Festive Orlando Holiday Celebrations Light Up the Season

Orlando celebrates the most magical time of year with warm weather, new special events and spirited live entertainment in the theme parks and beyond, creating an unforgettable and festive setting for a winter getaway. Along with the nearly 150 holiday-themed events at the theme parks and throughout the destination, visitors can find the perfect gift at Orlando’s well known outlet centers, malls and specialty boutiques. Visit Orlando will be sharing tips to help visitors make the most of their holiday vacation. Visit Orlando is also an official seller of Orlando attraction tickets, including a wide variety of Orlando’s Christmas celebrations.

 

Holidays at the Theme Parks

Walt Disney World Resort                                                             Select nights Nov. 7 – Jan. 4

• New this year at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Queen Elsa from “Frozen” will use her incredible powers to transform Cinderella Castle into a glistening ice palace for the holidays – thanks to a special effects spectacle bathing the castle in 200,000 shimmering white lights. During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party¸ “Frozen” characters join the festive procession, “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade”.
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, new for the holidays, guests can sing along to “Frozen” songs during “For the First Time in Forever – a ‘Frozen’ Sing-Along Celebration’ and enjoy the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, a massive seasonal display featuring millions of dancing lights synchronized to holiday tunes amidst snowfall.
• At Epcot, the Candlelight Processional is one of the most beloved holiday traditions at Walt Disney World Resort, with the joyous retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and glorious mass choir.

Universal Orlando Resort                                                              Select nights Dec. 6 – Jan. 3

• At Universal Studios Florida, the Macy’s Holiday Parade will fill the streets every evening with the same larger-than-life balloons seen in Macy’s famous Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Chloe The Clown “Balloonicle” is a new addition that combines a towering balloon with a self-powered vehicle that roams the streets of Universal Studios.
• At Universal’s Islands of Adventure, families will light up with holiday cheer as Grinchmas comes to life throughout Seuss Landing. Guests can enjoy a live retelling of Dr. Seuss’s classic holiday tale, “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular,” featuring the Whos from Who-ville, accompanied by an original musical score by Mannheim Steamroller.

SeaWorld Orlando                                                                              Select nights Nov. 22 – Dec. 31

• Waves of holiday spirit splash over the park during SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration.Here in a wintery, watery wonderland, guests of all ages will enjoy stunning live shows inspired by the natural world, journey to the North Pole on THE POLAR EXPRESS Experience, then share a smile with a playful penguin while visiting the park’s newest attraction, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin.
• During the new Christmas Family Fun Tour, guests enjoy favorite attractions for children at SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration. Highlights include: a penguin meet and greet, reserved seating at Elmo’s Christmas Wish and a meal at Santa’s Fireside Feast.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort                                                             Weekends in December

• For the first time at LEGOLAND Florida, families will have a photo opportunity with a life-sized LEGO Model Santa Claus during Christmas Bricktacular.
• The more than 30-foot-tall LEGO Christmas tree made with a combination of 270,000 green LEGO and DUPLO bricks provides the perfect place for holiday family photos.

 

Celebrations Outside the Theme Parks

Orlando’s theme parks aren’t the only hot spots in Central Florida for holiday activities and traditions. From ice slides to building gingerbread houses, the possibilities are endless at some of Orlando’s other attractions.

•  Leu’s Holiday House is decked out for the holidays by some of Orlando’s best interior designers from Nov. 17 – Jan. 5. Guests can stroll along the garden’s meandering paths shaded by ancient oaks, forests of camellias and giant camphor trees.
•  The Festival of Trees at the Orlando Museum of Art showcases “All That Glitters,” from Nov. 15-23, featuring dozens of adorned trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses on display, as well as for purchase.
•  ICE! At Gaylord Palms, an award-winning attraction carved by a team of 40 skilled artisans, features more than two million pounds of hand-carved ice sculptures from Nov. 14 – Jan. 4, including Frosty the Snowman, four ice slides and a live ice-carving station.

The Season of Shopping

Orlando may be known for its thrilling theme parks, but the city’s abundance of malls, outlets and boutiques offer a wonderland of holiday finds. Visitors in town for Black Friday (Nov. 28) will enjoy some of the best prices of the year on their holiday purchases.

•  The Mall at Millenia offers over 150 high end stores with everything from the latest Apple gadgets to high-end retailers such as Neiman Marcus, St. Laurent Paris, Prada, Tiffany & Co. and Cartier.
•  The Florida Mall is the area’s largest shopping experience with over 250 stores including Coach, MAC Cosmetics and playful shops such as Build-A-Bear, the M&M Store and Polaroid FOTOBAR.
•  Orlando Premium Outlets offers two world class outlet centers located in Orlando. Both include over 150 stores offering everyday savings of 25 to 65 percent.