“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reonteer” will be the theme of the Carved-Ice Display and Holiday Festivities at Gaylord Palms Resort. For the 2025 edition, expect a very shiny nose, a secret slide, and a bigger bumble than life.
This is Rudolf’s first appearance at the annual event at Kissimmee Resort known as “Ice!” Though the theme is used by others in the hotel chain. But it will focus on new appearances and photo-aware moments.
“We completely redesigned the entire appeal,” said Niconicolau, director of entertainment at Gay Road Hotel. “This year, this new design with interactive photo spots carved by ice sculptors really allows us to be truly doves and our guests to be part of the scene.”
This includes a pop-up space where visitors can appear between Rudolf and Yukon Cornelius, the Arctic Prospectors of the 1964 TV Special. They also posed in the hands of Bumble, the hateful snow monster, and were able to enter an icy bin from the island of misfit toys. Other characters in the ice: Herme of Elf, Clarice, and Santa Claus.
“Rudolph is iconic. So you can’t go through number 3 without watching the Top 10 Christmas movies and saying, ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’,” Nicolau said.
Along with the secret slides of “Ice!” popular slides, we return the elements introduced when the theme was “Elf” last year.

“We want it to be very tactical. We want it to be very experiential. So when you go with your kids, those 30 minutes are truly amazing, high quality, memory-making family time,” said Nickolaou.
The heart of “Ice!” continues to have that traditional element: 40 artisans from Harbin, China, for 40 days, £2 million of ice. Visitors are said to be set at 9 degrees, walking through Parker’s 20,000 square feet of display space. LED lighting and coloring helps create an effect. The event will start four months away, but ice blocks have already been prepared for the event at its Dallas and Atlanta facilities.

Gaylord Palms’ holiday programming includes a naughty or lovely escape room, snow factory (with inner tube on ice and snowball building), reindeer game Scavenger Hunt, story time with Mrs. Klaus, elf training academy, “Here” “We are Graewinger Caroling”, “Great Story” musical, Hollit Chocolate Shop, a new Jack Frost chocolate show that deals with visitors,
Also, this year’s news is a stage show called “Pomp, Snow & Cirqueumstance,” produced at Gaylord Palms Atrium. Includes acrobatics, magicians, aerial acts and other characters.
“It’s so much fun,” Nikolau said. “There’s music, magic, silk.”
Disney’s Hollywood Studio: Changes set in the animated courtyard
“Ice!” will be held from November 14th to January 7th. Tickets vary depending on date and range from $33 to $44. For more information or tickets, visit Christmasstgaylordpalms.com.
Please email dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Bluesky: @themeparksdb. Thread account: @dbevil. X Account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.
Magical Journey: 25 Years of Tony Brent and I-drive Dinner Show
Original issue: July 24th, 2025 8am Edt