Thanksgiving in Orlando 2026: Things to Do, Holiday Events and Dinner Tips

Thanksgiving in Orlando is a strange, great week.

The weather is finally cool enough to enjoy being outside, the theme parks flip from Halloween to Christmas, and a lot of the city's biggest holiday events open right around the holiday. If you're visiting, or you live here and have family in town, there is a lot more to do than eat and watch football.

Thanksgiving Day 2026 is Thursday, November 26. Here's what's actually happening that week, with 2026 dates from each event's announcement. Confirm on the official sites before you buy anything; dates and prices do change.

Christmas is already open at the theme parks

By Thanksgiving week, every major park is in holiday mode.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (Magic Kingdom)

The 2026 party runs on 25 select nights from November 8 through December 22, from 7 PM to midnight. Party guests can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4 PM.

Thanksgiving Day itself is not a party night. The nearest ones are November 24, 25, 27 and 29. Tickets are $189 to $229 plus tax depending on the night, and last year's party tickets sold out by mid-November, so buy early if you want one.

Disney Jollywood Nights (Hollywood Studios)

Jollywood Nights is the more grown-up Disney holiday party: music, shows and an old Hollywood feel. In 2026 it runs 15 nights from November 7 into January for the first time. Thanksgiving week options are November 21, 23 and 28. Tickets are $169 to $199 plus tax, and the party runs 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM.

EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays

The festival opens the day after Thanksgiving, November 27, and runs through December 30. Holiday food booths around World Showcase and the Candlelight Processional are the big draws. It's included with EPCOT admission.

Holidays at Universal Orlando

Universal's season starts earlier this year: November 14, 2026 through January 3, 2027. That covers Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure, Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's, and Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's included with park admission.

SeaWorld Christmas Celebration

SeaWorld runs its Christmas Celebration on select dates from early November into early January, included with park admission. SeaWorld's own pages listed slightly different start dates when I checked, so look at the park calendar for the exact day you want.

ICE! at Gaylord Palms

If you've never been, ICE! is the one indoor holiday event I'd send almost anyone to. It's a 20,000-square-foot walk through scenes carved from about 2 million pounds of ice, kept well below freezing, with two-story ice slides. Bring a warm layer; you'll be glad you did.

The 2026 theme is The Polar Express, the first time it's been back since 2019. It runs November 13, 2026 through January 3, 2027 at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee. Tickets are timed, and holiday week times go fast.

Things to do that aren't a theme park

Thanksgiving week crowds at the parks are real. If you want a day off from lines, these are the ones I'd look at.

Airboat ride through the Everglades headwaters

Late November is one of the best times of year to be out on the water in Central Florida. It's cooler, the bugs calm down and the light is better for photos.

Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures in Kissimmee runs half-hour and one-hour tours during the day, plus sunset and night tours. Tours normally run 9 AM to 5 PM, seven days a week. Holiday hours can differ, so check the times when you book for Thanksgiving Day itself.

Bottle-feed baby highland cows

This one is new. Boggy Creek's Mini Moo Land has a herd of highland cows you can pet, hand-feed and cuddle, and as of this fall it has baby highland calves you can bottle-feed at 10 AM, 1 PM and 4 PM. General admission starts at $29.99; the VIP bottle feeding is $65 and includes admission. Each feeding has limited spots, so book holiday week ahead.

It's a good fit for Thanksgiving because it works for every age in the group. Grandparents, toddlers and the teenager who didn't want to come all end up holding the bottle.

See manatees at Blue Spring State Park

Manatee season at Blue Spring in Orange City (about 45 minutes north of Orlando) officially starts November 15. Swimming in the spring run closes for the season, and the manatees move in from the St. Johns River to stay warm. The cooler the morning, the more manatees you're likely to see from the boardwalk. Parking fills early on holiday weekends.

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

An hour on the Winter Park chain of lakes, past old estates and through narrow canals, leaving every hour from the dock at the end of Morse Boulevard. It's an easy, low-key afternoon, and Park Avenue is right there for a walk and lunch afterward.

Thanksgiving dinner in Orlando

If nobody wants to cook, Orlando has a lot of options, but they book up.

• Theme park and resort restaurants usually add a Thanksgiving menu or buffet. Disney dining reservations open 60 days ahead, so for Thanksgiving that's late September. If you missed it, check daily for cancellations.
• Hotel buffets and brunches at the big resorts on International Drive and around Lake Buena Vista are the most reliable walk-in-friendly options, but still reserve.
• Restaurants on Thanksgiving Day often run a set menu and limited hours. Call ahead instead of trusting the hours on Google that day.

Tips for Thanksgiving week in Orlando

• Expect the parks to be busy from the weekend before Thanksgiving through the Sunday after. Get there at opening.
• Black Friday traffic around the outlets on International Drive and Vineland Avenue is heavy all day. Plan around it.
• Book the timed and limited things first: party tickets, ICE! time slots, dinner reservations and small-group experiences like the calf feedings.
• Pack layers. Late November mornings can be in the 50s and afternoons in the 80s.

Whatever you pick, you'll have more fun if you leave one day unplanned. Orlando in late November is one of the nicest times of the year to just be outside.