Fall in Orlando: Halloween nights at the parks, EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival, cooler evenings, and holiday season starting in early November.
Running right now: Halloween Horror Nights (select nights through Nov 1) and EPCOT Food & Wine (through Nov 21). SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration starts Nov 7 and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Nov 8.
Art: Orlando Unlocked
Halloween Horror Nights 35 is down to its final nights (Oct 21–25, 28–31 and Nov 1). Runners take over EPCOT's roads for Wine & Dine Oct 23–25, Volcano Bay shuts for the winter on Oct 26, and SeaWorld confirmed Mako is running daily again.
Read what's happeningOpenings, closures and changes worth knowing before you go. Every story links to its source.
📅 Confirmed by SeaWorld Oct 20, 2026
SeaWorld confirmed on X that Mako is operating and scheduled to open daily, about a week after the park closed it as a precaution following the Oct 12 death on Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia. Availability can still change, so check the app on the day.
📅 Closed Nov 2 – Dec 17, 2026
Tiana's Bayou Adventure and its shops close for the log flume's first big refurbishment. My Disney Experience now shows the ride back on Dec 18 with 9 AM–6 PM hours.
📅 Volcano Bay closes Oct 26 · Animal Actors' last shows Nov 2
Volcano Bay starts a maintenance closure Oct 26 and Universal plans to reopen it by April 1, 2027. At Universal Studios Florida, Animal Actors on Location!, one of the park's original 1990 attractions, closes for good after Nov 2.
📅 Remaining nights: Oct 24, Nov 6, Nov 20
A separately ticketed event at Epic Universe with shorter waits plus included snacks and Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks. Early entry from 7 PM; the event runs 9 PM to midnight.
📅 Vuori opened Oct 16, 2026
Vuori activewear is open in Town Center at Disney Springs, joining Six Ravens, a savory bakery from the Gideon's Bakehouse team. The new Disney PhotoPass Studio in the Marketplace drops you into Frozen, Toy Story or Villains scenes (11 AM–9 PM, no reservations).
📅 Starting around Oct 28, 2026
At Disney's Hollywood Studios, Ariel moves from Walt Disney Presents to Echo Lake, near 50's Prime Time Cafe. Santa is expected back in Walt Disney Presents for the holidays, though Disney hasn't made that official yet.
📅 Was due to finish late 2026
Disney has pushed the end of the Disney's Polynesian Village Resort refurbishment to early 2027. Work includes a front-entrance roadway change, and some views may be affected.
📅 Reopened mid-October 2026
The lemur habitat at Disney's Animal Kingdom has reopened after months of refurbishment, with new kid-height glass. Part of the Discovery Island Trail near the Tree of Life is still closed.
Park parties, festivals, concerts and games for the next five weeks. Most party nights need a separate ticket.
Orlando Magic home opener vs. Atlanta · free Orlando Eye rides 6–7 PM if you dress as a witch
Teddy Swims at Kia Center, 7 PM
Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend: EPCOT opens at 10 AM Fri & Sun
Wicked Oztacular Spectacular at CityWalk (free) · S.T.E.A.M. Halloween at KSC · UCF Homecoming
Mount Dora Craft Fair (free) · Zoo Boo Bash · Gatorland's Gators, Ghosts & Goblins
Volcano Bay closes for the season
Last night of Halloween Horror Nights 35
EDC Orlando at Camping World Stadium · MAX POWER weekend at KSC
55th Fall Fiesta in the Park at Lake Eola (free) · SeaWorld Christmas Celebration begins Nov 7
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party opens at Magic Kingdom
SeaWorld Veterans Weekend: nightly fireworks, included with admission
Holidays at Universal Orlando begin (through Jan 3)
LEGOLAND Christmas Bricktacular starts · last day of EPCOT Food & Wine · Florida Classic
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays & Candlelight Processional begin
Seasonal events and a planning tip for each resort, all from official sources.
Magic Kingdom · EPCOT · Hollywood Studios · Animal Kingdom
Universal Studios Florida · Islands of Adventure · Epic Universe · CityWalk
SeaWorld Orlando · Aquatica · Discovery Cove
LEGOLAND Florida · Peppa Pig Theme Park
Placeholder imageSentinel-Star magazine editor Emily Bavar published her hunch that Walt Disney was behind the secret land buys in Orange and Osceola counties. Days later the paper declared it outright, and on Nov. 15 Walt and Roy Disney confirmed the Florida project in Orlando.
Orlando Sentinel ↗A new local moment every day · date checked against the source
Where to spend the days and nights you're not in a park.
Beaches, springs, rockets and gardens within a day's drive.
Beaches, space & old Florida
📅 KSC: S.T.E.A.M. Halloween Sat Oct 24; MAX POWER weekend Nov 6–8. KSC ↗
Tampa Bay to Sarasota
Springs & small towns
📅 Mount Dora Craft Fair: 350+ exhibitors downtown, Oct 24–25, free. Craft Fair ↗
Gardens, planes & racing
Tell us how your group likes to travel and we'll turn all of this into a day-by-day itinerary built around your dates, your pace and your budget.
Current offers and practical changes we've confirmed with the source.
A $300 Disney Gift Card for $270, up to four per membership. Plus members get early access Nov 5 at 9 PM ET; other members Nov 6–8, while supplies last.
WDW News Today ↗SeaWorld Pass Members can buy Howl-O-Scream tickets for $42.99 through Oct 25 on the Pass Member portal or a park kiosk.
SeaWorld ↗No cash at the gate: buy a $5 vehicle pass on OCPortal.net up to 30 days ahead. Only 280 are sold each day.
Orange County Parks ↗Shutterfly is now Disney's official photo gift partner. Link your PhotoPass account and park photos sync to Shutterfly automatically, starting Oct 20.
WDWMAGIC ↗