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Something about Christmas in Orlando is just magical.

All the things that terrorize Floridians — the intense Summer humidity, the stress-inducing hurricane season — disappear by December. It’s nothing but perfect 80-degree weather and a season of joy ahead.

Orlando, the mecca for vacationing, offers beloved holiday traditions everywhere, from the big theme parks down to the smaller attractions.

Here’s what’s happening this season.

Disney World, the king of theme parks, has sold out all the dates for its special ticketed nighttime . If you were lucky enough to snag tickets, you get to see special Disney entertainment not on display during the day at the theme park, including a Christmas parade, an elaborate fireworks show with Cinderella Castle lit up with festive projections, and exclusive meet and greets.

In its second year, Hollywood Studios’ is back. Guests can join Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along” or see the Muppets in a holiday show. This special ticketed event includes holiday merchandise, food and opportunities to see characters that aren’t normally roaming the parks. Jollywood runs on select nights through Dec. 22

SeaWorld Orlando looks beautiful, with millions of Christmas lights glowing. Festival booths are open, serving everything from turkey and stuffing to Coquito. , which is included in regular theme park admission and held on select days through Jan. 5, also features holiday entertainment, with the grand finale being its fireworks show at park close.

Meanwhile, Aquatica Orlando this year on dry land. The water park is transformed for , with lit-up lanterns (some whimsical, like a unicorn) and holiday decorations. The event is especially family-friendly, with children’s activities set up to write a letter to Santa. Upgrades are available to make s’mores around a fire pit or ride a train. Illuminate runs on select nights through Jan. 31.

also likes to play both naughty and nice for the holiday season. The Grinch makes appearances at Universal Islands of Adventure for “Grinchmas.” At Universal Studios, you can experience the giant balloons and floats from Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s, making you feel like you’re really in the Big Apple. The festivities, with holiday food and merch for sale, are included in regular admission as the event runs daily through Jan. 4.

Looking for something outside the theme parks? Don’t forget that other attractions carry plenty of charm and are also going all in on Christmas.

You can where, starting Dec. 5, a 64-foot tall Christmas tree puts on a musical show next to Instagram-worthy nutcrackers.

Elsewhere in the city, the Dr. Center Phillips for the Performing Arts is on its front yard with holiday movies and live performances. The city’s Harry P. Leu Gardens Botanical Gardens is returning the special ticketed from Nov. 28 to Jan. 4 on select nights. The 50-acre gardens’ paths and impressive flowers will be lit up by the holiday decorations and lights.

At Gaylord Palms, catch or with scenes this year from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

On International Drive, Aquarium’s runs through Jan. 4 with holiday decorations. Scuba Santa will be swimming with the sea turtles, sting rays and sharks on select days. “Deck the Seas is a magical way for families to celebrate the season while learning about ocean life,” General Manager Paul Gould said in a statement.

Up for a road trip outside Orlando?

Winter Haven’s is the only place where you can find a giant Christmas tree completely made out of Legos. , which runs on select days through Dec. 6 to Dec. 31, is part of regular ticket admission and includes holiday entertainment and decorations that cater to families and children.

Even the — home of the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Saturn V rocket — gets into the Christmas spirit. features a new drone show from Dec. 21 to Dec. 30. It’s a good time to visit, as the KSC Visitors Complex is debuting the new original live show “Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure” .

“We’re honored to partner with The Jim Henson Company, known for its innovation, imagination and storytelling for young audiences and families, to create a show that will inspire dreamers of all ages to look up, explore, and picture their own place among the stars,” said Therrin Protze, the complex’s chief operating officer..

GAINESVILLE — If Florida wasn’t going to play football again in 2025, the Gators wanted to make sure Florida State didn’t either.

A year with little to celebrate finished on a high note as the Gators ended Florida State’s season during a 40-21 win to stop a four-game skid Saturday night in the Swamp.

Tailback Jadan Baugh led the way with a career-high 266 rushing yards and two scores while quarterback DJ Lagway threw three touchdowns for the first time since a season-opening win against Long Island University.

“The way we finished today, it was the first time we played a complete game,” said Billy Gonzales after his first win as interim coach. “It takes everybody on a football team to be successful. Finally, we had that the last game of the season. I’m super proud of these guys.”

Since the 55-0 opening win against an overmatched FCS opponent, the Gators (4-8) have muddled through a miserable season as the SEC’s lowest-scoring attack entering Saturday. Against FSU (5-7), Florida — led by sophomore stars Baugh and Lagway on Senior Night — rose to the occasion to end the Seminoles’ hopes for a bowl bid.

Baugh finished with the most rushing yards by a UF back other than Emmitt Smith’s 316 in 1989 against New Mexico.

“Being in a category with those guys, it’s just amazing,” Baugh said. “I don’t think I can wrap my head around it yet.”

Playing in his final game, center Jake Slaughter was glad to be part of the historic performance.

“Jadan ran like somebody was trying to kill him all night,” he said.

A sellout crowd of 90,007 at the Swamp savored each of his 38 carries during the bloodletting.

If not for a missed extra point by Trey Smack after the final score, ending a streak of 100 straight PATs without a miss, UF would have recorded its second straight win in the series by at least 20 points — a first since UF beat FSU by at least 20 points three consecutive seasons in 2007-09.

But the Seminoles never stood a chance and were on their heels all night as Baugh battered FSU’s defense to break Jimmy DuBose’s 50-year series-record of 204 rushing yards against Florida’s in-state rival.

“We came into [the game] saying that’s a guy you have to stop,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “For him to have that kind of production is a complete failure.”

With Baugh shouldering the load, Lagway picked his spots in the passing game.

“It’s always great to end the season on a good note,” he said. “We clicked offensively. We ran the ball at will. I feel like just a great day at the park.”

The Gators scored on their first three possessions, two ending in Lagway touchdown throws, to build a 17-7 lead.

After a 9-yard touchdown pass from Lagway to tight end Tony Livingston, FSU responded with a drive to UF’s 20 before Tommy Castellanos fumbled and lost the ball when tackled by safety Bryce Thornton, one of four UF sacks.

But two plays later, Lagway’s pass to Aidan Mizell was broken up by Michai Danzy and intercepted by Edwin Joseph, who returned it to the UF 21. Castellanos scored three plays later on a 4-yard keeper, a scoring drive aided by a personal foul on the previous play by sophomore linebacker Myles Graham.

The Seminoles, though, could not keep up the pressure as Florida steadily pulled away behind Baugh.

“It started on Sunday,” he said. “Just going into the facility understanding everything, just focusing on a mission, understanding we still have a mission to finish out the season.”

A rare combination of speed, size (6-foot ¾, 230) and elusiveness, Baugh was on a mission. After FSU cut the lead to three points, he had runs of 20 and 14 yards to set up Lagway’s 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hayden Hansen.

Baugh ended Florida’s next series with a 22-yard touchdown run for a 31-14 lead.

Baugh even recovered an onsides kick by FSU with 3:06 after a 17-yard touchdown pass from Castellanos to Lawayne McCoy cut the lead to 34-21. But Baugh was not finished.

He ended a special night with a 12-yard TD run with 56 seconds remaining to deliver the final salvo to the Seminoles, even when Baugh could have taken it easy on FSU.

“Coach told me don’t score. He told me to slide,” Baugh said, “I’m like, ‘Coach, don’t do me like that. We don’t like them guys.’ I feel like it was good for our team to just score at the end of the game.”

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida’s minimum wage just went up to $14 an hour this past week — part of a plan voters approved a few years back to slowly bump it up to $15 an hour. But some businesses are already paying their employees even more than that.

What You Need To Know

Evan Delaney’s specialties are baking and owning a business. He owns Great Harvest Bakery in downtown Orlando. But there’s something else he takes pride in — making sure his employees are taken care of when it comes to pay.

“Even though everyone here qualifies as a tipped worker, we don’t pay them as that. They get paid above that,” Delaney said.

Delaney pays his team more than minimum wage, plus tips, to help them keep up with the cost of living.

“Tips are welcomed, they’re encouraged, we would love them, but we want to earn them, and not have it be an expected part of the employees’ wage,” Delaney said.

According to CareerSource Central Florida, the average advertised salary in the region back in August was around $24 an hour — that’s about 71% higher than the new minimum wage.

“Businesses, small, medium and large, particularly in our big industries in Central Florida, you know hospitality, as well as healthcare and construction, have really already began to increase salaries at the starting wage,” said Pamela Nabors, CEO of CareerSource Central Florida.

Nabors says that even though people are still applying for jobs, the market is holding steady.

“Businesses that are looking at wages and creating their job descriptions and salary structures in a way that meets the market, it makes them much more competitive,” Nabors said.

As prices continue to rise, business owners like Delaney are doing what they can to make sure their employees can keep up.

“I like to focus on that being the goal rather than trying to pay someone a dollar less or pay somebody cheaper,” Delaney said.

Florida’s minimum wage will go up again next year, officially hitting $15 an hour by Sept. 30, 2026.

In the first 3 months since Florida's Super Speeder" law went into effect, more than 100 drivers have been arrested in Central Florida for excessive speeding. The law went into effect on June 1, 2025.

FOX 35 Orlando reached out to various law enforcement agencies in Central Florida to see how many arrests have been made under the new law. Based on the numbers provided, Orange County has made the most arrests.

What is the Super Speeder law?

House Bill 351, known as Florida's Super Speeder Law, was passed as part of the state's larger effort to crack down on excessive speeding and to hopefully reduce deadly crashes on Florida's roadways. It effectively criminalized "dangerous excessive speeding."

In Florida, the maximum speed limit on freeways is 70 mph. Under the new law, drivers caught going over 100 mph or more than 50 miles above the posted speed limit can be arrested, their car towed, and must attend a court hearing. Penalties include:

How many people have been arrested under the "Super Speeder" law?

Sheriff John Mina

Orange County Sheriff John Mina said the new law simply comes down to safety and saving lives.

"When you're going over 100 miles an hour, when you go 50 miles an hour with a posted speed limit, when your crash, people are going to die. You're not going to survive that crash, and the people you hit are not going survive," he said.

He hopes it brings down dangerous driving.

"I think you will see, year over year, you're going to see those speeds decline. My hope is that we will see those traffic fatalities related to high speeds decline as well."

Plenty of excuses

Various law enforcement agencies have shared bodycam from some of those accused of dangerous driving on social media – and plenty of drivers have told those officers various reasons for their alleged speeding.

GAINESVILLE — Florida’s 29-21 must-win against Texas was the complete performance the Gators (2-3, 1-1 SEC) needed and had failed to produce during a disappointing September. Coach Billy Napier’s team will need to build on the effort if he’s to keep his job, but Saturday’s performance was a essential step.

Here are five things learned as UF sent home Texas (3-2, 0-1) with a loss during its first trip to Gainesville since 1940.

Napier and the Gators need to summon some killer instinct

Leading 19-7 in the third quarter, Florida faced first-and-10 at the Texas 25 after a 60-yard catch by Vernell Brown III. Three plays and a false start later, Trey Smack kicked a 38-yard field goal that kept Texas within two possessions.

Boos from a sellout crowd followed a 4-yard run by tailback Jadan Baugh on third-and-nine, with UF on the edge of the red zone. Even amid an impressive outing by the Gators, frustration with Napier’s conservative play-calling endured.

Rather than try to deliver a knockout blow, UF’s coach settled for three points. The decision ultimately allowed the Longhorns to stage a comeback bid. A 15-yard facemask penalty on Gators true freshman lineman Jeremiah McCloud on the final drive rekindled memories of the USF loss when two defensive penalties opened the door for an upset.

High drama in the Swamp might have been avoided with some bolder play calls.

Consider the fourth quarter when UF led 29-14 after reaching Texas territory. The drive stalled after two Baugh runs sandwiched a screen pass. On third-and-3 Baugh lost three yards on a day when quarterback DJ Lagway had found something in the middle of the field.

A Florida team with limited margin for error better capitalize when opportunities arise.

“At the end of the game we’ve got to be able to finish it a little more stronger than that,” Lagway said.

Brown and Dallas Wilson are a rare, if not unprecedented tandem at Florida

Florida has had first-year freshman receivers burst onto the scene. Perhaps never have the Gators had two at the same time.

Time will tell, but Brown and Wilson were a dynamic and at times unstoppable duo against Texas.

After sitting out four games with a foot injury, Wilson stole the show. The Tampa native’s six catches, 111 yards and two scores were all school records for a true freshman in his first college start.

The 6-foot-3, 213-pound Wilson’s 55-yard touchdown encapsulated his skill set. He left Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad in the dust just past the the line of scrimmage, caught the ball, shook off safety Jelani McDonald along the sideline and ran over All-America safety Michael Taaffe on the goal line.

“He’s a specimen,” Lagway said of Wilson.

Not to be outdone, Brown’s 60-yard catch showcased the 18-year-old’s athleticism. The 5-foot-11 ¼, 178-pound Orlando native outmuscled and outmaneuvered defensive back Graceson Littleton, another freshman from Tampa.

Brown also had a 14-yard run on third-and-4 during the Gators’ opening driving. He finished with a team-high 141 all-purpose yards that would have been more if Texas had not punted away from him.

Ike Hilliard and Reidel Anthony were an impressive pair when they arrived in 1994 but didn’t immediately take full flight. Willie Jackson Jr. had 10 touchdowns as a freshman in 1991 and Jabar Gaffney 71 catches in 2000.

After Saturday, Wilson and Brown are on their way to joining elite company.

Lagway found his rhythm after a rough September

The 20-year-old brought forth his form to outplay Arch Manning during a showdown of high-profile sophomores.

Lagway was accurate early on and eventually produced explosive plays sorely missing a season after he made defenses pay down the field. After completing one pass to a wide receiver longer than 20 yards in losses to LSU and Miami, Lagway had four Saturday.

“They give a lot of underneath stuff, so early on just taking what they’re giving us, getting some early completions to get our confidence going,” he explained. “Then eventually they’ll start creeping up — they did a little bit — and we got over the top of them.”

Lagway’s ability to capitalize was a good sign.

An injury-plagued offseason limited his workload, curtailed his development and undercut his confidence. During the bye week, Lagway rebuilt his belief and established synergy with Wilson, who had injury issues himself.

“When I was in, he was out,” Lagway said. “We really had a good two weeks just to work on our connection.”

Lagway finished 21 of 28 for 298 yards, two scores to Wilson and an interception, one of two ill-advised throws on an otherwise well-managed day.

The future is suddenly brighter while a five-interception nightmare at LSU and 61-yard effort at Miami appear to be behind him.

At the same time, Lagway could be nursing an injury

Lagway left the field gingerly and entered the medical tent after the Gators’ second drive ended with a 34-yard field goal by Smack.

Florida’s QB returned and didn’t miss a snap. The Gators’ offensive line, in its best game to date, kept the pocket clean to allow Lagway to operate.

But he lacked the mobility to capitalize when opportunities arose. Meanwhile, Manning ran for 74 yards, not including sacks, to showcase dual-threat abilities Lagway possesses but has rarely deployed because of injuries.

A hamstring strain in 2024 sidelined him during a 49-17 loss at Texas. He returned to lead a four-game winning streak while relying on his arm. A calf injury limited him during fall camp when he needed snaps.

Lagway brushed off Saturday’s development, though it’s worth monitoring.

“Nothing too crazy,” he said. “I’ve been here before, been in this situation. Just got to get better and continue to work.”

UF’s defensive front woke up

Tyreak Sapp’s tackle for loss on Texas’s first offensive snap was the redshirt senior end’s first TFL in three games and set the tone for a dominant day up front for Florida’s defense.

“We did exactly what we wanted to do and it was fun doing it,” said Sapp, who led UF with six tackles.

Sapp and his peers overwhelmed an offensive line with four new starters and rattled Manning, who suffered six sacks and two interceptions.

Senior Brien Taylor Jr. finished with 1.5 sacks, the first for the former junior college transfer who also had two hurries. UF pressured Manning 23 times after recording just 34 in the Gators’ first four games.

Sophomore nose tackle Micai Boireau also had his first sack. Meanwhile, true freshman Jeremiah McCloud continued his disruptive play while capitalizing on the void caused by veteran Caleb Banks’ foot injury.

The Gators’ defense has been solid despite inconsistent play up front. When Sapp and Co. are on their game, UF’s D is stellar.

Up next …

UF (2-3, 1-1) at No. 5 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0)

When: 7 p.m., Saturday

Where: Kyle Field, College Station

TV: ESPN

Favorite: Texas A&M by 9.5 points