As you begin your holiday event planning, make sure you add Christmas At Gaylord Rockies to your list. This experience is a true holiday destination unlike anything else in the greater Denver area.
Disclosure: In return for our honest review my family and I were guests at Gaylord Rockies Resort. All opinions are our own.
SO.MUCH.CHRISTMAS – Gaylord Rockies
We visited Gaylord Rockies last year for the big Christmas celebration and it was amazing. The kids had such a great time and it was something they asked about all year long, would we be returning to the Gaylord Rockies for Christmas in 2020? As 2020 went on, I didn’t know how to answer them, the holiday season and events were unknown but in true Gaylord fashion, they found a way to still celebrate BIG!! While the Gaylord Resorts did not participate in their well known ICE! event for 2020, they still created a magical family friendly event that is allow us all to have a little normal in our holiday plans this year.
There is no better way to celebrate the holiday season in the Denver area than gathering your family for holiday fun during Christmas at Gaylord Rockies. Marvel at acres of twinkling lights and decorations, plus check out the fan-favorite and all-new holiday activities, shows and events, from tubing to ice skating and the I Love Christmas Movies™ interactive pop-up experience!
I Love Christmas Movies™ – A Creative Experience For The Whole Family
Walk-thru the most iconic scenes from your favorite Christmas movies in the all-new, multi-sensory experience, I Love Christmas Movies. Interact and capture moments with the characters, sets and moments you know-and-love, with over 13 fully immersive scenes complete with replicas of film props, audio clips, and more.
Since ICE! was not able to happen, Gaylord knew there still needed to be a fun walk thru event that would bring some holiday cheer to guests but do so safely. When I had the chance to walk through this experience prior to it opening to the public, I knew it would be a hit with all ages. We all have our favorite holiday movies and our favorite scenes from those movies and this experience puts you right into those movies!
General I Love Christmas Movies Information:
This experience is available November 20, 2020 – January 3, 2021.
Walk through your favorite Christmas movies in the all-new 17,000 sq. ft. multi-sensory exhibit.
Let the production assistants take you on a 20-25 minute journey full of fun and nostalgia (and even a couple surprises!).
Step into more than 13 scenes that will make you feel as if you’ve walked onto the movie set, complete with replicas of film props, audio clips, and more.
Relive scenes from the most iconic Christmas movies, including ELF™, THE POLAR EXPRESS™, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION™, A CHRISTMAS STORY™, and THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS™.
Masks are a must – worn properly too. You will go through the experience in small groups to help with social distancing precautions. Do not touch the props – that is for your safety and others but mostly because everyone deserves to see the scenes set perfectly! You will have a timed entry ticket. Be aware that you will not necessarily enter the experience at your ticket time. We waited about 25 minutes to enter. Obviously, on busier days the wait will be longer.
Family Favorites:
Jude – NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION™
Teagan – THE POLAR EXPRESS™
Censie – A CHRISTMAS STORY™
Mistletoe Village – So Many Activities
While you are visiting the Gaylord Rockies, you will have the opportunity to involve your family in many other holiday traditions and activities. The Mistletoe Village is packed full of great opportunities that will help you and your family get into the holiday spirit! Even if you are not participating in the activities, you must visit Mistletoe Village. I love the nostoglic feeling it gives me as you walk through this space.
Stop in for some holiday shopping, visit the candy shop, make a Build-A-Bear, or enjoy some hot cocoa. No matter what you spend your time doing in Mistletoe Village you will love seeing the creative set-up.
We took part in the Gingerbread Decorating and Mrs. Claus’s Holiday Traditions. Both of these events were perfect for Jude and Teagan’s age. I highly recommend Mrs. Claus’s Holiday Traditions, it was one of our favorites last year too. Since all of these events are highly regulated by the COVID precautions, you must buy your tickets in advance! The kids also really enjoyed running around the resort trying to complete Merry Snoopy Scavenger Hunt. It is a great way to burn some energy in the evenings!
Events To Check Out This Season:
Merry Snoopy Christmas Scavenger Hunt – Search high and low to help Snoopy deck his house out for the Dog House Decorating Competition in this fun scavenger hunt. Complete the quest to win a souvenir.
Photos With Santa – Don’t miss your chance to meet the big guy himself and tell him what’s on your Christmas list! Take a photo while social distancing and capture the memorable moment in a festive setting.
Gingerbread Decorating Corner – This fun and interactive decorating tradition just got a whole lot sweeter! Choose from different design options to create either delectable holiday-themed gingerbread cookies or a complete gingerbread house. After you’ve decorated to your heart’s content, make your way to Nutmeg, the gingerbread man, for a heartwarming photo opp.
Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions – Join the jolliest hostess of all for a fun-filled celebration of Christmas traditions old and new. Delight in the retelling of the Christmas classic, ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, and sing along to favorite holiday songs while enjoying a delicious chocolate chip cookie and ice cold milk.
Sugary Sweet Storytime – Be transported to the world of The Nutcracker led by the Sugarplum Fairy herself. Plus, enjoy a one-of-a-kind super sweet, super sparkly and super tasty Sugarplum Hot Chocolate in a festive souvenir mug.
So Much Christmas – Outdoors TOO!
Sure, when you are inside the hotel you are surrounded by all things Christmas but guess what…that magical holiday feeling is also found outside! If you are like me, you love Christmas lights. Well, if there is one thing you do please make sure you take some time, after dark, to walk around the LIGHT! experience outside. I have so many photos of this experience, but they just do not show the true beauty of these lights.
Inspired by the high gusts across the Mile High City, LIGHT! is an artistic take on the wind and its effect on the landscapes of Colorado. The beauty is revealed in the ever-changing art formed by the influence and power of the nature’s fury. Because Mother Nature is the designer, each installation is constantly evolving, never appearing the same way twice.
Once you have experienced the LIGHT! make sure you also find time to have a little outdoor fun!! Outside, you and your family will have the opportunity to go down the tubing hill, ice skate, ice bumper cars, and the snow merry go round!
From experience, the tubing is FAST! I did it once and that was enough for me! No matter your age or ability, there will be something fun to do outside at Glacier Point.
Charlie Brown and Friends Brunching!
Character breakfasts are such a treat and even though it looked a little different, it was so nice to enjoy a yummy breakfast with some fun friends! Each of the characters were in their own corner so we got to go around the room to visit them and take photos. With social distancing, we missed the hugs from our friends but it sure was a great experience. I was pleased with how the resort still pulled off a fun character experience under these circumstances.
Our Favorite – Snowball: A Silent Disco
Okay, who has gone to a silent disco? When I first read about this event that was available to all hotel guests I knew the kids and I would need to go and check it out. What I didn’t know was that we would spend almost 2 hours dancing…in silence! This was my first experience at a silent disco and I am so happy that the kids were there to help me get down and dance it out!
When you enter the snowball, a staff member gives you a headset that has three channel options – Traditional Christmas, Pop Christmas and Pop Music. You put those headphones on and get dancing!! At first we were not too sure about this but once we started to dance and laugh we all enjoyed ourselves…so much that both Jude and Teagan told me they were sore in the morning!! This might be my favorite memory from our trip this year. Dancing does a body good!
Your Safety and Health Matters
This is an unusual time in our lives but as we venture out to do some holiday activities, it is great knowing that Gaylord Rockies has your health and their staff members’ health in mind. You will notice that there are a number of hand sanitizer stations through out the resort and hotel, contactless check-in/check-out, MASKS must be worn inside and outside, consideration of social distancing when in the common areas of the resort, and rigorous cleaning protocols are just a few of the ways Gaylord Rockies are keeping their hotel safe and clean.
For the most part, I felt very safe during our visit. I will say, I was surprised at how many people were outside enjoying the tubing, skating and bumper cars. However, I saw so many staff members cleaning and sanitizing everything that people were touching and using. I was pleased that I only saw a handful of people that were not wearing their masks properly BUT if a staff member saw a mask being worn wrong, they were NOT shy in telling them to adjust their masks.
BOOK NOW – Jump Into The Holiday Spirit!
Time is ticking and before you know it Christmas will be here. Check out all of the different events and experiences your family would enjoy doing this holiday season and book your tickets today. There are always specials and discounts available, and different packages that include some or all of the events I listed above.
This was our third time visiting the Gaylord Rockies and like our other visits, we were blown away at the beauty and excitement of this resort. The building is gorgeous and it seems like there are endless photo opportunities through out the building. I wish I could tell you how many photos I took in two days but that just isn’t possible! HA!
The Gaylord of the Rockies Resort and Convention Center is located off of E-470 and Pena Boulevard in Denver. Just southwest of the Denver Airport. A great location for those looking for a great place to visit for some great holiday fun for the family. In true Colorado fashion there is an amazing mountain view of the Rocky Mountains and the Front Range and the interior décor brings a perfect rustic charm to the hotel. Honestly, my photos do not do this space justice. It is breathtaking! Gaylord Rockies is the perfect getaway for the holidays and for summertime, no matter the season, you will enjoy your time at the Gaylord Rockies.
