Prolong the Holiday Feeling in Florida
For many Christmas and holiday enthusiasts, the fun doesn’t stop when the holidays end. Many attractions remain open a week or so after the holidays (especially in Florida), calling to those who didn’t get to experience the activities during their prime time. If you long for the unmatched holiday spirit after the designated holidays, this list of holiday activities in Florida is for you. Here’s how to wrangle in the remaining holiday fun following the festivities.
Prolong the Holiday Feeling in Florida
These holiday activities in Florida continue after December 25 has come and gone.
1. ICE, Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee
We may not wake up to oodles of snow decorating our front lawns yearly, but we have a resort hotel hosting a renowned event with tons of… ice. Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida, transports two million pounds of ice into their hotel each year for a thematic display of a holiday spectacle. This year, A Charlie Brown Christmas interests the millions who flock to the monumental display. Ice carvers chip away at their blocks annually, affixing their designs to a storyboard vision that entertains visitors between mid-November and early January.
Frozen versions of Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, and Snoopy welcome visitors into the nine-degree Fahrenheit space, which, in Florida, is a foreign temperature. So, the attraction provides parkas to enhance guests’ warmth and comfort. Aside from marveling at intricate ice sculptures, visitors enjoy zipping down ice slides and tubing lanes with a hot chocolate waiting for them. Visit ICE until January 3rd.
2. Santa’s Enchanted Forest, Miami
Otherwise known as the World’s Largest Holiday Theme Park, Santa’s Enchanted Wonderland allures guests with Christmas-themed everything. Adrenaline seekers head over to the Polar Express, a riveting circular track ride dashing patrons on an endless loop, scenery admirers gaze down mistletoe lane, a gorgeous illuminated walkway implementing the kissing plant in its quarters, and Christmas music fans try their voice at Christmas Karaoke.
Christmas light show spectaculars amuse customers of all ages, throwing them into the Christmas spirit, even after the holiday lays 350+ days down the line. Christmas miniatures pepper the park, inviting onlookers to gaze at the intricacy and beauty behind crafting such a small display. You may even meet the one and only Santa Claus. Visit Santa’s Enchanted Forest until January 7th.
3. Disney World, Kissimmee
Visiting the most magical place on Earth during the holidays stirs up endless glee and holiday cheer, with beaming lights decorating the park, holiday tunes wafting through the walkways, and gorgeous fireworks entrancing visitors. Thankfully, those working at the park understand the unmatched happiness arising from the ornamented theme park, so they keep the decorations and holiday spirit rampant through the first week of January at Walt Disney World.
The first week of January also holds the annual runDisney marathon, so decorations and holiday songs most likely will waver before the 3rd this year, but if you want to delve into the final wisps of cheer, head over to Mickey and Minnie’s wonderland right after New Years.
4. Robert’s Christmas Wonderland
Robert’s Christmas Wonderland is a year-round shop showcasing Christmas’s bestselling items such as tree toppers, tree skirts, garlands, stockings, and more. The location opened doors in 1972 under the name Robert’s Christmas World, back when it served as a seasonal shop for Xmas needs, and a Clearwater Christmas shop, Christmas Wonderland, remained open year-round but shifted to a pool store in the summer. In 1990, the two fused, fueling a 365-day-long celebration of the holiday.
Today, around 200 artificial Christmas trees line the store aisles, complete with fascinating light displays for all customers. Christmas ornaments overflow the baskets and bins inside the shop, and plenty of nativity scenes line the interior of the year-round holiday store.
5. Sandi Christmas Tree
Sandi, the largest holiday tree made of sand, stands proud in her hometown of West Palm Beach. At a staggering 35 feet tall, Sandi requires 700 tons of white sand to keep a steady base for her body. This year’s theme, “Treasure West Palm Beach,” details a pirate and his best friend—a parrot, of course—noticing Sandi’s beauty from their ship and docking on shore to investigate. Instead of striking gold on the literal element, they find their treasure by spending time with their loved ones.
Waves wrap around Sandi’s lower region with interwoven leaves leading up to the star fixture atop the gargantuan sand sculpture. Visitors have until December 31 to witness Sandi’s record-breaking glory.
About Gabrielle Reeder
Gabrielle Reeder is a travel enthusiast from St. Petersburg Florida. She boarded her first plane at six months old and blamed her love for jet-setting on her mom’s background as a travel agent. She’s been to 41 states and six countries, hoping to up that number to 50 states and 10 countries by her 26th birthday. She loves to find the best vegetarian food, desserts, and music venues during her trips.
