Let’s take you through all fun organized at the theme parks.
The 12 Best Ways to Perk up Your Christmas in Orlando
1. Meet Your Favourite Characters at Walt Disney World Resort
We are all aware of how Disney can make a festival turn into a grand celebration. So can you imagine Christmas in Orlando without the Disney characters? Come visit The Disney Resort, it is where the magic is created and so the Walt Disney World Resort continues the tradition and lights up the entire resort during the vacations.
You will definitely not regret bringing your children to this wonderland where the Cindrella Castle gets lit up in all its glory, the Disney characters come together to perform with the reindeers. Do you want more than just lightings this year? Disney will never disappoint you. Move to Disney Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to experience an extension of the lavish celebrations.
There will be a Frozen Holiday Wish castle show, Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, and many other things. You can also choose to stay at the resort and be a part of all the merrymaking. Do not miss out on the magical world of Disney this winter.
Where to find it: Walt Disney World Resort, 1375 E Buena Vista Dr, Orlando, FL 32830.
- The events will go on from November 6, 2020, to December 30, 2020.
- The price will be included with park admissions
2. Celebrations at Universal Orlando Resort
Interested in spending Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Universal Orlando is your place. The festivities can be experienced through the live performances and live shows at Seuss Landing, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley. Experience the fabulous Universal Holiday Parade where the gigantic balloons of the Nutcrackers, reindeers, the penguins from Madagascar are featured, and then head over to the Island of Adventure where the Grinch will be trying to steal the holidays. Have you been missing some of your favourite characters like Minions, Despicable Me, or the Shrek family? Worry not, because you will be able to meet them at the Universal’s Holiday Character celebration. That is not it, the Resort has more to offer. Participate in activities like the Holiday Tree Scavenger Hunt and Holiday Treat Trail which includes Pumpkin Spice Churro, Holiday Wreath Cake, Red Holiday Popcorn, and many more. Hope to see you merrymaking at the Universal Orlando Resort with your friends and family this Christmas.
Where to find it: 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819, United States.
- The events will go on from November 14, 2020, to January 3, 2021.
- The price will be included with park admission.
3. Spend Christmas at SeaWorld Orlando
Want to spend the night with over 3 million lights and live shows? SeaWorld Orlando is your stop. Find yourself amidst the holiday cheer as you meet Rudolph and the other reindeers and Santa himself when you head over to Wild Arctic. Head over to the Sesame Street Land and spend some time singing and dancing with your friends. Walk through the sea of trees and then go and take a picture with Santa Claus from 12:30 pm till the time the park closes down. Enjoy over 30 Christmas carols and the live shows at the Nautilus Theater. Witness the magical fireworks at the Holiday Reflections: Fireworks and Fountain Finale with fountains, lights, and merry music and dance. That is not all, they also believe in making Christmas special and so every year they organize a Sea Lion High’s Parade. How cute is that? Skaters end the show on a stage of ice with dazzles and jewels. In addition to all the events that are hosted at SeaWorld, you can also satisfy your taste buds at some amazing eateries that sell everything, starting from seafood, to frosty drinks, to hot cocoa, to burgers.
Where to find it: 7007 Sea World Dr, Orlando, FL 32821, United States.
- The events will go on from November 21, 2020, to December 31, 2020.
- The price will be included with park admission.
4. Spend the Holidays with Some Lego Rides
Be a part of the huge Christmas celebration that takes place at LEGOLAND with a gigantic Christmas tree, some extremely exciting rides, thrilling events, seasonal shows, and dazzling lights. It has a bunch of activities planned for you like the photo spot with LEGO Gingerbread Man or the LEGO Sleigh and reindeer, musical stage show, and many more. There will be firecrackers as Santa comes to town with his little elves and the reindeers. All the twinkling lights and the air filled with joy and laughter makes it a perfect Christmas at LEGOLAND.
Where to find it: 1 LEGOLAND Way, Winter Haven, FL 33884.
- The events will go on from November 27, 2020, to December 31, 2020.
- The price will be included with park admission.
5. The Crayola Experience
Make your Christmas colourful by splashing some Crayola colours in it. Spend a musical time at the light show, sing some carols, meet some of the characters from the North Pole, and create some exotic and weird gifts for yourself and your loved ones as well. If you want something more engaging, try out the Scavenger Hunt and then make your way into the seasonal Christmas refreshments.
Where to find it: 8001 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32809, United States.
- The events will take place from November 21, 2020, to January 4, 2021.
- Prices will be included with admission.
6. Spread Your Love This Holiday Through Some Gifts
Happiness increases when shared, we have all heard about this saying, let's spread some warmth this year to our loved ones by getting them some Christmas presents while we are out there enjoying ourselves. You can buy some glow necklaces or spirit jerseys or accessories or some toys which are available at reasonable prices at the Disney’s Character Warehouse. World Showcase at Epcot is a place where you will find merchandise from 11 countries, so it is a one-stop-shop if you want gifts from different countries. To get to the store, you need a ticket to Epcot which can cost around $100. Disney merchandise is appreciated by everyone throughout the world. If you are looking for a place to shop as well as to dine, you should definitely head to Disney Springs. While you are in Orlando, try some of that butterbeer which is the seasonal specialty and is absolutely loved by the locals. The Holiday Tribute Store at the Universal Studios will have rooms full of all the exclusive merchandise, brand new gifts and will be a one-stop for all the minions and harry potter merchandise for this Christmas.
7. Do Not Miss out on the Parades
Christmas is incomplete without people gathering for parades and filling up the streets. There are a number of parades that are organized in and near Orlando, let’s start by naming a few.
- The parade organized by Avalon Aglow. You can expect train rides, performances by people of the community, and many other activities to keep you busy. End the eventful day with fireworks that start at 9 pm. It is organized on the 5th of December, 2020 and starts at 3 pm in the afternoon, entry to the parade is free. It will be held at 3680 Avalon Park East, Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32828.
- Mount Dora Christmas Parade takes place on the 5th of December from 10 am to 12:30 pm and the entry is free. It will be held at Donnelly St, Mt Dora, Fl. The Mount Dora Lighted Boat Parade takes place on the same day from 7:30 pm at 311 South Tremain Street, Mt Dora, FL. In this parade, the boat owners light their boats up in Christmas lights and visitors can enjoy a nice stroll by the lake Dora.
- Another popular parade is the Kissimmee Festival of Lights Parade which will be held on the 12th of December, 2020 from 7 pm to 8 pm. Entry to the parade is free and you can bring your family along to enjoy some music, dance, and lightings.
8. What Is Christmas Without Food?
Can you imagine Christmas without all the cookies, fruit cakes, plum cakes, and the gingerbreads? No, right? For the perfect Christmas dinner, you can head to The Alfond Inn located at East New England Avenue. This boutique hotel is decorated with beautiful Christmas trees and would give you the perfect ambiance to celebrate Christmas. Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort is the perfect place to be if you want to celebrate lavishly.
Gaylord Palms, Hyatt Regency Orlando, Loews Universal Orlando Resorts, etc are some of the other restaurants that can be visited to celebrate the most colourful and lit up holiday. Alex and Mercedes Strachwsky are the gifted owners of Bake Me A Cake which is one of the best bakeries in Orlando, located on 710 Orange Avenue, the place serves cupcakes, sugar cookies, etc. Visit Charlie’s Gourmet Pastries by Charlie Hawks which is located on 3213 Curry Ford Road and serves walnut pie, peanut butter whipped cream pie, and different kinds of shortbreads. Jane’s Short and Sweet is another bakery that serves cookies and other treats and is located at Park Avenue.
9. Trees! Trees! Trees!
The Orlando Museum of Art organizes a Festival of Trees where designer trees are placed at a display for people to purchase to brighten up their houses and begin the Christmas fever. Find yourself in the middle of beautifully decorated trees, alluring decor, gingerbread houses, etc. The festival organized by the Council of 101 brings to you a week-long event with musical performances and fun events.
- The event is held every year at the Orlando Museum of Art.
- Tickets range from around $12 to $17 for adults.
10. The Nutcracker
The Russian Academy of Ballet performs The Nutcracker every year at Downtown Orlando. It feels as if a dream has come into reality when the lights go off and the stage is taken over by the beautiful and graceful ballet dancers. There are limited seats for the event and therefore you must hurry!
Where to find it: Walt Disney Amphitheater at Lake Eola.
- The event will be held from December 4, 2020, to December 20, 2020.
- The entry to this event is free.
11. Be Ready for a Movie Night
All in and around Orlando there are free movie nights that are arranged during the holiday season. These are generally held outdoors and thus it is preferred if you get your own blankets and seating arrangements and even some snacks, though you will get eateries out there. Movies are played at Lake Nona as well as at the University of Central Florida’s Light Up UCF. These free movie nights help to bring in the Christmas feel in people and share their joy with each other. Come and be a part of this bonding over movies.
12. Lights Will Guide You Home This Holiday!
Lights are one of the most important parts of Christmas, from homes to offices to parks, no matter where you look at this time of the year, you will be able to see sparkling lights and thus this list will be incomplete if we do not mention the places with the best Christmas lights in Orlando. Let’s start with the Great Christmas Light Fight House or the Johanessen Lights, which is open from December 1-31, 2020 at 7840 Georgeann St., Winter Park, Florida. The next is Garden Grove Christmas Lights at Garden grove Circle, Winter Park, Florida. While talking about lights, you cannot forget to mention Christmas Wonders House in Kissimmee. Thousand of lights of different colours twinkle together at this time of the year and make it an exotic display for its viewers.
These are just some of the ways you can enjoy the festival of trees in the city of Orlando, there are definitely many more ways. Christmas is all about the carols, the Christmas trees, the ceremony, the lights, the celebration, the feast, the gingerbreads, the jingle bells, etc. Witness the jaw-dropping beauty of the city of Orlando. It becomes a wonderland filled with lights and snow and merriment.