Even though I’m an enthusiastic annual passholder, I’ve often advised locals to avoid Orlando’s attractions during the peak holiday season — at least until the locust-like swarms of tourists leave with the new year. However, after a stifling summer and storm-filled fall, these temperate closing weeks of 2024 might be your last, best chance to enjoy Central Florida’s theme parks in their current form, before some classics permanently close and Universal’s Epic Universe arrives. Here are some area holiday offerings that I think are worth enduring the crushing crowds for, whether you’re hosting out-of-town guests or only entertaining yourself.
As always, Walt Disney World’s holiday celebrations center around the Magic Kingdom, where the sold-out Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties offer the rare opportunity to ride 2024’s most talked-about ride — Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — without a Virtual Queue or Lightning Lane pass. Fortunately, you don’t need scalped tickets for that after-hours event to enjoy the Jingle Cruise overlay, nor to get one last “wildest ride in the wilderness” aboard Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, before it begins a year-plus overhaul in early January. While you’re there, bid adieu to the prominent role for Biden in the Hall of Presidents (post-Inauguration Day futures for both are TBD), and don’t forget to take a raft over to Tom Sawyer Island, so you can squeeze through the fort’s escape tunnel before the Rivers of America are drained and demolished for a coming Cars land.
If you are still looking for a hard-ticket holiday party inside a Disney park, Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios still has availability on select nights through Dec. 21, and the returning event is receiving rave reviews from attendees compared to its inaugural year. Sadly, Jim Henson fans will find the party’s headlining “Holidays in Hollywood” live show, hosted by Kermit and Miss Piggy, to be bittersweet, knowing that the nearby MuppetVision 4D attraction is not long for this world. The only consolation under the Christmas tree for Muppet fans is knowing that Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem will remain in the park at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster after Aerosmith’s upcoming eviction.
The one-two punch of Merry Menagerie folk-art puppets by day and Tree of Life projections at night makes Animal Kingdom home to Disney’s most understated and underrated holiday celebration. But the most important reason to visit this season is the imminent extinction of Dinoland U.S.A., whose Dino-Rama side permanently shutters in mid-January. Few will mourn the tacky carnival games as they give way for an elaborate Encanto dark ride, but Chester & Hester’s roadside gift shop — and especially the nearby dinosaur sculpture by acclaimed outsider artist Mr. Imagination — are true works of art that I wish could be preserved. (Fear not, fans of Dr. Grant Seeker: You still have a full year to catch that iguanadon before Indiana Jones repossesses the Institute’s time rovers.)
EPCOT remains the Disney park that delivers the most added value to ordinary park guests during this time of year, thanks to its expansive International Festival of the Holidays. First stop inside The Land pavilion’s Glimmering Greenhouses, the Living With the Land boat ride’s illuminating overlay, and Soarin’ Around the World, which was recently updated with a less-bendy Eiffel Tower (IYKYK). Then take your time enjoying the abundance of live entertainment found around World Showcase, which features scores of performers between the celebrity-narrated Candlelight Processional and intimate cultural storytellers. In only a few hours at EPCOT, I was entranced by global superstar Whoopi Goldberg, as well as local superstars Karin Amano, Adam DelMedico and JD Sutton. Finally, in the back of the France pavilion you’ll find Disney’s greatest holiday gift of all: the Ratatouille ride’s recently opened single-rider queue, which regularly cuts hour-plus waits down to 10 minutes or less.
Finally, Disney’s holiday celebrations grab the lion’s share of attention, but I’ve long pointed out that Universal arguably offers even more, without restricting access to favorites like the perennial parade featuring Macy’s balloons behind paywalls. So although I never expected to encourage anyone to invest in seasonal upcharges at Universal, my recent experience as a hosted media guest on their VIP holiday tour has changed my mind. For under $100, guests receive reserved viewing at the Broadway-style Grinchmas musical and Hogwarts Castle light show, get to skip the multi-hour wait to meet the Mean One himself, plus they get sweet and savory snacks and an encounter with Santa. But it’s the exclusive meet and greet with Max (the Grinch’s adorable dog), along with the opportunity to linger in the parks after other guests have left, that made Universal’s holiday tour my most memorable VIP experience of the season.
Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | or sign up for our RSS Feed
This article appears in Dec 18-24, 2024.