It’s no secret that the holidays are my absolute favorite time of year! It’s when our family thrives and we create so much magic together. We love finding places that offer something for all of us and keep us coming back. One of our favorite Christmas events in central Florida is hands down Busch Gardens Christmas Town! With one million twinkling lights, character experiences, specialty food and drink, and so much more, it’s no mystery why it’s so much fun. Let’s break down what experiences Busch Gardens has to offer.
Let’s start with the basics. Busch Gardens Christmas Town is included with your park admission and is happening now until January 2nd, which gives you plenty of time to squeeze in the holiday fun. Right now they are even offering an awesome deal on Fun cards!
One thing we love about Busch Gardens Christmas Town is how family friendly it is. There are four shows, fireworks, character meet and greets, and more, making sure that the kids are entertained all day. The shows are all super kid friendly but my two favorite were Elmo’s Christmas Wish and Story time with Mrs Claus. Both shows encourage kids to play and dance so it is an environment more suited for little ones. All the shows have several showtimes so you will have plenty of time to fit them in . (descriptions are all from Buschgardens.com)
- Elmo’s Christmas Wish: Join Cookie Monster, Rosita, Grover, and Zoe as they help Elmo find his Christmas wish! Families are sure to be singing and dancing along while watching this fun holiday show. Visit Sesame Street Safari of Fun to celebrate the Christmas spirit at the Sunny Day Theater!
- Three Kings Journey: Located in Stanleyville Theater, the Three Kings Journey Show unites magical voices in perfect harmony, unfolding the famed journey to the humble town of Bethlehem.
- Christmas on Ice: Busch Gardens’ longest running holiday show returns to the Moroccan Palace Theater. This inspiring skating production transforms the stage with incredible feats of skating athleticism for a truly unmissable show set to holiday classic songs.
- Storytime with Mrs. Claus: Located in the Coke Canopy near the Christmas Town Village, Mrs. Claus will share traditional holiday tales and a joyful song.
- Holiday in the Sky Fireworks Show: Enjoy classic holiday tunes and watch festive bursts of Christmas colors as they cover the sky in a dazzling fireworks and laser light display. Fireworks are offered on the Festival Field every Saturday and select nights of the event.
If you think the shows sound good wait until you hear about the food! The Christmas Town food booths open at 4pm. My recommendation is to get one of the sampler passes, starting at $44.99. I would also get one of the refillable hot cocoa cups, which will save you money on refills. Make sure you try all of the deep-dish cookies and for sure get the Totchos! There are 10 different food booths, so you are definitely going to want to try them all.
You want to allow time for character meet and greets around the park. You can meet Rudolph, Clarice, several holiday princesses, even Santa! The line for Rudolph and santa can get a little long so I suggest doing those earlier than later. Make sure you say hello to the snowman near the front of the park too!
My final MUST DO is the Holly Jolly Express, which takes you on a festive 20-minute train ride while you listen to holiday classics that will have you singing along! Because the holiday ride makes a loop, you won’t have to worry about folding up the stroller and can just leave it in stroller parking.
Busch Gardens definitely has us feeling the Christmas spirit and it will for you too! Tickets are available for purchase at Buschgardens.com . Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!
Marvelous Mrs. Morin 