It is my favorite time of the year! It is Christmas time! And while it may not feel like it is winter in Orlando with our 80 degree weather, there is no shortage of events to attend to bring a taste of the holidays! I am working my own way through my to-do list and I wanted to share some of the best events to attend in Central Florida in 2022!
1. SeaWorld Christmas Celebration
When: Select Nights November 11th-January 3rd
Cost: Included with Daily Park Admission (Starting at $87.99 per day)
SeaWorld has such a fantastic Christmas celebration! It is probably one of my favorite events at the Orlando theme parks. SeaWorld has lots of beautiful lights and amazing shows. The Winter Wonderland on Ice and O Wondorous Nights shows are spectatular! The event also features festive food & drink booths located throughout the park.
2. Celebration’s Now Snowing Event
When: Nightly November 26th-December 31st
Cost: Free!
We had so much fun at this event! There is a huge tree in town center and it snows at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm right in front of the tree. While you are there you can also get photos with Santa, ride the Christmas train and ice-skate on a synthetic ice rink. The surrounding neighborhoods also have some amazing decorations. We took a stroll down to Jeater Bend and enjoyed lots of gorgeous light displays on our way!
3. Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll
When: November 11th-December 30th
Cost: Free!
A fantastic way to get some Disney Christmas cheer without having to pay for park admission! The Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll features 20 themed trees located throughout the shopping district. You can pick up a map at various locations throughout Disney Springs and once you have found all 20 trees you can turn it in for a surprise.
Disney Springs can also be a great place to get some resort hopping in from. The bus depot is easily accessible and you can park for free in the garages! Some resorts I reccommend for Christmas decorations are: The Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, and Animal Kingdom Lodge.
4. Universal Orlando’s Holidays
When: November 12th-January 1st
Cost: Included with Daily Park Admission (Starting at $109)
Universal’s festivities are spread out amongst their two parks. At Universal Studios you can enjoy the Macy’s parade, explore a decorated Diagon Alley and walk through the Holiday Tribute Store. At Islands of Adventure, you can explore the decorated Seuss Landing and catch one of my favorites: The Grinchmas Wholiday Spectacular! Hogsmeade is also decorated and you can watch a special show on the Hogwarts castle.
When: November 18th-January 1st
Cost: $29.99-$36.99, plus $30 for parking
Located at the Gaylord Palms, this year’s event is themed to How the Grinch Stole Christmas and includes two million pounds of sculpted ice. The ice is enclosed in a 20,000 square foot space and even includes an ice slide you can go down! It is a chilly 9 degrees inside the event, so definitely dress accordingly. Although, you do get a jacket to put on before you go in.
6. Night of a Million Lights at Island H20
When: November 1st-January 1st
Cost: $30-$40 depending on day
This event has previously been held at the Give Kids the World Village due to COVID resulting in their operation being minimized. However, this year, Give Kids the World Village is back to full capacity so the event has been moved to Island H20 instead. This event supports an amazing cause and features millions of lights, displays and themed landscapes. Additionally, there is festive snacks and entertainment!
7. Leu Garden’s Dazzling Lights
When: November 25th-January 1st
Cost: $25, free offsite parking with a shuttle or onsite parking is $12
Located at the gorgeous Leu Gardens, this event features over a million lights for you to enjoy and be dazzled by! There are also lots of unique installations like a candy cane forest and giant neon flowers. There are 15 different areas to explore on your journey through the lights.
8. Central Florida Zoo Asian Lantern Festival
When: Select Nights November 18th-January 15th
Cost: $21.99
This is such a unique festival and it looks absolutely gorgeous! The event features 30 lantern displays located throughtout the zoo. There is also food & drinks, live music and artisan crafts!
9. Christmas in the Wild at ZooTampa
When: Select Dates November 25th-December 30th
Cost: Included with Daily Admission (reservation required) or $29.95 for entry after 4pm
We really enjoyed this event at ZooTampa! There were lots and lots of beautiful lights and various displays. The zoo also featured various festive food & drinks options throughout. This event is a little bit farther away (about 1.5 hours away from Orlando), but can be combined with a day in Tampa for a fabulous day trip!
10. Lake Eola
When: December 2nd-December 23rd
Cost: Free!
I love strolling around Lake Eola and it is even more fun this time of year! Lake Eola is decked out in lights and festive displays that you can enjoy as your walk around. You can also stop by the Walt Disney Ampitheater and enjoy a christmas tree light show!
11. Christmas Nights in Lights at Dezerland
When: November 11th-January 1st
Cost: $45 per car
This is a drive-through event that features millions of lights on a road that is over a mile long! You can bring your hot cocoa and cookies and enjoy the displays from the comfort of your car. If you are a Florida resident you can even get $20 off for a limited time with code LOCAL20!
12. Busch Garden’s Christmas Town
When: Select Dates November 11th-January 8th
Cost: Included with Daily Admission
I am sad to say that I still have not managed to make it out to Busch Garden’s Christmas event, but it always looks amazing! This event is also a bit of a drive away in Tampa, but you can enjoy the park all day long and get to end with lots of Christmas festivities. Busch Garden’s event features over 10 million lights and there is lots of live entertainment and yummy food & drinks!
13. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (Sold Out for 2022 Dates)
When: Select Nights November 8th-December 22nd
Cost: Sold Out for 2022
This one makes it last on my list as it is already sold out for this year, but I wanted to include it in case you are doing research for next year! Disney’s Christmas Party is a lot of fun and you get access to Magic Kingdom with lower crowds. Additionally, there are cookie stops throughout the park handing out free cookies and hot cocoa, you can view the amazing Christmas parade and special Christmas fireworks, and there are also special character meetings. There are also lots of special food and drink offerings available for purchase during the event.
Well, there you have it! Those are my top recommendations for things to do in the Orlando area for the holidays. I am 100% positive this is not a comprehensive list and new events are added each year. If there is an event you love, I would love to hear from you in the comments below. And, as always, if you have any other questions, comments or concerns, I would absolutely love to hear from you. Thanks for reading and happy travels!