An Orlando Christmas may not be a white one, but it will certainly be magical. If you’re thinking of heading to the Sunshine State in the festive season, you may be wondering: how will it work staying in an
Orlando villa?
Well, we’ve pulled together a handy FAQ guide to help answer any queries you have about booking a Florida villa holiday during the winter holidays, with lots of useful info about weather, villa types, pool heat, and even how to acquire that all-important Christmas tree!
What are the best Orlando villas for Christmas?
We offer a range of different villa types in Orlando to suit everybody’s holiday needs. Choose between allocated on arrival Executive and Executive Plus Homes, or an Exact Home and named community from affordable to luxurious levels. If you’re travelling in a large group for an epic Christmas getaway, we’ve got villas that boast 3 to 10+ bedrooms that will fit everyone in from grandma and grandad to distant cousins twice removed!
If you’re booking an Exact Home, you can make special requests for specific amenities and facilities like themed rooms, games rooms, spas, and more to make your Christmas trip even more magical.
What will the weather be like?
Winter in Orlando is a relatively warm affair with an average daily temperature of 20°C in December. It can change slightly year on year, but generally Orlando enjoys mild and lovely weather during this period. Rainfall in December is minimal - averaging around 60cm throughout the month - but it’s advisable to take a light raincoat or umbrella in case of any showers while you’re walking around the parks.
Is the villa pool heated?
If you want pool heat it will need to be pre-booked (this is highly recommended in the cooler months). The pool heaters are turned on the day of your arrival and will take approximately 24-48 hours to warm the water. It won’t be ‘hot tub warm’, but the pool heat is designed to take the chilliness out of the water and maintain a temperature of about 10 degrees above the outside air temperature.
The pool heater will not run all day and night but for between 8-12 hours during the daytime while the pool pump is running – so be aware that it may be extra chilly first thing in the morning!
What attractions are open at Christmas?
The fun never stops in Orlando, in fact the festive season is perhaps the most animated and wonderful time of the year to visit. You’ll be delighted to know that all the
Walt Disney World Resort and
Universal Orlando Resort parks are open 365 days a year, meaning that you can still enjoy all the magic on Christmas Day (just don’t ride any roller coasters straight after a roast dinner)!
There are fewer more enchanting places to be during the holiday season than Disney’s Magic Kingdom, which doesn’t hold back at Christmas, with glittering lights, festive wreaths, decorations, and jingly music filling Main Street, U.S.A. You can’t miss the 65-foot Christmas tree towering over Town Square, and Cinderella’s Castle is aglow with sparkle and joy.
Don’t delay in nabbing your tickets for the famed ‘Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party’, an unforgettable experience that runs from 8 November to 20 December 2024. Meet your favourite Disney characters, sing along with the musical numbers, watch mesmerising firework shows, and watch the dazzling ‘Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas’ parade meandering through the streets.
EPCOT is equally as magnificent over the holidays, with a huge Christmas tree soaring over the World Showcase Lagoon and the ‘EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays’ presenting jubilant holiday traditions across its 11 World Showcase countries, with tantalising cuisine, live entertainment, and heaps of family-friendly fun and activities from 29 November to 30 December 2024.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the home of the famed ‘Disney Jollywood Nights’, a ticketed event featuring fabulous stage performances, musical shows, and sing-alongs with loads of your favourite characters. Don’t miss the nightly light projections from the Hollywood Tower Hotel
And for multicultural festivities, head to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where international traditions like Diwali are celebrated alongside Christmas, with light shows and traditional performances to get you into the holiday spirit.
Yuletide at Universal Studios is a similarly extravagant event and promises a wonderful holiday period for all. Begin with the Universal Studios Christmas celebrations in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and marvel at huge balloons in the ‘Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's’, then giggle along with the ‘Grinchmas™ Who-liday Spectacular’ at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
Where can I get a Christmas tree?
To bring the merriment directly to your holiday pad, guests can request a Christmas tree as an extra when booking, so the magical atmosphere can begin the moment you step through the front door. Christmas trees are subject to availability and the cost will be advised at the time of booking (usually around $150).
Will the shops be open?
Yes! Shopping is a big deal in Orlando and there are many amazing malls and retail centres available to buy luxury clothing and accessories, toys, as well as places to pick up some absolute bargains. The Mall at Millenia, Premium Outlets, and The Florida Mall are personal favourites of ours, and are all located in Orlando.
While the malls will be closed on Christmas Day, they usually have extended opening hours in the lead-up to the big day, meaning that you don’t have to cram your suitcase full of presents and can purchase many of your family’s gifts once you’re in Florida.
For food shopping, don’t forget that Ocean Florida provides every villa booking with a complimentary Welcome Grocery Pack filled with handy starter-size items including milk, bread, jam, butter, tea, coffee, water, cereal, and juice. There are also alternative and upgraded Welcome Packs available, which can be added prior to travel via your travel consultant or the online check-in portal at time of registration.
If you’re considering a Christmassy Orlando villa holiday for 2024 or 2025 enquire online and let us put the sparkle into your stay! 
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