jedimaster1227 Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 (edited) This morning I had the opportunity to attend a special event taking place at the Gaylord Palms hotel. For those of you unfamiliar with the property, it is owned and operated by the same company behind Opryland and the other Gaylord hotels across the country. Recently announced, the Dreamworks characters would be tying in with these properties to add some character to the hotels. Well, not only are the characters coming to the property, but they are taking over the hotel's traditional holiday celebration to spice things up. While not all details were announced, we were given some news as to what to expect of Dreamworks this coming Winter. The annual event, ICE! will take on a new theme in the form of Shrek the Halls, based on the popular television special. Also to be offered will be character meet and greets, and a 3D Dreamworks film/experience (this was only teased with no more details announced). It was definitely a fun event to be at, with a great little spread of themed desserts and an very unique presentation and delivery of the news... Let's take a look at the photos from today! UPDATE: I just received a followup email from the Gaylord Palms listing what's in store for this November! Animate your holiday vacation when you book the DreamWorks® Experience at Gaylord Hotels, starring the beloved characters from such films as Shrek®, Kung Fu Panda®, and Madagascar®. Enjoy numerous interactive holiday experiences this Christmas, including: ICE! featuring DreamWorks’ Merry Madagascar™ (at Gaylord Opryland and Gaylord National); and ICE! featuring DreamWorks’ Shrek the Halls™ (at Gaylord Palms and Gaylord Texan) SNOW! at Gaylord Palms SNOW! featuring Kung Fu Panda Plunge at Gaylord Texan Festive Interactive Character Meals “Character Passport” Meet & Greets Gingerbread Decorating with Gingy 3D Dinner and DreamWorks® Movie Experience (at Gaylord Palms and Gaylord Texan) Nightly Street Party with Characters, Music and Dancing (at Gaylord Opryland) DreamWorks® Themed Scavenger Hunt DreamWorks® Welcome Amenity with Package Check-In and even Special Wake-Up Calls by DreamWorks® Characters! We're in the right place! For anyone who has never been, the Gaylord Palms is a huge hotel with several themed environments fit to walk around and take in. This is the fort in the center of the atrium. TPR Turtle-Fancy fulfilled! Megacroc! So this is why we're here... But it isn't November 16th yet. Megacroc vs. Turtloid! Coming to SyFy in 2012. They were really trying to push the social media angle for this event, and it really worked! They had nutcrackers on stilts as preshow entertainment! These guys were awesome! We did the wave... The event also played host to children from the local Boys & Girls Club. While not exactly in theme, the screen displayed people's tweets and Facebook updates before the presentation began. I think we're ready to begin! Yep. Delivered straight from Madagascar, we've got a crate! What could it be? OOH!!! AH!!! Shrek the Halls it is! Did we just blow up a Tee-One-Million? "I'm gunna have to call you back. We've got characters!" The entrance was pretty impressive! Then they started to dance to "I Like to Move It" from Madagascar. And when I say dance, I mean go nuts. The club can't even handle them right now. Then they 'sploded. Eew... Oh... That's just confetti! Bubbling brownies... Delicious! Welcome to Singapore! They had Strawberry Mousse cones, and they were AMAZING! Dan. Suffer. I'm hip and trendy with my iPhone. They also recreated Shrek's swamp with sugar. O, where art thou, Enchanted Oak Tavern? The characters from Madagascar seemed to be the hit of the event... Another one for good measure. They've kept the same basic layout of the slide room intact, but have heavily rethemed it to match the Shrek the Halls motif. Yay for Ice Slide credits! Never saw it. Another room for the event... Po. They even had free, icy-cold, delicious and refreshing Coca-Cola Classic! It looks like this will be the last room of ICE! for the year. How cute? More meet and greets... I had my own little Penguin Encounter on the way out... A look at the Plaza where the event took place. Um... Moving right along! Edited July 19, 2011 by jedimaster1227 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 What is ICE and I don't mean frozen water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 This report needed more Key West, and less announcements about Dreamworks stuff that won't be happening until winter. Nice coverage though, Adam. I think I'm gonna have to break down and wander inside this place while I'm down there in October. How's the restaurant? Ever eaten there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster1227 Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 ^^ICE is a Winter offering held in the hotel's convention center in which they seal off the venue and cool it below freezing. They fill a huge section of that space with themed ice sculptures, ice slides (and started last year, a separate ticket offering with snow) for the event. I covered it a few years ago here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=53659 It's something I do every few years, but it is definitely worth it! ^Come back to Orlando and we'll hit Key West to your satisfaction--and make a trip report out of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Where abouts in the Hotel do they set this up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster1227 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 (edited) ^ICE! is held exclusively in the hotel's convention center, although the other holiday activities take place in some of the other convention space, as well as in the hotel's atrium plaza (where this report's event took place). The put in a large amount of programmable lights under the atrium, normally sponsored by Siemens and synchronized to holiday music as well. Of all of the hotels that do special overlays for the holidays, this is always my favorite! Oh, and Scott, I forgot to answer your question! They have several restaurants inside the hotel, one of which in Key West, one in the Everglades section, a sushi restaurant in the Plaza and then the buffet. The buffet changes cuisines each night, and I've eaten there several times, trying both the Spanish and French cuisines (the French being my favorite). I went there for my birthday several times in the last few years--it was that good! As for the other restaurants, I've yet to try them out--price being the biggest factor in that decision. Edited July 23, 2011 by jedimaster1227 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 ^ Thanks, Adam. Yeah, I was thinking of the one with the boat. Out of curiosity I just looked it up (Sunset Sam's Fish Camp), and you're right about the price.......OUCH! Even my favorite bottle of wine was about $60 more than I could find it for at my local supermarket. Sorry, Sam....I'll pass. But hey, the place looks great though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper39 Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 ^Yeah, I went to explore the hotel once and if I recall correctly it was $15-20 just to park to be able to walk through the place. And yeah all of the menus at the restaurants are very pricey, but it is an amazing property worth checking out if you have the time and the cash! Personally I though the ICE exhibit the year I saw it was kinda meh, it was cool for the first couple rooms then they rest is all the same and the slides are about 8 feet tall and not that interesting. The Shrek theme might make it better, I paid half price for my visit full price might have felt like a waste. Next to one of the pools there is a pretty cool natural grass (I think) miniature golf course that was free to play, so check that out too if you ever visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneymoc Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I am slightly surprised Universal hasn't created a stink with the use of Shrek so close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
better_by_design Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Very cool! (yes, pun intended...) I've been to the Nashville Gaylord Opryland for their Christmas festivities before, including ICE! and liked it, though it is pretty spendy for each event. The Gaylords all aim at business clients with expense accounts, and their restaurants are ALWAYS pricey. Pretty darn good, but you definitely pay a premium for dining "on property". Which, when I'm there for a convention is fine, but on my own dime, not so much. The Holiday shenanigans are a very cunning way for them to drive tourist business during a time no one is booking conventions. Interesting to see Dreamworks pimping themselves out like this and with their deal with Royal Caribbean on the new mega cruise ships. Where else will they pop up? Beautiful resorts, and always an attraction in themselves just to walk around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millenniumfan94 Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I have actually spent a week at Gaylord Palms back in the spring with the school marching band during our Florida tour. I must say, that is an amazing hotel, probably the best I have ever stayed in. Glad you had a good time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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