Holiday Festivals Bring Fun and Cheer to Orlando

With all the fun holiday festivities that the Orlando theme parks have to offer, you may not want to stray outside the parks for seasonal fun this winter. However, you and your family would definitely be missing out if you didn’t, as Orlando is home to several exciting and unique holiday festivals. From a holiday festival that takes you back in time to a cultural holiday celebration, be sure to check out some of these fun events happening soon in the Orlando metropolitan area.

On December 6th, one of Orlando’s largest holiday celebrations will attract over 8,000 people when the Navidad Jibara festival comes to town. Located on the TG Lee Boulevard Grounds near Orlando International Airport, the 7th annual festival is Central Florida’s largest Hispanic-focused holiday celebration. The highly anticipated Navidad Jibara festival celebrates the holiday season traditions of Puerto Rico and the rest of the Hispanic community. However, that’s not to say that this is a Hispanics-only event; anyone can come and enjoy the music, exhibits, and traditional Latin food.

And what place is more appropriate for a holiday festival than Fort Christmas? Located twenty miles east of Orlando, this fort replica was modeled after a fort and stockade created by a force of 2,000 US Army volunteers and Alabama volunteers on December 25th, 1837. One of over 200 forts built during the Second Seminole Indian War, the fort was abandoned in March 1838 and reproduced by Orange County Parks Department in 1977. Today, the replica of the fort houses historical exhibits and presentations, as well as ten restored historical homes and structures built in the “Cracker” architecture of East Orange County.

During the Cracker Christmas Weekend on December 6th and 7th, the fort celebrates its namesake holiday with an annual festival of arts and crafts. Visitors can enjoy a large craft fair, special exhibits, and lots of great food. There’ll also be Florida Cracker demonstrations of arts from pioneer times, including broom making, spinning and weaving, blacksmithing, wood carving, Dutch oven cooking, and more.

Finally, on December 13th, the city of Kissimmee in Orlando-neighboring Osceola County will host a scaled-down version of its annual Holiday Extravaganza. From 4 to 6 pm at Toho Square, families can enjoy Santa’s Social at Toho Square, where kids can visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. And at night, the downtown streets of Kissimmee will illuminate with the Festival of Lights Parade at 6 pm, featuring Santa Claus and Scott & Erica from the Morning show on Mix 105.1. Food vendors will also be present offering tasty holiday treats during this seasonal spectacle.

So this winter, take a break from the parks to enjoy some of the sights and sounds of the season around Orlando and its neighboring cities. Be sure to also check out Celebration Town Center’s “Now Snowing” event, which features carolers, Santa, carriage rides, and nightly snowfall. And on December 4th and 5th, stop by Winter Park to see the Holiday Stroll & Tree Lighting Ceremony, along with the annual lighting of a special Tiffany’s window holiday display in Central Park. With all the fun and magic of these seasonal events, there’s no place like Orlando Florida for the holidays.

Holiday Cheer You Can Only Hear at Universal Studios

In the past few weeks, our readers have had the chance to find out all about the various holiday attractions at Orlando theme parks. A lot of the coverage has been centering on Walt Disney World, we admit, due to the sheer number of parks and activities it has going during the holiday season. But that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about Orlando’s other gem, Universal Studios. Famous as the home of the Grinch, that mean, green anti-Christmas fiend, the Studios offers lots of fun holiday entertainment that will warm the Grinch’s heart and yours during "Holiday Cheer You Can Only Hear Here." This festive celebration from December 6th through January 1st features the sounds and sights of the season along with all the classic Universal fun you love year-round.

The fun starts at Universal Islands of Adventure as Seuss Landing is transformed into the wintry land of Grinchmas. You’ll love strolling around the Whoville Wonky Tree Lot and taking in all the whimsical Wholiday decorations. The highlight of Grinchmas, however, is definitely the popular, live musical performance of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Starring the Grinch and featuring music recorded by Mannheim Steamroller, this hilarious and heart-warming show will have you singing along with a whole town of singing and dancing Whos.

And while you’re in Grinchmas, don’t miss out on a chance to meet the man himself – not Santa Claus, the Grinch! The green one will be available for autographs and photographs, and you and the family can even have breakfast with him. The Grinchmas Character Breakfast is available on select dates and includes an all-inclusive buffet at Confisco Grille, where you’ll nosh with the Grinch and many more Seuss characters, including the happy Whos.

Over at Universal Studios proper, be sure to catch the popular Macy’s Holiday Parade at dusk every evening. This annual favorite brings balloons and floats straight from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and features marching bands, colorful street performers, and more. After every parade, you’ll see the Studios’ spectacular tree being lit with festive music and an incredible display of lights.

Universal will also feature fun holiday shows such as the KidZone Holiday Show, Barney’s Christmas Show, and the Blues Brothers Christmas Show, all featuring your favorite seasonal characters singing and dancing along to festive holiday music. And at the end of every night from December 26th through December 31st, wrap up your day at the Studios with the Universal 360 – A Cinesphere Spectacular. This Hollywood finale projects sights and sounds from your favorite films onto huge spheres in the Universal Studios lagoon, along with a spectacular laser and pyrotechnic display.

All the fun kicks off on December 6th, when Mannheim Steamroller will perform live at the park for the first time ever. You’ll groove along as the band performs original songs from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and puts their modern twist on some of your favorite holiday tunes with songs from their newest album Christmasville.

Best yet, all the fun and festivities are included with your admission, so there’s no excuse not to enjoy all the holiday cheer at Universal Studios. And with the big savings you’ll get from buying your discount Universal Studios tickets here at DWTickets.com, you’ll be hearing the Whos and Mannheim Steamroller in no time. And who knows? At Universal Studios, your heart just might even grow a couple sizes.

Holiday Season Kicks Off After Thanksgiving at Walt Disney World

Everyone knows that Walt Disney World has some of the most incredible holiday attractions every season. This year is no different, with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party lighting up Magic Kingdom and the Holidays Around the World celebration taking over Epcot. However, with these two major Disney spectaculars, don’t forget what's happening over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, as the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights and Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade roll into the parks after Thanksgiving.

From November 28th, through January 4th, 2009, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights comes back to illuminate Hollywood Studios in color, lights, and music. Millions of blinking lights make up this high-energy holiday symphony filled with 3-D and moving displays. You’ll see twirling carousels, sparkling snowflakes, heavenly angels, majestic trees, twinkling bells, colorful wreaths, and Santa and his reindeer all in one unparalleled light display, which lights up the building facades, and trees of the Streets of America backlot.

This year, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights presented by Sylvania will continue the tradition of Osborne family, who began putting up Christmas lights at their home in Arkansas nearly a decade ago. Each year, the Osborne’s display got bigger and brighter until neighbors complained, eventually leading to a Supreme Court judgment that the lights were a public nuisance. In stepped Walt Disney World, who brought the Osborne’s Christmas lights to Hollywood Studios in 1995, where they’ve been shining ever since. Some of the motion-based displays originally created by Jennings Osborne himself are still used today.

The Spectacle is one of the most impressive holiday light displays in the country, with 5 million lights, 66 snow machines (and 100 gallons of snow fluid a night), 32 extension cables, and 43 Hidden Mickeys in the mix. Be sure to catch the “dancing lights” moments, which occur every ten minutes for approximately two to three minutes.

Also starting the day after Thanksgiving until January 4th, 2009, Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade blends the spirit of the park with the spirit of the season as Mickey, Donald, Minnie, and Goofy add unique holiday accessories to their safari costumes. As a holiday version of Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade, this seasonal parade with a unique world beat twist heads through Animal Kingdom to the sounds of special holiday music and traditional classics.

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade will feature the sights and sounds of the season – literally! You’ll smell cinnamon in the air as Minnie’s “Candy and Cookies” float heads by. Also, visitors will find this parade to be a fun and different experience from holiday parades in the other park, as it includes exotic and abstract animal images, designs made from natural materials and fabrics, and unique holiday decorations. You’ll love the whimsical floats and larger-than-life puppetry that’s reminiscent of Broadway’s The Lion King.

This season, don’t miss these incredible Disney offerings that will make you a believer in the magic of the holidays. There’s no extra fee or ticket required to see the Osborne Family Spectacle or the Jingle Jungle Parade; simple get your discount Disney tickets at DWTickets.com and get ready to be dazzled by Disney holiday fun.

Post-Christmas Partying at Sea World Orlando

The holiday hustle and bustle is in full bloom all over Orlando, and the big day is barely a week away. If you will be in Orlando for the holidays, you will see first hand that the week of Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year at the theme parks. The crowds are some of the biggest, but so are the exciting events. In fact, some of the parks have special post-holiday happenings that can only be experienced during this last week of the year. One thing you can experience all year round, though, is the great prices on theme park tickets you will find right here at DWTickets.com.com! SeaWorld Adventure Park Orlando has more than one special post-holiday planned this year, and they are sure to delight all of the park guests.

Sea World has some great holiday events including Shamu Christmas…Miracles and the Polar Express Experience that have been in action all month. But the day after Christmas brings a new nighttime finale to SeaWorld’s center lagoon. Mystify is like no other show. It presents the audience with the amazing vision of marine creatures swimming across 60-foot mist screens over the lake, fire dancing on the water and a fabulous fireworks display to end the night. The spectacular new show will be closing the park nightly from December 26-30.

Also appearing for a short time is Breakfast with Elmo and Friends. Park guests can start the day with a delightful breakfast buffet and enjoy spending time with Elmo, Big Bird, Grover, Zoe, Ernie and the Cookie Monster. Park admission and reservations are both required for the breakfast, which has two seatings each morning at 8:30 and 10:30 from December 26-31.

Also still open to guests through January 1 is the Makahiki Christmas Luau, where guests can enjoy the “ancient holiday traditions of the Pacific Islands.” This event also requires reservations, but park admission is not necessary.
When park admission is needed, DWTickets.com.com is the place to go for cheap theme park tickets whether you are visiting SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or any of the Orlando area attractions. At Christmas and in the coming New Year, DWTickets.com.com is your number one source for discount SeaWorld tickets. We are also your best resource for Orlando theme park news and information, so visit us often for all of your Orlando vacation needs

Merry Grinchmas! Now Eat Your Breakfast

There is so much going on in Orlando during the holiday season, it is next to impossible to keep track of everything. Luckily, at DWTickets.com we keep track of it for you, and that means giving you the best deals on cheap theme park tickets. Whether it’s Disney, Sea World or the Universal Orlando Resort, we are always your number one source for the best discounts in town. We also keep you up to date on the latest goings on in the theme parks and beyond with our own weekly parade of blogs. We are dedicated to providing you with the cheapest tickets and latest scoop every day.

Some of the more obvious holiday happenings around town have taken the spotlight in earlier weeks. At the Universal Orlando Resort, though, there are some other great yuletide events that deserve some attention too.

The biggie at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is the return of Grinchmas, but you can take that Green Christmas one step further and enjoy “Breakfast With The Grinch” at the Confisco Grill. This all-inclusive buffet features breakfast favorites along with visits from the Grinch, the Whos and other characters. This special holiday dining option is only available from December 13-16 and again from December 20-30, and reservations are recommended.

Guests can enjoy “Christmas in the City” as they stroll among the popular shops and restaurants at Universal’s CityWalk from December 14-28. Each day features a live band on the plaza stage, and visitors will be treated to appearances by Santa’s elves and reindeer, and the entertaining and unique powerskip performers.

The hotels at the Universal Orlando Resort are getting into the holiday fun too. The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is celebrating “Festa Musica Della Notte” (Holiday Music of the Night) through Christmas Eve. This Italian festivity features the “Grand Illumination” of the Christmas tree at 6:30 each night with opera singers setting the holiday mood once it’s lit.

The Loews Royal Pacific Hotel is having a “North Pole Celebration” with strolling carolers and a gingerbread Christmas tree display. They will also have eggnog, apple cider and cookies to help ring in the spirit of the season, along with special demonstrations by the hotel’s executive pastry chef.

So, this holiday season, get your cheap theme park tickets right here at DWTickets.com. Share in some Grinchmas cheer and then enjoy some less well known, but still spectacular holiday events throughout the Universal Orlando Resort!

Arabian Nights Goes Christmas Again in 2007

When you’re in Orlando, it’s pretty much a given that you will be spending some time at the three theme park biggies: Walt Disney World, Sea World and the Universal Orlando Resort. What you may not realize, though, is that there are many additional Orlando attractions to be taken in, and this is especially true during the holiday season. DWTickets.com is your best source for cheap Orlando theme park tickets, but we are also number one at providing great discounts to excellent dinner shows like Arabian Nights, the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, Medieval Times and Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding.

This year’s holiday show at Arabian Nights envelops dinner guests in mystery, suspense and Santa too! With the great discount tickets you get at DWTickets.com, you can invite family and friends to come together and watch as Prince Khalid searches the world over for the perfect holiday gift for Princess Scheherazade. Always the faithful friend, the genie Hocus Pocus, invites his old pal Santa Clause to help entertain the Princess as she awaits the return of her handsome prince. And the Princess’ special friends don’t disappoint.

The genie and his red-suited friend come together in magical form to present a most enchanting live holiday display including a mystical unicorn, Santa’s reindeer and elves, gingerbread men, sugarplum fairies and a winter wonderland snow globe. The really fantastic thing about this show, however is that it all takes place on horseback!

The Arabian Nights dinner show boasts more than 60 beautiful horses and over 40 talented cast members. Besides the usual entertainment guests find at the Arabian Nights dinner show, the holiday extravaganza adds special pyrotechnics, unique new sets, a delightful winter snow flurry, out-of-this-world costumes and four 25 foot Christmas trees. The show set “truly becomes a Winter Wonderland,” according to Arabian Nights CEO and owner Mark Miller.

This entire holiday fairytale is set to the seasonal tunes of Andy Williams, Hillary Duff, Jimmy Buffett, Lone Star, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and many more. It is really a wondrous experience, just like the great discount tickets you will find for all of your Orlando vacation entertainment right here at DWTickets.com, your number one source for cheap Orlando dinner show tickets. We are your one-stop-shop for the best discount tickets to dinner shows, theme parks and all of the best attractions in Orlando!

Celebrate Christmas with Shamu

For weeks now, the Orlando area has been awash in holiday theme park cheer, and the blog at DWTickets.com is no exception. And whether it’s Christmas time, spring time, summer or fall, no matter the season or holiday, DWTickets.com is your best source for cheap theme park tickets. We’re also the number one place to find out the hottest happenings, large and small at Sea World and all of the Orlando area attractions.

Most of the Orlando theme parks are having big holiday blow out celebrations, and at SeaWorld Orlando the festivities and their participants are bigger than ever. We already told you about their fantastic new Polar Express attraction that brings guests straight up to the arctic North Pole. Shamu is helping park guests celebrate this Christmas, though, with the brand new killer whale show that features great interactions and live music: “Shamu Christmas … Miracles.” The spirit of this live animal and human celebration is hope, peace and miracles, and it’s perfect for this time of year.

The Christmastide fountain show brings the holidays to life with a spectacular water and lights display that dances and dazzles to your favorite Christmas tunes. And once you’re in the holiday mood, the snow flurries will warm your heart (and since it’s Florida, they won’t freeze your toes!).

The Makahiki Luau is a regular show during the year, but for Christmas, your host Kahuna brings you a wonderful production that celebrates the season South Pacific style. Every night the Seafire Inn turns into a Polynesian Paradise featuring an amazing family-style dinner straight out of the South Seas Islands. Once you settle in and your fantastic feast is underway, you will be entertained with ancient customs and holiday traditions from the Islands. Every show participant is adorned in authentic Island dress and the show is so true to its heritage it features fabulous fire artists and heavenly hula dancers. From start to finish, this special holiday luau will leave you feeling like you traveled halfway around the world for dinner.

SeaWorld has so much to share at Christmastime and throughout the year. It would be worth it even if it was just an animal park, but there are some great shows – especially around this time of year – that make Sea World a must visit during your Orlando vacation. Thankfully you can get your cheap tickets right here at DWTickets.com any time of year!

Pirates Dinner Adventure Plunders Into The Holidays

The holiday season is a time for getting together with family and friends and possibly doing things you don’t normally do – like meeting up at a dinner show and pretending like you’re on vacation. Or you can really go on vacation, and there’s no place like Orlando at Christmas time. And there’s no place like DWTickets.com for the best cheap tickets to all of Orlando’s theme parks and attractions. One idea for a special holiday celebration is to attend a dinner show, and the live performances in Orlando are winterized and ready for the holidays.

Thanks to the popularity of Disney’s Captain Jack Sparrow, pirates are a hot commodity this year. If you and your family would like to participate in a pirate adventure of your own this holiday season, the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure is the place to do it. Holiday music, a seasonal story line, amazing new sets, and a “shipload of yuletide surprises” make up this year’s special holiday show at Orlando’s “Most Interactive Dinner Show.”

For a limited time, pirate adventurers can join in this special swashbuckling holiday celebration starting with turkey and roasted chestnuts in the pre-show area, where the Christmas story starts. The evil Magistrate interrupts the holiday revelers, captures the princess, and Magee the Elf has to step in to save the show. The excitement continues into the main theatre which features an authentic replica of an 18th century Spanish galleon decked out in all of its winter glory. Surrounded by icebergs and covered in icicles and snow, the icy decore sweeps audience members into the frosty scene as it is bathed in a chilling white light.

As the show continues, Magee the Elf gets his wish, transforming into a pirate and heroically rescuing the princess and Christmas. All the while, more than 150 guests don costumes and join in the pirate action. Even the kids can join in the March of the Toy Soldiers to help Magee in his holiday heroics. The after party is happening too, with a DJ, disco, and special effects to help guests plunder and pillage the night away. (And this is included with your dinner admission.)

The holiday season calls for special celebrations, and the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure is a great place to do just that. Whether it’s the family, or a holiday group gathering, you can get the best discount tickets at DWTickets.com at Christmas and always!

Take in a Dinner Show for a Special Holiday Treat

Christmas seems to get more demanding each year, and it can be really difficult to find that something special to do for the holidays; something to rival the year before and leave a big enough impression to start a new family tradition. Well, your quest for the ultimate Yuletide celebration ends right here at DWTickets.com!

Of course Orlando offers decorated theme parks, character Christmas parties and gigantic holiday parades, and you can get discount tickets for all of the major Orlando attractions at DWTickets.com. As you click around our Web site, though, make sure you check out all of the dinner shows that are available through DWTickets.com…at the cheap prices we are famous for! A dinner show is a super fun and uniquely entertaining way to get the family or a big group of friends together to celebrate the season. And with the discount prices here at DWTickets.com, everyone can afford it!

At Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, they have invited everyone to join in their celebration of “Christmas at Dixie.” This is a great dinner show any time of year, with live animals, great stunts and surprisingly yummy food. At holiday time, the Stampede takes on the atmosphere of a real down home Christmas. The entire place is decked out in grand southern country style, and the show brings out the true meaning and feeling of Christmas with a live enactment of the Story of the Nativity. For any Christmas lover, this is truly a touching and heart-warmingly entertaining way to look at the elements of the traditional Christmas story. If you have ever seen one, you will surely agree that nothing in the world says Christmas like a live nativity show, and the size and scope of “Christmas at Dixie” definitely does not disappoint. And that’s just one of the many options for seasonally spectacular dinner shows.

DWTickets.com gives you the best deals on all of Orlando’s top dinner theaters. At Medieval Times, they are getting ready to unveil their new live production that has been over two years in the making. It opens in mid-December, and you can get your cheap tickets right here at DWTickets.com! During the holidays and all year round, we are your number one source for cheap tickets and great leisure time ideas! Click on DWTickets.com often and get your friends and family out for some entertaining eats!

Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party

It’s Christmas time at the Walt Disney World Resort, and if the decorations don’t convince you, this special nightly party at the Magic Kingdom will. Every holiday season, the magical Disney elves descend upon the Magic Kingdom park transforming it into an old-time winter wonderland. We have some elves of our own here at DWTickets.com, and they have been hard at work getting you the best discounts on all of your theme park tickets! If your holidays call for a trip to any of the Orlando attractions, look no further. DWTickets.com has the cheap tickets you want for Christmas this year.

For the past 25 years, the Magic Kingdom has donned its decorations and opened its nighttime doors for special guests at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This is an all-out holiday celebration that spans the Magic Kingdom park on select nights throughout the season. The party mood envelops park guests the minute they come through the gate and see the gigantic Christmas tree in the Town Square at the start of Main Street USA. As visitors continue down Main Street, they will be immersed into the holidays even further as the snow falls from the beautiful night sky above this magical park.

Throughout the evening, there are special Christmas shows that can only be seen during the holiday season. Mickey, Minnie, the Fairy Godmother and other friends join in “Cinderella’s Holiday Wish” each evening in front of the castle and the result is a dazzling display of over 200,000 shimmering lights covering Cinderella’s Magic Kingdom home. The “Celebrate the Season” show moves onto the castle stage later in the evening and should not be missed.

“Mickey’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’” takes the stage in Tomorrowland five times each night to tell the classic Dickens tale with a Disney touch. And every little princess will want to see “Belle’s Enchanted Christmas Story,” which is shown four times throughout the night. Along with the shows, you can’t miss “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” and, of course, the Holiday Wishes fireworks fantasy takes a new seasonal shape with “Celebrate the Spirit of the Season.”

There are so many reasons to celebrate the holidays at Walt Disney World, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is certainly at the top of many a Christmas list. Check your list twice and be sure to get your cheap tickets right here at DWTickets.com!