As a Floridian, I often long for a blustery holiday season where Christmas lights cast icicles of color across a frosty lawn, and a wooly Santa doesn't need air conditioning. There's something idyllic about bundling up in a comfy coat and spouting off your wish list when it's cold enough to see to your breath as you do.

Fortunately none of us have to give up our toasty piece of paradise or buy a plane ticket to the North Pole to experience the thrill of a white Christmas. You can enjoy the best of both latitudes at Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, where one minute you can slide through an ice castle in a parka, and the next you can warm underneath the Florida sun in a swimsuit by the pool.

Hit the ICE!

The landmark hotel, just 1.5 miles from Walt Disney World® Resort, brings its popular ICE! attraction back for a sixth season this year, beginning November 17. This year's theme, "Santa's Arctic Blast," features several new lighted ice scenes that star a larger than life "Jolly Cold Saint Nicholas" along with slippery ice slides, a walk-through igloo and a life-size Nativity scene that's been called one of the most breathtaking depictions of the birth of Christ.
The holidays in Florida have never been cooler.


Nearly two million pounds of ice were used to create the glistening walk-through Santa land, and some of the world's finest ice-carving artisans from Harbin, China, spend a month creating it.

Tip: ICE! is kept at a frigid nine degrees inside, but don't worry, Gaylord Palms supplies you and the kids with hooded parkas to stay warm. You should wear pants and closed-toed shoes, and you may even want to dig out those gloves, scarves and hats for the occasion.

Best of Florida Christmas

Of course, it sometimes takes more than a larger-than-life Santa and winter wonderland to keep a sun-loving scrooge like myself in a holiday spirit. But Gaylord Palms makes sure there's no chance of losing it with the Best of Florida Christmas, a 49-day celebration that includes 436 holiday performances and whimsical touches through the massive resort.

Find the Gnomes

For instance, it's pretty hard to say "bah humbug!" when you're searching for 20 hidden gnomes in a 4.5-acre atrium filled with 5,000 poinsettias. Sure, you've seen the little elfin statues photographed in the most unusual places around the world, but you'll still be surprised at the spots you'll find them in the resort. You may even win a prize if you locate them all. Consider staying overnight (with rates starting $129 per night), leaving you with more time to search (they're cleverly hidden!).

Special Treats

Some of the overnight holiday packages come with other treats. In addition to ICE! event tickets, one package allows hotel guests to build and decorate their own gingerbread house with the help of a Gaylord Palms pastry chef. Special in-room televised bedtime Christmas stories help the kids prepare for a winter's nap and, for a slight additional fee, Mrs. Claus can visit the room personally to tuck them in for the night.

On select weekend mornings, Mrs. Claus hosts a brunch at Villa de Flora in view of a majestic Christmas tree that towers more than 70 feet above the resort's Castillo de San Marcos replica fort. (Non-hotel guests are invited as well.)

When you're ready to "return" to the Sunshine State, stroll through other areas of the atrium and check out the resident live alligators and stingrays. Better yet, step outside to the H2O Sports Bar & Grille for a tropical drink and a view of the pool. If you get too warm, you can always take a ride down another slide, this time right into the swimming pool.

Christmas at the North Pole could never be so much fun, and no other Florida attraction could make it so cool. Thanks to a visit, I can strike "winter wonderland" off my list for Santa. At least for this year...

For more information on Best of Florida Christmas at Gaylord Palms, call 407-586-2000 or visit www.gaylordhotels.com.