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Old 12-26-2014, 07:54 AM
 
Location: Simmering in DFW
6,952 posts, read 22,597,783 times
Reputation: 7295

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thinking about a family evening at The Gaylord. Four adults and a 10 year old, also dinner. So, how much time would we need to enjoy the exhibits, do the snow boarding and see the show plus have dinner there? I want it to be the evening because there should be fewer babies and I think it will be most pretty with evening lighting. Haven't been so don't know the best way to plan.
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Old 12-26-2014, 08:38 AM
 
Location: Kaufman County, Texas
11,816 posts, read 26,650,028 times
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An hour is plenty to see the Ice show. It's fun! You could also allow another hour to walk around and see the decorations.
You should make reservations for dinner just to be safe. Check out their website so you know the different options.
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Old 12-30-2014, 01:27 AM
 
Location: Dallas
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Not sure if you've already visited but check out their packages. Also, we went on a Tuesday afternoon, but I definitely wouldn't visit it during prime time (wouldn't have been worth it for me).
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Old 12-30-2014, 07:39 AM
 
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I would say 3 hours all in. Keep in mind that it is very expensive. They get you for parking, gift shop for kids, etc. My family likes it, but rather than make it a yearly tradition, we got every 3-4 years.
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Old 12-30-2014, 08:42 AM
 
Location: Dallas
574 posts, read 1,471,103 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirl View Post
thinking about a family evening at The Gaylord. Four adults and a 10 year old, also dinner. So, how much time would we need to enjoy the exhibits, do the snow boarding and see the show plus have dinner there? I want it to be the evening because there should be fewer babies and I think it will be most pretty with evening lighting. Haven't been so don't know the best way to plan.

Maybe I'm the only one in DFW disappointed by ICE? Had wanted to go ever since we moved here and we finally made it a priority this winter. My kids are older (high school age) so maybe that had something to do with it. Thankfully we went on an early weekday afternoon after the kids got out of final exams and the place was practically empty. I don't think we were there more than an hour, hour and a half, with most of the time spent enjoying the decor at the Gaylord. We did not buy tickets for the snow tubing only the ICE exhibit. Kids still joke about it "remember when mom made us go to ICE?"

Next time I would just stay at the Gaylord, skip ICE, and enjoy some of the events in downtown Grapevine instead.
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Old 12-30-2014, 10:20 AM
 
Location: Simmering in DFW
6,952 posts, read 22,597,783 times
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Thanks all! Well, we went last night and since it was a Monday, not crowded at all. BIG disappointment!!! Glad we didn't wait in long lines or I'd be annoyed and disappointed! We did eat at the Italian restaurant and it was very good and they validated our parking tickets. Although the tubing was limited to 10 trips; because it was not crowded, the tubing was not limited at all and our gkid and her parents could have gone as long as they pleased. But, after 6 times, they tired of it. The evening, including ICE for 2 adults, a child and 2 seniors, tubing for 3, and dinner with tip & a bottle of wine for the table: $500. This, and a couple of weeks at Sky Ranch summer camp for the gkid (about $2k) is our Christmas this year. We don't do tangible gifts anymore. Next year we'll find a better event!
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Old 12-30-2014, 11:27 AM
 
Location: Dallas, TX
307 posts, read 1,091,083 times
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Everything is extra. Including if you want to take a photo (With your own camera) with Frosty.
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Old 12-30-2014, 11:46 AM
 
Location: DFW
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I have had 2 very different ICE experiences:

In 2004, we went to ICE at the Gaylord in Orlando when the event was just in its 2nd year. We went with friends that lived in the area and he worked for the hotel so we didn't pay to get in. We went on a Wednesday night the second week in December and I believe there were a total of 4 other people in the exhibit area when we walked through. Couple that with the fact that it was in a much larger hall than the one they use in Grapevine with very wide aisles and it was a nice experience.

Last year, we went to the event in Grapevine on the December 21st. More than $80 for 2 adults and one child. The place was a mad house. Somehow it only took about 10 minutes to get in after buying tickets. I've heard of people waiting well over an hour this year. Once we were inside, it was wall-to-wall people moving at a glacial (pun intended) through the exhibit. Taking pictures of anything was out of the question because of the crowd. Our 4 year old was miserable about 15 minutes into it. One person in our group paid for the 10 snow tube rides for his son and he only went once because of the 30 minute wait time.

I walked away from that taking a pretty firm stand that I will never pay for it again, especially not full price on the Saturday before Christmas. We've made spending an afternoon or evening walking the atrium of the hotel part of our holiday tradition every year since our daughter was born. There is plenty to do and see and a ton of opportunities for good pictures. If you spend anything in the hotel, they'll comp or validate your parking. On Saturday, my mother bought a travel bag in one of the shops and we forgot to bring in the parking ticket to be validated. I showed the receipt to the attendant on the way out and he let us through without the parking charge.
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Old 12-30-2014, 02:20 PM
 
1,212 posts, read 2,282,701 times
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I view this expense as a similar expense to renting a carriage in Highland Park, eating at mi concina, and seeing the lights. it is really nice, but may not be worth the money.
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Old 12-31-2014, 06:46 AM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,474,655 times
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we have been to ICE a couple of times--one with group that included mainly adults and teens with only 1 small child--maybe 6 if I remember correctly--
have been at night and during the day--
just don't think it is worth the money/time/effort and loss of patience--
one time we went during the day it was totally horrible mainly because the staff did not know what they were doing--
we had to wait hour to just buy tickets--

the Gaylord is always nicely decorated and worth a visit
we have some friends who go there after Thanksgiving, take photos and use them for their Xmas card
go to the sports bar restaurant and buy some drinks and get validated or just pay for parking--not that expensive for a group trip

it is marketing a winter experience for people who live in the south--tied to a cartoon/story effect--

I haven't taken the carriage ride in Highland Park but have friends who do it with another family--
you can get quite a few adults and kids into one of those--they probably had a group of 10-12 in one carriage--

some of them went to ICE as well--my friend who is the grandmother in the groud said ICE was better this year but only took 10 min or so --the carriage ride lasted longer...
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