CENTRAL FLORIDA

By Heather Turk

Halloween events sure to bewitch boys, ghouls and adults alike

Halloween isn’t just celebrated Oct. 31 anymore — especially in Central Florida. Several parks in the Orlando area go all-out for the spooktacular holiday, hosting frightfully fun events Halloween fans of all ages won’t want to miss.

One of the area’s most popular Halloween events is already in full swing at the Walt Disney World Resort. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party kicked off in Aug. at the Magic Kingdom Park and continues select dates through Nov. 1. The separately ticketed nighttime event lets guests not only go trick-or-treating at locations throughout the legendary theme park, but also see some of their favorite Disney characters dressed in their Halloween best. Additionally, visitors can enjoy spellbinding entertainment like “Mickey’s Boo-toYou Halloween Parade,” “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular” hosted by Jack Skellington and the “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” starring the Sanderson Sisters. disneyworld.disney.go.com/ events-tours/magic-kingdom/mickeys-not-so-scaryhalloween-party

LEGOLAND Florida Resort is another family favorite during the Halloween season. Families will be screaming with excitement during the Winter Haven

Story continued on page 32 attraction’s annual Brick-or-Treat presents Monster Party! event, which returns select nights in Sept. and Oct. Included with valid theme park admission, the event promises to cast a spell over guests with more surprises than ever before, including thrilling meet and greets with LEGO Monster characters, eerily entertaining live shows, spooky LEGO decorations and lots of Halloween candy! legoland.com/florida/things-to-do/seasonalevents/brick-or-treat

Families who visit the 110-acre Gatorland theme park in Orlando can enjoy its all-ages Gators, Ghosts and Goblins event with park admission, too. Taking place Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 14 through 29, the daytime event returns for its fifth year with new haunt zones like the “Frightful Frontier” — an Old West town populated with cursed cowboys — a children’s Halloween costume parade, fun shows and amazing animal meet and greets. Visitors can even learn more about the origins of everyone’s favorite haunted holiday at Swamp Ghost’s Monster Museum and hop aboard the Cryptid Express to seek out hidden beasties like the Florida Skunk Ape. gatorland.com

For brave souls age 13 or older who really want to get their scare on, Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights returns for its 32nd year on Sept. 1. Terrifying guests for a record-breaking 44 nights through Oct. 31, the separately ticketed event brings guests’ worst nightmares to life as they step inside 10 allnew movie-quality haunted houses — including houses themed after USA and SYFY’s hit series “Chucky” and PlayStation’s post-pandemic video game “The Last of Us.” Visitors can also navigate five sinister scare zones throughout the theme park, each filled with hordes of scare actors on the prowl, and enjoy live entertainment. universalorlando.com/hhn

SeaWorld Orlando’s third annual HowlO-Scream spectacular offers thrill seekers another bone-chilling experience. Running Friday through Sunday, Sept. 8 through Oct. 8, Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 12 through 29 and Oct. 30 and 31, the separately ticketed nighttime event is intended for a mature audience and boasts five bars, seven scare zones, five haunted houses and three shows. Returning favorites include the Sirens’ Last Call, Tormented, Poison Grotto and Longshoremen Tavern bars, the Blood Beckoning haunted house and the “Monster Stomp” show. Guests can also venture inside four new haunted houses: Delerium666 Laboratories, Beneath the Ice – The Meltdown, Captain’s Revenge – Drowned in Darkness and Dead Vines – N’awlins Nightmare. For even more screams, four of the theme park’s thrilling roller coasters will remain open throughout the event, including the all-new Pipeline: The Surf Coaster that launches riders 110 feet into the air at 60 miles per hour. seaworld.com/Orlando/events/ howl-o-scream

One of Orlando’s best-kept secrets is getting into the Halloween spirit as well with two all-new immersive experiences. The beautiful 50-acre Harry P. Leu Gardens near downtown Orlando has partnered with the same team behind its Dazzling Nights holiday event to replace its old-fashioned ghost storytelling event, “Haunting Tales,” with two separately ticketed events: Happy Frights and Haunting Nights. Happening select dates Sept. 29 through Oct. 31, Happy Frights offers guests an early evening family-friendly Halloween adventure. Visitors will meet a dancing bridge troll, explore a neon-light maze, climb up a giant hay pyramid, encounter a ghost pirate and more while visiting eight trick-or-treat stations along the way. Meanwhile, Haunting Nights takes place in the forests of Harry P. Leu Gardens after the sun goes down and is intended for guests age 13 or older. Visitors can enjoy fantastic fall-themed food and beverages during the artful Halloween party — along with a few minor jump scares. halloweeninthegarden.com

With so many exciting events to choose from, Central Florida visitors can easily turn Halloween into a two-month celebration!