Photos/Video: Previewing ice! Featuring "The Polar Express" at Gaylord Palms Resort

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is almost upon us, and that's certainly true at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee. We were invited out today to get a preview of this year's ice! display, featuring The Polar Express.

The event began as hundreds of Gaylord Palms Stars (employees) welcomed a team of approximately 35-40 master ice carvers who traveled more than 7,000 miles to Central Florida from Harbin, China. Home to the world’s largest snow and ice sculpting festival, Harbin is affectionately known as the "Ice City."

Orlando’s Wah Lum Chinese Temple presented a Dragon Dance to wish the ice carvers good luck with their project.

Then came the main event, as we got a first-look behind the scenes at this year's ice! attraction, as ice artisans got to work in the 9-degree environment, using tools ranging from chainsaws and chisels to ice picks and detailed hand tools, to carve the characters and scenes from The Polar Express, and the Nativity scene that serves as the final scene of ice! each year.

Check out the ceremony and some highlights from within ice! in the video below.

ice! featuring The Polar Express opens Friday, November 13 at Gaylord Palms Resort!