Orlando’s Halloween Bonanza!

Are you ready to celebrate spooky season at the Halloween Holiday Capital of the World? Then welcome to Orlando for the next few months!

According to tourist organisation Visit Orlando, this year’s Halloween “season” is the longest ever at a record 93 days and features both the family-friendly variety and the full-throated shock-horror extravaganza. Highlights include the nation’s largest horror convention, extended theme park Halloween events, haunted botanical gardens, kid-friendly trick-or-treat trails, a new drone show and adults-only horror-themed performing arts shows.

In the words of Visit Orlando president and CELO Cassandra Matej, “Orlando lives up to our reputation as the Halloween Vacation Capital by conjuring up more than three months of Halloween celebrations for all ages. Starting as early as August, visitors can plan for a full season of events for everyone in the family.”

If that’s the big picture overview, there is a dazzling array of individual events and details that are well worth adding to your holiday experience until November 3, with the added bonus of seeing terrific home decorations in our residential neighbourhoods (and we definitely recommend a drive around the town of Celebration from September onwards).

Spooky Orlando theme park events

Here are all the headline events for Disney and Co, one of which has already started and which continue from August to early November:

• Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World (select nights Aug 9-Oct 31) returns to the Magic Kingdom with spooky entertainment, including the hilarious “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular!” show in front of Cinderella Castle, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks show, Disney Junior Jam for young partygoers, the Trick-or-Treat Trail and the unmissable Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade.

• Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida (select nights Aug 30-Nov. 3) returns for a record 48 nights of their 10 terrifying, movie-quality haunted houses – including ones inspired by films A Quiet Place and Insidious – five sinister scare zones, outrageous live entertainment and some of the park’s most exhilarating attractions.

• At SeaWorld, guests can experience THREE themed events: Little ones can dress up in their favourite costumes and meet colourful Halloween characters at the SeaWorld Spooktacular (weekends, Aug 31-Nov 3), a family-friendly daytime event included with regular admission. Children can enjoy a Sesame Street Halloween Parade, Scarecrow Halloween Dance Party and other themed activities. Then there is Howl-O-Scream (select nights Sept 6-Nov 2), which returns for 26 nights of immersive fear, with new fright-inducing haunted houses and scare zones, thrilling night-time coaster rides, interactive themed bars and0 electrifying live shows. New this year is Howl-O-Sprint (Sept 13), a unique nighttime 5K run at midnight on Friday the 13th. Participants navigate a spine-chilling course with eerie landscapes, haunted roller coasters and relentless characters, culminating in a post-race celebration with treats and live entertainment until 2am.

• LEGOLAND Florida Resort joins in with Brick or Treat Presents Monster Party (weekends, Sept 14-Oct 27), a signature Halloween event included with park admission. It features a trick-or-treat trail, live entertainment, LEGO characters and a cinematic experience. Guests will also be able to experience the brand-new Monster Skytacular drone aerial show, illuminating the sky over Lake Eloise exclusively on Brick-or-Treat nights.

Scares beyond the Orlando theme parks

These can be broken down into the genuine family-friendly frights and the more intense experiences recommended primarily for grown-ups:

• Pirates Dinner Adventure will offer “Vampirates: When the Blood Moon Rises” (Sept 19-Oct 31), a Halloween-themed variation on their dinner show that is suitable for all ages. It will feature aerial artistry, swordplay, eye-popping stunts and dynamic duels.

• Screamin’ Green Hauntoween is at the child-friendly Crayola Experience (Sept 23-Oct 31) at the Florida Mall and includes a themed scavenger hunt, spook-tastic crafts, character photo ops, weekend trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating and slime making(!).

• Happy Frights at the wonderful Harry P. Leu Gardens in downtown Orlando (select dates Sept 27-Oct 31) feature a trick-or-treat journey through 12 themed worlds, with fun surprises including a mysterious swamp, a Crazy Carnival, a Mad Hatter maze, hip-hop dancing aliens, giant deadly plants, live music at a Dia de Muertos celebration and more.

• Spooky Empire (Oct 11-13) is one of the largest horror conventions in the country and returns for a weekend-long event. Halloween and rock n’ roll fans of all ages can meet TV stars, buy collectibles from more than 200 vendors, see new films and old favourites, join large Zombie Walks and get tattooed by top artists.

• Gatorland’s Gators, Ghosts and Goblins annual daytime Halloween event (weekends, Oct 12-27) makes good use of the park’s rural layout and features a haunted zone and exhibit, interactive characters, animal meet-and-greets, candy giveaways and a children’s Halloween costume parade.

• Lake Nona Town Center will host the Lake Nona Graveyard Smash (Oct 26), where mortals will be able to party with ghosts and ghouls, participate in trick-or-treat stations, experience live music and take a journey through inflatable courses. It is free and open to the general public.

• For those looking for themed theatrical entertainment, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts presents Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical (Oct 31-Nov. 3), a hilarious “upside down” take on the hit Netflix series in all its campy 1980s glory, featuring the whole Hawkins gang for a night of adventure, thrills, pubescent angst, cheap effects, dancing monsters and more. The Center will also present a 49th anniversary performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show featuring Barry Bostwick (Oct 4). Guests can enjoy an original screening of the 1975 film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with a live shadow cast, audience participation and costume contest!

Thrilling Experiences and Adults-Only Entertainment in Orlando

• A Petrified Forest in Altamonte Springs (just north of downtown Orlando; select nights Oct 4-Nov 2) offers three horrifying trails with uniquely themed rooms and frightful scares around every turn, set in a genuinely spooky two-acre forest. This annual Halloween event now features food concessions, local art vendors, laser tag, backstage tours and more.

• Renaissance Theatre Company in downtown Orlando presents “Nosferatu” (select dates Sept 13-Nov 10), a 90-minute horror experience led by a cast of 32 vampires into hidden corners of the building. Later in the evening, with separate admission, guests can attend an exclusive Vampire Nightclub featuring dancers, music, speciality cocktails and drag performances.

• Haunting Nights at Harry P. Leu Gardens (Sept 27-Oct 31) serves as the teenage/adult-focused counterpart to Happy Frights, with jump scares and themed characters (but no blood and cinematic gore). Guests can also enjoy hip-hop dancing aliens and festive foods for a more chill vibe.

• Scream n’ Stream Drive-Thru Halloween Experience (weekends from Oct 6-29) is a clever haunted Halloween drive-through event in a dedicated space outside the Florida Mall, which returns for its third year featuring seven horrifying zones complete with monsters, music, lighting and special effects.

• The Orlando Zombie/Halloween Crawls (Oct 25, 26, 31) in downtown Orlando feature inventive drink specials and a Halloween contest at more than 10 bars and nightclubs, with all-day and all-night access tickets available.

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