SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration 2023: A Big Splash of Magical Holiday Fun!
SeaWorld might not be the first thing you associate with Christmas, but after winning the title of #1 Best Theme Park Holiday Event last year, we think maybe it should be!
SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is a family-friendly festival that offers everything you love about their park (like the adorable sea creatures) along with all-new experiences, shows, attractions, and food that will have you ready to make Christmas at SeaWorld Orlando your new annual holiday tradition!
Still curious about how dolphins celebrate Christmas? Don’t worry. At MouseEarsTV, we’re fluent in “squeak speak.” We’ll translate everything you need to know about our flippered friends’ fintastic festivities!
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SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration
For the last few years, SeaWorld Orlando has been steadily adding to its seasonal offerings. While events like the SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular are fairly new, Seaworld’s Christmas Celebration has actually been around for decades!
It began with some pretty lights and a few shows, but now the event encompasses the entire park!
Prepared to be dazzled by three million Christmas lights. Savor the offerings of seasonal food booths serving limited-time dishes. Take in a sparkling ice skating show. Celebrate the season with Sesame Street characters. The list of SeaWorld holiday wonderment goes on!!
SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is a yearly event held in Orlando during the holiday season. For two glorious months, SeaWorld is festooned in twinkling lights and holly-jolly Christmas décor. In recent years, the Celebration has even grown to include other seasonal holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
Christmas Celebration Admission: Naughty or Nice?
SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is an all-day event and does NOT require an additional ticket! (NICE!) That means you can enjoy all of the Celebration offerings with regular admission. Don’t worry – your favorite rides, shows, and animal encounters will still be there for you – the Celebration just adds some extra magic and fun to your day!
SeaWorld Christmas Celebration dates are November 10th through January 2nd. Many of the events and attractions specific to SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration only occur on select dates during this time frame. When you’re scheduling your trip, you’ll want to make sure you pick the right day to visit the park if you have a specific event you’d like to enjoy!
(Photo: karenfoleyphotography from Getty Images via Canva)
Do You Sea What I Sea?
One of the biggest draws of celebrating Christmas at SeaWorld Orlando is the sheer amount of live entertainment, walk-through attractions, and décor that the park has to offer. SeaWorld comes to life with the holiday spirit during this season, giving guests a completely different experience than the rest of the year. There’s SO much to sea – I mean, see – and do!
So, let’s break down some of the highlights!
O Wondrous Night
The BEST event of the entire SeaWorld Orlando Christmas celebration has to be O Wondrous Night. Located in Nautilus Theater, this moving performance of the biblical nativity story stars live animals and life-sized puppets who provide a new perspective on an age-old story. Filled with over 30 carols, we look forward to this annual performance every year!
Winter Wonderland on Ice
This ice-skating extravaganza takes over the Bayside Stadium as professional ice skaters perform tricks and dance to beloved holiday songs.
Happy Holidays from the Sesame Street Gang!
Perfect for the littlest members of your family, Sesame Street Land also joins in the Christmas fun! A musical Christmas show with Elmo and his pals will have the whole family singing along as Elmo searches for his Christmas wish, while the Sesame Street Christmas parade is sure to dazzle and delight with its festive floats and all your favorite characters. Be on the lookout for Cookie Monster, Grover, Big Bird, Abby, Bert, Ernie, and other friends while you’re in the area!
Sesame Street Land has also been known to host special celebrations for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, with songs, dances, and traditions from both holidays.
The Nutcrackers (Starring Elmo & Tango) Animated Holiday Special
Playing continuously throughout the day at SeaFire Grill, grabbing a bite, and catching this family-friendly film is a great way to take a quick break from walking around the park without sacrificing a single second of Christmas celebrating!
Rudolph’s Christmas Town
The Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer stop-motion film has been a classic for over 50 years. Today, the TV special remains a holiday staple and is usually an annual must-watch for most families. But what if you could walk through the story for yourself?
During their Christmas Celebration, SeaWorld creates a life-sized storybook village where you can stroll through scenes from the story and relive the magic, from Hermey’s dental dreams to Yukon Cornelius’s arctic adventures. You’ll even get to meet the Bumble the Abominable Snowman, and, of course, our beloved Rudolph!
Sea of Trees
Take a walk over to the lagoon to find this spectacular display. With over 100 luminous trees dotted across the water, you can see them from just about anywhere in the park. The lights twinkle and dance in time to classic holiday songs, giving you a show that will leave you brimming with Christmas cheer. The 70-ft tall centerpiece is almost as breathtaking as watching dolphin tricks!
Holiday Reflections: Fireworks and Fountains Finale
At the end of the night, as darkness settles over SeaWorld, you can partake in the nightly fireworks show! Soaring fountains and dazzling lights are also part of the performance, all perfectly choreographed to the jolliest of holiday tunes.
Disney Inspired Recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookies That Will Make Your Holidays Extra Sweet
This gift-in-a-jar recipe is inspired by fond memories of enjoying chocolate chip cookies and drinking hot chocolate at the Nestle Tollhouse-sponsored Main Street Bakery in Walt Disney World. Sadly, this bakery is no longer with us, but this recipe will help you recapture some of the magic and share it as a gift with others.
So Much To Sea, So Much To Do
Looking for something a little more interactive than just sitting back and watching a show? Check out these holiday-inspired activities once you’ve had your fill of rollercoasters and rides!
Meet Santa in the Arctic
While you may not be able to visit the North Pole this holiday season, you can still get the experience of meeting Santa Claus in his home climate at SeaWorld’s Wild Arctic pavilion. Inside, you’ll find a photo-op with the jolly red man himself, perched up his sleigh. It’s a must-do if you want a selfie with Santa that goes beyond your typical mall set-up.
Have a little one who’s a really big Santa fan? You can also make special dining reservations for a dinner with Santa!
Sesame Street Breakfast
Start your day off right with a hearty holiday breakfast surrounded by your favorite furry pals! Kiddos will love getting to have scrambled eggs with Elmo and his friends (all dressed in their wintry best)!
Bayside Stadium Ice Skating Extravaganza
If you’ve ever wanted to try ice skating (or if you’re already a pro), you can enjoy the chance to get out on the ice in Bayside Stadium! That’s right, for a small additional fee (that covers your skate rental), you can slip and slide all afternoon! (Or, if you’re like me, you can just fall down a lot – but in a fun way!)
Make sure you bring gloves and crew-length socks for this one, as they are required to participate.
SeaWorld Shopping Spree!
Located on Bayside Pathway, you’ll find a place straight out of a Hallmark movie: Christmas Market. This is your one-stop haven of Christmas-themed shops, merchandise, and delicious, limited-time holiday food. From sugary sweets, savory snacks, and seasonal alcoholic cocktails, you’ll want to come a little hungry so that you can peruse this area to your tummy’s content! Open on select days, we highly recommend visiting these merchandise stalls and snacky sanctuaries while you can!
International Festival Celebrations
In addition to Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the park will also be holding a celebration for New Year’s Eve and Three Kings Day (a Latin holiday celebrating the arrival of the three kings visiting Jesus) in the first week of January.
Tips and Tricks
- Check the Schedule! SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration only runs on select days during the season. You’ll want to make sure you pick the right dates so you don’t miss out on the fun!
- Take the Kids. Most of the events are geared toward the whole family. You’ll find lots of things that will keep your youngest ones busy throughout the day. If you want to introduce them to the park before they’re old – or tall – enough for coasters, this might be the best time to do it!
- A Snacking Secret – Try the Holiday Lanyards. One way you can enjoy the festival foods without bulldozing your budget is to get one of the Christmas Celebration Tasting and Brew Sampler Lanyards. With one of these, you can pre-pay for snacks! They come in 5 (for around $35) or 10 (for $50) snack credit increments.
- Stay Until Dark. With all of the twinkling Christmas lights, SeaWorld becomes a magical spectacle after the sun goes down. It’s well worth a long day just to take it all in!
Have you been to SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration? How does it compare to other Christmastime attractions in Orlando? Let us know in the comments below!
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Featured photo: Kelly Verdeck via Flickr
