15 Things to Do in Orlando in Winter That Locals Love
Trade in winter blizzards for vibes that sing "Meli Kalikimaka" in Orlando this winter. As an Orlando local for over 32 years, I've rounded up some of my favorite activities for the season!
Whether we are playing tourist for the day or seeking out nature, these local insights are perfect for the whole family!
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Quick Guide🏨 Where to Stay: Gaylord Palms Resort or house rentals! 🛶 What to Book: Get your ICE! tickets and plan for a St. Johns River Cruise to see manatees 🧥 What to Pack: Don't forget a down jacket, and think twice about packing only shorts 🚗 Don't forget to book a rental car in Orlando! |
Orlando in December
It's not all about Christmas or the holidays, but...honestly it mostly is. We get to pretend it's cold with ice displays at hotels, fake snow falling nightly in areas around the city, and dozens of holiday events that have us pulling out our jingle bells and tacky sweaters starting in November.
Just after Thanksgiving, prepare to see entire theme parks turn overnight into winter wonderlands, and every weekend there is a Santa-themed this, or a Christmas market themed that.
Here's some of my favorites for Orlando in December:
❄ Watch the "Snow" Fall at Celebration
Because Celebration is a Disney-built town originally, they've been pulling out all the stops at Christmas for a long time. The vintage-dressed carolers come out, the lights are all aglow, and on top of that - most weekend nights you can expect "snow" on the forecast!
For a Florida kid who many have never even seen snow, this is quite the magical thing. Be sure to make a reservation for a patio table at the Columbia Restaurant or at Ari Sushi to see the hub-bub from your dinner table.
🎄 Walk Around Lake Eola's Free Holiday Lights Display
The downtown district can be hit or miss during the year (we have a bit of a homeless problem by the lake), but at Christmas time their light display is truly magnificent. Plan an evening meal in town (I recommend the happy hour menu at Shakai sushi), then take a long and leisurely stroll around the lake through the light tunnels and displays.
More of My Favorite Christmas Lights and Themed Events:
We also really love the Christmas lights at Leu Gardens and the Orlando Science Center! Wekiva Island puts on excellent themed events every weekend too, including meet and greets with the Grinch and by-the-river barbecues.
🛍 Visit Charming Mount Dora in December
Don't Miss the Mount Dora lights - the town is absolutely a charm to walk through, including the olive oil store, the spice and tea exchange, and the many quirky boutique gift shops. Sample moonshine at the local distillery, find all the hidden bars and alleyways, and dine at the Bavarian Haus German restaurant in town for a touch of European Christmas.
Be sure to catch the sunset down by the lake, or rent a pontoon boat to head through the Lake Dora Canal!
🏨 Book a Staycation at the Gaylord Palms for Their Holiday Events
Known primarily for their annual "ICE!" exhibit, you can also stay at the hotel and visit the adjacent exhibit and gift shop for free. Your kiddos probably want to go down the ice slide and stuff though, so it's probably worth getting your family a ticket to ICE! in advance.
Inside the hotel, they also offer nightly holiday themed performances and other surprises that are absolutely fun for the whole family. Book an atrium facing room to see it all without leaving your balcony!
Learn more about other Orlando staycation hotels here!
👉 I couldn't believe it when I was looking for ICE! tickets, but I stumbled upon this all-in-one tour that literally includes all three of my above suggestions in one tour day. I guess there's another local tour guide out there who knows her stuff! The tour includes Gaylord Palms, Snow at Celebration, and Lake Eola. Not bad, not bad!
🛞 A Personal Favorite: Fort Christmas' Annual Cracker Christmas Event
I can’t think of a better way to spend an early December weekend than to head out to the country and soak in some yuletide joys of yesteryear. Every holiday season Fort Christmas pulls out all the stops for an incredible fun-filled family weekend of themed Christmas activities, vendors selling local products and handicrafts, historical pioneer demonstrations, and even pork chops on a stick. It really can’t be beat!
Kids can meet Santa, and even make their own homemade butter and peanut butter bird feeders! A lot of families love to send their Christmas letters out from the town post office so they can be marked as coming from "Christmas, Florida", too!
The best part, in my opinion, is browsing the Pioneer Demonstrations. Visitors can enjoy weaving and spinning demonstrations and even purchase or take home their own rope, see blacksmiths at work, or buy some turn of the century wooden toys - perfect for gifting and stocking stuffers!
Step foot in a Civil War Camp and even try on their outfits, see cane grinding and syrup making, and even how they used to make brooms. Stick around for the jam band plucking away on some very old school instruments!
Florida Cracker Christmas is held annually the first full weekend of December. The event is free and all Fort Christmas exhibits are open including the old farmhouses, school house, replica fort, and more.
🐬 Visit SeaWorld for Their Holidays Around the World
My favorite theme park in Orlando is hands down SeaWorld, for many reasons. You can get so much of the park done before lunch time even hits, and their winter shows are amazing for the afternoon hours. Their live rendition of the nativity story ends with some shocking live animals on stage (including camels!!!), and the ice skating show is like visiting the Rockettes in New York.
The Christmas and holiday themed food stalls are like the poor man's EPCOT food festival, and the food is honestly really really good.
You'll be blown away by the value you get in a day at Seaworld - they really know how to treat their guests, and the price tag is such a bargain.
Don't miss an opportunity to enjoy SeaWorld at the holidays! Get your discounted tickets here.
🛍 Head to the Outlets and Stock Up On Holiday Gifts!
My favorite outlet malls are at the end of International Drive (I-Drive), and up the I-95 corridor to Daytona's outlets (be sure to stop at the iconic Bucee's road stop) and the St. Augustine Outlets 2 hours up the road.
Need Ideas for Christmas Dinner in Orlando?
🍜 Visit Lam's Garden on East Colonial Drive - it is the quintessential round table Chinese restaurant that will make you feel like you're in New York City or San Francisco. Get a whole Peking Duck and treat yourself to a Cantonese Lobster! This place is my family's favorite!
⛷ Craving something more Ski Lodge than tropical for your family getaway? Head up to the Colorado Fondue Company! They may not be open on Christmas Day, but be sure to schedule an outing for your group here - it's fantastic! The kitschy decor is perfect for getting you in the holiday spirit, and makes for a very unique evening.
Orlando in January and February
January and February in Orlando can get cold. But never fear, our "cold" is like a warm fall day for most of you readers. Nevertheless, it brings an unexpected lot of fun events for visitors including strawberry picking, seeing manatees in the wild up close, and awesome camping opportunities!
🍓 Go Strawberry Picking: U-Pick is at its Peak!!
We used to visit a farm annually that is no longer open, but if you picked up a rental car in Orlando you have several options. Amber Brooke Farms and Southern Hill Farms are the two most popular with locals, but beware - on a nice cool Florida day these places get CROWDED.
You can often buy your tickets for entry into the farms online, and when you arrive you can do u-pick strawberries, enjoy strawberry treats, and often there are themed weekends with petting zoos and things like that. Go between December and March for the best strawberries!
🛶 Visit and See HUNDREDS of Manatees at Blue Spring on Cold Days
The manatees get counted daily as they make their swim up to the spring head at Blue Springs, and on the coldest of winter days in Orlando you'll see the Manatee count well into the hundreds, often seeing 200 or more manatees all huddled together for warmth during their swim.
The park on weekends is really backed up to get into, so plan for a week day morning and an early start to enjoy the brisk AM walk along the park boardwalks for viewing.
You may also go on a pontoon boat ride along the St. Johns River while you are there, or choose to go paddleboarding or kayaking. With the proper Florida fishing license, you can go fishing too!
🥞 Visit DeLeon Springs Old Pancake House and Mill
After visiting Blue Spring, take the drive to nearby DeLeon Springs to cook up your own pancakes and bacon at a very Florida Cracker style old mill restaurant.
Because the restaurant has no AC for aesthetics, winter is the perfect time to go!
There are trails there too to enjoy, but bring the bug spray or bug repellent stickers for the kids!
🏕 Go Camping at Local Area Campgrounds
Book your campsites early at my favorite local area campgrounds, and hope to get a site if you are trying last minute! If you do manage to beat out the snowbirds for a campsite, you're in for a real treat. Florida camping mixes crisp weather and lakeside retreats with great amenities like year-round watersports, fishing, and even beach days. Yep, beach days in winter. Gotta love Florida!
🪄 See the Theme Parks and Tourist Zones Without the Crowds
I really enjoy walking around Disney Springs this time of year, when the holidays are over, the crowds are gone, and the weather is great for just strolling. I get to feel like a tourist for a day, and it's great fun! I rounded up a list of Disney rides that rarely have a wait in the off-season visits if you're curious!
What to Pack for Winter in Orlando
While temperatures in December and January can still be rather warm, we can occasionally see icy chills from time to time, freezing and killing our poor tropical plants. Yes, it is true that lizards (the bigger ones especially in Miami) can drop out of the trees from the random cold that we get.
But that said, it's a crapshoot for what to pack. Bring shorts, bring pants, definitely bring sneakers. You'll want a down jacket or fleece, and long sleeve shirts that are moisture wicking for changing temps.
Expect days to be warm and evenings to be chilly, but not COLD.
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