To kick off the holiday season, we visited SeaWorld Orlando's Christmas Celebration. I have not been to this theme park since I was a child and so much has changed since then - all for the better! This time was special because I can marvel at the joyful experience through my daughter's eyes. She absolutely loves dolphins and we all love Christmas so it was an extra special treat for everyone!
 |  |
SeaWorld® Orlando transformed into a winter wonderland sparkling with holiday cheer, excitement, and over 3 million beautiful lights. Experience award-winning entertainment, from the all-new It’s a Wonderful Night: A New Story to Tell to spectacular seasonal shows like Rudolph’s Movie Experience and Winter Wonderland on Ice. Take a spin on the ice with our all-new Ice Skating experience or head to Wild Arctic and visit with Santa himself. The holiday festivities run from November 14 until December 31, 2020, but reservations are required to manage visitor capacity.
Of course, with the current pandemic, SeaWorld® Orlando enhanced the park and entertainment offerings to include health and safety measures, including a limited capacity for admission and for all the shows to allow for physical distancing and sanitizer stations everywhere. In addition to your RSVP requirement, temperature screenings and facial masks are also required. You can view their safety information on the website. But don't fret, even with all the safety measures the holiday spirit lit up the entire park and we all had a splashing good time!
If your kids want to take photos with Santa, he is located near Wild Arctic. Children can hop in the front row of Santa's sleigh while Santa remains behind plexiglass at the top seat.
 |  |
Holiday Celebrations in Sesame Street Land You will love all the festive lights and decorations wrapped around Sesame Street. We were lucky that the lines were short to take photos (physically distanced) with Cookie Monster and Rosita in their holiday outfits. The brand new Happy Holidays from Sesame Street show features Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations with singing and dancing. We missed the 12 minute-show, so definitely try to catch Big Bird, Elmo, Rosita and Grover to come out on a float, next to Elmo's Choo Choo Train.
 |  |
It's a Wonderful Night: A New Story to Tell This story is just what we need after this roller coaster year. The show is full of hope, faith, and love and reminds us of the true gifts that we must all share with each other during the Christmas season. Bailey, the lead character, gets a boost of hope from a new guardian angel, who needs help to earn its wings. Performers entertain the audience with grace and modern-day references, holiday surprises, laughter, and more than 30 classic Christmas carols.
 |
Be sure to take a moment to eat and shop around the Christmas Market. There are over 40 tasty treats and seasonal brews to try. We had the sliders and a variety of yummy sweet treats to share. To top off our tastings we warmed up with Christmas Cocoa in our souvenir mug. Along the bayside pathway, you can see a mini-village and train set, play a few games where you can win holiday prizes and listen to carolers.
 |  |
At Rudolph's Christmas Town, you can meet and take photos with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster. As you stroll through, you'll see large colorful and interactive story-book 3-D displays from the beloved classic.
There's also a special-effects Rudolph Movie Experience to get the entire family in the holiday spirit. The movie is 10 minutes long and runs every 30 minutes and is located at the Seaport Theatre.
 |  |
Sea Lion High: The Christmas Special Watch Clyde and Seamore save Christmas from the naughty elf. The jokes are cheesy, but the antics are fun and silly for all. My daughter was giggly the entire show, especially when hunting for the mischievous otters and watching the mime before the show. There are designated splash areas, so be sure to move to higher ground if you don't want to get wet.
 |
Winter Wonderland on Ice This ice skating extravaganza was definitely a highlight of our evening and one that you and your family won't want to miss. The ice skaters really dazzle the audience with their beautiful costumes, graceful choreography, and lifts! You'll find yourself dancing and singing along to the most festive holiday classic tunes while watching the Sea of Trees with over a million lights glistening in the backdrop.
 |
Tips
There are so many new and exciting experiences for the holiday season and you want to plan your day so you can make the most of your visit.
- Download the SeaWorld App to your phone so you can view the park hours, map, and entertainment schedules.
- All the holiday performances and theater shows, including Dolphin Days and Orca Encounter, will have limited capacity to accommodate physical distancing requirements. Arrive at least 30 minutes early to reserve a space for your party. Each show is approximately 30 minutes. Inquire about the reserved seating option for some of the shows.
- Guests can remove masks while taking photos with characters but must wear them properly right after the photos are taken.
- The line for some of the meet and greets can get long, try to go in the evening or while folks are at the theaters attending the shows.
- Purchase the Food Tasting & Brew Sampler lanyard where you can save 40% off the samplings. There's a 5 ($35) and 10 ($50) sampler and a souvenir mug if you select the hot cocoa.
- There are some amazing animal interaction ad-options, like feeding the sea lions or up-close tours, make sure to plan and book early.
We had an amazing time. SeaWorld Orlando made great efforts to make the holiday spirit come alive and also keep guests safe. We can't wait to go back and experienced some of the things we missed! It's a great way to spend time with loved ones this holiday! And remember, health and safety are a shared responsibility. While masks may not be desired, they are required!
*Macaroni Kid Buckhead Midtown Brookhaven was hosted by SeaWorld Orlando for this review. Any opinions are entirely my own. 📷 provided by Cookie Suarez
Location
SeaWorld Orlando
7007 Sea World Drive
Orlando, FL 32821
*WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM
To stay in the KNOW - Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter HERE! Each week, you will receive fresh new ideas of family-friendly events in/around
Buckhead, Midtown, Brookhaven and beyond. Tell a friend about MK BMB! More subscribers help us get more fun Giveaways from our sponsors for your family!
Don't forget to be social with us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
