Gaylord Hotels Unveils Brand-New, Original Holiday Experience Inspired by Elf and Full Lineup of Annual Christmas Programming

Gaylord Hotels is excited to unveil its brand-new, multi-sensory marquee Christmas experience, Mission: Save Christmas featuring Elf™, along with its full lineup of Christmas programming that will be featured during the 2021 festive season across Gaylord Palms in Florida, Gaylord Opryland in Tennessee, Gaylord Texan in Texas, Gaylord Rockies in Colorado and Gaylord National in Maryland. Overnight and day guests are now able to pre-purchase individual tickets in anticipation of the holiday season.

Known for its iconic holiday events and activities, Christmas at Gaylord Hotels is guaranteed to bring joyful holiday cheer and an abundance of imaginative, themed, immersive environments, tons of interactive experiences and activities and exciting live entertainment designed for guests of all ages.

An All-New, Gaylord Hotels Original Experience: Mission: Save Christmas featuring Elf™

Representing this season’s marquee programming, Gaylord Hotels needs guests of all ages to help save Christmas! In this collaboration with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment, guests will join Buddy the Elf and answer the call from Santa to help muster enough Christmas cheer to power the Kringle 3000 and help Santa’s sleigh fly. Guests will journey into Buddy’s world to help save the holiday in a multisensory experience full of fun, interactive challenges perfect for all ages: Team up with Mr. Narwhal and friends in the candy cane forest, stay ahead of the toy quota in the North Pole, prepare for Santa’s arrival at the iconic department store, and take part in an epic virtual snowball fight in Central Park. These are just a few of more than 12 interactive elements to discover in this unique experience.

MISSION: SAVE CHRISTMAS featuring ELF™ will anchor the Christmas experience at Gaylord Palms, Gaylord Opryland, Gaylord Texan, and Gaylord Rockies. Ticket prices and links.

A Gaylord Hotels Original Production, I Love Christmas Movies™, Debuts at Gaylord National

This year, Gaylord National is excited to offer I Love Christmas Movies™, an exclusive pop-up exhibition, also in collaboration with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment, that allows guests to experience scenes from beloved holiday movies, including THE POLAR EXPRESS™, A CHRISTMAS STORY™, ELF™, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION™ and THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS™, in a completely new way. As guests young and young at heart navigate the multi-sensory exhibits, they will enjoy more than 13 fully-immersive scenes, complete with replicas of film props, audio clips and more, making participants feel as if they have stepped into part of the actual story.

Immersive Environments

Gaylord Hotels offers visitors creatively immersive holiday environments where guests are immersed in environments with millions of twinkling lights, dazzling light shows, towering Christmas trees, and thousands of shimmering ornaments at every turn. Each resort features spaces where families can discover magical experiences and activities, including the Pinetop Stage, an outdoor Appalachian-esque village at Gaylord Opryland; Glacier Point, a snowy outdoor adventure area at Gaylord Rockies; Snow Factory, an icy and exhilarating mechanized snow play place at Gaylord Palms; and Christmas Villages filled with merriment at Gaylord Texan and Gaylord National.

Interactive Experiences

To spread more Christmas cheer, Gaylord Hotels offers special dining experiences where guests can meet some of the most beloved holiday characters. Visitors can enjoy Breakfast with Charlie Brown™ & Friends at Gaylord Rockies and Texan, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Breakfast at Gaylord Opryland and a themed breakfast at Gaylord Palms. At select locations, guests can interact with these characters on unique, themed scavenger hunts that will lead them on a holiday journey throughout the resort.

Gaylord Hotels offers an assortment of wintery activities so visitors can enjoy the chilly weather without leaving the resort. Guests can experience the thrills of Ice Bumper Cars, Ice and Snow Tubing, Ice Skating and more. At Gaylord Palms and Gaylord National, visitors to the Snow Factory can make and toss real snowballs to power the snowmaking machines and slide through frozen-solid conveyor belts. At Gaylord Texan’s Santa’s Snow Throw guests can use a bucket of snowballs to take aim at interactive targets constructed by the elves.

Gaylord Hotels has incorporated classic holiday activities to enhance guests’ Christmas experiences. Available at every property, families can visit Gingerbread Decorating Corner, bring imagination to life with Build-A-Bear Workshop® and take photos with Santa. A variety of other activities are also available at select locations such as the Elf Workshop where guests can create crafts and keepsakes, Sugary Sweet Storytime featuring the Sugar Plum Fairy and Nutcracker Prince, Christmas Carousels and more.

Throughout Gaylord Hotels, guests can enjoy other amenities such as seasonal treatments at Relâche Spa, finishing their holiday shopping in the resorts’ selection of stores and enjoy delicious meals in the properties’ many dining options. At select locations, water parks are open year-round for guests to enjoy.

Live Entertainment

Guests will be entertained by Gaylord Hotels’ lineup of captivating and thrilling live entertainment. At Gaylord Opryland visitors can see The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas in Tennessee Dinner Show performed by GRAMMY® Award-winning and Country Music Hall of Fame members. At Gaylord Rockies Cirque Dreams Holidaze lights up the stage in this awe-inspiring and eye-popping family holiday spectacular. Cirque: Spirit of Christmas at Gaylord Palms features dazzling acrobatics and high-flying stunts. The Greatest Story Ever Told, a musical stage show and multicultural celebration, will be performed at Gaylord Palms and Gaylord National.

Tickets and Packages

Tickets for Christmas at Gaylord Hotels and I Love Christmas Movies can be purchased at ChristmasatGaylordHotels.com. Advance online reservations are required for all ticketed events.

Guests of Gaylord Hotels can take advantage of packages that include entrance to the property’s marquee event as well as offerings that enhance their stay with additional fan-favorite holiday activities.

Christmas at Gaylord Hotels will be presented over the following dates:

  • Gaylord Opryland: November 12, 2021 – January 2, 2022
  • Gaylord Texan: November 12, 2021 – January 2, 2022
  • Gaylord Rockies: November 19, 2021 – January 2, 2022
  • Gaylord Palms: November 19, 2021 – January 2, 2022
  • Gaylord National: November 26 – December 31, 2021

As the safety of its guests and STARS (employees) is of paramount importance, the Christmas at Gaylord Hotels program has been developed in accordance with Marriott’s “Commitment to Clean” program and with enhanced protocols and social distancing measure. Programming will also operate in consideration with the latest local, state and federal legislation.

For a full lineup of Christmas at Gaylord Hotels programming at each resort, please visit ChristmasatGaylordHotels.com.

ABOUT GAYLORD HOTELS

Gaylord Hotels, part of the Marriott portfolio of brands, welcomes guests to more, with extraordinary environments, diverse dining options, full-service spas, pools, top-notch entertainment, shopping and more. Locations include Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee; Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida; Gaylord Texan on Lake Grapevine, Texas; Gaylord National on the Potomac in National Harbor, Maryland; and Gaylord Rockies in Aurora, CO.

ABOUT WARNER BROS. THEMED ENTERTAINMENT

Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment (WBTE), part of WarnerMedia Global Brands and Experiences, is a worldwide leader in the creation, development and licensing of location-based entertainment, live events, exhibits and theme park experiences based on WarnerMedia’s iconic characters, stories, and brands. WBTE is home to the groundbreaking global locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, WB Movie World Australia, and countless other experiences inspired by DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby, Game of Thrones, Friends and more. With best-in-class partners, WBTE allows fans around the world to physically immerse themselves inside their favorite brands and franchises.

ELF and all related characters and elements © & ™ New Line Productions, Inc. A CHRISTMAS STORY and all related characters and elements © & ™ Turner Entertainment Co. NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION, THE POLAR EXPRESS, THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s21). Peanuts © 2021 Peanuts Worldwide LLC. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all related elements © & ™ under license to Character Arts, LLC. All rights reserved. © Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved. © VStar Entertainment Group Newco, LLC 2021. Used with permission. All rights reserved.