Dallas Moms has partnered with the Gaylord Texan to bring you this review. All opinions are 100% our own.
There are some Christmas traditions in Dallas that are pretty iconic, but we think that Lone Star Christmas at the Gaylord Texan is definitely one of the top 10. For the last seven years, my family has used the magic at the Gaylord to jump-start our holiday spirit. With over 2,000,000 twinkling lights, over 15,000 sparkling ornaments, and 100 miles of light strands, it’s hard to not throw on those matching holiday PJ’s and become fully immersed in the experience!
It’s hard to not expect Texas-sized decor from the Gaylord Texan, but each year the detail that is put into every corner of the hotel still amazes me. There are 25 ft. tall Nutcrackers and a spectacular 54 ft. tall Christmas Tree greeting you the moment you walk through the front doors of the hotel.
While the decorations for Lone Star Christmas are massive and dazzling, its the ICE! attraction that blows me away. Every year they bring in artists from China to hand carve over two million pounds of ice into a truly magnificent masterpiece. The theme of the intricately carved, brightly colored ice takes changes every year. This year the theme is A Charlie Brown Christmas.
My family and I have been several times over the years, and every year we get ‘better’ at visiting ICE! If you are planning to go, there are a few things I think you should know.
How To Prepare for ICE!
First and foremost, it’s cold. How cold? Real cold. Four-letter-word cold. 9 degrees to be specific. You will want to dress warm so you can really enjoy the attraction, because it’s breathtaking, both from the artistry and again, the cold.
- Long sleeves and pants. Consider leggings under thin pants.
- The Gaylord Texan passes out blue parkas to everyone {Even as small as 2T!} who goes through the attraction, but you won’t want that to be your ONLY jacket.
- Gloves, hats, scarves…for everyone!! Tip: everyone looks the same in the blue parkas and I can see how you might lose sight of your party as you move through the attraction. Consider bright or distinct hats for the littlest guests.
- Hand warmers. This was a new addition for us this year and it made everyone so much more comfortable! Tip: the Target Dollar Bin has lots of hand warmers right now. Go get you some! I passed ours to another family when we were finished and they were thrilled.
- The ICE! attraction is carpeted so you don’t need any kind of special footwear. Just know that you cannot wear slick soled shoes or heels on the ice slide.
- New this year — No strollers allowed in the Christmas Village! In previous years you could leave a stroller just outside the exhibit, but this year they’re asking you leave them in the Conference Hallway altogether. The baby carrier is your friend. I have had a small child in an Ergo carrier strapped to me on two different visits. Just ask for a larger parka to wrap ALL the way around the little one. Works like a charm!
Now that you know how to prepare for ICE! How about a discount?
Dallas Moms has a special treat for our readers. Get a 50% discount with the code “DALLASMOM” at checkout during select dates*.
Once you are finished with ICE! stick around and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate in the Christmas Village. There’s snow tubing, a Build-A-Bear Workshop (with ICE! themed outfits) and a snowball throwing station.
Enjoy walking around the grounds, check out the trains and stop to say hello to (a legit) Santa. There are picture packages available for purchase right at his big, red chair. Plus, we’ve also tried ice skating, Christmas traditions with Mrs. Claus, gingerbread decorating and a Merry Snoopy Christmas scavenger hunt. **Note that all of the mentioned activities require a ticket of some sort. Pricing and information can be found on the Gaylord Texan website.
