ICE! 2024

ORLANDO, FL • HOUSTON, TX • NASHVILLE, TN 

WASHINGTON D.C. • BOULDER, CO • SAVANNAH, GA

For 2024, ICE! returned bigger than ever with six cherished holiday stories, including the fan-favorite Elf™ and the long-awaited return of Frosty the Snowman™. The challenge was to adapt these iconic tales into immersive walk-through environments sculpted entirely from ice while also introducing large-scale engineering feats, dynamic lighting, and custom-built scenic elements that elevated the guest journey. Every detail had to balance artistry, durability, and the logistical demands of a sub-freezing environment. Analog Heart provided end-to-end creative and technical leadership:

Creative Concepting • IP Adaptation • 3D Modeling • Rendering • Ground Plans • Ice Carver Prep • Engineering • Fabrication

  • Scene from a holiday display with people viewing a festive setup featuring a snowy house, toy cars, astronauts, and a large figure of Buddy the Elf from 'Buddy in the North Pole' surrounded by Christmas decorations.
  • People visiting an indoor holiday display with large festive decorations, including a smiling elf figure, snowflake designs, and hanging toys like cars, ducks, and a train, some children and adults are interacting and enjoying the scene.
  • Colorfully decorated indoor space with Christmas theme, featuring large candy cane sculptures, a snowman, a bear with sunglasses, and festive decorations, with two people standing and talking.
  • People in winter clothing walking past a festive display labeled 'Buddy in NYC' featuring two seated statues, one of a smiling man and the other of a woman, with a group of people observing and interacting.
  • A group of people looking at a colorful art installation with American flags, a large mirror, and mannequins dressed in festive attire, with children and adults present.
  • People at a Christmas-themed event with decorations, including a Christmas tree, ornaments, snowflakes, and a 'Welcome Santa' sign. There are colorful wrapped presents, candy canes, and holiday characters, including a person dressed as Santa Claus and others in festive attire.
  • A decorated room with holiday ornaments including snowflakes, candy canes, and ornaments hanging from the ceiling. Several people are standing around, and some are looking at a group of statue-like figures at the center. The figures include a man with a white shirt and glasses, and two elderly women, one of whom has a unique hat. The room features bright colors with red, green, yellow, and blue decorations. A track with a green border surrounds the central display area. The bottom of the image shows the text "5 - 'BUDDY AND HIS NEW FAMILY.'"
  • People engaging in a snowball fight at an indoor winter-themed attraction, with snowflake decorations, ice-themed slides, a man dressed as Santa Claus, and various children and adults participating.
  • People ice skating in front of decorated Christmas trees with hanging hearts and snowflakes, inside a festive indoor setting.
  • People standing in a colorful escape room with neon lights, a hologram of a performer, yellow paper airplanes hanging from the ceiling, and a decorated wall with bright lights.
  • Digital rendering of a holiday-themed display with a wreath, snowflakes, and building silhouettes, featuring two people observing it, set against a black background.
  • People at a winter holiday display featuring Santa in a sleigh, reindeer, ice sculptures, and decorative lights.
  • A holiday scene with a fireplace, three elves sitting and talking, a decorated setting with stars, moons, snowflakes, hanging ornaments, and people observing.
  • A story beat diagram of a Christmas-themed building layout with surrounding photos of holiday scenes, including children in elf costumes, decorating, and festive activities.
  • A detailed story beat diagram layout for a theater or entertainment venue showing various rooms, areas, and pathways, with labels and color coding for different sections and stages.

Concepts take shape here—through scaled drawings, 3D models, and renderings that align creativity with buildable precision.

  • Three grayscale 3D bust sculptures of a man with curly hair and a serious expression, from different angles, in a dark background.
  • Four mannequins dressed in winter costumes resembling characters from the movie 'Elf,' with names Buddy, Walter, Jovie, and Michael labeled below.
  • 3D rendering of a decorative water feature with waterfalls, steps, and a bridge, adorned with holiday decorations like red bows and Christmas garland, with snowflake motifs and lanterns.
  • 3D model of an amusement park ride with multiple roller coaster tracks, human silhouette figures, decorative holiday wreaths, and string lights.
  • A 3D digital rendering of a festive outdoor Christmas scene featuring decorated railings with red bows and green garlands, golden ornament balls, and a winter-themed backdrop with snowflakes, icy landscape, and leafless trees.
  • Colorful 3D digital illustration of a room with shelves, boxes, and pipes, resembling a futuristic or industrial setting.
  • A 3D digital rendering of a storage room with shelves full of boxes, some stacked on the floor, some on shelves, and various furniture pieces including a table, a bench, and a coat rack. The image has a white background and a sign on the left wall, and a small clock visible on the left side.
  • A 3D rendering of a festive outdoor scene featuring a wooden house facade with decorative latticework, a blue chair with a textured seat and backrest, a yellow street lamp, snowflake ornaments, and holiday decorations including green panels and barrels.
  • Decorative holiday interior scene with Christmas tree, gifts, snowflakes, robot and dinosaur decorations, cityscape model, and festive lighting and drapery.
  • A detailed architectural plan of an outdoor amusement or theme park layout, featuring various attractions, pathways, trees, and labeled areas.

The 2024 ICE! season pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in ice-based attractions:

  • Expanded Storytelling: Beloved characters reimagined in vivid, larger-than-life scale.

  • Dynamic Design: Moving scenic features and immersive lighting effects introduced new layers of guest interaction.

  • Streamlined Collaboration: Ground plans, models, and engineering ensured seamless integration between creative vision, ice artisans, and fabrication teams.

The result was a holiday spectacle that drew record attendance across Gaylord Hotels, reinforcing ICE!’s legacy as one of the country’s most extraordinary seasonal attractions. By merging storytelling with technical mastery, Analog Heart ensured ICE! 2024 delivered a memorable, multi-sensory holiday tradition. Our comprehensive role—spanning concept through engineering—demonstrates how we transform imagination into immersive experiences that delight families nationwide year after year.

Ice sculpture of a person dressed as Santa Claus holding a cane, with large colorful numbers 20 behind, surrounded by ice snowflakes and decorations, illuminated by blue and purple lights.
Ice sculptures of elves dressed in colorful clothing, sitting and standing, with a large ice Santa Claus figure in the background, decorated for Christmas.
Ice sculpture of Santa Claus and a reindeer with colorful hats inside an ice bar decorated for Christmas.
Ice tunnel exhibit with curved, striped walls illuminated by blue and green lights, labeled Lincoln Tunnel and New York.
Colorful ice castle with glowing blue and white ice structures, decorations resembling stars and chimes hanging from the ceiling, and large candy-like props on the floor, creating a festive winter scene.
Colorful holiday-themed display with a glowing polar bear, striped candy canes, and various brightly colored objects on a glowing base, illuminated in a dark setting.
Colorfully lit ice sculpture display featuring a large bear wearing sunglasses and holding a pencil, with smaller animal figures and candy cane-like structures in the background.
Indoor holiday display featuring large illuminated nutcracker figures, snowflake decorations hanging from the ceiling, and a colorful castle-like structure with festive lighting.
Indoors scene with colorful, playful decorations resembling a winter or holiday theme, including a blue brick wall, ice-like structures, large snowman, and people in winter jackets, with some sitting and others standing.
Ice sculpture display featuring two figures, Christmas trees with red ribbons, American flags, and a yellow neon light backdrop. Sign reads "World's Best Cup of Coffee".
Ice sculptures of a human face, a woman with clasped hands, and a Christmas tree with ornaments, all illuminated by colorful lights.
Ice sculpture with colorful LED lighting, featuring a sign that says 'World's Best Cup of Coffee' with a steaming coffee cup graphic and blue stars, set against a background of ice bricks.
Colorful indoor climbing wall with artificial blocks and holds, illuminated by blue and purple lights.
Colorful indoor playground with a red slide, soft pink and orange play structures, and large cityscape murals on the walls, illuminated with vibrant purple and blue lighting.
A brightly lit indoor space decorated for Christmas, featuring a Christmas tree, a festive backdrop with wrapped presents, and various holiday-themed decorations, illuminated with colorful lighting.
Colorful Christmas-themed indoor display with Christmas decorations, including a
A holiday-themed ice sculpture display with three figures sitting at a table, surrounded by hanging snowflake decorations and illuminated with blue and purple lighting.
Ice sculptures of four people at a restaurant or ice bar, with a snowman-like figure dressed in a green and yellow hat and a purple shirt. The sculptures are illuminated in colorful blue and purple lights, with kitchen utensils and snowflake decorati
Ice castle with blue lighting, featuring arches and windows, and glowing orange lights on top.
Indoor ice skating rink decorated for winter with snowflakes, colorful lights, and festive decorations, with children skating.
Interior of an ice skating rink decorated with Christmas-themed ornaments such as snowflakes, garlands, and bows. People are warming up or preparing to skate around the rink, with some sitting and others standing. The ceiling has colorful lighting ef
Colorful indoor scene with illuminated figures, hanging lights, and vibrant decorations.
Ice skating rink decorated with holiday-themed snowflakes and ornaments, with children and adults skating and playing.
An indoor ice skating rink decorated for the holiday season with colorful lights, ice skating slides, and people skating.
Inside an ice-themed exhibit, two children and an adult are present. The decor includes large, colorful ice sculptures and structures, illuminated with green and blue lighting. A sign displays ice slide safety instructions, indicating slide heights a
Colorful, illuminated indoor exhibit area with geometric and abstract structures, including a mannequin on a platform, and walls decorated with bright, neon-like lights and hanging signs.
Colorful indoor playground with padded walls, climbing structures, slides, and hanging rectangular flags or banners.
Decorative Christmas scene featuring a Christmas tree decorated with plush toys and small gifts. There is a lit street lamp, a small table with a gift basket, and large wrapped presents at the base of the scene. The background includes colorful, illu
Ice sculpture of a person in winter clothing holding a fishing pole and a yellow ball, standing on an icy surface with ice blocks in the background.
Ice sculpture of a seated elf with a colorful hat and a large bunch of ice balls in his lap, illuminated with multicolored lights.
A Christmas wreath decorated with small presents hangs on a brick wall. There are green curtains on either side of a window with white trim. A blog or menu is displayed on a red-framed stand in the foreground. Star-shaped and snowflake ornaments hang
A colorful indoor exhibit with a mannequin dressed in a blue jacket and red scarf, standing in front of a large, abstract, multicolored structure. The room features vibrant lighting, with illuminated ceiling panels and hanging rectangular panels, and
Colorful indoor playground with foam blocks, climbing structures, hanging geometric shapes, and an exit sign.
Indoor ice skating rink holiday display with inflatable Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen, figures skating, and holiday lights.
People walking inside a dimly lit ice skating or winter-themed attraction with holiday decorations, including reindeer and Santa figures, illuminated by blue and white lights.
Ice sculpture of a couple kissing, surrounded by decorated Christmas trees, illuminated with blue lighting.
Colorful Christmas display with illuminated hanging moons, stars, and planets, and holiday-themed figurines sitting on a bench under a black ceiling.