Fueled by a dose of holiday spirit and tempered by a cool pinch of irony, sunny Central Florida is home to one of then nation’s most spectacular (and unusual) art attractions, now in its eigth year.

Inside a simulated winter environment, guests are immersed in a whimsical wonderland of larger-than-life, three-dimensional hand-carved ice monuments and scenes, including fantastic frozen creations, slippery ice speed slides, and heart-warming holiday vistas. As for the chill, visitors are given oversized parkas to stay comfortable inside the attraction, which is kept at a chilly 9 degrees.

This year, ICE! will take guests on a trip to “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  The award-winning Kissimmee attraction is carved by a team of 40 artisans from Harbin, China. The talented artisans spend more than a month in Kissimmee creating this one-of-a-kind attraction. Harbin is best known for its annual International Ice and Snow Festival, where more than 2,000 sculptors annually carve a 100-acre walk-through ice park, using ice from the nearby Songhua River.

ICE! is open daily from November 20, 2009 – January 2, 2010, including holidays.

Cost: Adult – $18.99 – $25.99, Children – $9.99 – $11.99, Seniors – $16.99 – $22.99,  Online Advance Ticket Discount Available. Parking cost: $11 for ICE! Guests. Click Here For Breakdown of Prices

Zimala Review: If your looking for the closest thing to a winter wonderland in Florida, this is it.  Be advised: tickets book up quick as this reviewer found when he tried to go the weekend before and all time slots were sold out.  Instead, purchase ahead online through the links below and be sure to show up during your time slot.  Once inside the well decorated Gaylord Palms Convention Center we were shocked to realize that there was a $12 parking fee, $11 dollars if you are a ICE! Guest and free if staying under 30 min.  That coupled with a 40 min wait in line, even though we had a designated time slot is why this reviewer did not give ICE! full stars.  Barring that the wait was worth it. After a short, and somewhat cheesy video, we donned our parka’s (you definitely need them its 9 degrees Farenheit) and entered the sculpture area.  The ice sculptures are intricate, some colored, and all beautiful.  There are various scenes including polar animals, a carousel, ornaments, a giant santa, a nativity scene with lifesize sculptures, and lets not forget a ice slide which was…really fun.  Guests are encouraged to take as many pictures as they want, which can lead to some clogging in certain areas and can take as much time as they need viewing.  After about 30-45min in 9 degrees this reviewer was more than satisfied.  Overall worth it.

Zimala Rating:

 ★★★½☆ 

Website: ICE! at Gaylord Palms

Tickets: Here

Address: 6000 W Osceola Pkwy, Kissimmee, FL

Phone Number: (407) 586-2000‎

Directions: Here

Cost: Tickets: $20 and up depending on performance, Admission includes daily entry to the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, and Ca’ d’Zan plus lectures, tours and performances created for RIAF including In the Galleries, In the Studios, Jazz Sunsets, Festival Forum, Family FunFest, and the Sunday sARTée Soiree,

Times: Oct 13, 2010 – Oct 17, 2010

Wednesday: 10:00am – 5:00pm

Thu – Sat: 10:00am – 8:00pm

Sunday: 10:00am – 5:00pm

Zimala Review: Not Reviewed

Zimala Rating: Not Rated

Website: Ringling International Arts Festival

Tickets: Click Here

Address: 5401 Bay Shore Rd Sarasota, FL 34243

Phone Number: (941) 360-7399, 1-800-660-4278

Directions: Here

Cost: Adult – $9.75 , Child (7-12 years) – $5.00 

Zimala Review: Not Reviewed

Zimala Rating: Not Rated

Website: Coral Castle Museum

Tickets: Here

Address: 28655 S Dixie Hwy, Homestead, FL

Phone Number: (305) 248-6345

Directions: Here

Cost: 2 hour class – $35, 3 hour class – $45

Zimala Review: Not Reviewed

Zimala Rating:

 ★★★½☆ 

Website: Painting with a Twist

Class Schedule: Here

Address: 2527 Central Ave, Saint Petersburg, FL

Phone Number: (727) 327-4488‎

Directions: Here