It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Cooler weather has returned, and the Florida theme parks are all decked out for the holiday season.
It’s hard not to be in the Christmas spirit in the Orlando area. In addition to the normal feeling of magic and joy that you are bound to feel every day of the year, the theme parks roll out some extra holiday fun to welcome Santa’s little helpers to the parks.
Magic Kingdom
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and dozens of their other Disney pals help ring in the festive spirit of the holiday season during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom.
On select nights through Dec. 19, guests with tickets to this special, after-hours event can enjoy an evening filled with all the magic and wintry wonderment of the season, complete with complimentary hot cocoa and cookies, snow flurries falling on Main Street, U.S.A., as well as a jolly parade and breathtaking fireworks show.
New this year, Queen Elsa from “Frozen” uses her incredible powers to transform Cinderella Castle into a glistening ice palace for the holidays in the “Castle Dream Lights Celebration” and “A Frozen Holiday Wish” stage show. The castle, draped in 200,000 shimmering white lights, will be transformed nightly by Elsa with Anna, Kristoff and Olaf cheering her on.
Twice during party nights, guests can enjoy “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade” and watch as more than 160 performers, 12 floats and catchy Christmas music light up the streets of the Magic Kingdom. New to the parade in 2014, Ralph and Vanellope from “Wreck-It Ralph,” and a processional featuring Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, along with their pals Olaf and Kristoff, join in the frosty festivities.
Festive floats, toy soldiers, gingerbread men, skiers and ice skaters bring the sights, sounds and even the smells of the holidays to life at 8:30 and 10:30 each night of the party.
Sweet aromas of peppermint and gingerbread waft out of the kitchen and onto Main Street, U.S.A. from Goofy’s Candy Company and the Bake Shoppe floats, while the scents of fresh-cut evergreens and pine trees emit from the Christmas Tree and the Ski Shoppe float.
Jolly Disney characters come together in two live entertainment shows, both sure to please guests of all ages. Mickey Mouse gives Minnie Mouse a gift, and Goofy, Donald and others come together to perform their own version of The Nutcracker in the “Celebrate the Season Show” on the Cinderella Castle stage. Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski and Stitch fight holiday gloom and attempt to track down Santa Claus across the galaxy in the “Totally Tomorrowland Christmas” show. This jubilant show held in Tomorrowland is chock full of the season’s coolest dance numbers.
Guests can hoot and holler with the Country Bears, Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar and Clara Cluck, at the “Holiday Hootenanny!” held inside the Diamond Horseshoe in Frontierland. Over in Tomorrowland at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, Club Tinsel welcomes Christmas vacation with brothers Phineas and Ferb, who are hosting a holiday dance party of their own.
Day guests will get to experience “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade” which is presented in place of Disney Festival of Fantasy from Dec. 20-31.
Tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party start at $62 for ages 3-9, and can range to $67 for ages 10 and up. This price may vary depending on the party night selected to attend, and does not include tax. To purchase tickets for this special holiday party, guests may visit Disneyworld.com or call 407/WDW-7679. The party starts at 7 p.m., but party guests with tickets will be allowed admission into Magic Kingdom beginning at 4 p.m. on party nights.
Universal Orlando Resort
At the Universal Orlando Resort from Dec. 6 through Jan. 3, families can create lifelong memories during Universal Orlando’s Holidays celebration. Kids from one to 92 can watch larger-than-life balloons float through the streets during the Macy’s Holiday Parade, hear Christmas music sensation Mannheim Steamroller perform beloved holiday classics with a modern twist and come face-to-face with The Grinch at Grinchmas, At Universal Studios Florida, the Macy’s Holiday Parade will fill the streets with the same larger-than-life balloons seen in the famous New York City parade. Guests will be immersed in the spirit of the season with holiday characters, fantasy-filled floats and a tree-lighting ceremony with the big man himself, Santa Claus. Also, guests won’t want to miss the Chloe The Clown “Balloonicle,” a new addition to the parade that combines a towering balloon with a self-powered vehicle that roams the streets of Universal Studios.
Following the parade, the acclaimed musical group Mannheim Steamroller will take to the Music Plaza stage in Universal Studios to perform memorable holiday hits on Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21.
At Universal’s Islands of Adventure, guests will smile from ear-to-ear during the heartwarming live show, “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular,” featuring The Grinch and the Whos from Who-ville, accompanied by an original musical score by Mannheim Steamroller. Guests can meet the mean, green one himself and the Whos daily and, on select dates, enjoy a special breakfast with the characters.
All theme park holiday entertainment – including Mannheim Steamroller concerts – is included as part of park-to-park or multi-day admission to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Florida residents can also take advantage of the following offers:
Make Your Season Bright with Incredible Florida Resident Offers from Universal Orlando
SPECIAL OFFER
Florida Resident 2-Park Preferred Annual Pass
*Available on FlexPay – a low monthly payment option
**Down payment and restrictions apply.
· 2-Park Preferred Annual Pass – less than $13 per month
· Enjoy 365 days of unlimited park-to-park admission to both Universal Studios Florida & Universal’s Islands of Adventure
· Free admission to select special events
· Free self-parking after first visit.
· Food and merchandise discounts
Florida Resident 2-Night Getaway
*On-site hotel vacations starting at $135 per adult, per night, tax inclusive
· 2-Night On-Site Hotel Accommodations at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort – an all-new hotel inspired by the iconic beach resorts of the 1950s and 1960s
· Florida Resident 2-Day Park-to-Park Ticket
· Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter one hour before the theme parks open
· Access to live entertainment at Universal CityWalk
The celebration continues at the four on-site hotels at Universal Orlando Resort – Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the new Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort – all of which will glisten with holiday decorations. Hotel guests will be immersed in the spirit of the season with holiday buffets and dining events, tree-lighting ceremonies, special musical performances, visits from Santa Claus and holiday poolside “dive-in” movies. More information on all of the holiday festivities at the on-site hotels is available at: www.universalorlando.com/hotelholidays.
The whole year’s been leading up to this: EVE 2014. On December 31, guests can experience Universal CityWalk’s electrifying New Year’s celebration. This year’s unforgettable event features Orlando’s largest dance floor, six unique party zones, access to six of CityWalk’s high-energy nightclubs, live music, unlimited gourmet cuisine and a midnight champagne toast.
This is a separately ticketed event. More information on EVE 2014 will be available at www.UniversalOrlando.com/Holidays. Follow Universal Orlando Resort on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
LEGOLAND Florida
Less than an hour from the hustle and bustle of Orlando, visitors can celebrate the holidays as a family when LEGOLAND® Florida Resort hosts its annual Christmas Bricktacular and Kids’ New Year’s Eve Bash celebrations every weekend in December. From extraordinary holiday-themed LEGO® builds and models to fireworks displays that light up the night to snowfall inside the Park, LEGOLAND Florida has exciting, family-friendly activities planned for all.
Christmas Bricktacular (weekends in December) activities include:
- LEGO Santa and Reindeer Models: Families will have a photo opportunity with a life-size LEGO Santa Claus.
- LEGO Christmas Tree: The more than 30-foot-tall LEGO Christmas tree made with a combination of 270,000 forest green LEGO and DUPLO® bricks provides the perfect place for every holiday family photo.
- LEGO Model Build Activity: Help LEGOLAND Florida build and decorate a LEGO Christmas Tree in time for Christmas day that will stand more than 20-feet tall when completed.
- LEGO Santa Scavenger Hunt: It’s Christmas Eve in Miniland U.S.A. and Santa is busy delivering gifts to all the good girl and boy minilanders. The whole family can enjoy searching for Santa amid the more than 30 million LEGO bricks that make up Miniland U.S.A.
- LEGO Santa and LEGO Toy Soldier Characters: Guests will have meet and greet opportunities with LEGOLAND Florida’s special holiday friends.
- Holiday Decorations: Guests will get into the holiday spirit with sounds of the season and holiday decorations that fill The Beginning and Fun Town areas of the Park along with a winter wonderland feel as snow falls all around them!
The fun isn’t over when Christmas comes to a close, however. LEGOLAND Florida gets the New Year’s party started early with nightly fireworks over Lake Eloise from Dec. 26-30. Watch a spectacular fireworks display with special viewing glasses that turn ordinary fireworks into the illusion of millions of exploding LEGO bricks.
Various generations can experience a family-friendly party together with Kids’ New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31. This grand finale features an impressive LEGO fireworks display and a chance to watch the brick drop at just the right time for kids, 7 p.m. – or – midnight KST.
Holiday events are included with normal Park admission.
Along with LEGOLAND Florida’s Christmas Bricktacular and Kids’ New Year’s Eve, guests can still enjoy a full day of theme park fun with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. For the most current information, log on to www.LEGOLAND.com.
Busch Gardens Tampa
No trip to Central Florida should be complete without a trip west on I-4 to the Tampa area.
Christmas Town™ transforms Busch Gardens® Tampa into a holiday wonderland of wintery surprises and all things Christmas, filling guests’ senses with seasonal sights, sounds and flavors, and continuing a beautiful family tradition. Now included with any annual pass, Fun Card or daily admission to the park, this year’s event has added even more dates to experience Christmas Town attractions, shows and shopping.
From the nostalgic Holiday Hills to the nature-inspired Jungle Jubilee, more than a million lights will blanket Busch Gardens during Christmas Town. Plus, fan-favorite shows including Christmas on Ice and the Carol of the Bells light show return to ring in the season. Check out this video for more returning Christmas time experiences.
In addition, brand new beautifully-lit areas will debut at Christmas Town:
- Dazzling lantern stars transform Pantopia™ into the jewel-toned Celestial Crossing, complete with a gigantic LED star that beautifully lights the way to Mrs. Claus’ Family Feast and the Christmas Celebration show. The new area is also home to the Bottle Christmas Tree, a conservation collaboration project that transformed 5,000 recycled plastic bottles into a Christmastime masterpiece with the help of nearly 50 Hillsborough county schools.
- The Egypt area of the park transforms into the humble town of Bethlehem, where guests discover the famed journey of the Three Kings. The magical story unfolds as the North Star guides the way to a land filled with desert-themed rustic décor, larger-than-life camels and the Three Kings Caravan.
- Christmas Town provides unforgettable Yuletide experiences for the entire family around every corner, creating a Christmas celebration like no other:
- The Claus family invites you into their North Pole home at Welcome to Santa’s House. While the elves are busy preparing for Christmas, Santa is taking a break from his busy holiday schedule to meet and take photos with families in his private study.
- All aboard the Christmas Town Express for the biggest Christmas carol sing-a-long on wheels. Friends and family are invited join in singing traditional songs of the season like “Jingle Bells,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” while circling the Serengeti on a beautifully lit vintage-style steam locomotive.
- Busch Gardens is excited to welcome African penguins to the family! Come chill with these dapper little creatures and marvel at their underwater antics at the brand new Penguin Point, complete with a giant penguin photo opportunity in the Nairobi area.
- For those who can’t wait to get their night at Christmas Town started, guests are invited to pull up a seat at Mrs. Claus’ Family Feast for a special evening filled with stories, songs, a delicious holiday fare, plenty of opportunities for holiday hugs and photos with Mrs. Claus and her favorite elves. Space is limited for this exclusive dining experience and reservations must be made in advance at ChristmasTown.com.
Guests will also have the opportunity to ride some of Busch Gardens’ most popular thrill rides, including Cheetah Hunt, SheiKra, and America’s tallest freestanding drop tower, Falcon’s Fury™.
Christmas Town will also offer some magnificent new opportunities for groups looking to book a unique holiday party. For details, call the Busch Gardens Events Team at 813-987-5523. Christmas Town is open 23 select dates and park closing times will range from 8pm to 9pm throughout the event, Nov. 28 through Dec. 31.
For more event information, visit ChristmasTown.com. Be the first to know about new events, special deals and future announcements by following the park’s blog at BuschGardensTampaBlog.com, or “Like” the Busch Gardens Facebook page, and follow @buschgardens on Twitter and Instagram.
Downtown Tampa
In downtown Tampa, you can watch one of the great holiday classic films in one of the state’s most historic theatres. When you visit Tampa Theatre, you’re not just coming for a movie – you’re coming for an experience. One of the brightest and most popular of those experiences for our guests is the tradition of sharing beloved holiday favorites on the big screen with family and friends, and singing along to Christmas carols with the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ before the show.
· HOLIDAY INN (1942)
3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7
Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire play successful song-and-dance men Jim Hardy and Ted Hanover. They are best friends, but they have a tendency to fall for the same women. When dancer Lila Dixon (Virginia Dale) leaves Jim for Ted, Jim leaves Broadway to pursue his dream of running a little hotel that only opens on national holidays. He hires Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds) to perform there, and before long, the old friends are competing again, this time for the lovely Linda’s affections. 1h 40m /Not Rated/Musical Comedy
· WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)
3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14
Army buddies Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) team up to become a top song-and-dance act after the war. Davis plays matchmaker and introduces Wallace to a pair of beautiful sisters, Betty and Judy (Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen), who also have a musical act. When Betty and Judy travel to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, Wallace and Davis follow, only to find their former commander, General Waverly (Dean Jagger), is the lodge owner. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers try to help the General. 2h /Not Rated/Musical Comedy
· AN EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS (2014)
7:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18
In AN EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS, Evie Lee (Charleene Closshey) is forced to leave her seemingly glamorous Hollywood life on hold and return to her small hometown of Balsam Falls, Tennessee, and her family’s once-thriving Christmas tree farm to attend her father’s unexpected funeral. As the eldest sibling, she finds herself executor of an estate that owes a massive inheritance tax, much to her younger brother’s dismay. Torn between pursuing her music career and saving her family’s legacy, she must decide what it really means to find her place in the world.
Closshey stars amidst a colorful cast, including Robert Loggia (AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, SCARFACE), Tyler Ritter (son of the late John Ritter), Booboo Stewart (THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 2) and Naomi Judd (television’s TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL and FRASIER), in this heart-warming musical holiday tale about facing your past, rediscovering your voice, and fulfilling your dreams.
Tampa Theatre will welcome Closshey, the film’s co-writer Morgen Culver and writer/director Jeremy Culver to introduce this very special screening, and participate in an audience Q&A after the film.
· IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) – Five Show Times!
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19
3 & 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20
3 & 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21
George Bailey (James Stewart) has spent his entire life giving back to the people of Bedford Falls. But when George’s Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) loses a bank deposit from the family’s modest building and loan company on Christmas Eve, the rich and heartless Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) threatens to destroy the company. Thinking his wife (Donna Reed) and their family would be better off with him dead, George contemplates suicide, but his faith is restored when an angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) shows him what life would have been like if he had never existed. 2h 10m/ Not Rated/Comedy-Drama
· National Lampoon’s CHRISTMAS VACATION (1989)
3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28
For the first time in Holiday Classics history, Tampa Theatre invited its fans and friends to choose the final movie in the series from a selection of three contemporary Christmas favorites. More than 1,200 votes were cast, and by a landslide 53%, the winner is National Lampoon’s CHRISTMAS VACATION.
It’s Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for the family’s seasonal celebration. But things never run smoothly for Clark (Chevy Chase), his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and their two kids (Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki). Clark’s chronic bad luck is worsened by the unexpected arrival of obnoxious relatives like Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), but he manages to keep the holiday spirit alive, knowing that his Christmas bonus is coming soon, and his house will shine the brightest in the holiday light display. 1h 37m/ Rated PG-13/Comedy
Tickets are available at the Box Office or online at www.TampaTheatre.org ($2 convenience fee applies).
This is by no means a comprehensive guide to all the holiday magic that abounds in and around the Orlando area, but it gives you a glimpse of some of the amazing attractions that lie within an hour of the house the mouse built!
Be sure to let us know your favorite Central Florida holiday happenings in the comments below.
Have a Merry Christmas one and all, and a fun-filled New Year too!