Things to Do in Orlando in December

VerdictGood
Ranked#5 of 12
PricesPeak Season

December is Orlando's most crowded and most expensive month. That's the single most important thing to know before you book. The weather tends to be comfortable, averaging 22.5°C (72°F) during the day and cooling to around 13.3°C (56°F) at night, making it one of the driest stretches of the year after the soggy June-through-September run that typically drops around 750mm of rain across those 4 months. But every family east of the Mississippi seems to arrive the same week, and hotel rates near Walt Disney World climb 50-80% above Orlando's annual average.

That said, the holiday programming at the theme parks is genuinely worth the hassle if you plan around it. Epcot's International Festival of the Holidays runs through late December with food booths and storytellers representing more than a dozen countries. Universal Orlando stages Grinchmas in Seuss Landing, complete with a live retelling of the Dr. Seuss story. The first two weeks of December, before schools let out around December 18-20, offer the sweet spot. You'll still catch the decorations and seasonal menus, but crowd levels at Magic Kingdom might run 40% lower than the Christmas-to-New-Year's crush.

Mind you, 'lower crowds' is relative in Orlando. Even early December at a major park likely means 50,000-plus visitors in a day. The dry, cool air feels like a reward after months of oppressive humidity, and evenings carry a crispness that makes walking International Drive tolerable for the first time since March. You might catch the sweet smell of ripe citrus drifting in from the groves west of town, since December is peak harvest season for Florida oranges. The sunset light over Lake Eola turns golden an hour earlier than summer, coloring the downtown skyline by 5:30 PM.

Why visit in December

The driest month of the year alongside January, with only 59mm of rain across roughly 5 rainy days. After the wet season's frequent downpours, December feels bone-dry.
Theme park holiday events run at full scale. Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and Universal's Grinchmas are seasonal programming that doesn't exist the other 9 months of the year.
Daytime highs near 22°C (72°F) and lows around 13°C (56°F) make outdoor activities comfortable from morning to evening. No heat exhaustion risk, no afternoon thunderstorm ambushes.
Early December (December 1-15) still offers moderate crowd levels at the parks before the holiday school break begins around December 18-20.
Florida citrus peaks in December. Roadside stands along US-27 and at the Winter Garden Farmers Market sell navel oranges and tangerines picked that morning, and the flavor difference from grocery-store fruit is stark.

Worth knowing

Hotel rates near Disney and on International Drive reach their annual peak during the last 2 weeks of December, often running 60-80% above Orlando's yearly average. Budget travelers will feel the squeeze across lodging, dining, and even parking.
Theme park crowds between December 23 and January 2 are the heaviest of the entire year. Wait times for popular rides at Magic Kingdom can reach 90-120 minutes during this window.
Cold fronts push through 2-3 times per month, sometimes dropping overnight lows to 4-7°C (40-45°F) for a day or two. Visitors from tropical climates might find this genuinely uncomfortable, especially in the parks after sunset.
Many restaurants in Winter Park and the Dr. Phillips Restaurant Row area book up 2-3 weeks in advance for December dinners, particularly around Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Best for

Think twice if

Weather measured 23° / 13°C 59mm rain · 5 rainy days · 80% humidity rains perceptibly ~0.8h/day · 95% of mornings dry

Crowds peak

Pack Layers are essential. A t-shirt and light jacket combination works for most days, but pack a warmer fleece or sweater for evenings and cold-front days when temperatures can dip below 10°C (50°F). Long pants for evenings. Closed-toe shoes for park days. A packable rain shell is worth carrying, though you may never use it.

December is Orlando's coolest and driest month alongside January. Daytime highs tend to hover around 22.5°C (72°F), which feels pleasant in the sun but can turn brisk in the shade or when a cold front passes. Nights drop to about 13.3°C (56°F) on average, though cold snaps can push lows into single digits Celsius. Humidity sits at around 80%, which sounds high but feels nothing like the oppressive 90%-plus of July and August because temperatures are 10°C lower. Rainfall is light at 59mm across roughly 5 rainy days, a fraction of the 170mm that August typically brings. Mornings often start clear with a slight chill, warming steadily by midday. You might catch a chilly drizzle when a front moves through, but the soaking afternoon thunderstorms of summer are gone entirely.

Seasonal caution

Cold fronts pass through Orlando 2-3 times during December, occasionally dropping overnight lows to 4-7°C (40-45°F). These typically last 1-2 days before temperatures rebound. Pack at least one warm layer if you plan to spend evenings outdoors at the parks.

Year-round climate

Averages from the last 5 years.

Monthly climate averages for Orlando
Month	Avg high (°C)	Avg low (°C)	Rainfall (mm)
Jan	20	10	52
Feb	24	13	60
Mar	27	15	73
Apr	28	17	91
May	31	21	128
Jun	32	23	240
Jul	32	24	225
Aug	32	24	263
Sep	30	23	338
Oct	28	19	108
Nov	25	16	83
Dec	23	13	59

Headline events

Citywide

Epcot International Festival of the Holidays

Late November through December 30

Epcot's World Showcase transforms into a global holiday celebration with food booths, live Candlelight Processional concerts featuring celebrity narrators, and cookie-stroll trails winding through pavilions representing more than a dozen countries. The Candlelight Processional at the America Gardens Theatre draws long standby lines, sometimes 90 minutes or more for the dinner packages that guarantee seating.

#EpcotFestivalOfTheHolidays

Citywide

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Select nights from mid-November through December 22

A separately ticketed after-hours event at Magic Kingdom that typically sells out most nights in December. The park closes to day guests at 6 PM on event nights. Party attendees get lower wait times, exclusive holiday fireworks, a holiday parade, complimentary cookies and hot cocoa at stations throughout the park, and character meet-and-greets in holiday outfits. The event has run since 1983.

#VeryMerryChristmasParty

Citywide

Grinchmas at Universal's Islands of Adventure

Late November through early January

Seuss Landing in Islands of Adventure hosts a live retelling of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with the Grinch character available for meet-and-greets throughout the day. The Who-ville set is decorated with oversized ornaments and twisted candy canes. Included with regular park admission, which makes it one of the few major holiday events without an added ticket cost.

#Grinchmas

Best things to do in December

Epcot Candlelight Processional

entertainment

A live orchestra and mass choir perform holiday music at the America Gardens Theatre in Epcot's World Showcase, with a celebrity narrator reading the Christmas story. Past narrators have included Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, and Pat Sajak. Three performances nightly.

Only runs from late November through December 30, with the best narrator lineups typically scheduled for the December weeks.

Booking tipDining packages at World Showcase restaurants guarantee seating and are worth considering, since standby lines can stretch past 90 minutes for popular narrators.

ICE! at Gaylord Palms Resort

attraction

The Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee carves 2 million pounds of ice into walk-through sculptures kept at -9°C (15°F). The resort provides heavy parkas at the entrance. The sculptures change theme each year. The entire experience takes about 30-45 minutes.

Runs from mid-November through early January, with December offering the full installation before it begins to show wear.

Booking tipBook tickets online in advance. Weeknight visits tend to have shorter waits than weekends.

Holiday Boat Parade on Lake Eola

festival

Downtown Orlando's Lake Eola hosts a boat parade in early December, with decorated boats circling the 0.9-mile path around the lake. The surrounding Thornton Park neighborhood fills with food vendors and live music.

Held once per year, typically the first or second Saturday of December.

Winter Garden Christmas Parade

festival

The small downtown district of Winter Garden, about 22 km west of Orlando on the West Orange Trail, holds an old-fashioned Christmas parade along Plant Street. Local marching bands, floats, and a tree-lighting ceremony follow.

Annual event held in early December, typically the first Saturday of the month.

Airboat Rides at Boggy Creek

outdoor

The cooler December air brings alligators to the surface to bask in the sun, making them easier to spot during airboat tours through the headwaters of the Everglades near Kissimmee. Mosquitoes are also far less aggressive than in summer months.

December's lower humidity and cooler temperatures make the 45-minute open-air ride comfortable rather than sweltering, and gator sighting rates tend to be higher during basking season.

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

outdoor

A 11-mile one-way driving loop through restored marshland on the north shore of Lake Apopka, about 30 minutes northwest of downtown Orlando. December brings migrating birds to Central Florida, and the drive passes through habitat where bald eagles, roseate spoonbills, and sandhill cranes are regularly spotted.

Winter migration brings dozens of bird species south to Central Florida. December through February is peak birding season at Lake Apopka.

Disney Springs Holiday Shopping

shopping

Disney Springs, the open-air shopping and dining complex at Walt Disney World, runs holiday programming throughout December with live carolers, a Christmas tree trail, and Santa meet-and-greets. No theme park ticket required for entry.

Holiday decorations and programming are only up from mid-November through early January, and the atmosphere peaks in December.

Leu Gardens Holiday House

culture

Harry P. Leu Gardens, a 50-acre botanical garden near downtown Orlando, opens the historic Leu House Museum for holiday tours in December. The house dates to the early 1900s and is decorated in period-appropriate style.

The Holiday House tour is a December-only event, and the gardens themselves are pleasant to walk in the cooler weather without the summer heat.

What to eat in December

In season: fruit

Florida Navel Oranges
December is the heart of Florida citrus season. Navel oranges from groves along US-27 south of Clermont hit peak sweetness this month, and the difference between a fresh-picked orange and a shipped one is night and day.
Tangerines
Honey tangerines and Sunburst tangerines from Central Florida groves are at their best in December. The Winter Garden Farmers Market on Plant Street sells them by the bag on Saturday mornings.

On menus now

Holiday Tamales
Orlando's Puerto Rican and Mexican communities make pasteles and tamales for the holidays. Restaurants along the South Orange Blossom Trail and in the Azalea Park neighborhood sell them by the dozen through December.
Gingerbread from the Grand Floridian
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort builds a life-sized gingerbread house in its lobby every December, and the adjacent shop sells gingerbread shingles and cookies made from the same recipe. The scent of ginger and cinnamon fills the entire lobby.

Street food peaks

Smoked Turkey Legs
A year-round theme park staple, but December's cooler temperatures make them more appealing. The smoky, salty flavor pairs well with the brisk evening air at Magic Kingdom and Universal CityWalk.

Regular events in December

Now Snowing at CelebrationFree

The planned community of Celebration, about 10 km south of Disney, creates artificial snow on its Market Street on select December evenings. A Dickens-themed cast of characters roams the shops and cafes along the lakefront.

Select evenings throughout December

Winter Park Boat Tour

The Scenic Boat Tour on the Winter Park chain of lakes runs year-round, but December's mild weather and low humidity make the 1-hour narrated cruise through Mead Botanical Garden and past lakefront mansions more comfortable than any month since March.

Daily departures from 10 AM

Orlando City Soccer Holiday Camp

Orlando City SC runs youth soccer camps at their Osceola Heritage Park training facility during the school break weeks in late December. Camps typically run 4-5 days.

Late December during school break

Holidays at Old Town KissimmeeFree

Old Town in Kissimmee, a retro-themed entertainment district on US-192, hosts a Saturday night car cruise throughout December with holiday-decorated classic cars. Live bands play on the main stage.

Every Saturday evening in December

Best places this December

Epcot World Showcase
theme_park
The 1.2-mile loop around World Showcase Lagoon features 11 country pavilions, each decorated for their own holiday traditions during the Festival of the Holidays. The candlelit Luminarias pathway between Mexico and Norway is particularly striking after dark.
Walt Disney World
Lake Eola Park
park
Downtown Orlando's centerpiece, a 43-acre park surrounding a 0.9-mile lake. The 12-meter-tall Christmas tree at the north end lights up nightly through December, and the swan boat rentals operate until 10 PM.
Downtown Orlando
Winter Park's Park Avenue
shopping
A 10-block stretch of independent shops, galleries, and restaurants along a brick-lined street in Winter Park, about 8 km north of downtown Orlando. December brings poinsettia displays and sidewalk carolers. The Morse Museum of American Art nearby houses the world's largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany glass.
Winter Park
Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve
nature
A 440-acre preserve on the western edge of Orange County with 4 miles of hiking trails through pine flatwoods and cypress swamp. December's cool, dry conditions and lower mosquito activity make this one of the best months for the loop trail.
Dr. Phillips area
Gaylord Palms Resort Atrium
attraction
Even without an ICE! ticket, the Gaylord Palms lobby atrium is free to walk through. The 4.5-acre glass-covered space houses a replica of the Castillo de San Marcos and live alligators in a swamp exhibit. December decorations include a 54-foot Christmas tree.
Kissimmee
Disney's Boardwalk
entertainment
A quarter-mile promenade along Crescent Lake at Walt Disney World with restaurants, street performers, and carnival games. No ticket required. December evenings bring fire eaters and holiday musicians, and the boardwalk connects by foot path to Epcot's International Gateway entrance.
Walt Disney World
Wekiwa Springs State Park
nature
A first-magnitude spring about 30 minutes north of downtown Orlando, with a constant water temperature of 22°C (72°F) year-round. In December, that spring water actually feels warm compared to the air temperature. The 13-mile trail system through longleaf pine sandhills is best hiked in cooler months.
Apopka

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Light jacket or fleeceEvenings at the parks regularly drop below 15°C (59°F) in December. A zip-up fleece fits easily in a day pack and makes the difference between comfort and cutting a night short.Shop
T-shirts and short-sleeve layersMidday sun can still push the perceived temperature above 25°C (77°F), especially in unshaded queues at the parks. You'll peel off the jacket by noon most days.Shop
Long pantsAt least 2 pairs. December evenings are too cool for shorts at the parks, and nicer restaurants in Winter Park and Dr. Phillips expect long pants.Shop
Closed-toe walking shoesYou'll walk 15,000-25,000 steps on a park day. Broken-in walking shoes or trail runners beat sandals by the 6th hour.Shop
Packable rain jacketDecember averages only 5 rainy days, but a passing cold front can bring a chilly drizzle. A thin rain shell weighs almost nothing and doubles as a wind layer.Shop
Sunscreen (SPF 30+)The Florida sun sits at about 28° altitude at solar noon in December, lower than summer but still strong enough to burn during a full day outdoors, especially around the reflective surfaces of water rides.Shop
Phone battery packTheme park apps (My Disney Experience, Universal Orlando app) drain batteries fast with GPS and constant checking of wait times. A 10,000 mAh pack covers a full park day.Shop
Warm hat or beanieUseful on cold-front mornings and for early rope-drop arrivals when temperatures can sit near 7-10°C (45-50°F) before the sun warms things up.Shop

Insider tips

The week between Thanksgiving (late November) and December 10 is the lowest-crowd window that still has full holiday decorations and events at all 4 Disney parks. Locals call it the 'goldilocks week' for a reason.
Rope drop (arriving 30-45 minutes before official park opening) at Magic Kingdom in early December can get you through 3-4 major attractions before the mid-morning crowds arrive. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain lines are under 15 minutes at 8:30 AM on a December Tuesday.
The Publix supermarkets near Disney (the one on Apopka-Vineland Road is closest to the resort area) sell pre-made sub sandwiches that are genuinely good and save a significant amount compared to in-park dining. Locals have been doing this for decades.
If you're driving, the back entrance to Walt Disney World via Sherberth Road to World Drive avoids the I-4 interchange traffic that can add 30-45 minutes during peak December weeks.
The rooftop bar at Paddlefish in Disney Springs offers one of the few free views of the nightly Epcot fireworks, visible across the lake. Get there 30 minutes before showtime for a spot along the railing.
December is when experienced Orlando visitors book hotel stays at off-property locations along Palm Parkway or Daryl Carter Parkway in the Dr. Phillips area. They're 5-10 minutes from Disney gates but operate on a different pricing tier than Lake Buena Vista properties.

Avoid these mistakes

Underestimating the cold. Visitors from warm climates pack only shorts and tank tops, then spend December evenings shivering through fireworks shows at Magic Kingdom. Pack layers.
Booking hotels without checking if the dates fall before or after December 18. Rates and crowd levels shift dramatically once the school holiday begins, and that distinction can mean 30-40% in lodging costs.
Skipping reservations for sit-down restaurants. In December, popular spots like Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge and The Boathouse at Disney Springs fill their dining reservations 2-3 weeks out. Walk-in availability drops sharply.
Visiting only the theme parks. Orlando has 100+ lakes, several state parks within 30 minutes, and neighborhoods like Winter Park and Thornton Park that feel nothing like the tourist corridor. December's weather is perfect for exploring them.
Driving on I-4 during peak hours (8-10 AM and 4-7 PM) without allowing extra time. December holiday traffic can double normal commute times on the I-4 corridor between downtown Orlando and the Disney exits.

Practical tips for December

Book lodging and park tickets for the last 2 weeks of December at least 6-8 weeks in advance, as many properties sell out or shift to premium rates. Dining reservations at Walt Disney World open 60 days before your visit date, and popular restaurants fill within hours for December dates. If you're visiting the parks, download the My Disney Experience and Universal Orlando apps before you arrive. They show real-time wait times, mobile food ordering, and Lightning Lane availability. Layer your clothing rather than packing heavy coats. Most December days start cool, warm by midday, and cool again after sunset, so you'll be adding and removing layers throughout the day. If you're renting a car, use SunPass or E-PASS for the toll roads (SR-417, SR-429) that bypass the I-4 congestion between Orlando International Airport and the theme park corridor.

FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Orlando's theme parks?

December is a mixed bag. The holiday programming at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando is at its best, with events like Epcot's Festival of the Holidays and Grinchmas that only run this time of year. But the last 10 days of the month bring the highest crowds and highest prices of the entire year. If you can visit during the first 2 weeks of December, you'll catch the decorations and events at significantly lower crowd levels.

What is the weather really like in Orlando in December?

Expect daytime highs around 22°C (72°F) and nighttime lows near 13°C (56°F), with very little rain. It's comfortable for outdoor activities all day. That said, cold fronts push through 2-3 times per month and can drop temperatures to 4-7°C (40-45°F) overnight, so bring a warm layer. The oppressive humidity of summer is gone, replaced by drier air that makes walking the parks pleasant.

How crowded is Orlando during Christmas week?

Christmas week through New Year's Day is the single busiest period of the year for Orlando's theme parks. Magic Kingdom can see over 80,000 visitors in a day during this window, and wait times for popular rides regularly reach 90-120 minutes. International Drive and the restaurant districts around Disney fill to capacity most evenings.

Are there free things to do in Orlando in December?

Several options. The Now Snowing event in Celebration is free to attend, Disney Springs and Disney's Boardwalk require no ticket, and the Lake Eola Christmas tree and boat parade are free. Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive has no entry fee. The Gaylord Palms lobby atrium with its holiday decorations is open to the public at no cost.

When should I book my December Orlando trip?

For the last 2 weeks of December, book lodging 6-8 weeks ahead at minimum. Walt Disney World dining reservations open 60 days before your date, and popular restaurants fill within hours for December slots. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party tickets for prime December dates often sell out weeks in advance.