Our information to Christmas at Common Orlando Resort gives ideas for each theme parks–Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida–plus the lodges and CityWalk. It consists of Wizarding World of Harry Potter leisure, crowd ranges, meals, free issues to do, upcharge choices, decorations, ideas & methods. (Up to date November 2, 2024.)
Common Orlando Resort celebrates Christmas starting on November 22 and operating each day by way of December 31, 2024. Unofficially, you may anticipate an excellent longer run than that. Decorations go up as Halloween Horror Nights ends, and can stay till early January 2025. The above date vary largely applies to scheduled leisure choices.
It’s factor the vacation season is unofficially longer, as a result of it’s formally a lot shorter than regular. The November 22, 2024 begin date is the most recent we’ve seen in current reminiscence. That is a minimum of partially attributable to the late timing of Thanksgiving, however not completely. That vacation has occurred late in different years, and Christmas began earlier. Our greatest guess is that it’s a mixture of later Thanksgiving and price range cuts to cut back prices forward of Epic Universe opening in Summer season 2025. We’ve seen Common quietly cut back park hours and extra for this identical motive, sadly. However on the plus aspect, crowds have additionally been decrease!
Should you’re visiting Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey as a part of an extended journey to Central Florida that features Walt Disney World, we’d begin by referring you to our Final Information to Christmas at Walt Disney World. Whereas Common Orlando is superior in the course of the vacation season, there are extra “shifting components” to planning for Walt Disney World. Most journey events doing each ought to select your dates, when to do every park, and extra primarily based on WDW.
To that time, the excellent news is that there’s large overlap in the case of crowd dynamics at each Common Orlando and Walt Disney World. For each, November and December are curler coaster months for crowds, with the weeks round holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve) seeing elevated attendance and different weeks being extra average.
Principally, these two months have very excessive highs and likewise low lows; your purpose needs to be selecting the ‘candy spots’ in between the height weeks. Take a look at our record of the 10 Greatest and 10 Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World. That features a number of weeks in November and December.
You can too learn extra about crowd forecasts in our November 2024 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar and December 2024 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar. Though these are geared in direction of Walt Disney World, the identical recommendation applies to Common Orlando, as nicely.
In regards to the greatest distinction between the 2 is that you simply would possibly discover a whole lot of current suggestions to go to Walt Disney World on Saturday and Sunday, which are actually the slowest days of the week resulting from Annual Go blockouts. (This dynamic received’t be as pronounced in the course of the vacation season, for what it’s value.) Nicely, the alternative is true at Common Orlando–weekends are among the many busiest days of the week. Walt Disney World and Common do have one pattern in widespread–Mondays are dangerous at each!
Anyway, let’s flip to the primary attracts of Common Orlando in the course of the vacation season…
Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Vacation magic fills The Wizarding World of Harry Potter because the streets of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade remodel right into a wizarding vacation wonderland overflowing with festively themed décor, lights, garland and extra.
The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Fort is the spotlight in Hogsmeade at Common Islands of Journey. It is a gorgeous projection present that includes Christmas moments and vacation spirit impressed by the characters and tales of the Harry Potter movie franchise. The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Fort runs roughly repeatedly each 20 minutes or so from nightfall to park closing.
There’s actually no technique obligatory for seeing the Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Fort, however we’ve discovered crowds to be lowest (and images best) proper at nightfall and once more at park closing. You additionally don’t actually need to fret about timing–when you’re within the land between nightfall and park closing, you’re going to see it. Should you miss the very starting, simply stick round for the subsequent loop. Don’t overthink it.
The Frog Choir, comprised of Hogwarts college students and their big croaking frogs additionally returns to Hogsmeade with a particular holiday-themed efficiency. That is the primary Christmas leisure in the course of the day in Hogsmeade. As with all issues Harry Potter, I’ve no clue why this exists. Nevertheless, the language of frogs croaking is (to borrow a phrase) common.
The Frog Choir performs conventional songs that you simply’ll acknowledge, akin to “We Want You a Merry Christmas.” Along with that, they carry out unique music and Harry Potter-infused remixes: “Christmas at Hogwarts,” “The Most Magical Xmas Ball of All,” “I Solid a Spell on Father Christmas,” and extra. That is weirdly superior, and to not be missed. You don’t must “get” Harry Potter to like the Frog Choir.
The Diagon Alley aspect of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Common Studios Florida likewise has its personal vacation leisure, within the type of Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees. The particular vacation present by Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees options 4 unique songs, together with “My Child Gave Me a Hippogriff for Christmas” and “Nothing Like a Vacation Spell.”
As somebody who is aware of subsequent to nothing about Harry Potter, I’m most likely not the most effective particular person to touch upon this present. I assume it’s a Hocus Pocus kinda deal–a pleasant theme park present about singing witches that’s superior to the supply materials that impressed it. I take pleasure in this for the high-caliber of the performers, but it surely’s not fairly as enjoyable because the Frog Choir. To every their very own, although–each are nicely value seeing.
Common’s Vacation Parade that includes Macy’s at Common Studios Florida – Beloved popular culture characters, together with these from Illumination’s Despicable Me, DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, and Madagascar fill the streets of Common Studios Florida throughout Common’s Vacation Parade that includes Macy’s.
These beloved tales come to life as larger-than-life balloons, colourful vacation floats and a whole lot of jolly performers embark on a picturesque journey that culminates in a shocking finale together with a particular look by Santa Claus and the lighting of the magnificent 80-foot Christmas tree.
Unsurprisingly, spots across the Christmas tree in New York refill the quickest. (Should you’re primarily a Walt Disney World fan, that’s like their Christmas parade’s Fundamental Avenue.) Despite the fact that it requires arriving earlier and tenting out longer, we’d suggest grabbing a spot throughout from the Christmas tree. It’s an iconic backdrop for parade images, and seeing Santa gentle the tree is a magical second.
You’ll need to arrive a minimum of half-hour prematurely (nearer to 45 minutes on busier days). Should you don’t need to commit that a lot time, areas in direction of the start of the parade route–particularly ones that aren’t entrance row–could be obtained comparatively final minute.
Santa Claus at Common Orlando – As famous above, Santa Claus seems within the climactic moments of the Macy’s Vacation Parade.
To the most effective of our data, he now not meets within the parks for Christmas. You might even see images of him (just like the one above), however that’s from a number of years in the past. We’ll replace this accordingly if Santa seems for meet & greets at Common Studios Florida or Islands of Journey.
Christmas in New York – On this space you’ll additionally see the the Blues Brothers Christmas Rhythm and Blues Revue, which provides a seasonal twist to the favored efficiency by Jake, Elwood, Mabel, and Jazz from SNL and their movies. They sing festive favorites like “Santa Claus Is Coming to City,” “Blue Christmas,” and extra with snow on Delancey Avenue on the finish of every present.
An identical present is Marilyn Monroe and the Diamond Bellas, which additionally has its personal Christmas version. The setup is that Ms. Monroe and the gals are filming a vacation musical quantity for the USO, and have costumes and songs to match. Each of those exhibits are nicely value making a degree to see. You would possibly occur upon them, however we’d suggest consulting the Common Orlando app for efficiency instances.
Grinchmas at Common Islands of Journey – Revel within the spirit of Grinchmas at Common Islands of Journey the place the Grinch stars within the dwell retelling of the Dr. Seuss vacation traditional, the “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular.”
This musical stage present is sort of a mash-up of the traditional How the Grinch Stole Christmas tv particular and the not-so-classic live-action Jim Carrey film, which is sensible on condition that it melds the animated world with dwell performers. “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular” is roughly half-hour lengthy and is carried out a number of instances per day–verify the instances information on the date of your go to for when performances begin.
“Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular” is extremely widespread with Common friends. In case your schedule permits and also you’re visiting on a busier day, we’d suggest both seeing the primary or final exhibiting. On a slower day, you may need a bit extra flexibility on showtimes. In between performances, characters roam Seuss Touchdown interacting with friends and posing for images. There’ll even be appearances from the Whos from Who-ville and a particular photograph alternative that brings friends face-to-face with the imply, inexperienced one himself, the Grinch.
As you’ll see within the images under of decorations, Seuss Touchdown is without doubt one of the most underrated lands in all of Orlando throughout Christmas. There are many decorations that transport friends right into a whimsical ambiance decked out with outsized sweet canes, twisty Christmas bushes, gorgeous tinsel ornaments and extra.
Mannheim Steamroller at Common Studios Florida – The highest-selling vacation artist of all time, Mannheim Steamroller, returns to Common Studios Florida for Christmas to get friends into the vacation spirit with dwell performances on Saturday and Sunday nights in early December. Dates haven’t but been introduced for Christmas 2024, however we anticipate the next:
- December 7-8, 2024
- December 14-15, 2024
I’ll degree with you. Regardless of being big Mannheim Steamroller followers who love Christmas and have had Common Orlando Annual Passes for years…we by no means seen the group carry out at Common Studios Florida. Based mostly on what we’ve heard from pals and the reviews we’ve seen on social media, it simply doesn’t seem “value it” to us. To every their very own, although. In some unspecified time in the future, we most likely want to do that for the sake of analysis, although.
If we have been going to see Mannheim Steamroller and had flexibility, we’d positively go to one of many Sunday night time exhibits, and would arrive very early as viewing areas fill to capability. That’s actually about all we all know. Should you’re going to courageous the crowds to see Mannheim Steamroller at Common Studios Florida, pack your endurance and good luck tenting out!
Common’s Vacation Tour – Should you’re feeling such as you simply haven’t spent sufficient cash in your Christmas journey, you’re in luck–there are a few upcharge choices! Common’s Vacation Tour gives guided, VIP entry to all the vacation leisure experiences happening, together with:
- An unique meet and greet with the Grinch and his devoted canine Max;
- Small plates, delectable desserts and non-alcoholic drinks in Common Studios Florida;
- Reserved seating on the “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular” in Common Islands of Journey;
- An unique meet and greet photograph alternative with Santa Claus in Common Studios Florida;
- An after hours exhibiting of “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Fort;”
- Precedence entry to Common Studios Florida’s latest attraction, Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast (topic to vary and primarily based on availability).
The Common Vacation Tour is on the market on choose dates starting November 25 by way of December 29, 2024, and could be booked by visiting www.UniversalOrlando.com/Holidays. Pricing begins at $79.99 per particular person (plus tax) and separate theme park admission with a 1-Day 2-Park Park-to-Park ticket is required.
Annual and Seasonal Passholders can get a $10 low cost per ticket per Passholder with a legitimate Annual or Seasonal Go. Tickets for Passholders could be bought by way of the VIP Name Middle (1-866-346-9350) or by visiting the UOAP Lounge in Common Islands of Journey. Seasonal Passholder blockout dates apply.
The Grinch & Mates Character Breakfast at Common Islands of Journey – The opposite upcharge is “The Grinch & Mates Character Breakfast.” This widespread character eating expertise permits friends to begin their day with a scrumptious breakfast and enjoyable appearances by the Grinch and different fan-favorite Dr. Seuss characters.
Eating on scrumptious breakfast objects like Inexperienced Eggs and Ham and Cindy-Lou Who’s Belgian Waffles at this plated breakfast that takes place in Circus McGurkus Café Stoo-pendous in Common Islands of Journey on choose dates starting November 22 by way of December 30 for $58.99 + tax per grownup and $32.99 + tax per little one (ages 3-9), and could be booked on-line at Common Orlando’s Holidays web site.
Availability is restricted for the Grinch & Mates Character Breakfast, and we’ve heard some reviews of individuals having issue with reservations apart from the very first seatings. Premier and Most popular Annual Passholders can obtain a 20% low cost on purchases of The Grinch & Mates Character Breakfast for choose dates by calling 407-224-7554.
We’ve by no means executed both of those upcharges, so we can not converse credibly to their worth for cash or the rest. If we have been to do one, it’d most likely be Common’s Vacation Tour. Not having to combat the gang for parade or fort projection present viewing appears worthwhile, as do the photograph ops with Grinch and Santa. However once more, we haven’t executed both of those, so you may say that we’ve already voted with our wallets on their worth for cash to us.
Christmas at Common CityWalk and Resorts – Visitors can hold the celebration going at Common CityWalk with with specialty leisure and menu choices at choose venues, together with:
- The Inexperienced & Crimson Coconut Membership at Crimson Coconut Membership, the place friends can take pleasure in dwell leisure and themed vacation cocktails;
- A festive meet and greet with fan-favorite Earl the Squirrel throughout choose dates from November 29 – December 28 at CityWalk Plaza;
- Assorted seasonal meals and beverage at Bigfire and VIVO Italian Kitchen, and a seasonal milkshake at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen;
- And extra.
Plus, all eight Common Orlando Resort lodges will likely be decked out with festive décor that enhances every lodge’s theme – and the entire household can take pleasure in vacation feasts and actions.
Whilst you’re in CityWalk (or the parks, for that matter), you may take part within the all-new Vacation Nutcracker Hunt, which is a scavenger hunt looking for (you guessed it) themed Nutcrackers. Buy a map, discover the bushes in every store, and accumulate a stamp in every location. As soon as your map is stuffed friends obtain an unique tree decoration.
Though unconfirmed, it seems it will exchange the conventional Christmas tree scavenger hunt for Christmas 2024. Whether or not that is well worth the cash is your name–we desire merely wanting on the bushes and shopping for souvenirs of our selecting, however youngsters would possibly benefit from the construction and reward system of the particular scavenger hunt. (Walt Disney World does related scavenger hunts at Christmas.)
Moreover, particular menus will likely be obtainable at Common lodges for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Yr’s. Sometimes, these meals are solely obtainable on these dates themselves–so when you’re visiting on November 19 or December 22 or no matter random date in the course of the vacation season, this isn’t related to you.
Choose lodges additionally supply particular vacation leisure like Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremonies, and strolling carolers. For probably the most half, all of this happens the week of Christmas or Hanukkah.
Visitors can now save as much as $450 on a four-night keep in a Backyard View room at Loews Portofino Bay Lodge, the place they’ll additionally obtain free Common Specific Limitless journey entry at Common Studios Florida and Common Islands of Journey. Florida Residents and Annual and Seasonal Passholders can even save 40% in any respect Common Orlando lodges on choose dates.
Common Eating Card Deal – Talking of offers, friends can plan their go to with a wide range of particular gives, together with the New Common Orlando Eating Card Trip Bundle Deal for 2024-2025, which incorporates theme park admission, lodge lodging and a meals and beverage eating card value as much as $1,000 to make use of at choose eating places and eating areas all through the resort.
Despite the fact that we’re Common Orlando Annual Passholders, and thus go to extra typically than most, it’s laborious to suggest this eating deal resulting from its length. Only a few individuals with weeklong journeys to Florida will need to allocate 4-5 days of that point to Common. Likelihood is, you’ll need to do 2-3 days at Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida…which is exactly the purpose. Getting friends to decide to 4-5 days as a substitute of 1-3 is definitely a win for Common.
Annual Passholder Specials – Along with reductions on choose vacation experiences, Common Orlando Annual Passholders will get particular entry to take pleasure in Common’s Holidays Parade that includes Macy’s from a viewing space only for Passholders, in addition to unique merchandise and early entry to the Holidays Tribute Retailer.
Holidays Tribute Retailer – Talking of which, the Holidays Tribute Retailer will return for Christmas at Common Orlando. The Tribute Retailer was initially created for Halloween Horror Nights as a strategy to each pay tribute to these creations and get individuals to purchase stuff (therefore the identify). It’s since been remodeled for each Mardi Gras and Christmas, following roughly that very same formulation.
Over time, the Tribute Retailer has gotten greater and higher, with a multi-room format that has totally different themes in every space. Count on to see Christmas in New York, Earl the Squirrel, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Winter within the Wizarding World of Harry Potter represented. (The specifics change from year-to-year, however the strategy of Earl plus stylish metropolis plus film IP is kind of what you’ll see for Christmas within the Tribute Retailer.)
Along with elaborate shows which might be value seeing and Christmas merchandise to buy, we’d name your consideration to the Tribute Retailer as arguably the most effective spot in both park for Christmas-themed treats and desserts. There’s a big selection of choices, a lot of which look and style nice.
With all the core Christmas information about leisure and different choices out of the best way, let’s take a holiday-time stroll by way of Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey, and showcase the decorations that go up across the parks…
Throughout from the Christmas Tribute Retailer is Common Studios Florida’s iconic Christmas Tree.
Moreover, many of the park is decked out for Christmas, together with Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
As a result of extra lands being decked out for the vacations, the ambiance is certainly extra festive in Common Studios Florida. That’s no knock towards Islands of Journey–as with a number of lands in Magic Kingdom, it’s harder to embellish Islands of Journey in on-theme methods.
With that stated, the Diagon Alley seems festive for the vacations–however not on par with its counterpart, Hogsmeade. So a minimum of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is best at Christmas in IoA than USF.
I don’t have a lot fascinating perception in regards to the decorations, so listed below are some illustrative images:
Christmas decorations are nice all through Common Studios Florida. My solely actual criticism is that Jaws doesn’t get decked out for Christmas. Put a wreath round him!
Now let’s check out the Christmas decorations in Islands of Journey…
As famous above, Islands of Journey is extra restricted in its adorning than Common Studios Florida. This makes full thematic sense. I can’t think about severe vacation overlays meshing with Marvel, King Kong, Jurassic Park, and many others.
With that stated, the areas that do enhance for the vacations in IoA actually go all out!
As somebody who completely loves Christmas and dinosaurs, I actually want a vacation tie-in could possibly be executed with Jurassic Park. For the reason that IP is a theme park with a minimum of a modicum of actual world consciousness, arguably something may go right here. It’d most likely simply must be established as canon through the movies first.
If somebody at NBCUniversal is studying this, simply consider the probabilities: Peacock wants content material, and what higher strategy to achieve streaming subscribers and marketshare than with a Jurassic Park vacation particular?
To actually compound the advantages, make the vacation celebrated on Isla Nublar both Festivus or Ludachristmas. Infinite synergy!
Once more, it’s value declaring that no park at Walt Disney World has all of its lands embellished for Christmas. Even Magic Kingdom, which is mostly related to the vacation season, actually solely has a complete decorations bundle on Fundamental Avenue. The opposite lands are way more muted–or don’t have anything in any respect.
Not that we’re complaining or making excuses. It’s simply simpler to overlook since we’re extra accustomed to Walt Disney World, and take without any consideration that some lands don’t have or want decorations. The identical is true at Common Orlando.
By way of what truly exists when it comes to the vacation season at Islands of Journey, we have now some gentle decorations in Port of Entry, enhancing what’s already a top-notch and underrated space.
Port of Entry is the place you’ll additionally discover Starbucks, Port of Entry Christmas Shoppe, and different eating & retail.
These areas promote brochures for the Vacation Tree Hunt and have pamphlets for the Vacation Deal with Path.
Let’s head into Seuss Touchdown, which is house to Grinchmas.
At night time, the 2 white bushes flank the doorway of Seuss Touchdown and have an array of synchronized designs (just like the Grinch) and dancing lights.
All issues thought-about, Seuss Touchdown is the best-decorated space in Islands of Journey.
A lot of garland, tinsel, and lights adorning the constructing exteriors, strung throughout the road, and even on points of interest. It jogs my memory a little bit of Toontown at Disneyland. Very nicely executed!
Then there’s the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade.
With its storybook structure and snow-covered rooftops, the core design of this land simply feels like Christmas.
All issues thought-about, Christmas is a good time to go to Common Orlando Resort. Each Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida are completely embellished for the vacation season, there are many seasonal treats, and sufficient leisure to reinforce the ambiance and make the parks really feel festive.
Maybe an unpopular opinion, however as a lot as we take pleasure in HHN, we desire Christmas to Halloween at UOR. It most likely helps that the climate is mostly higher from mid-November by way of the top of December, and that it’s an all-day, included with admission occasion as a substitute of an after-hours upcharge (that often entails lengthy strains).
Streetmosphere, leisure & parades, characters & performers, projections, and becoming decorations make a lot of the parks come alive for Christmas. That is very true in Hollywood, New York, Seuss Touchdown, Port of Entry, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, all of which supply nice vacation ambiance. All in all, Common Studios Florida and Islands of Journey are nice experiences at Christmas!
Want journey planning ideas and complete recommendation to your go to to Central Florida? Ensure to learn our Common Orlando Planning Information for all the pieces about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. Additionally try our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Information for all the pieces about these parks, resorts, eating places, and a lot extra. For normal updates, information & rumors, a heads up when reductions are launched, and way more, join our FREE e-mail publication!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever been to Common Orlando Resort for Christmas? Some other highlights for you? Ideas on vacation crowds at Common Orlando for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Yr’s Eve, or the Mannheim Steamroller live shows? Should you’ve visited each Disney and Common in the course of the holidays, which do you assume is doing higher? Ideas on the rest lined right here? Will you be visiting Central Florida this vacation season? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
