Holiday Celebrations at Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

The three on-site hotels at Universal Orlando Resort will offer guests and local residents a chance to savor the season and celebrate the holiday spirit. Holiday buffets, special menus, wine and food events, appearances by Santa, a New Year’s Eve luau and brand new Holiday in the Harbor festivities will highlight this holiday season.

Holiday in the Harbor at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

All-new Holiday in the Harbor festivities at the Italian-themed Loews Portofino Bay Hotel will feature dining packages in Trattoria del Porto and Mama Della’s Ristorante that include a horse and carriage ride around the hotel’s picturesque harbor and a professional family portrait printed on a tile by Family Art Photography. Dinner package guests can also enjoy all the other complimentary festivities on the harbor including the nightly grand illumination of the Portofino Christmas tree, holiday carolers, acrobatic elves, storytelling by the tree and a children’s activity area in Babbo Natale’s Sweet Shop, where kids can write letters to the Santa Claus.

Holiday in the Harbor dinner packages, which include carriage rides and family portraits are offered on the evenings of December 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 23 and 24. For Holiday in the Harbor dining reservations, call 407-503-1200

Christmas Dining

Special holiday buffets will be offered on Christmas Day at Trattoria del Porto (view menu) at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and Islands Dining Room (view menu) at Loews Royal Pacific Resort, featuring an array of culinary delights, entertainment, children’s activities and more. The Kitchen (view menu) at Hard Rock Hotel will feature special prix fixe menus on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, in addition to their a la carte menu of New American cuisine. For Christmas dining reservations, call 407-503-DINE (3463)

New Year's Eve Special Events and Dining

Live From Loews . . . New Year's Eve Party on the Piazza

A brand new event will fill the Harbor Piazza at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel to ring in 2012. Live from Loews New Year’s Eve Party on the Piazza is a ticketed event, featuring gourmet food, wine and champagne, live jazz by Johnny Cool and the Mobster Swing Band, dancing and a midnight celebration, all in a special reserved seating area on the hotel’s picturesque outdoor Harbor Piazza. Tickets are available on-line at loewshotels.tix.com.

New Year's Eve Wantilan Luau

Loews Royal Pacific Resort rings in 2012 with a special New Year’s Eve version of the Wantilan Luau, with seating at 6:00 pm. This family-friendly event features a traditional Polynesian luau, hula dancers, fire knife dancer and New Year’s party favors. Reservations can be made on-line through OpenTable for the Wantilan Luau.

Buffets and Celebrations

All three on-site hotels will also offer New Year’s Eve buffets. Hard Rock Hotel will offer a holiday buffet in The Kitchen restaurant , followed by a lobby party from 8:00 pm – 1:00 am, with a DJ, balloon drop, confetti cannons and champagne toast.

Islands Dining Room at Loews Royal Pacific Resort features an Around-the-World buffet, with American, Italian, French and Asian cuisine from 5:00 – 11:00 pm , with face painters, balloon artists, hula dancers and islands music.

Trattoria del Porto at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel will serve a New Year’s Eve champagne buffet from 5:30 – 11:00 pm, featuring an array of Italian and American specialties (view menu), plus strolling musicians, a children’s holiday craft table, Universal Orlando characters, face painter and balloon artist.

For reservations, call 407-503-DINE (3463) or book your reservation on-line through OpenTable for The Kitchen, Islands Dining Room or Trattoria del Porto.

For more information, visit universalorlando.com/hotelevents.

Christmas at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

Harvest Bistro
• On Christmas Day, enjoy their popular Christmas Dinner Buffet at Harvest Bistro, from 5pm - 10pm. This Christmas feast includes traditional holiday entrees, served up by our team of talented chefs. A delightful dessert buffet will ensure nobody leaves hungry! Prices $29 for adults. Children under 12 eat free (up to two complimentary child meals per full-price adult meal).
• Enjoy Dinner with Santa at Harvest Bistro, Dec. 22, 23 and 24. Santa will make appearances from 6-9pm, in front of Harvest Bistro. Don’t forget your camera and Christmas list!
• Enjoy the Christmas Eve Holiday Buffet at Harvest Bistro, from 6-10pm on Dec. 24. Prices $24.99 for adults. Children under 12 eat free (up to two complimentary child meals per full-price adult meal).

La Luce by Donna Scala
• Enjoy family recipes at La Luce, featuring recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. Enjoy their special ala carte holiday features from Donna Scala.

Christmas at Waldorf Astoria Orlando

Peacock Alley
• It’s a chocolate-covered holiday season at Waldorf Astoria Orlando, which will feature Bar du Chocolat, an exotic display of chocolate treats from around the world, every Friday and Saturday Evening, November 25 through December 31. Bar du Chocolat is an evening opportunity to experience nearly 30 ala carte chocolate treats from Waldorf Astoria’s dynamic display of decadence. Peacock Alley is transformed into a chocolate boudoir, offering an evening of self indulgence. Guests can choose from a signature selection of chocolate treats from the hotel’s talented executive pastry chef Kurtis Baguley, featuring time-honored recipes from around the globe. Highlights include handmade chocolate truffles, exotic chocolate cakes, rich Hanukkah gelt, gourmet cocoa, pillows of chocolate mousse and bowls of beautiful bon-bons. [priced per piece]

Bull & Bear Steakhouse

• On Christmas Eve, Bull & Bear Steakhouse opens an hour early (at 5pm), featuring an a la carte menu. Reservations recommended: 407-597-5500.
• Enjoy a four-course holiday meal, served on Christmas Day from 6-10pm. This dining experience includes a choice of entrees, including a holiday goose carved tableside, along with special selections created by Chef David Sears. The standard Bull & Bear ala carte menu will be available. Prices: $95 per person (and $50 for children under 12), or $125 with wine pairings. Prices exclude tax and gratuity. Reservations recommended: 407-597-5500.
Oscar’s

• On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Oscar’s will feature a holiday family dinner buffet from 6-10pm. This special feast will include classic holiday fare, new Waldorf Astoria traditions, and a special dessert finale. Holiday dinner buffet is $42 person, excluding tax and gratuity. Children under 12 are $22 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Reservations: 407-597-5500.

Christmas in Orlando

It’s the month before Christmas and throughout Mickey’s house, the trees are all glowing, bringing smiles to The Mouse. Choirs are singing, bakers taking great care, sounds and smells of the season are filling the air…

At Walt Disney World Resort in 2011, it begins to look a lot like Christmas as early as Nov. 8. Santa’s elves bedazzle every corner of the Vacation Kingdom for a seasonal spectacle filled with heartwarming stage productions, enchanting parades, garlands and wreaths, millions of sparkling lights and even the first flakes of winter.

And with a ho, ho, whole lot of cheer being spread over more than a month, guests have more choice as to when they join in the magical, one-of-a-kind celebration.

Plan your Christmas Orlandoescape today so you do not miss all the Christmas magic in Orlando Florida

Thanksgiving and Christmas Day Brunch Buffets

Rosen Shingle Creek invites both locals and visitors to step out of their kitchens and into the hotel's beautiful Café Osceola to enjoy sumptuous holiday brunch buffets on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Here, guests' only job will be to fill their plates with an incredible smorgasbord prepared by the award-winning chefs at Rosen Shingle Creek. The menu will include traditional meats such as roasted turkey and pork tenderloin, delicious seasonal side dishes featuring flavors of cranberry and pumpkin, as well as non-traditional fare such as seafood, sushi and a pasta station. The finale includes an extravaganza of desserts including a chocolate fountain, pies, pastries, muffins and breads from world-renowned Executive Pastry Chef, David Ramirez, and his team.

The all-you-care-to-eat buffet will be offered 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Tickets are $55.95 for adults, plus tax and gratuity; $24.95 for children ages 4-12, plus tax and gratuity.* Florida residents enjoy 25 percent off holiday buffets. For reservations, call 407-996-3663.

Sugar Plum Afternoon Tea
Storybook fantasies come to life at Rosen Shingle Creek's Sugar Plum Afternoon Tea, held Sunday, Dec. 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the hotel's main lobby. "Visions of sugar plums" won't just be dancing in their heads, but right in front of their eyes, as guests of all ages enjoy a special afternoon visit with the Sugar Plum Fairy. The stunning costumed character will pose for photos, sign autographs and mingle with guests from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. as they enjoy a traditional English-style tea service with a deluxe assortment of sandwiches, imported teas, lemonade and fabulous desserts. Each child will receive a complimentary tea hat, and each guest will receive a complimentary photo and novelty holiday frame by which to remember this special day. A wonderful holiday tradition to begin with grandmothers, moms, daughters, sisters, or girlfriends, the Sugar Plum Afternoon Tea costs $15 per person plus tax for guests age 4 and older. Children under 4 are free. To purchase tickets, call 407-996-9770. Reservations are suggested.

Holiday Chocolate Making Workshop
Chocolate lovers young and young-at-heart will enjoy an afternoon creating holiday treats featuring their favorite sweet with "Orlando's Willy Wonka" Executive Pastry Chef David Ramirez. On Sat., Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m., Chef David and his team will show guests how to bring Sugar Plum Fairies and other cherished holiday icons to life in the form of chocolate. Guests will enjoy sampling treats, as well as creating their own chocolate-themed gifts they can bring home after the workshop. The event is open to the entire family and is $15 per person plus tax for all ages. To purchase tickets and for more details, call 407-996-9770. Reservations are suggested.

Free Enchanted Evening Events
The following evening events provide plenty of ways to capture the spirit of the season at Rosen Shingle Creek. These events are free of charge and open to all who would like to share in the spirit of the season:

Holiday Chorus: Nothing creates a festive mood like the sound of Christmas carols, and Rosen Shingle Creek will come alive with holiday music each Thursday evening, Dec. 1, 8 and 15 at 6 p.m., as local school and church choirs perform classic selections by the fireside in the hotel lobby.

"The Nutcracker:" Each Friday evening, Dec. 2, 9 and 16, beginning at 6:30 p.m., "The Nutcracker" comes to life at Rosen Shingle Creek as excerpts from the beloved holiday ballet are performed in front of the hotel's grand fireplace by members of the Elizabeth Parsons School of Dance, Windermere Ballet and Community Dance Theatre.

Visits from Santa Claus: While the elves are busy at work at the North Pole, Santa Claus will be dropping in to enjoy some R&R at Rosen Shingle Creek. Santa will take photos with hotel guests and visitors on Friday, Dec. 2, 9 and 16; and Saturday Dec. 3, 10 and 17, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the hotel lobby.

A Dancing and Singing Holiday Special: Spreading holiday cheer, the S.O.D.A. P.O.P.s, presented by Miriam and Valerie's School of Dance Arts, will provide contemporary holiday dance entertainment on Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 and 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the hotel lobby.

Holiday Photographs: Each Friday and Saturday night, from Dec. 2 to 17, in the hotel lobby, photographer Dan Higgins will offer guests affordable holiday photo packages.

Guests who dine at Rosen Shingle Creek on the evenings of the Friday and Saturday night performances may purchase two entrees and get one free at Café Osceola. This offer is valid through Dec. 17 and cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions.

Special discounted room rates will be offered both Friday and Saturday nights (depending on availability).* While staying at the hotel, guests are also invited to begin their holiday shopping, with opportunities to purchase gift cards for overnight stays as well as Rosen Shingle Creek's award-winning restaurants, world-class spa and championships golf course.

The 1,500-room Rosen Shingle Creek is conveniently located at 9939 Universal Blvd., just off the International Drive tourist district and ten minutes from the Orlando International Airport.