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Christmas And New Year in Orlando

Walt Disney World

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, at the Magic Kingdom (on select days from late November to late December), is an evening special event after park closing, with ‘snow’ on Main Street USA (quite a feat in Florida!), festive stage shows, carol singers, two performances of the Christmas parade (featuring Santa Clause himself) and a special fireworks display. Plus, most of the major attractions are open and all attendees get free hot chocolate and cookies. There is a separate charge for this event, and tickets sell out EARLY, so it is advisable to book as soon as possible on Disney’s main reservations line, 407 934 7639.

PRO SPOT: It is possible to book a special Candlelight Processional Dinner package in advance, which guarantees you a seat at the performance without having to queue. With this package (usually available three months in advance) you pay a flat-rate fee for one of the main restaurants in Epcot and select from a reduced menu. Just call 407 939 3463 to book.

Epcot also has a grand daily Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (on the linking plaza between Future World and World Showcase), usually around 6pm. The park lights dim and the big lighted archway leading up to the 40ft tree comes to life with the accompaniment of suitable Christmas music.

The World Showcase area features Holidays Around The World, with special displays of how the season is celebrated in various countries, including traditional storytellers and each country’s version of Father Christmas. The events take place in all 11 World Showcase pavilions.

The Osborne Family Spectacle Of Lights is a simply unmissable extra element to the Christmas period at Disney-MGM Studios. This ultra-elaborate lighting show takes months to assemble and usually goes on display from Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November) to January 2 in the Streets of America area of the park, which closes down shortly beforehand and then opens up with a grand light-up ceremony. The millions of twinkling lights originally came from the Osborne family, who used to decorate their house in Little Rock, Arkansas in extravagant style, but were forced to stop after complaints by their neighbors (who were presumably nearly blinded by the amazing displays!). Disney agreed to take it over and have subsequently added new elements. The overall effect is absolutely jaw-dropping. Words do not do it justice – go see it for yourself. And remember to buy a packet of roasted chestnuts!

Disney Hollywood Studios’ daily Stars and Motorcars Parade becomes the Hollywood Holly-Day Parade, taking on a seasonal theme from mid-November through 1 January.

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Camp Minnie-Mickey area features a specially decorated Santa Goofy’s Holiday Village, plus another highly-decorated Christmas Tree at the park entrance, while the daily parade becomes Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade from November 30 to January 2.

PRO SPOT: Many of the Disney restaurants feature special Christmas menus, with traditional American Christmas fare on Christmas Day. The Liberty Tree Tavern and Tony’s Town Square restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, Le Cellier and Rose & Crown in Epcot and Brown Derby and Hollywood & Vine at Disney-MGM Studios offer traditional Christmas specialities, but they do book up well in advance, so you need to make a reservation well before your visit. For all Disney dining, call 407 WDW-DINE (407 939 3463).

Additionally, all the Disney resort hotels feature some superb Christmas trees, music, decorations and other events (notably the Chocolate Carousel at Disney’s Beach Club, the massive Gingerbread House at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and cozy Sleigh Rides each evening at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge), which are well worth stopping in to see at some stage.

The Downtown Disney area features Festival of the Seasons, more wonderful decorations and daily appearances by Santa at a specially built pavilion in front of the huge World of Disney shop.

The 21 and older age group can ring in the New Year at Pleasure Island with live big-name bands, high energy night clubs and a New Year’s Eve fireworks display. A champagne toast is included in your special admission ticket; valid photo ID required, no exceptions.

Universal Orlando

Universal Studios continues a long-standing tradition with the daily Macy’s Holiday Parade, featuring a series of spectacular larger-than-life balloons and floats, based on the big New York Thanksgiving Day parade.

Grinchmas returns to Islands of Adventure! Meet the grouchy green Grinch from early December through 1 January as Seuss Landing celebrates the Who-lidays.

PRO SPOT: You won’t find many places in America actually calling it the ‘Christmas’ period. Instead, most Americans refer to this time of year, confusingly for us Brits, as ‘The Holidays,’ hence the typical greeting is ‘Happy Holidays’, combining both Christmas and New Year. A heartfelt ‘Merry Christmas’ is always appropriate and appreciated, but this little quirk of language may catch some International visitors by surprise.

SeaWorld

The SeaWorld Adventure Park is likewise transformed into a winter wonderland from after Thanksgiving to January 2 each year, with some elaborate decorations, festive scenery, live music and a daily cascade of ‘snow.’ Centre-piece of their celebrations each day is the Christmastide Holiday Fountain Show, focused on their Waterfront area, with the setting for their summer special effects show Mistify being used for a new arrangement of fountains and fireworks, with a suitably festive musical backing. The Believe show takes on a seasonal glimmer with a holiday-themed pre-show.

New Year rolls around in high style in a festival of Jazz, as big name performers count down to 2008 under a blazing midnight fireworks presentation. Free with park admission.

Around Orlando
Elsewhere in Orlando you will find some other set-piece events for the holiday season. ICE! at the Gaylord Palms Resort is a truly amazing attraction, set up in the hotel’s huge convention centre and featuring two MILLION pounds of ice sculpted into an array of superb vistas, including polar bears, an enormous gingerbread house and Santa’s workshop, with the addition of expanded ice slides for everyone to try and an array of children’s activities. The exhibit (from late November to January 2) has an entry fee (ticket prices vary according to day of week), plus a parking fee but is a real one-off experience – especially in sunny Florida!

PRO SPOT: The ICE! show is kept at a chilly 9°F and appropriate warm clothing is required (no open-toed shoes or shorts allowed). However, they do provide hooded parkas to help keep you warm! It takes 40 artisans from Harbin, China (where they have a long-standing tradition of ice-working) 25 days to complete all the ice sculptures. Look up www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordpalms.

If you miss the ‘snowfalls’ at the Magic Kingdom or SeaWorld, you can also experience this unusual (by Florida standards!) phenomenon in the town of Celebration, just south of Walt Disney World off Highway 192, where their Nightly Snowfall starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs until New Year’s Eve. On Market Street in the heart of downtown Celebration, it runs for 10 minutes at from 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm nightly, accompanied by a visit from Santa, carol singers and other festivities.

Busch Gardens Tampa and Cypress Gardens decorate elaborately during the Christmas season, lending a festive air filled with music, twinkling lights and (at Busch Gardens) a visit from Santa himself. Bring those Wish Lists!

Other Christmas themes can be found at the Dixie Stampede dinner show, where they change their main show to a special Holiday Show from November to January, as does Arabian Nights and Pirates Dinner Adventure.

New Year is almost a mini holiday season in its own right as many people make a beeline for Orlando for the days up to and including New Year’s Eve. Most of the parks have late hours (except Disney’s Animal Kingdom) and stage some kind of evening spectacular, with live performances, extra parades and fireworks, but CityWalk at Universal throws one of the best parties, with live music, champagne and some spectacular food (separately ticketed event), along with Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney, where the specially-ticketed event includes live big-name bands and R&B performers, a midnight fireworks spectacular, desserts and a champagne toast. Another party worth seeking out is the Atlantic Dance Hall New Year’s Eve at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort.

PRO SPOT: Disney’s big Pleasure Island New Year’s Eve bash – from 8pm-2am – is usually one of the hottest tickets in town, but it doesn’t come cheap. The 2007 prices were $99, plus tax ($89 for Annual Passholders). It is also for guests 21 and over only. The party runs from 8pm-2am. To book, call 407 934 7639.

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