Credit: Seth Kubersky

Central Florida’s tourism industry enjoyed several bountiful months between the opening of Epic Universe and the end of Halloween, but attraction wait times dipped below their pre- and post-pandemic peaks during this past Thanksgiving. Locals historically hide from the locust-like swarms of visitors during late December, but if current trends continue, 2025 might be your best opportunity in years to experience the major resorts’ Christmastime charms without crushing crowds. If you are dashing to the theme parks, these are a few of my favorite highlights from their holiday celebrations, along with a few lumps of coal to avoid.

Magic Kingdom has been ground zero for Walt Disney World’s holiday celebrations for over 50 years, and the pull of nostalgia is so strong that tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas after-hours parties continue to sell out, despite increasing in cost and capacity every year. Fortunately, you don’t need a party ticket to enjoy the Jingle Cruise, the Santa-satirizing overlay of Adventureland’s classic boat ride. But with construction walls barricading nearly half the park from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (reopening Spring 2026) through the Rivers of America (demolished for Cars and Villains lands, opening TBA), you might be better off making holiday memories in another park. 

In its place, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has stepped in with celebrations aimed at slightly more mature merrymakers, featuring vintage mid-century decorations and an after-hours party that offers alcohol. I’m frankly amazed that tickets are still available (as of this writing) for the Jollywood Nights events on Dec. 17 and 20, since it’s the only place you can meet Chewbacca in his red Life Day robes from the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. Party night or not, stop by Sunset Boulevard after sunset for the projection mapping show featuring the Muppets; they’re also taking over the nearby Rock & Roller Coaster next year, and have already evicted Aerosmith from the ride’s preshow.

At EPCOT, the International Festival of the Holidays once again decks the walkways around World Showcase with tempting food booths and sets Living With the Land’s Glimmering Greenhouses aglow. My favorite annual tradition is to catch a celebrity (Deadpool’s Leslie Uggams, this year) narrating the always-spectacular Candlelight Processional, then slurp some soba noodles in the neighboring Japan pavilion while watching local actress Karin Amano, who has been performing as the Daruma storyteller for over a quarter-century. Just don’t continue around to France’s Ratatouille ride if you’re a 3-D fan like myself; the recent removal of glasses has exposed the screens’ edges and distortions to an unfortunate degree.

For a less stressful Disney experience this Christmas, I suggest Animal Kingdom, which sees the smallest attendance of WDW’s four parks. From the folk art-influenced ornaments on the tree outside the entrance to the enchanting Merry Menagerie of animal puppets that appears around Discovery Island, the seasonal celebrations here are refreshingly subtle. Cooler weather means you’re more likely to see lions lying along the Kilimanjaro Safaris route during midday, and you can also get your last looks at what’s left of Dinoland U.S.A. before it goes extinct in early February. Disappointingly, the new Zootopia: Better Together 4-D film — which recently replaced It’s Tough to Be a Bug — ended up being a big empty box beneath the tree, filled with unimpressive visuals, unintelligible dialogue and unreliable animatronics.

Up the road at Universal Orlando, the Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s continues to be the most impressive processional in Universal Studios Florida’s arsenal (sorry, Mardi Gras and Mega Movie), while returning seasonal versions of the Blues Brothers and Celestina Warbeck shows are just the icing on the fruitcake. Obsessive passholders will want to take their time examining all the Holiday Tribute Store’s Easter eggs referencing Earl the Squirrel (a cult character who greets guests on Hollywood Boulevard), as well as the New York construction wall posters teasing potential replacements for Rip Ride Rockit.

Islands of Adventure has reignited their Christmas light show on Hogwarts Castle, after dimming the Wizarding World’s Dark Arts projections during Halloween. More importantly, the popular Grinchmas celebration is back, with its beloved musical stage show and a brand-new Seussian tree farm where Who-wop singers periodically perform. Beware: Wait times to meet the extremely interactive Grinch often exceed any other attraction in Orlando, so you may want to spring for a breakfast package or VIP holiday tour. 

For its first festive season, Epic Universe applied Christmas decor to Celestial Park and the Ministry of Magic, while the Isle of Berk observes Snoggletog with mac & cheese cones. But the new park’s best holiday present was a recent permit filing pointing to the construction of a massive 150,000-square-foot expansion in its near future. 

Finally, SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas Celebration once again provides an alternative to its larger competitors’ holiday offerings, with a broad selection of seasonal snacks available through tasting packages, traditional ice-skating and live Nativity shows. You can skip Mrs. Claus’ Magic Kitchen unless you have young kids in tow, but the freshly reborn Clyde & Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas show is an absolute must-see. Thanks to the comedic collaboration between SeaWorld’s sea lion trainers and Odd-o-Ts’ Entertainment, this was the most entertaining example of anthropomorphic “yes, and” I’ve unwrapped in ages.

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This article appears in Dec. 17-23, 2025.

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