Palms is the most searched holiday event in Central Florida, and for good reason. It's a walk-through winter you can't get anywhere else within a few hundred miles of Orlando.

The 2026 theme is The Polar Express, and it runs November 13, 2026 through January 3, 2027 at Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee. Here's what it's like inside, what it costs and how to plan a visit that doesn't involve standing in a hallway for an hour.

What ICE! actually is

ICE! is a 20,000-square-foot room kept at about 9°F, filled with scenes hand-carved from roughly 2 million pounds of colored ice. You walk through it at your own pace on a carpeted path. Most people spend 20 to 40 minutes inside, which is about how long anyone lasts at 9 degrees.

Gaylord hands out hooded parkas at the door in sizes from infant to adult. They help, but they stop at your waist, so what you wear underneath matters.

There are ice slides inside, including two-story slides and a smaller one for kids. They're the part kids remember. You climb the stairs yourself, and closed-toe shoes are required.

The 2026 theme: The Polar Express

This is the first time The Polar Express has been the ICE! theme since 2019. Expect the train, the conductor, the North Pole and the "first gift of Christmas" scenes carved in ice. If your kids have seen the movie every December, this is the year to go.

Dates, tickets and prices

• Dates: November 13, 2026 through January 3, 2027.
• Tickets are online only. There is no box office at the resort. Buy at christmasatgaylordpalms.com.
• Every ticket is a timed entry. Arrive at least 15 minutes early. Gaylord may not let you in if you're more than a few minutes late.
• Prices change by date. Weeknights in November are the cheapest; weekends and the weeks around Christmas cost the most.
• Kids 3 and under are free with a paying adult.
• Discounts have been offered for AAA, military, teachers, seniors, first responders and Marriott Bonvoy members. Check the ticket page for what's running this season.
• Day guest tickets are non-refundable, but you can usually move to another date or time if there's space.

Parking is the hidden cost

Day guests pay to park at Gaylord Palms. Self-parking has been about $38 a day and valet more. For a family, parking can cost as much as a ticket.

Two ways to soften it: pair ICE! with dinner at the resort so the parking covers a full evening, or carpool with another family.

Other things at Christmas at Gaylord Palms

ICE! is the headline, but the resort fills the whole holiday season.

• Snow Flow Mountain: a snow tubing hill. It's a separate ticket from ICE!, with unlimited rides on your ticket date. Kids need to meet a height minimum.
• The atrium: Gaylord's huge glass atrium is decorated for the season and free to walk through once you've parked. It's worth an hour on its own.
• Holiday activity passes bundle ICE! with other activities, which can save money if you plan to do more than one.

Tips from someone who has done it

• Dress like you mean it. Long pants, real shoes (no sandals), and hats and gloves. The parka covers your top half. Your legs and hands get cold first.
• Pick an early time slot on a weekday if you can. Evening slots on December weekends are the most crowded.
• Wipe your phone lens when you come out. It fogs up for a minute or two after the cold.
• No tripods or extra lighting inside. Phone photos and video are fine.
• Leave time to walk. Gaylord Palms is huge, and getting from the garage to ICE! takes longer than you think.
• Book early for Christmas week. The days between December 20 and New Year's sell out first.

Make a day of it in Kissimmee

Gaylord Palms is on the west side of Kissimmee, close to Disney. If you're making the trip, the rest of the day is easy to fill with things that are cold-weather friendly the way Florida does cold weather: sunny and in the 70s.

Mini Moo Land, inside Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures about 30 minutes east, has a herd of highland cows you can pet, hand-feed and cuddle. This fall it added baby highland calves you can bottle-feed at 10 AM, 1 PM and 4 PM. General admission starts at $29.99, and the VIP bottle feeding is $65 with admission included. Morning cows, afternoon ice is a very good holiday day.

More ideas in our guide to things to do in Kissimmee, and if you're still planning the season, our Orlando Christmas lights guide covers the rest of the holiday events.