Things to do at SeaWorld Orlando's Christmas Celebration 2021

Holly Jolly Santa — there's a whole lot of Christmas going on over at SeaWorld this year! I thought I'd put together a separate post here for all the non-food things that are happening at this year's Christmas Celebration event. If you would like to see all of the food and beverage offerings, I've posted a separate article called "Menu Items for the 2021 Christmas Celebration".

There is an event calendar link on our main page for the festival (click here)... while most event days are Friday, Saturday and Sunday — there's also three full week-days in the mix as well. The calendar was updated about a week before the event starts, but schedules can change quickly at SeaWorld. I'll try and keep it updated as much as possible, but here's a direct link to pop open the official SeaWorld calendar — which is going to contain the most up-to-date, published info.

Sounds of the Season Performance Series

For starters, there's a brand new "Performance Series" that's going to take place at the indoor Nautilus Theater stage on Christmas Celebration event days. There's not much info about what this is going to look like yet, who is performing, or what times the performances will be. Please check back here, because I'm as curious as you are about this one! The new "Sounds of the Season Performance Series" got it's own main menu item on the SeaWorld official site — so fingers crossed, this could be very cool.

Sesame Street Christmas Parade

It's back!!! The Sesame Street Christmas Parade takes place a couple of times on each of the festival days, usually in the late afternoon and early evening hours. The 6:00pm(ish) parade takes place near dusk — which makes the holiday lights that are up here and there look even more magical. The parade features Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Bert, Ernie, and more — singing and dancing on festively decorated floats. (Please be sure to check the official SeaWorld calendar page for the most up-to-date parade times.)

Happy Holidays from Sesame Street Land

While we're talking about Sesame Street Land — the whole area gets a little holiday overlay, with special lights and decorations this time of year. Most of the characters that you meet in Sesame Street Land will have a little costuming nod to the holidays and (the ones that can talk) will talk a little more about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa celebrations.

Elmo’s Christmas Wish

Over near Voyager's Smokehouse, there's an indoor theater (called the "Seaport Theater") where Cookie Monster, Rosita, Grover, and Zoe help Elmo find his Christmas wish! This is one of the more frequently occurring holiday shows at SeaWorld this year (averaging in around five performances each day).

Winter Wonderland On Ice

This is the big-time ice skating show at SeaWorld and it is only performed one or two times on each of the event nights. It really is a great production with some very talented skaters visiting (and working through the holidays) from various parts of the world. It takes place in the large, outdoor and partially covered Bayside Stadium (which seats many, many guests).

Public Ice Skating at Bayside Stadium

While we're talking about ice skating… you can actually skate on the same ice as the pro skaters do for the show! Starting around 10 or 11am (please check the official SeaWorld schedule) and running up until a couple of hours before the "Winter Wonderland On Ice" show starts — you can rent some skates for $15 per person, and try out the ice!

Couple of more details here… no, you can't bring your own skates. Security doesn't take too kindly to guests showing up with metal blades of any kind at the front gate, so you do have to rent skates for $15 — this also covers the admission or "access" to the ice rink. You'll need to be wearing crew length socks and gloves (which you can bring from home), but gloves and socks are also available to purchase. This is a limited capacity experience (that's a good thing), and it's available on a first come, first serve basis.

Rudolph's Movie Experience

Over at the Seafire Grill (past the ordering line and more toward the back side of the restaurant, you'll find a larger dining area) they will be showing a Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer movie on a rotating loop basis — so it's a 10 minute Rudolph movie that plays once every 30 minutes. It's a great way to see Rudolph, while you eat! The Flamecraft Bar is also like, 40 feet away… I'm just saying.

Meet Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Oh they've got the good Rudolph here at SeaWorld — totally cute Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in his own, immersive Rudolph’s Christmas Town! You can walk around life-size story book vignettes featuring the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story, and then meet the characters from the story — including Rudolph and Bumble! This experience has always been very popular — and now, it's also a "limited capacity experience" to promote physical distancing. Plan accordingly.

As it so happens, there's a "Priority Access Meet-and-Greet" package for $30 (for a single group of 1-5 people, plus tax, for all guests 3+). So what that means is — if you're a family of three people, you only have to buy one "Priority Access Package". If you're a single person, you have to buy one "Priority Access Package". If you're a family of five people, you only have to buy one "Priority Access Package". But if there's 6-10 people in your group, you'll have to purchase two "Priority Access Packages". Whew.

Anyhow, the "Priority Access Meet-and-Greet" package gets you a much shorter line to meet Rudolph and Friends, and Santa Claus — along with two 6x8 photos (one from the Rudolph and Friends location and one from the Santa Claus location). Tickets are only valid on the specific dates that they are purchased for, and that purchase can be made in advance directly on the SeaWorld web site.

Meet Santa Claus

Did someone say Santa?!?! In addition to that famous Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the big guy himself is available to meet and greet with guests. This experience takes place over near the Wild Arctic area so it might even feel a little like you're going to the North Pole! Santa meet and greets generally start a little earlier in the day than the meet and greets with Rudolph, be sure to check SeaWorld's official calendar page for the most up-to-date information (click here).

There is a "Priority Access Meet-and-Greet" package available for $30, that includes a photo with Santa and a second photo with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Friends. I covered all of those details in the "Meet Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" paragraph just above this one — and/or tickets can be purchased for the "Priority Access package" directly on the SeaWorld site.

Snow Flurries

There's even snow flurries! Down by the "Shoppes at Waterfront", every so often, it starts to snow (well, it's not "real" snow but still, pretty cool, right?) The Shoppes at Waterfront area is more or less the walkway that wraps around the giant Sky Tower… between Voyager's Smokehouse and the new Lakeside Grill.

Sea of Trees

Any place you walk where you can see SeaWorld’s main lagoon, you'll notice the Sea of Trees! Once the sun goes down, the Christmas trees that are in the lagoon glisten and sparkle to various classic holiday songs. This takes place three or four times on each of the event nights, and there's really not a bad location to enjoy the show. If you can see the lagoon and some of the trees, you're good! There is also, a "centerpiece tree" that's nearly 70 feet tall, which is kind of cool to have in sight when the show starts. One of my favorite locations to stand is the bridge area that crosses over the lagoon. You can look all around and see trees, which kind of makes you feel like you're in the show!

Holiday Reflections: Fireworks and Fountains Finale

Oh yeah, there's fireworks too! There's soaring fountains, dazzling lights, and festive fireworks — all choreographed to upbeat holiday musical favorites! Here again, just about any place you can see the lagoon, is a good place to watch the Fireworks and Fountains Finale — you'll just want to make sure you have a good view of the sky as well, because, you know… fireworks go up a pretty good way in the sky. Usually, the Fireworks and Fountains Finale takes place on Christmas Celebration event nights — right at park-close — which is either 9pm or 10pm. Check with the official SeaWorld calendar for the most up to date time info for the day of your visit.

Sesame Street Christmas Breakfast

I know, I know… I said I wasn't going to talk about food — but there's a special holiday breakfast… and Elmo is there! It's the Sesame Street Christmas Breakfast, and it takes place on very select days during the Christmas Celebration. Specifically, from December 17th, 2021 through January 2nd, 2022. There's opportunities to dance, sing, and mingle with various holiday-clad characters from Sesame Street. This is an extra-cost activity that's around $33 for adults (plus tax) and $17 (plus tax) for children ages 3-9. Food-wise, there's a chef-carved sugar glazed ham served with bacon and turkey sausage links — along with buffet style breakfast standards, like biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, Western omelettes, French toast sticks, potato tots, fresh baked pastries, and more.

Dinner with Santa

Naturally, there's a dinner party with the big guy himself — Santa and a couple of elves present an all you care to eat dinner menu, at this limited time experience. Each person at the dinner with have an opportunity to meet with Santa and of course, enjoy all this sumptuous holiday meal has to offer. Items include a Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Corn Tortillas, Traditional Sage Rubbed Turkey with Pan Gravy, Slow Roasted Rosemary Infused Prime Rib, and a whole sleigh of sides like Mac and Cheese, Bacon & Maple Brussels Sprouts, Green Bean Casserole and Herbed Butter Roasted Red Potatoes. Desserts feature a Pecan Crusted Sweet Potato Flan along with various other fresh baked holiday desserts. This is an extra-cost activity that's around $39 for adults (plus tax) and $14 (plus tax) for children ages 3-9 — and it only takes place on select Christmas Celebration event days from November 26th, 2021 through December 31st, 2021. Check with the official SeaWorld calendar for the most up to date time info for the day of your visit.

Special Holiday Offerings : Hanukkah Celebration

November 28 - December 6
SeaWorld also celebrates the festival of lights with a special lighting of the menorah in Sesame Street Land, which takes place in addition to all the other daily event offerings, but only on the dates listed above.

Special Holiday Offerings : Kwanzaa Festivities

December 26 - January 1
SeaWorld celebrates Kwanzaa with a special lighting of the kinara in Sesame Street Land, where guests can enjoy a joyous time of reflection and celebration of African heritage. The special Kwanzaa Festivities take place in addition to all the other daily event offerings, but only on the dates listed above.

Special Holiday Offerings : Three Kings Celebration

January 6, 2022
There's an additional one day event on January 6th, 2022 called the "Three Kings Celebration", to help honor the cherished tradition of Latin cultures. Families are invited to help commemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men including a "Tale of the Three Kings" live nativity scene depicting the arrival of the Three Kings (which takes place several time on January 6th), some live musical street acts playing Latin holiday favorites, some special Latin-inspired food and beverage (including Papas Rellenas, Arepas and Bacalaitos) — and … Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is back for a one day only special appearance in ChristmasTown! The Sea of Trees shows will also be performed several times that evening, up until around park close.

Sooooooo Many Holiday Things to Do

I didn't even talk about any of the special food or beverage kiosks! There are almost as many special holiday food and drink items to sample as there are during the Craft Beer Festival.

I just published a text-based menu for the 2021 Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld (click here), along with a map that shows where the savory booths are and where the sweet booths are located.

Also back this year is the Holiday Sampler Lanyard that really does reduce the cost of the food and beverage samples. During the Craft Beer Festival, food items were averaging around $9 if purchased out of pocket… but with the 12 sample lanyards that were offered for that festival (which cost just over $65), anything you got with the sample lanyard ended up being just $5.80 — very nearly 50% less than if purchased out of pocket!

We won't know how much this year's Christmas Celebration Sampler Lanyards will save, because prices for each item are not published until the first day of the festival. We do know that there's a 5 Sampler Lanyard for $35 (which ends up being $37.28 with tax included) and a 10 Sampler Lanyard for $50 (which ends up being $53.25 with tax included). Also available this year is a special Annual Passholder 12 Sampler Lanyard for $50 (which ends up being $53.25 with tax included) — that basically gives Annual Passholders an additional 2 samples for the price of 10.

Because there's soooooo much holiday cheer to enjoy at SeaWorld this year, it's good to note that Sampler Lanyards don't have to be used up all on one day. They just have to be used during the festival (on select days from Nov 12, 2021 - Jan 2, 2022). So you could totally get two or three food and beverage samples each time you visited the festival!

The SeaWorld Christmas Celebration looks like it's going to be a good one for 2021! I'm already looking forward to sampling some of the new food items — and for the new "Sounds of the Season Performance Series". There's a little mystery surrounding this new offering because a performance schedule hasn't been released yet (and we're only a few days away from the start of the festival) — so it might end up being a very, very cool new addition to the Christmas Celebration line up!