Frozen Ice Palace

This past weekend, Eliot and I went on a Frozen Christmas adventure!

I've been wanting to do something to get into the Christmas spirit.  Eliot and I have been really busy the past month and we still haven't gotten much decorating done around the house.  We thought about putting more decorations up over the weekend, but we decided to go on an overnight getaway instead.  For months now, I've been begging anyone and everyone in my family to go to the Yankee Candle Flagship Store in Massachusetts.  I haven't been in 10 years- since my 20th birthday.  Christmas is a great time to visit.  Then, in November, I'd heard about a Frozen Ice Palace at the Westfarms Mall in Connecticut.  (Hmm... they're only an hour away from each other... perfect!  The adventure begins!)

Photo Source: Google Maps

Eliot and I drove down to Hartford late Saturday afternoon to stay at a hotel near the Westfarms Mall.  Sunday morning, we got up and went over to the mall.  On the way over, we saw a Christmas display with Tigger and Eeyore!  (So cute!!!)

As soon as we arrived at the mall, I knew it was going to be a good day.  We saw a lady with a Sulley hat on in the parking lot.  The family walking into the mall in front of us had WDW sweatshirts on.  We entered the mall in JCPenney right next to the Disney section.  Finally, I saw a man with a Disney Store bag walking through JCPenney.  (Wait, what?  This mall even has a Disney Store!?!?!  Woo-hoo!!!)

Photo Source: Westfarms Mall (copyright Disney) 

We saw signs for the Ice Palace as soon as we got inside.  We made our way to the center of the mall and found the 30 foot ice palace.  The Frozen Ice Palace theme was designed to coincide with the November 18th release of the Frozen Sing-Along Edition of the movie.  The display was locally sponsored by the Hartford Courant.

Eliot and I got into line and it wasn't that bad.  We weren't there as early as we'd planned to be, but the line was still only half way down the first loop.  (By the time we left, it was almost all the way down the second one- probably a 2+ hour wait.)  We probably waited about an hour to an hour and a half.  Thankfully, I was there to see the display so I took a lot of pictures and kept myself busy dissecting the design aspects.

I loved the Ice Palace.  It had great details of snowflakes on it.  It was great how the columns and arches changed colors every few seconds.  My favorite part of the display were the snow globes.  There were a few snow globes scattered throughout the design.  One had Elsa, one had Olaf, and another had Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf!

There were interactive activities throughout the display while waiting in line.  Some of the kids played with the karaoke machine.  (Cute until they started screaming into it.) You could leave a hand print in the snow at the Icy Hand Print experience.  (Brr!)  Or you could see how tall you were compared to Olaf and Sven!  (Fun!)

Once you were inside the Ice Palace, you could watch televisions with clips from the Frozen sing along.  They only showed a few sections of each song.  I wish they played the entire song.  I was surprised none of the kids were singing with the songs.  The only people I heard singing were Eliot and me!  (Because we're cool like that.)

The Ice Palace also had "snow" falling from the center.  There was a projector with a snowflake on the floor near where the snow fell.  The kids in line loved it.  In fact, a few of them were completely covered in it.  However, it wasn't real snow- so it wouldn't melt.  (Not such a great idea to roll in it before your photo op kids!)  The Ice Palace was really cute though.

After the Ice Palace, you had the option to have a photo taken with a plush Olaf at the Ice Throne.  This sounded like a must do to me, until we realized you had to buy a Santa package and it was an add on.  If you could just do the Ice Throne, I would have been all over that!  (I like warm hugs Olaf!!!)

Santa Claus was waiting at the end of the ice palace display.  Eliot and I let the mother and son behind us go through and we snuck past Santa.  We didn't want to pay for the full photo package.  Although, part of me was curious about the "special gift" Santa handed out afterwards.  (Aww man!  It was a Frozen look and find book!)

After Santa, there was a small "gift shop" with Frozen merchandise.  Eliot bought me a small Olaf make up bag and an Olaf back pack.  (Early Christmas Gifts!)  Both were half off the original prices!  (Score!)  We think they were just trying to get rid of it since there were only a few more days until Christmas!

We went upstairs and took a few photos of the display from above.  Then we made our way over to the Disney Store.  (Yay!)  We went to a few other stores and had lunch before leaving the mall.  I'm so glad we went; I had a blast.  (I'm a dork and I know it!)

After we left the mall, Eliot and I traveled an hour north to the Yankee Candle Village store.  We poked around and shopped for a few hours.  The best part of the store is that it's an experience all on it's own.  The store reminds me of a miniature Walt Disney World.  (Hey, a girl's gotta get her fix somehow.)  We checked out the Wax Works section where kids (and adults!) can make their own wax hands or jar candles.  There's even a show with animatronics like the Country Bears at Disney!

We also explored the Bavarian Village and Black Forest.  The Bavarian Village is a German-style village where it’s Christmas year round.  The Black Forest has Christmas collectibles like ceramic villages.  (I had to get a few pictures for ideas on how to display Nana's village at my parents' house!)  It also snows every 4 minutes.

We took pictures around the Nutcracker Castle and explored Santa's Workshop!  The countdown clock was there to remind Santa he only has 3 more days until Christmas! Eventually, we selected our merchandise and paid for it before starting the three hour car ride home.  (Totally worth it!)  The weekend was a lot of fun and I'm really glad we went!  I definitely felt the Christmas spirit!  °o°

Fun Find: Christmas Light Displays "Let It Go"

I wanted to share another fun find with you!  Usually I'd wait until Friday to share it. Instead, I'm going to break my own "rules" and share it today.  (Maybe they're more "guidelines" anyways.)  Plus, there are only so many more Fridays until Christmas...

2013 Christmas Light Display

Eliot is a huge fan of Christmas light displays.  He never used to be; he's Jewish and didn't grow up covering his house in a ka-gillon lights.  When we first started dating, he even asked me why people turned their Christmas lights on the night of Thanksgiving. He thought that might be too soon.  (Really?!?)  I told him that was considered the "official" start of the holiday season.

2013 Christmas Light Display

Boy, have times changed.  This year, Eliot actually asked me if it would be alright to start putting out our Christmas lights in August.  You read that correctly... August.  Not to turn them on, but to have them started.  Thankfully, I convinced him to hold off until October.  Although, we had quite the Halloween light display too.

Nowadays, Eliot's obsessed with lights, inflatable characters and designing our displays.  I'm ok with it; I'm glad he's embraced the fun that goes into it.  My parents bought him a light show set last year for Christmas- now our lights can sing and "dance" to the music.  We look at Christmas lights as soon as they're on the shelves in Wal-Mart.  (Usually, sometime in late September/early October.)  He helped my Dad put up the lights on my parents' house last year.  (Mom and Dad have a lot of lights and people in town drive by just to see them- but that's another story...)  This year, Eliot has a game plan to go to Home Depot and Wal-Mart with my Dad the day after Christmas so they can get lights half off.  He's even saved the gift card he got for his birthday for this very occasion.  (Daddy, we have created a monster.)

Last year, Eliot discovered the Great Christmas Light Fight show on ABC.  (Ruh-roh!) Our Christmas light displays are no where near as cool as those ones but it's given us a lot of ideas for the future.  (I repeat: ruh-roh!)  Eliot's already designing things in his head.  Of course, I'm not immune to it; I've got my own ideas for Disney themed yard displays.  I'm sure as our collection grows, it will definitely be a sight to see!  

It's a lot of fun to drive around and see everyones houses all lit up.  However, if you can't get out to enjoy a good display, there are so many super cool light displays posted on Youtube.  Of course, the ultimate 2014 holiday display would have to include Frozen!  Here are two videos I love featuring "Let it Go" from Frozen.

I love all of the snowflakes on the house in the first video!  They remind me of Cinderella Castle with way they twinkle.  (I told Eliot we have to get twinkle lights someday.)  Also, you've gotta love the cactus in the middle!

Watch the beginning of the second video closely.  Did you catch Elsa on the sides of the house at the beginning?  Cool!  Also, is that Elsa singing in the window underneath the center underneath the tree on the roof?  I can't tell.  I love the sparkling lights on the entire house.  (Must find sparkling twinkle lights!)

Let the (eventual) "Cady Christmas Light Spectacular" planning begin... "Let it Go!"  °o°