We hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving filled with family and friends. If you’re in town and looking for a fun family activity, consider heading to the Gaylord National Resort for its Christmas on the Potomac. Thank you to the Gaylord for providing us with a complimentary visit to ICE! in order to write this feature.
First, we’re happy to announce that readers can get a $3 discount off of ICE! tickets, valid on all days. Just use code: Influencer19 when you buy your tickets!
Our family has been going to ICE! for at least 8 years. Even though our oldest couldn’t attend this year, the other four of us had a memorable time checking out this year’s theme (who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss’ classic holiday tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas?) and new offerings, like the Reindeer Rush Tubing (which my kids and husband loved; it was considerably faster than they expected).
Entering ICE! involves donning a heavy blue parka, but don’t forget a hat and gloves, because it’s COLD inside the exhibit. As a plus-sized mom, I can assure you that all sizes are available. Once you’ve donned the parkas, you take a short walk and enter the exhibit, which this year is themed after Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
At the end of the display there’s one room with beautiful religious ice sculptures. Unlike the rest of the show, with its vibrant colors, this final room is all crystal-clear. My favorite sculpture in this room is the beautiful angel.
Families with young children (or kids of any age who enjoy character buffets) should check out Christmas on the Potomac’s Feast With Grinch, in which the Grinch and his dog Max visit your table.
If you can do a mid-week visit in December, there are new special activities called “Workshop Wednesdays.” Each Workshop Wednesday will feature a new craft or activity. The workshops will be held on Dec. 4th, 11th, and 18th from 4-8 p.m. Activities will vary each Wednesday, but guests can expect fun, festive craft nights and special family friendly events, like:
- Ooey Gooey Grinch Slime
- Winter Mint Body Scrub
- Medieval Times will join the party with a Knight performance, a “knighting” ceremony for the kids and more.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
- Get your tickets for ICE! and ICE! packages here. (There are special Black Friday sales!)
- Packages and bundles provide more of a deal, but if you only want to do the ICE! exhibit and one or two extras, you can do that too.
- Parking is extra, so you can either park in the Gaylord’s garage or look for a nearby lot.
