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    See the top holiday events at Disney, Universal and more

    Online Niel Posted on

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    ‘Tis the season to celebrate holiday season in Florida’s many theme parks.

    From Orlando to Tampa Bay, the Sunshine State’s theme parks are ringing in the holidays with special shows, delicious treats and unique experiences.

    Not sure whether to hang out with the Grinch or Mickey Mouse? Or maybe you want to literally build your Christmas tree from scratch with Lego bricks? Here’s everything you need to know about each major Florida theme park and its holiday traditions this year.

    Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa: When Are All the December Holidays?

    • Christmas – Wednesday, Dec. 25
    • Hanukkah – from Wednesday, Dec. 25 until Thursday, January 2
    • Kwanzaa – from Thursday, Dec. 26 until Wednesday, January 1

    Holiday events at every Disney World theme park

    Starting with the most magical place on Earth, each of the Disney Parks hosts many holiday events.

    Two of the events require separate tickets to attend. To purchase a ticket, visit Walt Disney World website and search for the desired event.

    Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom

    Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has already begun at Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, running select nights from Friday, November 8th through Friday, December 20th. With special treats, character encounters and holiday shows, this is an event that Disney lovers and vacationers alike. enthusiasts won’t want to miss out.

    You’ll need a separate ticket for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which runs from 7pm to midnight. Prices vary by event date, with the total usually rising in December.

    • Adult (age 10+): $209 and up per ticket, plus tax
    • Child (ages 3-9): $199 and up per ticket, plus tax

    Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios

    Live the holidays with your favorite movies and characters! Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios began Saturday, November 9th and will run select nights through December 21st.

    The event starts after official park hours from 7:30pm to 12:30am. Just like the Magic Kingdom event, it will have meetings, entertainment and specialty food for guests to enjoy.

    Entry to Disney Jollywood Nights requires a separately priced ticket. Tickets to the event are $159 to $179 per ticket, plus tax.

    EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays

    Want to know how other countries celebrate their December holidays? You can take a trip through EPCOT’s World Showcase.

    Of the park International Festival of Holidays will take place between November 29 and December 30. The event’s website invites guests to explore a world of heartwarming holiday traditions at a seasonal event “filled with joyful music, global cuisine and fun for everyone.”

    Unlike other Disney holiday events, you don’t need a separate ticket to attend. However, some activities such as Candlelight processionwill be an additional cost and may require a reservation.

    Animal Kingdom Holiday Edition of Tree of Life Awakening, Other Specials

    Combine your holiday spirit with your wild side. while Disney’s Animal Kingdom doesn’t have a main holiday event, it has more seasonal activities and treats to get you in the mood.

    Guests can visit the “Merry Menagerie”, which are hand-carved marionettes of Arctic animals located in the Discovery Cove region. There will also be holiday-themed versions of Mickey and Minnie to meet and a holiday version of the Tree of Life.

    Like EPCOT’s holiday event, you don’t need a separate ticket to attend.

    See the Grinch, Hogwarts Holidays at Universal Studios Orlando

    From the magical show of Hogwarts Castle Hogsmeade to coming face-to-face with the Grinch, there more holiday activities for guests to enjoy at Universal Orlando this season.

    Guests can explore Seuss Landing’s holiday transformation, which is decorated to resemble Dr. Seuss. WHO-ville. They can see the Grinch star in the live retelling of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic, “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular.”

    You can also watch Universal’s Holiday Parade, featuring floats decorated with Illumination’s Despicable Me and DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek and Madagascar. The parade is presented by Macy’s.

    Festivities run from Friday, November 22 through Tuesday, December 31, every day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks. Officials do not need a separate ticket to experience the activities; to buy a ticket to Universal Studios Orlando, visit their website.

    Busch Gardens Tampa’s “Christmas Town” holiday experience is back

    Busch Gardens in Tampa will turns into a bright winter wonderland of seasonal entertainment, unique up-close animal encounters, holiday treats and more

    The beloved entertainment options have taken over the entire park and will be available from now until Sunday, January 5, all included with regular park admission.

    Christmas Town returns with fan favorites like Santa’s North Pole Experience, a unique experience where jolly elves interact with guests as they guide them to see Santa in his workshop. Also returning is Storytime with Mrs. Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland friends.

    Other returning entertainment options are:

    • “Christmas on Ice”
    • “Elmo’s Christmas Meal”
    • “The Voyage of the Three Kings”
    • “Holiday in the sky, a nighttime spectacular”
    • The Holly Jolly Express
    • Character appearances

    Christmas Town offers plenty of festive flavors to satisfy your holiday cravings. In addition to the traditional hot cocoa, there will be a dedicated booth with options to choose from such as Holiday Poutine, Mistletoe Margaritas and Not-So-Traditional Holiday Ham.

    To purchase a ticket to Busch Gardens Tampa, visit their website.

    SeaWorld Orlando will become a winter wonderland

    Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld is a fan-favorite holiday experience that runs on select dates through Sunday, January 5 and is included with park admission.

    Guests will be delighted to see the return of the Sea of ​​Trees light show to the park’s lagoon, the Winter Wonderland on Ice show, the Sesame Street Christmas Parade, Rudolph’s Christmas Town and the late-night Holiday Reflections fireworks show.

    The theme park offers many holiday-inspired treats, such as mistletoe lamb chops, strawberries and cream beignets, and rustic gingerbread cake.

    During the day, park visitors can ice skate at Bayside Stadium for a small fee.

    Santa is available for meetings and photo opportunities during SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration, located near the Wild Arctic area. Professional photographers are available to take pictures during the meeting.

    To purchase a ticket to SeaWorld Orlando, visit their website.

    Build your holiday cheer with LEGOLAND events

    The LEGOLAND theme park in Winter Haven seeks to transform into a wonderland with seasonal entertainment, unique LEGO activities, twinkling lights and specialty treats to create holiday cheer for everyone.

    According to their website, “Holiday at LEGOLAND” runs on select dates in November and December:

    • November 29 – 30
    • December 1, 7 to 8, 14 to 15 and 21 to 31

    Families can build memories and traditions that will last a lifetime by visiting the Holiday Village Postal Service to meet LEGO Santa and pick up “elves” with their favorite LEGO Characters for the holidays.

    Theme park lovers can also swing around the giant LEGO tree to holiday tunes and enjoy seasonal treats like the Warm Apple Wishes Blondie Sundae, Everything but the Tree Sandwich and the new “cro-ignet” .

    No separate ticket is required to attend. To purchase a ticket to LEGOLAND Florida, visit their website.

    Check out some of these other Florida vacation events

    If theme parks aren’t quite your thing, other holiday events are kicking off across the state. From Southwest Florida to the Space Coast, here are some other Florida holiday events to check out:

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