July 23, 2026
AURORA, Colo. — This holiday season, Gaylord Rockies Resort debuts ice! featuring Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, bringing the beloved film to ice sculpture form for the very first time. Crafted from more than two million pounds of ice by a team of 30 master artisans from Harbin, China, the immersive walk-through experience brings iconic characters and scenes from the film to life through larger-than-life hand-carved sculptures, interactive displays and exhilarating ice slides.
Christmas at Gaylord Rockies, including ice! featuring Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and a full slate of festive holiday experiences, runs Nov. 20, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027. Beginning today, guests can purchase tickets or book early bird packages by visiting ChristmasatGaylordRockies.com.
The never-before-seen frozen attraction begins beneath the mischievous grin of a towering Jack Skellington and leads guests into the eerie charm of Halloween Town. Along the way, guests encounter beloved characters and iconic scenes, including Sally, Zero, Dr. Finkelstein, the Mayor, Lock, Shock and Barrel, and the Halloween Town Band. The journey continues through the enchanted Holiday Forest and into the dazzling wonder of Christmas Town, where Jack discovers the sights, sounds and surprises of the season.
Guests will race down thrilling, two-story-tall ice slides through Oogie Boogie's lair and encounter Lock, Shock and Barrel as they carry out their plot to "Kidnap the Sandy Claws." They will also join Jack and Sally as they bring their own spooky twist to "Making Christmas."
The journey continues into a whimsical, snow-filled "Merry Scary" finale where Halloween and Christmas collide in spectacular fashion. Guests can pose atop the iconic Spiral Hill, make snow angels alongside Lock, Shock and Barrel, and capture holiday memories surrounded by favorite characters from the film.
Created by Gaylord Hotels in 2001, ice! is a signature resort experience that has become a cherished holiday tradition, visited by tens of millions of guests nationwide. Inspired by the world-renowned Harbin Ice Festival in China, ice! is created by more than 30 expert artisans from Harbin, who spend approximately 40 days using techniques passed down through generations to hand carve 7,500 ice blocks. Kept at a brisk 9 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve the intricate detail, the attraction ensures guests stay warm in its signature blue parkas.
Beyond experiencing ice! featuring Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, guests can enjoy an over-the-top lineup of classic and original holiday experiences. The resort transforms into a true winter wonderland with millions of twinkling lights, towering Christmas trees, and returning favorites, including Candy Cane Mountain Snow Tubing, Build-A-Bear Workshop®, Gumdrop Gliders Ice Puck Challenge. Guests can also browse Yuletide Street Market, the resort's festive holiday pop-up, featuring exclusive merchandise and collectible gifts available only on property.
Overnight guests receive exclusive access to the Chill Pass, which provides front of the line entry to ice! featuring Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and Arapahoe Springs Water Park. To explore the full lineup of holiday experiences, book overnight packages and purchase tickets, visit christmasatgaylordrockies.com.
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About ice!™ An Immersive Christmas Experience
The signature Christmas experience, ice!™, immerses guests in beloved holiday stories hand-carved by master artisans from Harbin, China at resorts across the United States. Created in 2001 by Gaylord Hotels, the holiday attraction debuted at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee. Since then, tens of millions of visitors have traveled to experience this frozen tradition, where more than 2 million pounds of ice are transformed into memorable scenes and characters, two-story ice slides, photo-worthy tunnels and more. The Christmas showcase takes place at select resorts, including Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md., Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn., Gaylord Pacific Resort in Chula Vista, Calif., Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla., Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colo., Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, Texas, JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Ariz. and at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas. More information can be found at SoMuchChristmas.com.
DISNEY THEATRICAL GROUP (DTG), a division of The Walt Disney Studios led by Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, brings the stories you love to life through stage productions, arena shows, and immersive experiences. Each year, DTG reaches nearly 40 million guests across 300 cities on five continents, with hundreds of millions entertained around the globe since the company's inception in 1994.
DTG oversees a growing global portfolio including arena spectaculars such as Disney On Ice; family touring productions including Disney Junior Live On Tour: Let's Play!; immersive and experiential attractions such as Mundo Pixar Experience; The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail; Avatar: Guardians of Eywa; The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Sphere and Secret Cinema's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Immersive Adventure.
Alongside this work, Disney Theatrical Group has become one of the most successful theatre producers in the world. Its New York productions include The Lion King, Aladdin, Frozen, Newsies, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, TARZAN®, Mary Poppins (co-produced with Cameron Mackintosh), The Little Mermaid and Peter and the Starcatcher. Additional stage ventures include the current North American tour of Beauty and the Beast, the Olivier Award-nominated Shakespeare in Love, Hercules, stage productions of Disney's High School Musical, Der Glöckner von Notre Dame in Berlin and King David in concert on Broadway.
About Build-A-Bear
Founded in 1997, Build A Bear is a leading global retailtainment brand on a mission to add a little more heart to life. At Build-A-Bear, guests are invited to create personalized furry friends through a unique stuffing, dressing, accessorizing and naming process, accentuated by a memorable "heart ceremony" that creates moments of connection for people of all ages.
Over the years, Build A Bear has grown into a multi generational phenomenon, positioned at the intersection of pop culture trends. Beyond its signature retail experience, the brand also offers pre stuffed plush, gifting, partnerships with best in class licensed and collectible characters, and original storytelling through Build A Bear Entertainment, LLC. Build A Bear's current brand platform and message, "The Stuff You Love," crosses ages and cultures while celebrating nearly 30 years of helping people mark life's meaningful moments.
Today, Build A Bear operates more than 650 company-owned, partner-operated and franchise experience locations across more than 30 countries, complemented by buildabear.com. Build A Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) reported $529.8 million in total revenues for fiscal 2025, representing the company's 5th consecutive year of record results. Learn more at the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.
© Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
DISNEY TIM BURTON'S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS™ and all related characters and elements © Disney
