CENTRAL FLORIDA TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR. WHERE WILL YOU BE? YOU’LL BE HERE. A LONG STANDING TRADITION IN ORLANDO HAS BEEN THE ORANGE BALL DROP. OKAY. NO LONGER WILL THE BIG ORANGE DROP ON CHURCH STREET, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR. IT’S GOING TO BE IN THORNTON PARK. GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN JOINS US LIVE IN STUDIO TO TELL US ALL ABOUT SOME OF THE PREPS FOR THE BIG EVENT TOMORROW. GAIL. ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, THE BAR AND RESTAURANT OWNERS HAVE BEEN BUSY AS ELVES WORKING TO GET EVERYTHING JUST RIGHT. SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AS THEY PREPARE FOR 2026. CHEERS. CHEERS, EVERYONE. LOTS OF TOASTING AND SALUTATIONS WILL BE ON TAP FOR THE NEW YEAR AS THE BARS IN THORNTON PARK. STOCK UP AND GET READY FOR THE MASSIVE NIGHT OF NEW YEARS CELEBRATING TRUE CRIME. DEBBY. FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, THE ICONIC ORANGE BALL DROP WILL BE IN THORNTON PARK. LAST YEAR IT WAS PACKED WITH 3500 PEOPLE RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR. WE ARE SUPER EXCITED TO DO THE ORANGE BALL DROP AND THIS YEAR WE PARTNERED WITH FLORIDA CITRUS SPORTS. THEY’RE SPONSORING IT SINCE THEY’RE CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF THE CITRUS BOWL. SO WE’LL BE DROPPING THE ORANGE AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT. THREE TWO ONE OH, THE ORANGE DROP WAS A CHURCH STREET TRADITION FOR NEARLY 25 YEARS, BUT THORNTON PARK BAR OWNERS, INCLUDING THE REINDEER ROOM, STEPPED IN LAST YEAR AFTER HEARING CHURCH STREET WOULDN’T BE DOING. THE PARTY STARTS AT 8:00 TOMORROW NIGHT. WE HAVE LOTS OF OFF DUTY POLICE OFFICERS. THE CITY HAS WORKED REALLY WELL WITH US TO TELL US WHAT THEY NEED US TO DO, AND OF COURSE WE OBLIGED AND WE HAVE OUR OWN SECURITY. WE HAVE DEFINITELY INCREASED SECURITY FROM EVEN MORE THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A FUN, SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYBODY. WE’VE GOT MUSIC, WE’VE GOT ALL THE RESTAURANTS AND BARS ON THE STREET PARTICIPATING, LOTS OF PEOPLE, LOTS OF FUN, LOTS OF FESTIVITIES. BAR OWNERS WILL BE SETTING UP ALL DAY WEDNESDAY AND THE STREETS CLOSE AT 3 P.M. THERE’S ONE ENTRANCE FEE, THERE’S TWO ENTRANCES, ONE NEAR SUMMERLIN AND ONE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE BLOCK, AND YOU CAN BUY THE TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME OR AT THE DOOR. AND IT’S $35 NOW AND IT’LL BE $40 TOMORROW. GET DOWN EARLY AND CLAIM YOUR SPOT ON THE STREET AGAIN. THE PARTY STARTS AT 8:00 TOMORROW NIGHT. I’M TOLD THERE WILL BE FENCES AROUND THE EVENT. METAL DETECTORS IN USE. ORGANIZERS SAY THEY’RE MAKING
Orange Ball Drop returns to Thornton Park for New Year’s Eve in Orlando
Updated: 10:43 PM EST Dec 30, 2025
The Orange Ball Drop, a cherished New Year’s Eve tradition in Orlando, will once again take place in Thornton Park, with bar and restaurant owners preparing for the event with safety as their top priority.Wendy Connor, owner of the Reindeer Room, said, “We are super excited to do the Orange Ball Drop, and this year we’ve partnered with Florida Citrus Sports; they’re sponsoring it, since they’re celebrating 80 years of the Citrus Bowl. So, we’ll be dropping the Orange again tomorrow night.”The celebration, which drew 3,500 attendees last year, will begin at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Aaron Dudek from Burton’s Thornton Park highlighted the collaboration with the city to ensure safety, stating, “The party starts at 8 p.m. tomorrow. We have lots of off-duty police officers. The city has worked really well with us to tell us what they need us to do, and of course, we obliged. And we have our own security.”Connor added, “We have definitely increased security from even more than we have last year just to make sure this is a fun, safe environment for everybody. We’ve got music. We’ve got all the restaurants and bars participating. Lot of people. Lots of fun. Lots of festivities.”Preparations will continue throughout the day on Wednesday, with streets closing at 3 p.m. There will be a single entrance fee, with two entry points near Summerlin and on the back side of the block. Tickets are available in advance or at the door for $35, increasing to $40 on the day of the event.Dudek advised attendees to “get down early and claim your spot on the street.” The event will feature fences and metal detectors to enhance security, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The Orange Ball Drop, a cherished New Year’s Eve tradition in Orlando, will once again take place in Thornton Park, with bar and restaurant owners preparing for the event with safety as their top priority.
Wendy Connor, owner of the Reindeer Room, said, “We are super excited to do the Orange Ball Drop, and this year we’ve partnered with Florida Citrus Sports; they’re sponsoring it, since they’re celebrating 80 years of the Citrus Bowl. So, we’ll be dropping the Orange again tomorrow night.”
The celebration, which drew 3,500 attendees last year, will begin at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Aaron Dudek from Burton’s Thornton Park highlighted the collaboration with the city to ensure safety, stating, “The party starts at 8 p.m. tomorrow. We have lots of off-duty police officers. The city has worked really well with us to tell us what they need us to do, and of course, we obliged. And we have our own security.”
Connor added, “We have definitely increased security from even more than we have last year just to make sure this is a fun, safe environment for everybody. We’ve got music. We’ve got all the restaurants and bars participating. Lot of people. Lots of fun. Lots of festivities.”
Preparations will continue throughout the day on Wednesday, with streets closing at 3 p.m. There will be a single entrance fee, with two entry points near Summerlin and on the back side of the block. Tickets are available in advance or at the door for $35, increasing to $40 on the day of the event.
Dudek advised attendees to “get down early and claim your spot on the street.” The event will feature fences and metal detectors to enhance security, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all.