Orlando’s Secret to Fall

Customers line up for Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival

Central Florida might not have colorful falling leaves during the autumn months, but there are plenty of ways to celebrate fall in Orlando. Fall temperatures can be summerlike during the day, and comfortably cooler during the evening, without the afternoon thunderstorms of Orlando’s summer season. If the weather is hot enough, enjoy one of Orlando’s four water parks without any lines for the water slides.

Just like in other regions of the United States, Orlando residents prepare for Halloween with seasonal decorations and the occasional visit to the pumpkin patch.  Of course, since pumpkins aren’t grown and harvested in Florida, these popular gourds are  shipped down to the Sunshine State from Up North and put on display at local  pumpkin patches sponsored by churches and other civic groups.

Of course, Orlando’s real secret to fall is the smaller crowd size at the area theme parks, which makes it easier for locals and visitors to enjoy annual festivals at Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld. From the stroller crowd to teens to mature adults, there is something for everyone at Orlando theme parks during the fall.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular is ideal for young children who want to combine trick or treating with a daytime visit to a theme park. There is no extra cost for the Spooktcular; just the expense of a theme park ticket or use your Florida Resident season pass. Parents frequently dress up their tots for this event, but keep in mind that Florida can still be quite
hot in October in the middle of the day, so leave that furry costume back in the hotel room.

If your kids can stay up a little later and you don’t mind paying a little extra for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween, guests can enjoy Magic Kingdom after hours for plenty of special treats without scare treatment. And if you visit Magic Kingdom during the month of October, don’t forget to ride through the Haunted Mansion during your visit, just to get into the spirit of the season.

If your kids have moved beyond trick or treating–or have already moved out of the house–enjoy some grown up fun at Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival, which features unique food and wine pairings as well as the Eat to the Beat concert series at the World Showcase. This year, Epcot has even added a cranberry bog to complete the autumn harvest atmosphere.

And if a frightening atmosphere is what you are craving, Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights will certainly deliver. Like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween, this is an after-hours extra ticket event, but this is one event where the little ones should stay at home–unless they would enjoy being chased around by zombies and other ghouls. Halloween Horror Nights changes its theme every year, and every year the park tries to up the ante with more
thrills and chills.

For anyone searching for Orlando’s secret to fall, these annual events are enough keep visitors coming back for more. Add to that the pleasant temperatures and the smaller theme park crowds, and your will agree that fall is an ideal time to visit Orlando.