Christmas at Gaylord National is in full swing with holiday fun, entertainment and cuisine for all ages

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND (Nov. 22, 2024) - Families looking for the best place to celebrate Christmas need look no further: Christmas at Gaylord National is the place to be! With its signature attraction, ICE! featuring the classic Christmas special "A Charlie Brown Christmas", the resort will also offer a special VIP carving experience, two Christmas-themed pop-up bars, the beloved Christmas Village, an all-new laser light show and Cirque: The Spirit of Christmas. Gaylord National will also have Christmas Dreams Suites returning to the hotel, complete with holiday décor and seasonal exclusives for guests choosing to stay overnight. Christmas at Gaylord National is open through Dec. 28.

Newly announced attractions featured at Christmas at Gaylord National will include:

• Snoopy & Friends Holiday Treats: Ticketed guests will meet and greet Snoopy, Charlie Brown or Lucy up close and in person, delight in customizing sweet treats and create unforgettable holiday memories for the family to treasure for years to come.
• VIP Carving Experience: Part of the Presidential ICE! Package, guests who purchase this overnight experience will stay in a Presidential suite, get an educational tour through the signature ICE! attraction and have a private carving experience with a Master Carver from Harbin, China. Finally, they will have a photo op with a wreath specially carved from ice.
• A Merry Snoopy Scavenger Hunt: Families can adventure through the resort with the chance to help Snoopy decorate for the holidays, following clues to find the most festive décor for his doghouse.
• Naughty & Nice Holiday Sips and Sweets: In this pop-up experience, visitors enjoy delightful hot chocolate, homemade eggnog or a special holiday cocktail from a full bar. Chef-prepared sweets will be available for visitors to indulge on site or take home to share with friends and family.
• Here We Glow A-Caroling light show: The all-new laser light snow celebrates and highlights the tradition of caroling door-to-door without guests moving a muscle. Through thousands of glowing lights and a custom score, each door displayed in the show will take the audience through a musical time warp.
• Larger-than-life Gingerbread display: As guests step into the lobby, the magnificent Gingerbread display will be the first to catch their eye. The marvel showcases the creativity and talent of Gaylord National's pastry team. Showcasing the theme of connection and bridging communities, the display is made of 40 pounds of Rice Krispies, 50 pounds of rolled fondant, 100 pounds of royal icing holding together pieces of gingerbread to form tiny villages, connected by completely edible bridges. Several members of the pastry team spent approximately 2,000 hours making the scene.
• The North Pole at Pose Rooftop Lounge: The resort's rooftop bar, known for having the best view in the Harbor, has transformed into the North Pole. With snowy décor and festive drinks to boot, this is the ultimate getaway for the 21+ crowd to enjoy a cocktail while looking out over the Potomac.

Of course, the centerpiece of Christmas at Gaylord National, ICE!, is back for its 14th year. The classic Christmas special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is the 2024 theme for the ICE! experience, now open through Dec. 28. Overnight guests and visitors will rediscover the meaning of Christmas along with beloved Peanuts® characters who will come to life in more than 2 million pounds of colorful, larger-than-life ice sculptures hand-carved by over 30 artisans from Harbin, China. The attraction will feature a newly designed slide room, complete with five two-story ice slides and interactive photo ops throughout the experience. While the frozen fun is kept at a crisp 9 degrees Fahrenheit in a state-of-the-art chilling system, guests will be provided a Gaylord National signature blue parka to keep warm.

Other fan-favorite attractions are back at the resort as well. Cirque: Spirit of Christmas live stage show has dazzling acrobatics, feats of flexibility and high-flying stunts, filling the Atrium with energetic, dreamlike chapters each night. In the Christmas Village, Build-A-Bear Workshop® is there for guests to make furry friends as the perfect gift or a cuddly Christmas keepsake. Santa Claus is also around for photos with families and to check the naughty and nice list. Mrs. Claus' Christmas Traditions retells the Christmas classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and offers Santa's favorite holiday snack, Christmas cookies. Thrill seekers will recognize Snow Flow Mountain's indoor snow tubing and The Snow Factory's Snowball Build and Blast.

Anyone needing extra pampering this holiday season can visit award winning Relâche Spa for Peace, Joy and Aromatherapy spa offerings including massages, facials and manicures/pedicures. Seasonal relaxation can be offered at home, as well. The spa gift shop can prepare anyone with exactly what they need for an at-home spa session.

Holiday celebrations can work up an appetite, and Gaylord National offers plenty of dining options to choose from. Whether guests are looking for an upscale sit-down meal, a quick grab-and-go snack or a casual dining setting, Gaylord National has it all. Throughout the season, holiday drink specials will be available at our restaurants and bars, as well as special meals offered for Thanksgiving and Christmas at Old Hickory Steakhouse.

The best way to experience all the magic of the holiday season during Christmas at Gaylord National is through an overnight stay. For the best view within the resort, guests can choose from 407 guest rooms and suites that overlook the resort's decked-out Atrium and Starlight Christmas Tree. Plus, the resort offers eight Christmas Dreams Suites, complete with lights, stockings, a Christmas tree and sweet holiday treat for the perfect home away from home holiday experience. County and regional discounts are available for DMV and Prince George's County residents. Gaylord National offers an overnight package for additional savings including:

ICE! featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas Package

• Overnight accommodations.
• Two to four tickets to ICE! (one per person, per stay).

Available on select dates only.

Gold Christmas Package

• Overnight accommodations.
• Golden Ticket Bundle (2 - 4 people): (one per person, per stay)
  • Tickets to ICE!
  • Tickets to Snow Tubing
  • Scavenger Hunt
  • Gingerbread Decorating
  • Mrs. Clause

Presidential ICE! Package

• Overnight stay in Presidential Riverview Suite
• Guided tour of ICE!
• Hands-on Private Carving Experience with the Master Artisan
• Personalized ICE! carving
• Valet Parking
• Celebrity Service Check-in

All overnight guests will enjoy additional perks of:

• Complimentary "Chill Pass" privileges to ICE! offering front-of-line access and shorter wait times. Attraction tickets are required and sold separately, in advance.
• Complimentary "Extra Cool Hour," which provides early-entry into ICE! one hour before it opens to the public. Attraction tickets are required and sold separately, in advance.
• Priority reservations to the resort's restaurants.
• Two free welcome drinks
• Morning yoga classes

Located just steps away from National Harbor, guests can enjoy all the holiday activities and entertainment in this waterfront destination. Check out the D.C. and Arlington skyline from the top of the Capital Wheel, and choose from a variety of shops and fun, free activities like movies and concerts on the pier. Guests of the resort can ride the National Harbor Circulator bus to visit Tanger Outlets or MGM Resort, as well.

To learn more about Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center and book an overnight stay, room package, meeting, or event, please visit christmasatgaylordnational.com or call 301-965-4000.

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About ICE!

The annual ICE! events bring to life beloved Christmas stories hand-carved by master artisans from Harbin, China at resorts around the United States. Created and designed by Gaylord Hotels, ICE! debuted at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee in 2001. ICE! has been visited by tens of millions of visitors who travel to each resort to see more than 2 million pounds carved into beloved scenes and characters, two-story ice slides, photo-worthy tunnels and archways, and more. ICE! takes place at each Gaylord Hotels resort across the United States, including Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md., Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn., Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla., Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colo. and Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, in 2024, ICE! makes its debut at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas. More information can be found at ICE.marriott.com.

About Gaylord National

Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center is the largest, non-gaming hotel and convention center on the east coast, located along the banks of the Potomac River in National Harbor, Maryland, and part of Marriott International, Inc. Opened in April 2008, Gaylord National is an AAA-Four Diamond resort that is only eight miles from Washington, D.C. The resort offers nearly 2,000 rooms including 110 suites; a 19-story Atrium; 600,000 square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space; acclaimed restaurants including Old Hickory Steakhouse; and Pose Rooftop Lounge.

About Peanuts

The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz, who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas": © 2024 Peanuts Worldwide LLC.

About Build-A-Bear

Build-A-Bear is a multi-generational global brand focused on its mission to "add a little more heart to life" appealing to a wide array of consumer groups who enjoy the personal expression in making their own "furry friends" to celebrate and commemorate life moments. More than 500 interactive brick-and-mortar experience locations operated through a variety of formats provide Guests of all ages a hands-on entertaining experience, which often fosters a lasting and emotional brand connection. The brand's newest communications campaign, "The Stuff You Love," commemorates more than a quarter-century of creating cherished memories worldwide. The Company also offers engaging e-commerce/digital purchasing experiences on www.buildabear.com including its online "Bear-Builder" as well as "HeartBox" and its age-gated adult-focused "Bear Cave." In addition, extending its brand power beyond retail, Build-A-Bear Entertainment, a subsidiary of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., is dedicated to creating engaging content for kids and adults that fulfills the Company's mission, while the Company also offers products at wholesale and in non-plush consumer categories via licensing agreements with leading manufacturers. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenues of $486.1 million for fiscal 2023. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.

© Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.