Yahoo Noticias Gaylord Palms: ‘Elf’ movie inspires 2024 ‘Ice’ attraction
Gaylord Palms will slide into new territory for this year’s “Ice” attraction. For the first time, the elaborate ice-sculpting attraction will be based on “Elf,” the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell.
“You’ll really follow Buddy’s journey from the North Pole to New York City,” said Niko Nickolaou, senior director of special events and creative for Gaylord Hotels.
Buddy is a human, played by Ferrell, raised as an elf. The Gaylord event, which runs between Nov. 17 and Jan. 3 at the Kissimmee resort, will play with proportions in some areas as seen in the film.
“You walk in, and you see this oversized Buddy as he’s the L in ‘Elf,’ and that’s a great photo op,” Nickolaou said. That design harkens back to the movie poster. Soon thereafter in “Ice” is the classroom scene.
“There’s the ice desks, there’s Papa Elf teaching, there’s Buddy,” Nickolaou said. “That’s the first moment that is super-connective. And you’re like, ‘Wow, I’m about to experience something special.’”
Gaylord plans to portray icy film elements from the Empire State Building to Etch a Sketch.
“There’s a lot of those elements there that really captures the entire movie all the way throughout it,” Nickolaou said.
The slide room will represent the snowball fight in “Elf,” and it will have a secret slide that leads to a basement dance party, he said.
“Ice” is an annual holiday event throughout the Gaylord chain. In Florida, more than 2 million pounds of ice are carved in a 20,000 square-foot display that’s kept at a constant 9 degree temperature.
Planning for “Elf” in “Ice” has taken about two years. It has not been developed for any other of the Gaylord holiday presentations, so executives plotted what they wanted to see then worked with artisans from China to see what’s possible.
“We have to have a science of how many guests have to go through it,” Nickolaou said. “But then we kind of just look and say, ‘OK what are the most iconic beats that people are going to want to see?”
Gaylord listened to guest feedback about the event, and they liked the family-friendly theming of “Elf,” which also starred James Caan, Bob Newhart and Zooey Deschanel. It was directed by Jon Favreau.
“This movie came out almost a couple of decades ago and has just been so powerful in being a traditional Christmas experience,” Nickolaou said.
“One of the scenes I was super-passionate about is when Buddy’s sitting at the dining room table eating his spaghetti and maple syrup and he just decorated and you have the dad there,” he said.
“It’s right before the slide room, but it’s a great scene that you can kind of walk in there and see the connection to family.”
Earlier this year, Nickolaou visited China for the famed Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. This is the city where the artisans for “Ice” are based.
“It was the coldest place I’ve ever been on Earth,” he said. “It was an incredible experience. The detail and skill that they have is remarkable.”
He was impressed with the scale of the carvings, including 70-foot churches made of ice.
“To watch the process of them cutting the blocks out of the river and bringing them over to the festival and starting to carve – all the elements of it is truly spectacular,” he said. He’s returning to Harbin in February.
“That’s helping us really evolve ‘Ice’ to the next level with some stuff, spending time with them and just saying ‘Hey, what if we do this?’ as we look at our attractions to continue to improve and make them spectacular spectacles here in the States.”
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The “Ice” national footprint is expanding this year with a debut at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country. Gaylord has been operated by Marriott International since 2012. At Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, the “Ice” presentation of “Frosty the Snowman” will be seen for the first time in a decade.
Back in Central Florida, Gaylord Palms’ holiday events will include an “Elf”-theme scavenger hunt, an atrium light show called “Here We Glow A-Caroling,” the return of the “Cirque: The Spirit of Christmas” stage show with new acts, snow tubing, an escape room, gingerbread decorating and more.
“We know that’s what our customers want, and how much they enjoy them,” Nickolaou said.
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