ICE! featuring Frosty the Snowman

Kissimmee, Florida:  Where in the world can you go sliding down a water slide one moment in 70+ degree temperatures and then slide down an ice slide at 9 degrees just moments later?  At Gaylord Palms in Central Florida of course and its popular ICE! exhibit.

This year, ICE! features Frosty the Snowman.  Enter the frozen word of the holiday icon Frosty as you wind your way through the story from his creation to his return to the North Pole.

One of the highlights of the exhibit is the ice slide.  Climb the stairs, sit down on the ice and slide down to the bottom.  It is as close to sledding as you can get in the Sunshine State.

New to the exhibit this year is the "Artisans in Action" portion of the exhibit.  Here you can watch the ice sculptors create these frozen masterpieces.  A team of artists from Harbin, China travel to Florida each year to create this exhibit and now you can take a behind the scenes look at how it is done.

At the end of the tour is the Nativity scene.   Here the entire Nativity scene is represented in ice sculptures.  From Baby Jesus to the animals, they are all here in stunning detail.

To keep the exhibit in pristine condition, the ICE! exhibit is kept at a chilling nine degrees.  To help keep you warm, you are issued a parka at the start of your journey.  A hat, scarf and gloves is also recommended to help keep warm.  It took until the ice slide for the cold to actually kick in for me, but when it did, it hit hard, reminding me why I left Pennsylvania for the Florida almost 15 years ago.

Gaylord Palms introduced the ICE! exhibit in 2003.  Since then it has been providing Floridians and tourists the opportunity to experience a holiday winter wonderland in the heart of Central Florida.

This year's exhibit runs until January 5, 2014.  Tickets can be purchased onsite or via Gaylord Palms website.  Adult admission is $29.99 and children admission is $16.99 with a discount if purchased in advance.

Click on the photo above to view my ICE! featuring Frosty the Snowman photo gallery.

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