What is there to love about Christmas in Orlando?
The holidays in Florida are a tropical wonderland. Everything you dream it can be is actually true. The temperatures are cool and the humidity is low. And the only snow will be the soapy variety. From theme parks to the Space Coast, you can find holiday wonder all around Central Florida. Keep reading for all of the wonder and joy of Christmas in Orlando.
Christmas in Orlando at Unique Hotels
- The Hotel Meliá in Orlando Celebration brings the joy of ice-skating without the cold weather! Now through Jan. 3, hotel guests can glide on a sustainable alternative to a traditional ice rink with synthetic ice panels for holiday fun all season long.
- Gaylord Palms presents ICE! featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas (Nov. 17 – Jan. 3), where guests experience an immersive, story-driven holiday showplace. This is complete with larger-than-life ice sculptures of classic scenes and beloved characters re-created in three dimensions. And there is also frozen slides, and tunnels where guests can experience an immersive, story-driven holiday showplace complete with larger-than-life ice sculptures of classic scenes and beloved characters re-created in three dimensions, along with frozen slides, tunnels and more.
Holiday Performances in Orlando
- The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra presents “Home for the Holidays” on Nov. 25 in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Conductor Mauricio Céspedes-Rivero will feature holiday favorites, singers and a few surprises.
- The Abbey hosts Candlelight: Holiday special featuring “The Nutcracker” and more on select dates between Dec. 6-20. The concert will bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before, featuring the music under the gentle glow of candlelight.
- The Orlando Ballet premieres a new production of The Nutcracker, Dec. 8-24, in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. It will be an imaginative version of the world’s most beloved holiday tale featuring an entirely new choreography to create a fresh and whimsical experience complete with giant snow globes, fancy mice, and a few high-flying surprises.
- The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts welcomes GRAMMY Award-winning multiplatinum musician Mark Tremonti for the “Mark Tremonti sings Frank Sinatra Christmas Special” on Dec. 16 in The Walt Disney Theater, paying homage to childhood Christmas classics.
Family Fun Outside of the Theme Parks
- The Orlando Museum of Art transforms into a winter wonderland during the 37th annual Festival of Trees, Enchanted Holidays (Nov. 10 – 19). Featuring enchanting décor, more than 30 designer-decorated trees, gingerbread houses and wreaths, special events include an Opening Night Party, Breakfast with Santa and a children’s Reindeer Romp party, photo ops with Santa and more.
- Harry P. Leu Gardens blooms into a winter wonderland with a million sparkling lights, shining forests, magical displays, music and beautiful sculptures during “Dazzling Nights” (Nov. 24 – Jan. 6). The three-quarter mile, family friendly interactive holiday experience features new immersive elements like a nighttime show with 100, 10-foot-tall beacons of light and a 30-foot- tall tree of thousands of shimmering, gold sequins. During the day, “Holiday Blooms” showcases a collection of beautiful floral and holiday themed displays throughout the garden.
- Ivanhoe Village kicks off the holiday season with Jingle Eve (Nov. 18), a free family friendly event featuring a variety of yuletide festivities, including beer gardens, live music, arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, a children’s holiday village, a fireworks finale and more. The event will also feature the ticketed “12 Wines of Christmas” Wine Walk experience for access to tastings among a curated selection of wine options at 20 locations.
Even more Christmas in Orlando Family Fun
- Crayola Experience’s Colorful Christmas (Nov. 18 – Jan. 7) returns with SNOWtastic adventures. Guests will find a life-sized snow globe, complete with falling snow. And there will also be a light show starring Scarlet and her singing reindeer. In addition, guests will have the chance to craft unique gifts.
- The 6th annual Oh, What Fun! Holiday Festival (Dec. 7-23) will transform the Lake Nona Town Center into Peppermint Square, a winter wonderland with nightly snowfalls, live entertainment, festive photo ops and more.
- Celebrating its 71st year, Winter Park’s annual Ye Olde Hometown Christmas Parade (Dec. 2), the oldest continuous holiday parade in Central Florida, will feature over 80 participating organizations, including marching bands, an appearance by Santa and more.
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex hosts Holidays in Space (Dec. 15-30), with Starflake’s Holiday Voyage, a nightly projected show on the massive exterior of Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex where visitors can embark on a journey with Starflake as she travels through the stars, Earth and beyond. In addition, festive holiday décor encompasses the visitor complex, including a 50-foot tree with more than 61,000 pixels of light, an all-new Rocket Tree Trail Sponsored by L3Harris, astronaut nutcrackers and more.
- Gatorland’s Holiday Ho Ho Ho-Down will return select dates starting Dec. 2. The family friendly event is included with park admission and will feature live music, festive food items and displays, and more.
- Island H2O Water Park debuts an all-new island-themed holiday light spectacular, “Holiday Nights,” (select nights from Nov. 8 – Dec. 31). The unique walk-through experience will feature twinkling lights, enchanting displays, immersive family fun, live entertainment, a holiday market and more.
Christmas in Orlando at Disney World
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will return to Magic Kingdom Park for 25 select nights (Nov. 9 – Dec. 22). This separate-ticketed evening event will offer festivities, including Christmastime stage show “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration,” “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” and “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.” In addition to complimentary cookies, cocoa and snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A, guests can experience “Frozen”-inspired entertainment with Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and the Snowgies at “Frozen Holiday Surprise,” an all-new entertainment experience that will light up Cinderella Castle withholiday cheer.
- EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth (Nov. 24 – Dec.30) will take guests on a global holiday celebration with a candlelight processional featuring a robust list of celebrity narrators, storytellers, costumed performances, glimmering greenhouses in Living with The Land and more than 15 Holiday Kitchens throughout the World Showcase nations, along with sights, sounds and flavors of the season celebrated by cultures near and far.
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Nov. 11– Dec. 31) brings a holiday twist to the magic of nature with a variety of seasonal delights. Discovery Island will spring to life with artisan-sculpted puppets of arctic animals like penguins, reindeer, polar bears and more during the Merry Menagerie. As nighttime falls, a holiday edition of the Tree of Life Awakening will begin, accompanied by a heartwarming musical score.
- NEW: Disney Jollywood Nights (select nights, Nov. 11 – Dec. 20), an all-new separately ticketed nighttime holiday party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will combine Hollywood and holiday for a night of glitz and glamour with dapper décor, merry mashups, tastes and sips, special appearances from classic characters, live entertainment and the return of the nighttime spectacular “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!”. Throughout the evening, guests can enjoy after-hours access to rides under the stars.
Universal Orlando Holiday Celebrations
- Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure brings holiday charm to Seuss Landing with The Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular, a live retelling of the classic tale starring the Grinch. The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast returns on select dates from Nov.17 – Dec. 31, allowing guests to start their day with breakfast and appearances by Dr. Seuss characters, including the Grinch himself.
- Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter features seasonal holiday shows and festive decor in both Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida. Once night falls in Hogsmeade, guests can revel in a spectacular holiday projection on Hogwarts Castle during “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle” at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
- At Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s, characters from Illumination’s “Despicable Me” and DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek” and “Madagascar” – along with larger-than-life balloons, dozens of holiday floats, hundreds of festive performers and Santa – will fill the streets of Universal Studios Florida in the evenings.
SeaWorld Orlando Christmas
During SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration, SeaWorld Orlando transforms into a winter wonderland featuring millions of sparkling lights throughout the park. Included with theme park admission, enjoy snacks, live performances, character dining add-on options and Holiday Reflections: Fireworks Finale. During the Sesame Street Breakfast at SeaFire Grill, beloved Sesame Street characters dress up in festive attire, while Dinner with Santa, is an opportunity to enjoy a holiday meal with Santa Claus himself.
There’s something for everyone! We may not have freezing temperatures or snow shovels. But we have holiday magic!
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