Orlando Events & Festivals
EPCOT's four festivals, Halloween Horror Nights, the Mickey parties, Grinchmas and the holiday lights. Orlando's seasonal calendar is half the fun, and here's roughly when to catch each one.
Updated June 2026
Orlando doesn't really have an off-season so much as a calendar that keeps reinventing itself. The same park you visited in spring among a million tulips becomes, by fall, a fog-choked scare maze, and by December a glittering Christmas village. The festivals and seasonal overlays are half the reason regulars keep coming back, and timing your trip to one of them is the closest thing we have to a local secret.
This is our running list of the big annual happenings, what they are, and roughly when to catch them. Most are tied to a theme park, and dates shift every year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the gospel and always confirm on the official site before you book. If you're trying to thread a trip between events, our best time to visit guide pairs nicely with this one.
The four EPCOT festivals
EPCOT runs a near-continuous rotation of seasonal festivals, each included with regular park admission. Food and drink booths cost extra, but wandering the World Showcase among them is free with your ticket.
More on the park itself, including how to navigate the World Showcase, lives on our EPCOT guide.
Halloween in Orlando
Late summer through Halloween, the two big resorts split the difference: one goes genuinely terrifying, the other keeps it family-friendly. Both are separate-ticket, after-hours events on select nights.
Christmas & the holidays
From mid-November through New Year's, Orlando turns into one of the best holiday towns in the country. Decor and overlays are mostly included with regular admission; the big after-hours parties are separate tickets.
The festival year at a glance
Roughly how the seasons stack up. Always confirm exact current-year dates before booking.
- Jan–Feb: EPCOT Festival of the Arts. Cool weather, smaller crowds, the easiest festival to enjoy at a slow pace.
- Mar–early June: EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival, in full spring bloom, overlapping spring break.
- Aug–Oct: Halloween season ramps up, Mickey's Not-So-Scary at Magic Kingdom and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal.
- Late Aug–Nov: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, the big eating-and-drinking event around the World Showcase.
- Mid-Nov–early Jan: the holidays everywhere, EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, the Christmas parties, Grinchmas and the resort light displays.
Where to go next
Pick the park that's hosting your festival, then sort out timing and a place to stay.
EPCOT
The festival home base, World Showcase, the booths and the concert series, in one guide.
Universal Orlando
Halloween Horror Nights, the holiday parade and the rest of the resort, explained.
Best Time to Visit
Crowds, weather and prices month by month, so you can plan around the events.
Where to Stay
The best home bases near the parks for early entry and late festival nights.
Book Orlando tickets & tours
Common questions
What are the four EPCOT festivals?
EPCOT runs a near-continuous rotation of seasonal festivals, each included with regular park admission. They are the Festival of the Arts (roughly mid-January to late February), the Flower & Garden Festival (roughly early March to early June), the Food & Wine Festival (roughly late August to late November) and the Festival of the Holidays (roughly the day after Thanksgiving through the end of December). Food and drink booths cost extra, but exact dates shift each year, so check the official EPCOT site.
When is Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando?
Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights from late August through about the start of November at Universal Studios Florida. It is a separate, after-dark ticket and is genuinely scary, intended for older teens and adults rather than young children. The themes, haunted houses and exact dates change every year, so confirm the current lineup and dates on Universal's official site.
What's the difference between Mickey's Not-So-Scary and Halloween Horror Nights?
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is Disney's family-friendly, costume-welcome event at Magic Kingdom with trick-or-treating, a parade and fireworks, aimed at all ages including young kids. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal is the opposite: an intense, genuinely frightening haunt event with detailed scare houses, not recommended for small children. Both are separate-ticket evenings on select nights.
When is the Christmas and holiday season in Orlando?
The holiday season generally runs from mid-November through New Year's. Highlights include EPCOT's Festival of the Holidays with the Candlelight Processional, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom (a separate ticket), and Holidays at Universal Orlando with Grinchmas, Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the holiday parade. Disney Springs also lights up for free. Confirm exact dates on each resort's official site as they're released.
Are the EPCOT festivals included with park admission?
Yes. Entry to all four EPCOT festivals is included with a regular EPCOT ticket; you don't buy a separate festival ticket. What costs extra are the food and beverage items at the festival booths, which you pay for à la carte. Some special concerts, seminars and dining experiences may also carry an additional fee, but simply walking the festival is part of your day at the park.
Do I need a special ticket for the Halloween and Christmas parties?
Yes. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom, and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal, are all separate-ticket, after-hours events, not included with a regular day's admission. The most popular dates often sell out in advance, and the parks may close early to day guests on party nights, so buy as soon as dates are announced and plan around them.