“Dashing through the snow…” WAIT! There might not be snow to dash through during Christmas in Orlando, but that doesn’t mean the holiday fun isn’t everywhere you look!
Many of your favorite Orlando vacation spots go all out to help your family create those memories that only can come once each year. Here are our favorite Orlando Christmas events. All are sure ways to help get your family dreaming of sugarplums and singing carols like children again. Updated for 2025!
Christmas in Orlando- The Best Orlando Christmas Events in 2025
Christmas Events at Orlando Theme Parks
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Universal Orlando
If you’ve always dreamed of experiencing the magic of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade but don’t want to brave New York City crowds, Universal Studios Orlando brings the spectacle right to Florida. Universal’s Holiday Parade Featuring Macy’s fills the streets with oversized balloons, sparkling floats, dancers, and favorite characters—including the Minions, Shrek and Fiona, King Julien from Madagascar, and of course, Santa himself.
Check out our guide to the best rides at Universal Orlando.
Head to Universal’s Islands of Adventure to enjoy the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss through Grinchmas. Based on the Dr. Seuss story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, watch the “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular” where all your favorite characters come to life and Dr. Seuss’ Landing becomes alive with the holiday spirit being spread by all the Whos from Who-ville, and yes, even the Grinch himself!
You also don’t want to miss the happenings inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The “can’t miss” event is the nightly glistening snow that falls periodically atop Hogwarts. Enjoy holiday treats and drinks, as well as performances by Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees or the Frog Choir.
The resort also offers the Universal Holiday Tour. It is a premium, ticketed after-hours experience available on select nights from November 21, 2025 through January 3, 2026. It includes reserved seating for shows like the Holiday Parade Featuring Macy’s and Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a dessert party, and express access to certain attractions.
Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort will take place November 21 through January 4, 2026. Whether it’s your first or fifteenth visit don’t visit without first reading these Universal Orlando tips.
Read more about Christmas at Universal Orlando.
LEGOLAND Florida
Over at LEGOLAND Florida in Winterpark, the holidays are celebrated in bricktastic fashion. There will be holiday-themed shows, a giant LEGO Christmas Tree, opportunities to take photos with giant LEGO snowmen and a sleigh and reindeer made of bricks. Of course, you also need to make time to say hello to LEGO Santa.
Book your tickets for LEGOLAND Florida today!
Leading up to the New Year, the Kids’ New Year’s Party takes place. It features nightly fireworks, special building activities, and dance parties.
If you stay at LEGOLAND Florida Resort Hotel during the Christmas season you can book a special package with includes in-room themed surprises, a special gift for children, and a holiday dinner during each night of your stay.
This year’s holiday events take place on select days from December 6 – 31, 2025.
Don’t head to LEGOLAND Florida without reading our ultimate LEGOLAND Florida tips first!
SeaWorld Orlando Christmas Fun
SeaWorld Orlando is the home to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his friends during the Christmas season. Of course, Santa will be there as well.
The park is transformed by over three million lights and there are special shows and performances to enjoy. There will be a Christmas parade, snow flurries, an expansive Sea of Trees in the SeaWorld lagoon, ice skating, and fireworks throughout the season.
It is all capped off by a special New Year Eve celebration, come with fireworks.
This year’s Christmas event takes place November 15, 2025 through January 4, 2026.
Headed south? You definitely will want to make a stop at Santa’s Enchanted Forest in Doral, Florida just outside of Miami. It’s the world’s largest holiday theme park!
Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World Resort becomes the Most Magical Place on Earth this holiday season with festive décor, special events, and seasonal eats November 14 – December 31, 2025.
All four theme parks—Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom—are dressed for the holidays, and the resort’s hotels and Disney Springs naturally join in with their own seasonal magic. Here are some of the highlights:
- Magic Kingdom: Iconic Christmas tree on Main Street U.S.A., Castle lighting, holiday overlays on rides like the Jingle Cruise and festive fireworks shows.
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: A separately-ticketed after-hours event on select nights from early November through December. It features holiday parades, rare character meet-and-greets, complimentary cookies & cocoa, snow on Main Street, and a special fireworks finale.
- EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays: Kitchen-style global holiday food booths, storytelling around the World Showcase, the Candlelight Processional, and holiday scavenger hunts.
- Disney Springs & Resort Hotels: Holiday décor, themed gingerbread displays, photo-stations with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and festive food & beverage offerings.
Ice! Featuring Charlie Brown at Gaylord Palms
Several Orlando area resorts have special Christmas fun planned this holiday season but we are most excited about Gaylord Palm’s annual celebration.
Head to the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee is Christmas central with over 2 million holiday lights and acre upon acre of decorations. Gaylord Palms is known as one best Christmas hotels in the country!
This year, ICE! featuring A Charlie Brown Christmas will be at GaylordPalms. Guests can walk through rooms carved entirely from two million pounds of colorful ice, depicting beloved scenes from the classic Peanuts holiday special.
Kids love Snow Flow Mountain where they can sled down the slide or the hilly ice coast. They will also want to try the Ice Bumper Cars and get in a snowball fight with real snow from the Snow Factory.
There are so many incredible offerings during this holiday event which includes ice skating, snowball build and blast, gingerbeadhouse making, Reindeer Games scavenger hunt, photos with Santa, a holiday light show, and even winter spa treatments for Mom and Dad. Visitors can also watch performances of Cirque: Spirit of Christmas.
More Holiday Fun at orlando Hotels
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has Santa has a nightly tree lighting, carolers, cookie decorating, photo ops with Santa, and more. This resort claims that Santa and his crew have voted it his all-time favorite resort and have a website dedicated to it.
Get tucked in by Santa’s Elves or wake up or compete in the Elf on a Shelf Challenge at the Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate. So many fun ways to make holiday memories this season with a long winter nap at your favorite hotel.
At Orlando World Center Marriott, Thanksgiving weekend will be filled with a full weekend of activities including crafts, competitions, movies and treats. It is no surprise that it made our list of the best Orlando resorts for families.
And during the Christmas season, they will host the 12 Days of Christmas, December 20 – 31, 2025. Days will be filled with holiday-themed arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, carolers, dive-in holiday movies, S’mores, games, and more!
There will also be a Holiday Drone Show December 25 – 30 which will be visible from above the 200-acre resort.
Planning an adult getaway? Here are 27 great things to do in Orlando for adults.
Celebration Florida Winter Wonderland
We Floridians like to pretend that our climate can produce frozen ponds, perfect for ice skating. While we may not have ice made by mother nature, Florida does have ice skating!
The town Disney built, Celebration, hosts Florida’s Celebration Florida Snow in the Park November 23 – December 31, 2025.
In addition to ice skating on a synthetic rink, there are train rides, live musical performances, carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides, light shows, the Celebration Express Train, and visits with Santa Claus. This event is one of the most popular in central Florida. Don’t miss the daily snowfall on the hour from 6 – 9pm.
Check out our guide on the best places to stay in Orlando.
The Nutcracker
The Orlando Ballet will perform The Nutcracker at the Dr. Phillips Center in Downtown Orlando December 5 -24, 2025.
There will be special family-centric and sensory-friendly performances as well. Watch the beautiful ballerinas dance across the stage as you listen to the classical story unfold as Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet story is played.
Central Florida Ballet will also performs A Christmas Nutcracker Tale, November 21 – 22 at Steinmetz Hall, Orlando and Orlando Community Arts will perform Clare and the Chocolate Nutcracker November 22, 2025 the Pugh Theater and A Celtic Christmas will take place November 24 at the Pugh Theater.
Sounds of the Season
The Candlelight Processional at Disney’s Epcot is one of the most magical sounds of the season. This year it will take place November 28 – December 30, 2025.
Hear the beautiful story of Christmas featuring different celebrity narrators Constance Wu, Jordan Fisher, and Brie Larson are among those on the schedule for 2025) in addition to the 50-piece orchestra and mass choir. This is a beautiful sight to see with voices that will have you in awe.
Insider Tip: Make reservations for a festive holiday meal at participating Epcot full-service restaurants and enjoy guaranteed seating at the annual Candlelight Processional! (This event is only held on select nights and attendance will be on a first-come, first-served basis.)
Christmas in Orlando- Tree Lighting Events
Disney Springs will be decked in traditional Disney grandiose style. Holiday decor will adorn nearly every store window in the full spirit of the season. A nightly tree lighting ceremony will take place at the Once Upon a Toy fountain play area.
And if you are in search of holiday trees, Disney Springs debuted their Christmas Tree Trail. Fifteen different Disney decorated trees along with a light “snowfall” as you stroll through the trail.
Visit The Orlando Museum of Art for their Festival of Trees as they have decked out their halls with trees that could reach the sky, adorned with twinkling lights and jewels that shine and sparkle. This year’s event takes place November 15 – 23, 2025.
Find more Christmas events near you! Trekaroo has guides for dozens of cities across the country.
Pin this to bookmark all the holiday fun; we update it yearly:
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