Shine bright at Give Kids the World Village’s Night of a Million Lights, a dazzling holiday spectacular at Island H2O Live! in Orlando.


Be amazed and give back this holiday season at Night of a Million Nights, joyous holiday celebration benefiting Give Kids the World Village. Night of a Million Lights was named the "Number One Thing to Do in December in Orlando" by USA Today when it debuted at the charitable resort in 2020, and now, it’s bringing the joy to Island H2O Live! Water Park at Margaritaville Resort Orlando through Jan. 1, 2023. See why you’ll want to make this year’s edition part of your holiday season plans.

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Celebrate the Holidays, Orlando Style

2022 Give Kids the World Night of a Million Nights event
Oversize Ornaments and Festive Floaties Drift Along a Lazy River

Give Kids the World Village is an 89-acre, nonprofit resort that provides critically ill children and their families with free, one-week vacations right here in Central Florida. Created in partnership with Emmy Award-winning RWS Entertainment Group, and originally held at Give Kids the World, Night of a Million Lights now transforms Island H2O Live! into a winter wonderland complete with twinkling palm trees, jolly live entertainment, a spectacular dancing lights show and more.

Discover: 10 Ways to Celebrate the Holiday Season in Orlando

See millions of sparkling lights reflected in the water, snap “elfies” at festive photo spots, and indulge in seasonally inspired sweets as you dive into a world of immersive fun at this must-do holiday event. You might even spot Santa Claus out and about! (Note that pools and slides are not open during Night of a Million Lights.)

Dazzling Light Shows + Luminous Holiday Displays

Deck the halls with millions of sparkling lights, including a brand-new choreographed dancing light show, a 30-foot tunnel of colorful dancing lights, and glowing photo ops that will have you looking merry and bright for your holiday cards.

The dancing light show is a holiday event that’s uniquely Orlando. Projected on two five-story water slides, the brilliant, custom-choreographed musical display can be seen all over the park, but you’ll want to grab some hot chocolate and settle in near the Winter Wonderland play area for an up-close view. Shows start every seven minutes, so you can see all three versions at your leisure.

2022 Give Kids the World Night of a Million Nights event
Stroll a Christmas Tree Trail and Catch an All-New Dancing Lights Show

Then, stroll a Christmas tree trail all aglow with thousands of colorful lights and quirky decorations. Many of the trees are decked out by local businesses, so keep an eye out for unusual finds like glowing shrunken heads from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!®, snowy white alligators from Gatorland and more. Stop in to meet Santa Claus along the way, and strike a pose at festive photo locations throughout the park.

Live Entertainment + Merry Meet & Greets

Let your holiday spirit soar with joyful live performances and enchanting character meet and greets that will have you feeling merry and bright. Sing along to your favorite holiday tunes as The Mistle-Tunes Dueling Pianos battle for a spot on Santa’s nice list, then dance the night away at DJ Jack Frost’s Ice Block Party. Plus, catch strolling carolers, mischievous elves and favorite holiday characters out and about in this brilliant winter wonderland. Don’t forget to bring your wish list for Santa!

Festive Family Fun

Find a flurry of kid-friendly fun at the Winter Wonderland Kids Area, located between the dancing light show and Stellar’s Tree Trail. Step inside a larger-than-life snow globe, decorate your own ornaments and more at the craft station, and meet old friends like Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman. Kids can even write a letter to Santa and drop it in the mail before heading down the tree trail to meet old Kris Kringle himself.

Kids will also love Santa’s Toy Shop, near the Wave Pool Stage. Here, the young (and young at heart) can play in larger-than-life replicas of Santa’s favorite toy cars, meet roaming elves, and dance and play to holiday beats at the Wave Pool Stage.

Indulge in Sweet Treats

Soak up the holiday spirit with sweet treats throughout the park — we won’t tell Santa if you eat his milk and cookies. In addition to churros, pretzels and casual dinner options, you can indulge in yuletide fare like mini dessert cups, hot cocoa or coffee with seasonal flavor shots, and holiday-themed cocktails. For an extra cozy touch, you can even roast s’mores over the fire.

Know Before You Go

Give Kids the World’s Night of a Million Lights is available now through Jan. 1, 2023, with tickets starting at $15 per child and $30 per adult. Advance reservations are strongly recommended. Free event parking is available in the Island H2O Live! parking lot, as well as in surrounding lots in the Promenade at Sunset Walk entertainment complex. If you want to experience the immersive, interactive slides at Island H2O Live!, daytime water park season passes are also available for $59.99 through Night of a Million Lights’ run, with proceeds benefiting Give Kids the World Village.

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More Holiday Fun in Orlando

Spending the holidays in Orlando? Discover more ways to celebrate the season in Orlando’s theme parks, unique neighborhoods and beyond by visiting our events calendar or using our interactive map.


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