ICE @ Gaylor Texan

I just researched this, trying to find fun Christmas stuff with the kids. http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-texan/lone-star-chri...

We went to the ice show four or five years ago. A friend of ours was an employee and was able to get into the show for free. The show is really cool and it sounds like it's even more fun now with the Charlie Brown theme. But if we had paid for it, I think we would have felt that even as neat as it was, it was overpriced. It's $25 for adults and your 5 yo will cost $14. Under 3 is free. A friend and I debated taking our kids (5,6,8 and 2) we decided against it, because we were concerned that it would turn into a "I'm cold" whine fest. But they do give you special coats to wear to help with the cold.

The whole hotel is decorated. The atrium is over the top. ANd that's free. We are taking the kids to check that out...trains, life sized ginger bread house and more.

And this year they also have the snow ride. Apparently it's a big snow hill you can sled down. You have to have a ticket, but that ticket gets you unlimited rides. Adults cost $20 and the bunny hill for the kids is $12.

My husband and I went on a date a few years ago and loved it despite the steep price. We saw a ton of kids in there, but personally won't take our little one (3 yrs old) for several more years. We just don't think 9 degrees is good on their lungs for any period of time.

It is a few dollars cheaper per person (and less crowded) if you go on a weekday. We sent last year and enjoyed it. My kids were two and six at the time. They had a couple of ice slides inside, and the kids spent about 20 minutes going down the slides. We put the coats they provided on over our clothes, and we were plenty warm. The coat for the two year old covered her hands, but that was fine because she refused to wear mittens. It is 9 degrees inside, but it is very dry, no wind, so it really was not that bad. We hope to go again this year, but we are waiting for some out of town guests to arrive. We go to the Gaylord every year because they decorate everything, and it is festive to just go walk around.

We went last year when they had How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It was neat, but we stood in line for EVER and my (then) 2 year old wasn't having ANY of it! She was so bored and cold. It is below 0 degress in there and you will have to carry the 3 year old b/c strollers aren't allowed and the crowd moves pretty fast. They do provide special coats, but my feet were completely numb for a while afterwards. It was neat to see, but for little kids and the $25 ticket price, I'd rather have taken them to Holiday at the park at Six Flags instead.

We took our 3YO last year and she loved it! It was our first time . . . they did the Grinch last year. Weekdays are definitely the least crowded (and less expensive, too). Once all of the schools are on winter break then it will probably be packed every day. We did have to wait quite because that's when we went. I'm hoping to go again this year, because even my 16YO and 11YO really enjoyed it. And the Gaylord Texan introduced snow tubing this year (a separate cost of course!).

I went once (before kids) and I don't think it's worth it. Way cool (no pun intended!) and very neat, but also overpriced for what it is. I wouldn't want to take young kids b/c it is still very cold, even with the coats they provide. I do want to go walk around the Gaylord, though, just to see everything else there.