The Polar Express returns to ice! at Gaylord Palms near Disney World

About 40 ice carvers from Harbin, China, just started carving 2 million pounds of ice in a 9-degree room in Kissimmee. The Polar Express display opens Nov. 13 with five two-story ice slides.

All aboard. The Polar Express is pulling back into Kissimmee, and this time it’s made of ice.

ice! featuring The Polar Express opens Friday, Nov. 13 at Gaylord Palms Resort, just a few minutes from Walt Disney World. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the team of master ice carvers building it arrived at the resort, Laughing Place reported.

Hundreds of Gaylord Palms employees welcomed the carvers, and Orlando’s Wah Lum Chinese Temple performed a Dragon Dance to wish them luck.

Who carves the ice at Gaylord Palms?

A team of about 35 to 40 master ice carvers from Harbin, China. They traveled more than 7,000 miles to Central Florida for the job.

Harbin is known as the “Ice City” and is home to the world’s largest snow and ice sculpting festival. The carvers spend more than a month working inside a 9-degree room, using chainsaws, chisels, grinders, ice picks and detailed hand tools to turn giant blocks into characters and scenes.

What will ice! featuring The Polar Express look like?

It’s a 20,000-square-foot walk-through attraction made from about 2 million pounds of ice, according to WFTV.

Gaylord says the display will have 11 big scenes from the 2004 animated movie, including:

• The train arriving at Hero Boy’s house

• Passengers enjoying hot chocolate

• The ride down an icy mountain through Glacier Gulch

• The train’s arrival at the North Pole

Like every year, the walk ends with a Nativity scene carved in ice.

Does ice! at Gaylord Palms have ice slides?

Yes. The slide room is back with five two-story ice slides inspired by Glacier Gulch.

Everyone gets a blue parka at the door, but it’s still 9 degrees inside. Gaylord recommends bringing hats, gloves and other winter gear, which is a fun thing to pack for a Florida vacation.

Has The Polar Express been at Gaylord Palms before?

Yes. The Polar Express was the theme of ice! at Gaylord Palms back in 2019, and resort leaders said guest demand helped bring it back.

Other Gaylord resorts have their own themes this year. The one Disney fans will want to know about is at Gaylord Rockies outside Denver, where ice! features The Nightmare Before Christmas. Gaylord Opryland in Nashville has Home Alone, Gaylord Texan near Dallas has Harry Potter, and Gaylord National outside Washington, D.C., has How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

What else is at Christmas at Gaylord Palms?

ice! is the centerpiece of Christmas at Gaylord Palms, which runs Nov. 13, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027. There’s a lot more going on around the resort:

• Ice tubing on Snow Flow Mountain

• Snowball Build and Blast

• A new Christmas carousel

• Photos with Santa

• Gingerbread decorating

• An escape room and a scavenger hunt

• A Build-A-Bear Workshop

• More than 3 million Christmas lights

The resort’s Market Square is also one of the largest Christmas stores in Florida.

How do you get tickets for ice! at Gaylord Palms?

Tickets and resort packages are on sale at ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.com. Admission is by timed entry, and many experiences have limited capacity, so Gaylord recommends booking ahead.

Prices change by date, so check the official site for the night you want.

Is Gaylord Palms close to Disney World?

Very. Gaylord Palms is on Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee, just a short drive from Disney World, which makes ice! an easy add-on for a holiday trip.

If you’re in town for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or EPCOT’s holiday festival, it’s a good way to cool off. Literally. A walk through a 9-degree ice palace is about as close to a white Christmas as Central Florida gets.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Laughing Place, Luke Manning (Oct. 20, 2026), the carvers’ arrival, Harbin, the Dragon Dance, the tools and the Nov. 13 opening

• Gaylord Hotels (July 23, 2026), the scenes, square footage, slides, parkas and Christmas at Gaylord Palms activities

• WFTV, Brody Wooddell (July 23, 2026), the 2 million pounds of ice, the 2019 run and the holiday lineup

• Disney Tourist Blog (July 26, 2026), the other Gaylord resorts’ themes

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.