Category Archives: Florida Attractions

Do you have a spare year to enjoy everything in Florida? We wish. So we’ve put some information together here to let you figure out what’s the best thing to do when you’ve only got a precious few days to enjoy it all.

Orlando Christmas Guide 2013

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Christmas is coming to Florida

As Christmas draws nearer (it’s only 8 weeks away) we thought we’d take a break from work and focus on our Orlando Christmas Guide for Orlando, Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld.  It starts at the end of November in the theme parks so you can have a great time celebrating the festive spirit during your vacation.  Nowhere celebrates Christmas as well as the big names in Florida, you just have to get used to the warm temperature and blazing sunshine!

Here is our favourite selection of Christmas events to look out for as Christmas takes over the theme parks for a crazy month of fun.

Disney Days of Christmas

Disney’s Magic Kingdom Christmas Holiday

The Magic Kingdom will be celebrating Christmas in style with these unmissable events!

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – select nights from 7:00 PM to midnight, November 8 to December 20, 2013

  • Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle – festive lights and Disney tunes.
  • Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade – Gingerbread men, elves and others dance down Main Street
  • Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season – Brilliant lights explode in the air above Cinderella’s Castle
  • Totally Tomorrowland Christmas – Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski and Stitch
  • Celebrate the Season Show – Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and others get into the holiday spirit
  • Meet-and-greet opportunities throughout Magic Kingdom park with some of your favourite Disney Characters
  • Complimentary cookies and hot cocoa
  • A magical snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A.

 

Downtown Disney’s Festival of the Seasons – Holiday carollers, holiday songs, street performer from November 15 – December 29, 2013

Holidays Around the World at Epcot – Epcot celebrate Christmas around the world from November 29 – December 30, 2013

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade – Animal Kingdom’s festive celebration from November 9, 2013 to January 2, 2014

As well as all these events, each of the Disney Hotels puts on special displays and decorations, as demonstrated by our son in the picture below!

Gingerbread House at the Floridian

Gingerbread House at the Floridian, with little Rowan

SeaWorld Christmas Events

Continuing our Orlando Christmas Guide, SeaWorld always put on a fantastic Christmas display and shows.  They offer some variety to the normal shows and the shops and decorations are fantastic.  This is well worth a visit and the park opens late during the Christmas season.

seaworld sea of trees

SeaWorld sea of trees

SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration – 11/23/2013 – 12/31/2013

  • Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas – this is a must see!
  • Elmo’s Christmas Wish – Sesame Street friends have come to SeaWorld Orlando!
  • O Wondrous Night – over 30 carols, live-size puppets and live animals
  • Sea Of Trees – over 100 trees light up to music, as in the picture above
  • Shamu Christmas Miracles – Shamu shows off to a Christmas theme
  • Winter Wonderland on Ice – ice skating extravaganza
  • Holiday Reflections: Fireworks and Fountain Finale – fountains, dazzling lights, and fireworks
  • THE POLAR EXPRESS Experience – where you’ll meet Santa Claus himself.
  • Shamu’s Happy Harbor – Experience the Holly Jolly Railway

 

New Year’s Eve at SeaWorld – 12/31/2013 – 01/01/2014

SeaWorld Holiday Reflections

SeaWorld Holiday Reflections

Santa’s Fireside feast.  Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus at SeaWorld’s Santa’s Fireside Feast, an exclusive dinner featuring an all-you-care-to-eat menu of holiday favourites and delicious desserts.

Universal Orlando Christmas Events

Universal Studios Florida

  • Macy’s Holiday Parade – marching bands, clowns, and an appearance by Santa Claus from December 7, 2013 – January 4, 2014
  • Mannheim Steamroller – select Saturday and Sunday nights in December – December 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22

 

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

  • Grinchmas – Seuss Landing s transformed into a wintry wonderland from December 7, 2013 – January 4, 2014

 

Universal CityWalk

  • Orlando’s Premier New Year’s Eve Party – a party that doesn’t stop until next year. Bid a fond farewell to 2013.  Live entertainment.  Midnight champagne, and more!

 

As well as the theme park events it’s also worth visiting Celebration Town who usually put on a snowstorm every night leading up to Christmas.

We hope our Orlando Christmas guide gives you lots of inspiration when visiting Florida this Christmas, make sure to plan in to your schedule all the fantastic events so you don’t miss out.

 

Orlando is not just for children

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Orlando tourist board to target adults without children

orlando-skyline-lake-lucerne

The Orlando skyline

Visit Orlando (Orlando’s tourist board) is to launch a campaign in October to promote Orlando as a place for adults without children to choose as their next holiday destination.

For many years, Orlando has been seen as a haven for children to enjoy Disney, Universal, Legoland and its numerous other attractions, with Mum, Dad and Grandparents going along for the ride.

However this is not the case.  Orlando offers an exciting nightlife, has many places to visit, to wine and dine, and further afield there are national parks to enjoy and stunning beaches to relax on.  Not to mention the huge amounts of theme parks that aren’t just for kids!

For outdoor activities and spot, Orlando offers world class Golf courses, fishing, hot air balloon rides, watersports, swimming with Manatees, scuba diving and snorkelling, and loads of other outdoor activities.

We’ve visited Orlando without children before, and had a great time in Disney, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove.  The restaurants and generous American portions go a long way to help, too.  We’ve gone further afield to visit the Florida Keys and Everglades, and the Gulf coast is supposed to be stunning.

So don’t wait for little people to turn up on the scene, visit our villa now before it’s too late and you’re worrying about whether the pool child safety screen is up!

Disney Springs renovation of Downtown Disney

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Transformation of Downtown Disney already begun

Disney Springs

Downtown Disney morphs into Disney Springs

Disney are well into the work that brings about the transformation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs, an exciting development that guarantees to bring added fun and excitement to anybody’s vacation in Florida.

Disney Springs official blog entry here

Downtown Disney has been in existence for more than 30 years, so it’s probably about time for a revamp.  The Walt Disney Resort promises more than 150 shops, dining and various entertainment venues.  We can’t wait!

Aside from the end result and how it will improve and attract new visitors, the work will help boost Florida’s economy with over 1200 new construction jobs and 4000 roles in total.

Disney Springs – what is it?

The new site for Disney Springs will contain four main areas:

  • The Town Centre promenade for shopping and relaxing
  • The Landing commercial district on the waterfront
  • The Marketplace is a family-friendly area for all ages
  • The West Side for loads of entertainment venues

All in all, due to complete in 2016.

Florida theme park news

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Attractions coming in 2014

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney’s Lego Sculpture

As if visiting Florida wasn’t already awesome, here are some new Florida theme park attractions coming or rumoured in 2014.

Magic Kingdom

  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Spring)
  • Festival of Fantasy Parade (Spring)

Disney

  • Brand-New Festival of the Lion King Theatre (actually 2013);
  • Additions to Downtown Disney / Disney Springs

Universal Studios and Resort

  • London and Diagon Alley (spring)
  • Cabana Bay Beach Resort (soon)
  • New restaurants and shops coming to CityWalk

SeaWorld and Busch Gardens and Aquatica

  • A Sea of Surprises (special year-long event starting from January 2014 at SeaWorld Orlando);
  • Falcon’s Fury (next spring/summer at Busch)
  • I-Drive Live (2014 / 2015)
  • A new slide for Aquatica – SeaWorld’s Water Park (Spring);

LegoLand

  • A new themed area at Florida LEGOLAND

 

LEGOLAND discount tickets | Florida Winter Haven

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The LEGOLAND website has recently reduced its Florida resident annual pass to just $99 (correct as of February 2013).  Compared to a single entry to the Winter Haven park at $64 this seems like a bargain.  The pass gives you free parking, LEGOLAND discount dining, admission to the LEGOLAND water parks as well, and admission to the other Merlin attractions in the USA.

For those who don’t have a valid Florida photo ID, if you are a fan of LEGOLAND discount then it’s definitely worth looking into a Merlin annual pass on their website: http://www.merlinannualpass.com.  These are currently (2013 prices) at $179 for an adult.  The pass not only gets you in to all LEGOLAND attractions, it also has the following:

  • Madame Tussauds New York, Washington D.C, Las Vegas and Hollywood
  • LEGOLAND® Discovery Centers Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth and Kansas City
  • LEGOLAND® Theme Parks Florida and California
  • SEA LIFE Aquariums Arizona, Dallas Fort Worth, California, Kansas City and Minnesota
  • Plus more attractions coming soon!

 

LEGOLAND discount tickets will get you in to the full list of 2013 events at LEGOLAND.

LEGOLAND 2013 Winter Haven

  • LEGOLAND Water Park re-opens for spring break and summer-time. March 9, 2013
  • Winter Haven Hospital Foundation’s Citrus Classic 5K Run and Fun Walk. April 6, 2013
  • Red, Brick & Boom allows guests to celebrate the 4th of July. July 4, 5 and 6, 2013
  • Brick-or-Treat for Halloween festivities. Weekends in October 2013
  • Christmas Bricktacular. Weekends in December 2013
  • Countdown to New Year’s Eve Party. December 26-30, 2013
  • New Year’s Eve and a DJ dance party in Miniland USA. December 31, 2013