By Charly SHELTON

The holidays are full of laughter and cheer, giving and gathering, eggnog and gingerbread. And each year, local theme parks pull out all the stops to bring holiday cheer to those who visit them. Included among the theme parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood is the Queen Mary in Long Beach. It holds its own when measured against the other parks at Halloween with its Dark Harbor event and, during the holidays, it offers an equally fun event, Chill.

Featuring ice skating, a sledding run and nightly “snow” fall, it does its best to simulate what it would be like if California actually got a winter. For those who can, ice skating on a frozen pond is a lot of fun and for those like myself who try and fail, it’s even more fun to sit and watch professional figure skaters perform on the ice every hour or so. And after unintentionally lying on the ice several times, hot cocoa in a private cabana is a great way to warm up and repair one’s dignity.

Last year, Chill featured an ice sculpture tour that told the story of the Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Guests donned puffy body-length coats and braved the 8° temperatures for a great experience. Adults could pay an extra fee and head upstairs to the ice bar for vodka tasting flights, consisting of a choice of three spirits (get it?) to warm them up. This year, the Queen Mary has forgone the ice sculptures and instead installed gigantic lantern sculptures to bring to life the story of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

Although the Dickens ice walkthrough was unique and interesting, guests couldn’t stay forever in the frozen tale. It was too cold even with the coat. But for “Alice,” guests can take a much more leisurely stroll through the story and experience an interactive world. For an additional $9, I suggest buying the Mad Hatter’s top hat or the White Rabbit light up ears. These two fashionable headpieces unlock surprises and interactive secrets within the maze. For example, a tip of the hat or a polite bow from a rabbit will turn on the Caterpillar’s hookah, paint the roses red or summon the Cheshire Cat to appear in the mirror. It really is a cool trick that makes guests want to experience the walkthrough again to ensure they triggered all the effects – and luckily they can go through again. With the hat or ears, the adorned guests get access to the maze’s priority line, the E.L.F. (Express Lane Fast) pass, which gets the wearer into the walkthrough faster.

And for the adults, the Magic Mushroom Bar features a wide selection of martinis and the ever-popular vodka flights, this time with five tasters out of a selection of more than 20 flavors (more than anyone should try in one sitting). I recommend the pomegranate martini or the pear martini. The peppermint one was far too sugary. If interested in a vodka flight, try the Three Olives Elvis Presley Coconut Water vodka. The King swears by it and so do I.

In addition, the gingerbread house kit is fun, the holiday stocking-making bar is great and seeing Santa Claus is a Christmas must. There’s something for everyone, young and old. And, unlike the theme parks, the admission to Chill is affordable with adult tickets ranging between $40 and $55 depending on the date, and kids tickets from $30 to $45. Buy online to save $5 to $15 per ticket, or buy on Groupon for $20 adult tickets on select dates. Visit QueenMary.com for more information.

  Charly Shelton