Theme park news & events

Tiana's Bayou Adventure closes for refurbishment

📅 Closed Nov 2 – about Dec 17, 2026

The log flume and its exit shop close for their first big refurbishment. Disney's operating calendar shows the ride back on Dec 18, but Disney's ride page only says "expected to reopen in December."

Reopening date is from Disney's operating calendar, not an announcement, and could change.

Mako coaster temporarily closed

📅 Closed as of Oct 15, 2026; no reopening date

SeaWorld has temporarily closed Mako and has not set a date to reopen it. The closure came after a rider died Oct 12 on Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia, a coaster built by the same company.

Check the SeaWorld app or park staff for Mako's status on the day you visit.

Universal Nights after-hours at Epic Universe

📅 Remaining 2026 nights: Oct 24, Nov 6, Nov 20

A separately ticketed after-hours event with shorter waits plus included snacks and Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks. Early entry starts at 7 PM; the event runs 9 PM to midnight.

Universal closures: Volcano Bay's winter break & Animal Actors' final bow

📅 Volcano Bay closes Oct 26, 2026 (planned back by Apr 1, 2027) · Animal Actors' last shows Mon Nov 2

Universal's water park begins a maintenance closure on Oct 26, and Universal plans to reopen it on or before April 1, 2027. At Universal Studios Florida, Animal Actors on Location!, the 20-minute live show with trained birds, dogs, cats and other animals and one of the park's original 1990 attractions, closes permanently after its Nov 2 performances. Universal hasn't said what will replace it.

Universal says the Volcano Bay dates are subject to change.

Halloween Horror Nights 35: final weeks

📅 Select nights through Nov 1, 2026 (left: Oct 21–25, 28–31, Nov 1)

The 35th year of HHN features 10 all-new haunted houses, including Stranger Things. It's a separately ticketed night event.

SeaWorld Halloween: Hotel Transylvania by day, Howl-O-Scream by night

📅 Spooktacular select dates through Nov 1; Howl-O-Scream select nights through Oct 31, 2026

Daytime Halloween Spooktacular is included with park admission and brings Hotel Transylvania's Drac, Mavis, Johnny and friends for the first time, plus a 12-stop trick-or-treat trail and a Sesame Street Halloween Parade. After dark, the separately ticketed Howl-O-Scream has five haunted houses, including the park's first movie-inspired house, "I Know What You Did Last Summer: The Final Catch."

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival wraps up

📅 Through Nov 21, 2026

All Global Marketplaces are now open (the last four arrived Oct 2). Included with EPCOT admission. Heads up: The Wedge closes early, on Nov 8.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

📅 Nov 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 24, 25, 27, 29; Dec 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22

Separate-ticket holiday party, 7 PM to midnight, with holiday parades, fireworks and treats. Tickets run about $189–$229 per person depending on the night.

Disney Jollywood Nights

📅 Nov 7, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28; Dec 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 23; Jan 3 and 5, 2027

Hollywood Studios' after-hours holiday event. Entry from 5:30 PM, festivities 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM.

Festival of the Holidays & Candlelight Processional

📅 Nov 27 – Dec 30, 2026

Holiday Kitchens, storytellers around World Showcase, and the Candlelight Processional with a celebrity narrator, 50-piece orchestra and choir (4:45, 6:30 and 8:00 PM). Narrators include Gary Sinise, Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Groban, Jodi Benson and Eva Longoria.

Opening-weekend narrator (Nov 27–28) is still to be announced; lineup is subject to change.

Holidays at Universal Orlando

📅 Nov 14, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027

Grinchmas, Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's return. New this year: holiday décor in Super Nintendo World and Isle of Berk at Epic Universe.

SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration

📅 Select dates Nov 7, 2026 – Jan 5, 2027

Sea of Trees light displays, Winter Wonderland on Ice, holiday treats and the Holiday Reflections fireworks finale, all included with park admission.

SeaWorld's page lists both Nov 6–Jan 4 and Nov 7–Jan 5; check the park calendar for exact days.

LEGOLAND Christmas Bricktacular

📅 Select dates Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027

New this year: a LEGO Santa drone show and an interactive light trail, plus the park's first Rap Battle Show. Included with admission.

Kennedy Space Center: S.T.E.A.M. Halloween, MAX POWER weekend & fall bites

📅 S.T.E.A.M. Halloween Sat Oct 24; MAX POWER Nov 6–8; Fall Bites through Nov 8, 2026

S.T.E.A.M. Halloween on Oct 24 brings hands-on science activities, trick-or-treating at community partner booths, live science demos, We Flip acrobatics and a Halloween DJ, all included with admission (the Halloween S.T.E.A.M. stations run daily through Oct 31). MAX POWER (Nov 6–8) is a weekend of interactive exhibits, meet-and-greets and storytelling about America's space journey. Taste of Space: Fall Bites runs through Nov 8, and astronaut appearances happen most days. About an hour east of Orlando.

Rocket launches are scheduled separately and often move; check the visitor complex's launch page.

Wicked "Oztacular Spectacular" at CityWalk

📅 Sat Oct 24, 2026, noon – 7 PM

A free "Wicked" fan celebration in the CityWalk Plaza area in front of the Universal Legacy Store: stained-glass photo backdrops, prop and costume displays, Glinda and Elphaba meet-and-greets, a Yellow Brick dance floor with a DJ, trivia, singalongs and themed food. No park ticket needed, though CityWalk parking may cost extra.

New at Disney Springs: Vuori, Six Ravens & a PhotoPass Studio

📅 Vuori opened Oct 16, 2026; Kawaii Slime Company opening soon

Vuori activewear is now open in Town Center, joining Cole Haan and Six Ravens, a savory bakery from the team behind Gideon's Bakehouse. A new immersive Disney PhotoPass Studio in the Marketplace puts you in Frozen, Toy Story or Villains scenes (11 AM–9 PM, no reservations, free to take photos).

Fall art festivals: Mount Dora Craft Fair & Fiesta in the Park

📅 Mount Dora Oct 24–25 · Lake Eola Nov 7–8, 2026

The free Mount Dora Craft Fair fills the streets of historic downtown Mount Dora with more than 350 exhibitors, plus festival food, live music in Donnelly Park and a kids' art tent. Parking is tight; the shuttle lot at Mount Dora Christian Academy is $10 per car. Two weeks later, downtown Orlando's 55th Fall Fiesta in the Park circles Lake Eola with hundreds of artist, crafter and food booths, live entertainment and a big kids' play area (10 AM–5 PM both days, free and pet friendly).

Halloween beyond the parks: Gatorland, Zoo Boo Bash, Crayola & a witchy Orlando Eye

📅 Orlando Eye Wed Oct 21 · Gatorland & Zoo Boo Bash Oct 24–25 (zoo also Oct 31) · Crayola through Nov 1, 2026

Gatorland's daytime Gators, Ghosts & Goblins wraps up Oct 24–25 (10 AM–5 PM, included with admission) with the Cryptid Express, Swamp Ghost's Museum and a 1:30 PM kids' costume parade with treat bags. In Sanford, the Central Florida Zoo's Zoo Boo Bash (9 AM–5 PM Oct 24–25 and Oct 31, included with zoo admission) has trick-or-treat stations, a DJ dance party and Anna, Elsa and Kristoff meet-and-greets on Oct 24–25. Crayola Experience Orlando's Screamin' Green Hauntoween runs through Nov 1, with Monsters & Magic crafts, a scavenger hunt and weekend trick-or-treat stations (costumes welcome, no masks). And on Wed Oct 21, 6–7 PM, guests dressed as witches can ride The Orlando Eye at ICON Park free during its world-record attempt.

Orlando Eye free rides are first come, first served and depend on capacity and weather; costumes must be family friendly, with no full-face masks.

Orlando Magic & Solar Bears home games

📅 Magic: Oct 21, 23; Nov 1, 2, 13, 18, 24; Dec 14, 16, 21, 23, 26, 27 · Solar Bears: Oct 24, 28, 30; Nov 3, 21, 23, 27, 29; Dec 2, 5, 6, 15, 17, 29

NBA basketball and ECHL hockey downtown at Kia Center. The Magic open the regular season at home vs. Atlanta on Oct 21, with NBA Cup games vs. Milwaukee (Nov 13) and Detroit (Nov 24); most tip-offs are at 7 PM. The Solar Bears, the Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate, are in their 15th season; most home games start at 7 PM and Sunday games at 3 PM, and Nov 3 is a 10:30 AM School Day Game.

The Solar Bears say dates, times and opponents are subject to change.

College football: UCF home games, Florida Classic & bowls

📅 UCF Oct 24, Oct 30, Nov 14, Nov 20 · Florida Classic Nov 21 · Pop-Tarts Bowl Dec 29 · Citrus Bowl Jan 2, 2027

At UCF's Acrisure Bounce House: Homecoming vs. BYU (Sat Oct 24, 3:30 PM), the Space Game vs. Baylor (Fri Oct 30, 7:30 PM), Arizona State (Sat Nov 14, time TBA) and Senior Knight vs. Iowa State (Fri Nov 20, 6 PM). At Camping World Stadium: FAMU vs. Bethune-Cookman in the Florida Classic (Nov 21, 3:30 PM), the Pop-Tarts Bowl, ACC vs. Big 12 (Dec 29, 5:30 PM), and the Citrus Bowl, SEC vs. Big Ten (Jan 2, noon). Seating there is reduced this season during the stadium's renovation.

Bowl teams are picked Dec 6; single-game bowl tickets go on sale after that.

Orlando City & Orlando Pride: final regular-season home matches

📅 City: Sat Oct 24, 7:30 PM · Pride: Sun Oct 25, 3 PM · City: Sat Nov 7, 4 PM

Pro soccer downtown at Inter&Co Stadium. Orlando City hosts New York City FC on Military Appreciation Night (Oct 24), and the Pride play their last home match of the NWSL regular season vs. Gotham FC the next afternoon (Oct 25). City closes its regular-season home schedule with Fan Appreciation Night vs. New England Revolution on Nov 7, with giveaways and prizes. The Pride were eliminated from playoff contention on Oct 18, so Sunday's match is their last home game of the season.

Concerts at Kia Center: Teddy Swims, sombr, Olivia Rodrigo & more

📅 Oct 22, 25, 29, 31; Nov 15 & 16, 2026

Teddy Swims with Wyatt Flores and MarcLo (Thu Oct 22, 7 PM); sombr with The Last Dinner Party and The Hellp (Sun Oct 25, 7 PM); Young Miko's Late Checkout Tour (Thu Oct 29, 8 PM); Chayanne's Bailemos Otra Vez Tour (Sat Oct 31, 8 PM); and Olivia Rodrigo's Unraveled Tour with Devon Again (Sun Nov 15 & Mon Nov 16, 7 PM).

Kia Center lists Teddy Swims on Oct 22, though the show blurb on that page says Oct 25; check your ticket.

Festival weekends: EDC Orlando & Vans Warped Tour

📅 EDC Nov 6–8 · Warped Tour Nov 14–15, 2026

Electric Daisy Carnival brings three days of electronic music to the Camping World Stadium grounds (the poster lists Tinker Field), starting at 1 PM each day, with stage productions, full-size carnival rides and glowing art installations. The next weekend, the Vans Warped Tour, the long-running punk, alternative, metal and emo festival, returns to the stadium for two days.

Warped Tour times are still TBA on the stadium's page.