Theme Park Rangers Radar: Holidays on horizon, ‘N Sync at Epcot, cashless SeaWorld

Hang on, the end of year flurry is about to hit with holiday festivities that don’t involve intentional frights. Our radar detects new Christmastime activities at Walt Disney World as well as old favorites across Central Florida.

We’ll also enter the way-back machine to visit ‘N Sync at Epcot and look at the new cashless policy at SeaWorld Orlando.

Radar is a weekly roundup of haunts and happenings from Orlando’s theme parks. It appears at OrlandoSentinel.com on Wednesdays .

Seasons change

Halloween is so two months ago in Orlando. Of course, the celebration continues, but pacing outside the gates of the theme parks are truckloads of holiday decor and celebrations for Christmas and more.

There will be familiar, downright traditional activities. But among the new offerings will be Disney Jollywood Nights, an after-hours, extra-ticket event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Here’s what we know so far, with events in the order they debut.

• Nov. 7: “Frozen Holiday Surprise,” a stage show that effectively lights up Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, debuts. This happens nightly during the holiday season.

• Nov. 9: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party launches, but the first two nights have sold out already. (Note: This happened a lot in 2022.) Included in the 25 event nights are seasonal fireworks, parade, stage show and a chance to join a virtual queue for Tron Lightcycle / Run. (Tickets for the event range from $159 to $199, depending on the date.)

• Nov. 10: SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas celebration begins with live shows such as “O Wondrous Night,” “Elmo’s Christmas Wish Show” and “Winter Wonderland on Ice.” There will be a parade in Sesame Street Land and an end-of-night fireworks show. Activities are on select days through Jan. 2 and included with regular SeaWorld admission.

• Nov. 11: The new Jollywood Nights will feature live stage shows – one with Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Moana, Tiana and Belle – and a swanky party atmosphere. Expect music and beverages. There will also be a singalong based on “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” so bone up on your “What’s This” lyrics now. It starts early enough for holiday-card photo ops, including one with nine cameras for a “boomerang-style” image. (Price: $159 to $179. Two of the 10 evenings have sold out.)

• Nov. 17: Universal Orlando rolls out its holiday offerings at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios parks. IOA will feature Grinchmas activities. The holiday parade featuring Macy’s will hit the streets of the Studios, plus there will be Mannheim Steamroller concerts on Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10. Both parks will have seasonal decor in their respective Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas. The festivities are included with regular park admission.

• Nov. 24: Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays begins Nov. 24. That includes Candlelight Processional, which will feature actress Chrissy Metz as the first narrator. The daily event also includes storytellers positioned around World Showcase, gospel songs, a holiday overlay at Living With the Land and a cookie stroll. The activities are included with regular Epcot admission. (“Luminous: The Story of Us” nighttime spectacular premieres Dec. 5.)

• Nov. 24: Legoland Florida’s holiday celebration, included with admission, includes a giant Lego tree, shows, treats, season character interactions and, eventually, Kids New Year’s Eve fireworks.

• Disney says its Merry Menagerie of life-size animal puppets is returning to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. A date has not been released.

Hi, hi, hi

The recent speculation of an ‘N Sync reunion, which was bolstered by a new single, a Taylor Swift-related appearance on the VMAs and a cupful of coyness, got me thinking about their longstanding presence at Epcot. The band is part of the Leave a Legacy program that put park visitors’ images onto monolithic slabs at the base of Spaceship Earth. It was part of Disney’s Millennium celebration.

Folks paid to do this, and their contributions stayed in place until 2019. Disney relocated and rearranged the images in 2021 so that they’re just outside the front gate. On a recent trip I double-checked on the guys, and sure enough on panel 7, are (top to bottom) Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass and JC Chasez, turn of the century style. They’re on the far left side as you approach the entrance, between a security building and restrooms,

There’s not a lot of traffic over there, and the images don’t have the worn-down appearance they had from fans touching their faces in the original spot. Disney abandoned the high contrast steely gray look for a multicolored representation, so ‘N Sync is now in the pink.

You can find the members – or anyone who participated – through a search on EpcotTileFinder.com. Insert name to receive the panel, row and column number. It’s a great shortcut since Disney says more than 550,000 visitors took part.

See ya, cash at SeaWorld

SeaWorld Orlando has shifted to a cashless existence. It’s not quite right to say your money’s no good there, but transactions are now exclusively done through credit cards, debit cards and smart devices with Apple Pay or Google Pay powers.

“Cashless, contactless transactions are faster, safer and more secure,” SeaWorld’s website says. It makes for a “more streamlined and worry-free experience.”

There’s a workaround for visitors only armed with the green stuff: Cask-to-card kiosks in the park transfer amounts to Visa prepaid debit cards. The park map currently shows five of them, including one outside the entrance.

There are rules. You can put up to $500 on a card, although no minimum amount is required. If you don’t spend the entire amount at SeaWorld, the card is valid anywhere Visa is accepted. No personal information is taken to get the card, and there’s no transaction fee.

Little red flag in the fine print: “If you use the card regularly, you will not incur any fees. Just keep in mind that after 92 consecutive days with no transactions, you will be charged $3.95 per month by the card issuer,” the site says.

SeaWorld’s Aquatica water park, Discovery Cove day resort, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park and the neighboring Adventure Island water park also have gone cashless. Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando continue to accept cash.

Weekend outlook

• Brother act Hanson has a four-day run in the Eat to the Beat concert series starting Friday. It’s part of the ongoing Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

• It’s Kids Night at the Museum, specifically Orlando Science Center, on Saturday. Folks between ages 5 and 12 have run of the place, a pizza dinner and other activities between 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

• Orange County Regional History Center hosts, along with neighboring Orlando Public Library, a Trick or Treat Safe Zone from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Activities include crafts, games, a dance floor, scavenger hunt, the “boo bubble station” and more. Admission to the downtown Orlando museum is free for the event.

• At Icon Park, costumed kids (age 12 and younger) get a free carousel ride from Thursday through Oct. 31.

• The Wheel at Icon Park features a light and fog show nightly through Oct. 31. Shows are at 8:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

• Museum of Illusions Orlando hosts Eerie Enchantments: A Haunting Halloween Soiree (cash bar, costume contest, Halloween-themed illusions) on Saturday

• Dezerland Action Park throws a Cosplay & Cars Trunk or Treat event Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dezerland’s Orlando Auto Museum is offering free admission to children in costume – when accompanied by a paying adult – through the end of October.

• Fun Spot locations in Kissimmee and Orlando offer trick or treating between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday plus Oct. 31.

• And finally the big Halloween events at attractions are rounding the bend. Legoland Florida’s Brick or Treat winds up this Saturday and Sunday. SeaWorld Orlando’s Howl-O-Scream runs nightly from Thursday through Oct. 31, and its daytime Spooktacular happens Friday through Oct. 31. Magic Kingdom’s remaining dates – on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Nov. 1 are sold out. Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights runs nightly through Nov. 4 with the exception of Oct. 30.

What’s on your radar? Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com.