All Aboard! Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™ arrives at Gaylord National’s ICE! this holiday season

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND (July 24, 2025) – Christmas at Gaylord National is back with the D.C. region holiday favorite, ICE!, and this year will feature Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™. The classic holiday film is a new theme for Gaylord National and will be brought to life, carved out of 2 million pounds of ice. A team of 40 world-class ice artisans from Harbin, China, will travel halfway across the world to sculpt the ICE! experience using a centuries old art form. They will work for about one month to build it. Overnight guests and visitors will get the chance to relive the beloved film in this interactive frozen experience from Nov. 14, 2025 through Jan. 4, 2026. The long-standing holiday tradition, created by Gaylord Hotels, will be featured across six locations in 2025.

At Gaylord National, Chinese artisans will arrive in October to begin recreating the holiday favorite out of approximately 6,700 blocks of ice – each weighing 300 pounds. Anyone who visits ICE! will re-experience The Polar Express™ in a truly unique way. The frozen experience takes guests on a heartwarming journey through nine key scenes from the film, including the Polar Express arriving at Hero Boy’s House, passengers enjoying hot chocolate aboard the train, an exhilarating decent through Glacier Gluch and the enchanting arrival at the North Pole. The attraction is kept at a crisp 9 degrees Fahrenheit by a state-of-the-art chilling system, and guests are provided a Gaylord National signature blue parka to keep warm. The breathtaking display is created from over 20 different colors of ice, clear ice and LED lights to create an enchanted experience for all.

Towering ice sculptures—some soaring up to 20-feet tall—bring scenes from the beloved holiday classic The Polar Express™ to life, inviting guests to step into the story and relive its most magical moments. Visitors can climb aboard the frozen train and sound its iconic horn, journey through shimmering ice tunnels and arches, and race down two-story ice slides. The experience also includes a live carver showcase, where skilled artisans demonstrate the intricate craft of ice sculpting in real time. The journey concludes in a serene, awe-inspiring space dedicated to the Nativity, meticulously carved from crystal-clear ice in a breathtaking display of artistry and reverence.

Tickets for ICE! are now on sale at ChristmasatGaylordNational.com. In addition to the ICE! attraction, the resort will be packed with events and activities for families and people of all ages to enjoy. These include:

• An immersive walkthrough Christmas Village where guests will be transported to the North Pole for family fun, holiday shopping and delicious hot chocolate.
• Photos with Santa, where the entire family can meet the big man himself, make sure everyone is on the nice list and capture the moment with a keepsake photo.
• Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions featuring a retelling of the Christmas classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and Santa’s favorite holiday snack, Christmas cookies.
• The Snow Factory’s Snowball Build and Blast attraction allows guests to build and toss real snowballs to boost the power of the snowmaking machines.
• Snow Flow Mountain’s indoor snow tubing offers a thrilling ride down real frozen ice lanes.
• Cirque: Spirit of Christmas live stage show features dazzling acrobatics, feats of flexibility and high-flying stunts in a Broadway-style spectacle that fills the Atrium with energetic, dreamlike chapters each night.
• Here We Glow A Caroling laser light snow celebrates and highlights the tradition of caroling door-to-door without moving a muscle. Through thousands of glowing lights and a custom score, each door created will take the audience through a musical time warp.
• The Mistletoe Mile Scavenger Hunt gives families the chance to help the big man in red look across the resort for the blueprints to some of his favorite toys.
• Specialty holiday sweets hand crafted by the resort’s pastry team in the newly opened Capital Confectionery.
• Boozy hot chocolate and whiskey-based cocktails at the newly opened Whiskey Revolution whiskey tasting room.
• More holiday drink specials in the resort’s various restaurants, as well as special Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners at Old Hickory Steakhouse.
  Deck the Halls with Relaxation and Hydration spa offerings at award winning Relâche Spa throughout the Christmas season including massages, facials and manicures/pedicures for seasonal relaxation.
  

The best way to experience all the magic of the holiday season during Christmas at Gaylord National is through an overnight stay. There are several resort-only benefits when guests stay overnight such as the Chill Pass, which allow overnight visitors front-of-the-line access to the attraction. Overnight guests also receive priority access to the resort’s restaurants.

For the best view within the resort, guests can choose from 407 guest rooms and suites that overlook the resort’s decked-out atrium and Starlight Christmas Tree. Plus, the resort offers eight Christmas Dreams Suites, decorated each year with lights, stockings, a Christmas tree, a personal family photo op and sweet holiday treats for the perfect home away from home holiday experience. Gaylord National offers an overnight package for additional savings including:

ICE! featuring Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™ Package

• Starting at $309 for two night stay
• Overnight accommodations
• Two to four tickets to ICE! (one per person, per stay).
• Additional $27 resort fee
  

Available on select dates only.

Presidential ICE! Package

• Starting at $959
• Overnight accommodations in Presidential Riverview Suite
• Valet parking for one car
• VIP celebrity service check-in
• Guided tour of ICE!
• Hands-on private carving experience
• Photo op with ice carving
• Additional $27 resort fee

Guests interested in the world-renowned talent of the artisans can book an exclusive VIP package including a one-on-one carving experience with the artisans. This exclusive offer gives an up-close look at the craft passed down through generations.

• All overnight guests will enjoy additional perks of:

• Complimentary “Chill Pass” privileges to ICE! offering front-of-line access and shorter wait times. Attraction tickets are required and sold separately, in advance.
• Priority reservations to the resort’s restaurants.

Located just steps away from National Harbor, guests can enjoy all the holiday activities and entertainment in this waterfront destination. Check out the D.C. and Arlington skyline from the top of the Capital Wheel, and choose from a variety of shops and fun, free activities like movies and concerts on the pier. Guests of the resort can ride the National Harbor Circulator bus to visit Tanger Outlets or MGM Resort, as well.

To learn more about Gaylord National Resort, and its holiday attractions and book an overnight stay, room package, meeting, or event, please visit ChristmasatGaylordNational.com or call 301-965-4000.


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About ICE!  
The annual ICE! events bring to life beloved Christmas stories hand-carved by master artisans from Harbin, China at resorts around the United States. Created and designed by Gaylord Hotels, ICE! debuted at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee in 2001. ICE! has been visited by tens of millions of visitors who travel to each resort to see more than 2 million pounds carved into beloved scenes and characters, two-story ice slides, photo-worthy tunnels and archways, and more. ICE! takes place at each Gaylord Hotels resort across the United States, including Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md., Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn., Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla., Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colo. and Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, in 2024, ICE! makes its debut at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas. More information can be found at ICE.marriott.com.  


About Gaylord National
Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center
is the largest, non-gaming hotel and convention center on the east coast, located along the banks of the Potomac River in National Harbor, Maryland, and part of Marriott International, Inc. Opened in April 2008, Gaylord National is an AAA-Four Diamond resort that is only eight miles from Washington, D.C. The resort offers nearly 2,000 rooms including 110 suites; a 19-story atrium; 600,000 square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space; acclaimed restaurants including Old Hickory Steakhouse; and Pose Rooftop Lounge.


About Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences (WBDGE) is a worldwide leader in the creation, development, licensing and operating of location-based entertainment based on the biggest franchises, stories, and characters from Warner Bros.’ world-renowned film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, Cartoon Network and more. WBDGE is home to the groundbreaking locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal theme parks around the world, award-winning Warner Bros. Studio Tour locations in London, Hollywood, and Tokyo, the iconic Harry Potter New York flagship store, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, The WB Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS Experience, The Game of Thrones Studio Tour and countless other experiences inspired by Harry Potter, DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, FRIENDS and more. WBDGE is part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Revenue & Strategy division.

Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™: THE POLAR EXPRESS and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.