It may only be July, but you can JUUUUUUST start to smell a tiny little bit Christmas in the air. The 2018 Hallmark ornaments have been revealed. QVC just had their Christmas In July event. And earlier today, the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, FL announced their theme for the 2018 season of ICE!, their annual indoor winter wonderland…and it just happens to be my most favorite Christmas movie ever – A CHRISTMAS STORY!
“We’re thrilled to see this Christmas classic brought to life inside ICE! for the first time ever,” said Johann Krieger, General Manager for the Gaylord Palms Resort. “We know that ‘A Christmas Story’ has been a holiday tradition for so many people over the years, and we hope that guests can join us to make ICE! a part of their tradition as well.”
The Gaylord brand of hotels is part of the Marriott family. From Marriott’s website:
ICE!® featuring A CHRISTMAS STORY™
ICE! is back at Gaylord Palms with an all-new theme featuring the beloved classic holiday movie A Christmas Story. Watch this hilarious family tale come to life through interactive ice sculptures and displays. Experience iconic scenes such as The Old Man’s Major Award, Aunt Clara’s pink nightmare and the ultimate triple dog dare at the school’s flagpole. Everything is hand-carved from two million pounds of ice.
For tickets and information: +1-407-586-4423
Hours of Operation: Vary by day and subject to change. Event times and ticketing options are listed by day on purchase tickets calendar.
Location: Alpine Village
ICE! is an indoor winter wonderland kept at a chilly 9 degrees featuring:
- Colorful, life-sized ice sculptures and five two-story ice slides
- Hand-carved scenes from the beloved holiday movie classic, A Christmas Story
- The Frostbite Factory – a live ice carving zone with artisans from Harbin, China
- A separate area dedicated to the majestic Nativity in crystal-clear ice
For the uninitiated: A Christmas Story is a 1983 film presented in a series of vignettes, with narration provided by the adult Ralphie Parker reminiscing on one particular Christmas when he was nine years old. Ralphie wanted only one thing for that Christmas: a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Ralphie’s desire is rejected by his mother, his teacher Miss Shields, and even a Santa Claus at Higbee’s department store, all giving him the same warning: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” A seasonal classic in North America, it is shown numerous times on television, usually on the networks owned by the Turner Broadcasting System. Since 1997, a marathon of the film titled “24 Hours of A Christmas Story” has aired annually on TNT and/or TBS, comprising twelve consecutive airings of the film on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day each year.
A CHRISTMAS STORY and all related characters and elements © & TM Turner Entertainment Co. (s18)
Classic scenes from the movie will include Ralphie coming down the stairs in the pink bunny suit from Aunt Clara (“He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny!”), Ralphie and The Old Man changing the car’s tire (“Oh, FUDGE!”), the slide at Higbee’s which, based on the concept drawing, looks like you can slide down! (OMG, I am SOOO going to do that!), and more!
Click on each picture to see the concept art of the different scenes:
All ready to go? Then CLICK HERE to purchase online tickets in advance – prices range from from $14.99 child/$28.99 adult (although personally, I’d wait. Last year they had a flash sale in September).
Naddafinga!
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