Gaylord Rockies Announces ICE! Featuring Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express™ Ahead of 2024 Holiday Season

AURORA, COLORADO (July 25, 2024) — Featured at six resorts nationwide this November, ICE!, the 24- year-old holiday tradition created by Gaylord Hotels, will return to Gaylord Rockies Resort from Nov. 22, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025. Using more than 2 million pounds — or 1,000 tons — of ice, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, The Polar Express™ will be brought to life in ice sculpture form by a team of 40 world-class ice artisans from Harbin, China. Limited-time early bird overnight packages, and day-guest tickets for ICE! featuring The Polar Express™ are on sale today exclusively at ChristmasatGaylordRockies.com.

This holiday season, guests will embark on a heartwarming journey through hand-carved ice sculptures depicting nine scenes from The Polar Express™. In celebration of the film's 20 th anniversary, featured scenes include the Polar Express arriving at Hero Boy's house, passengers enjoying hot chocolate aboard the train, an exhilarating descent through Glacier Gulch, and the enchanting arrival at the North Pole. The attraction features five, two-story tall interactive ice slides and will use colored ice, clear ice and LED lights used to create the breathtaking display.

Starting with more than 6,000 massive ice blocks, the carvers work approximately six weeks — more than 12,000 man-hours — to create the nearly 17,000 square foot frozen attraction. The artisans, using skills passed down through generations, follow a 300-page design book to create the ice spectacle. Ice carvings range in size from details as tiny as a coin to soaring scenes more than 30 feet tall. The environment will be kept frozen by a state-of-the-art chilling system that maintains the attraction's temperature at 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Guests will sport a signature blue parka to stay warm.

The carvers will travel more than 5,700 miles from their homes in Harbin, China to Aurora, Colo. Known as "Ice City," Harbin is home to the largest annual ice and snow sculpting festival in the world. At Gaylord Rockies, some of the same artisans who create the Harbin festival will carve 300-pound blocks of ice into the larger-than-life, cherished scenes. Carvers will use chisels, chippers, tongs, handsaws, grinders and even chainsaws to bring The Polar Express™ to life.

In addition to the awe-inspiring ice sculptures from the beloved Christmas film, guests can take rides down the two-story-tall ice slides, traverse through ice tunnels and arches, and visit the carver showcase to watch artisans perform live carving demonstrations. The ICE! experience concludes in a separate area dedicated to the Nativity scene, meticulously carved, and shaped in a dramatic display of crystal-clear ice.

While ICE! is the signature attraction at Christmas at Gaylord Rockies, there are plenty more merry activities, events, and dazzling decorations, both indoors and outdoors. A true winter wonderland, the resort boasts millions of twinkling lights and over 200 themed Christmas trees. Here is a rundown of other events, live entertainment, hands-on activities, and exciting attractions taking place this holiday season at the resort:

• Cirque: Frost - This Cirque-styled Christmas show features dazzling acrobatics, feats of flexibility, and high-flying stunts.
• Festival of Trees - Lantern, a longstanding Colorado nonprofit formerly known as Bright by Text, will host the 2024 Festival of Trees at Gaylord Rockies Resort from Nov. 22 to Dec. 7. This fundraiser will feature beautifully decorated trees available for auction, interactive activities for all ages, and support for Lantern's mission to help every child thrive.
• Mistletoe Mile Scavenger Hunt - The big man in red has misplaced pieces of the blueprints for some of his favorite toys. Search for the Christmas-themed clues hidden throughout the resort and complete your interactive guidebook to rebuild Santa's blueprints and receive a souvenir.
• Gingerbread Decorating Corner - Let your Christmas creativity run wild when you adorn tasty gingerbread. After you've reached confection perfection with your edible art, head over for a sweet meet and greet with Nutmeg, our very own gingerbread man.
• Build-A-Bear Workshop® has been adding a little more heart to life for more than 25 years! Visit Build-A-Bear® to experience the fun of personalizing furry friends and taking part in our one-ofa-kind Heart Ceremony. Add adorable outfits, sweet scents and fun sounds to make any furry friend the perfect gift or a cuddly Christmas keepsake!
• Photos with Santa - Mailing a letter to the North Pole is great, but nothing can beat a personal visit with Santa Claus to let him know what you want for Christmas and make sure you're on his nice list. Capture the moment with a keepsake photo.
• Elf Training Academy - We all envy Santa's elves: they have a great boss, eat tasty treats and sweets whenever they want, and can make their own Christmas gifts! Your opportunity to join Santa's staff awaits at the Elf Workshop. You will learn the secrets of becoming one of Santa's helpers from his top toymaker and create a keepsake gift or craft for someone special.
• Mrs. Claus Christmas Traditions - Join the jolliest hostess of all for a fun-filled celebration of Christmas traditions. Delight in the retelling of the Christmas classic, "'Twas The Night Before Christmas," sing along to favorite holiday songs, and share a batch of Santa's favorite snack - warm, freshly baked Christmas cookies and ice-cold milk.
• Yuletide Street Market in Mistletoe Village features wall-to-wall holiday gifts, collectibles, toys, plush, home décor, apparel, ornaments, branded merchandise, and more.
• Cozy Comfort at Relâche Spa - Embrace cozy spa treatments featuring self-warming enzyme masks, soothing flannel scents, and rich body butters, leaving you rejuvenated and ready to relax in the Alpenglow Fireside Lounge

Overnight guests will enjoy perks including:

• "Chill Pass" privileges to ICE!, offering front-of-line access and shorter wait times. "Chill Pass" is free for eligible guests. Attraction tickets are required and sold separately, in advance.
• An invitation to "Extra Cool Hour," which provides early-entry into ICE! and Mistletoe Village one hour before it opens for day guests. "Extra Cool Hour" is free for eligible guests. Attraction tickets are required and sold separately, in advance

Also being unwrapped are Christmas at Gaylord Rockies packages that include special room rates and admission to select events. Guests are encouraged to book their experiences early, as advance online reservations are required for all ticketed events. Tickets are limited to many of the experiences. For tickets, more information, or to book an overnight stay, guests may visit ChristmasatGaylordRockies.com.

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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 Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment

Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment (WBDGTE), part of Warner Bros. Discovery's Revenue & Strategy division, is a worldwide leader in the creation, development, and licensing of location-based entertainment, live events, exhibits, and theme park experiences based on the biggest franchises, stories and characters from Warner Bros.' film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, DC, Cartoon Network and more. WBDGTE is home to the groundbreaking locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal theme parks around the world, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, The WB Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS Experience, The Game of Thrones Studio Tour and countless other experiences inspired by Harry Potter, DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, FRIENDS and more. With best-in-class partners, WBDGTE allows fans around the world to physically immerse themselves inside their favorite brands and franchises.

Warner Bros.' The Polar Express™: THE POLAR EXPRESS and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

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-andmortar 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.