Orlando magic awaits Hawkeye holiday visitors

Hawkeye football fans have flocked to Florida several times in recent years, so while we’ve guided you to the familiar sites in the past, we’re taking a different tactic this year.

For those of you adding on some sightseeing time for Hawkeye holiday happiness, here’s a guide to some of the places still lit up like Christmas trees before and after the Hawkeyes face the Tennessee Volunteers at 1 p.m. Eastern, noon Iowa time Jan. 1 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.

Walt Disney World

EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, to Dec. 30: Go global as you wander through the wonders of the World Showcase, where storytellers share holiday traditions from various cultures; Dickens Carolers serenade in old world style; hear the JOYFUL! ensemble celebrate Kwanzaa; and sample international flavors at 15 holiday kitchens. disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/holiday-festival/

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom, to Dec. 31: Check out the Merry Menagerie, full of artisan-sculpted puppets of cold-climate critters like penguins, reindeer and polar bears, oh my! Then as the sun sets watch the Tree of Life Awakening in holiday style, bathed in vibrant colors, accompanied by seasonal sounds. disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/holidays/#drawer-card-drawerHolidaysAnimalKingdom

Universal Orlando Resort

Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, to Dec. 31. The Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular adds a dash of snark to the park, with a live retelling of the classic tale at Seuss Landing. universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/events/grinchmas

Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, to Dec. 31. Festive fun is ready at the wave of a wand in both Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida. Hogsmeade takes on a special glow at nightfall, with a holiday projection on Hogwarts Castle. And pretend it’s chilly outside, just like Iowa, and sip on a hot Butterbeer while experiencing a holiday spin from the Frog Choir, and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees. universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/events/christmas-in-the-wizarding-world-of-harry-potter

Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s, evenings to Dec. 31. Line up to see the streets fill with larger-than-life balloons, floats, performers and characters from “Despicable Me,” “Shrek” and “Madagascar” movies. universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/events/universals-holiday-parade

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration, to Jan. 2. Guests will be walking in a winter wonderland, aglow with millions of sparkling lights throughout the park. Holiday meals, entertainment and fireworks add to the fun — even bigger and brighter on New Year’s Eve. seaworld.com/orlando/events/christmas-celebration/

LEGOLAND Florida

Holidays at LEGOLAND, through Dec. 31, features a giant LEGO Christmas tree, along with seasonal shows, characters, treats, activities, lights and more. legoland.com/florida/things-to-do/seasonal-events/holidays-at-legoland/

And more

ICON Park, Holiday decorations to Dec. 31. The best seats for bird’s-eye views of Orlando are bathed in seasonal colors for The Wheel’s 64,000 LED holiday light show, set to music. Enclosed observation cars take passengers on a 20-minute ride soaring 400 feet above the ground to view the region’s other holiday displays from the sky. The park also features a 50-foot decorated tree, nightly snowfall and light show. The park is a 20-acre, open-air entertainment destination featuring SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, Madame Tussauds Orlando and Museum of Illusions Orlando, as well as restaurants and shops at the center of the International Drive Resort Area. iconparkorlando.com/

Island H2O Water Park: “Holiday Nights,” to Dec. 31. New island-themed walk-through features twinkling lights, displays, immersive family fun, live entertainment and more. islandh2owaterpark.com/home/holiday-nights/

Harry P. Leu Gardens: “Dazzling Nights,” to Jan. 6. See sparkling lights, shining forests, displays, music and sculptures. The three-quarter mile, family friendly interactive holiday experience features new immersive elements like a nighttime show with 100, 10-foot-tall beacons of light and a 30-foot-tall tree of thousands of shimmering, gold sequins. During the day, “Holiday Blooms” showcases floral and holiday-themed displays. leugardens.org/holidays-at-the-gardens/

Crayola Experience: “Colorful Christmas,” to Jan. 7. Visitors help save Christmas by piecing together riddles given by animatronic Christmas characters. Also see a life-size snow globe and a light show starring Scarlet and her singing reindeer. crayolaexperience.com/orlando/about-us/calendar

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: “Holidays in Space,” to Dec. 30. See Starflake’s Holiday Voyage, a nightly projected show on the massive exterior of Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, where visitors can embark on a journey with Starflake as she travels through the stars, Earth and beyond. Also, holiday decor at the visitor complex includes 50-foot tree with more than 61,000 pixels of light, a new Rocket Tree Trail, astronaut nutcrackers and more. kennedyspacecenter.com/

Hawkeye Happenings

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Pep Rally: 4 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 31, Pointe Orlando, 9373 International Dr., Orlando. Gather with Hawk fans, the Hawkeye Marching Band, cheerleaders and Coach Kirk Ferentz to whip up some winning spirit. cheezitcitrusbowl.com/event/pep-rally/

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Pregame Hospitality: 10 a.m. Eastern on Jan. 1, Tinker Field. Beginning three hours before kickoff, fans can head to a private VIP area next to Camping World Stadium. Cost: $100, for lounge seating, all-inclusive food and beverage, live music and the Hawkeye Marching Band. cheezitcitrusbowl.com/event/hospitality-pavilion/

Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com