Beyond Halloween: Falling into fall at Orlando’s theme parks

There’s more to the fall season than Halloween at Central Florida’s theme parks and attractions. As we dive into September, here’s a chronological roundup of upcoming happenings. Expect more details and activities to be announced, particularly for year-end holidays. For instance, we’d assume Epcot will again host Candlelight Processional, but no dates (or celebrity narrators) have been revealed yet.

• Sept. 1: Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights launches, featuring 10 haunted houses (“Stranger Things,” “Chucky,” more) and five scare zones.

• Sept. 4: Final day of “Dogs: A Science Tail” exhibit at Orlando Science Center, as well as the last day of SeaWorld’s Summer Spectacular event and its Craft Beer Festival.

• Sept. 8: SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream opens, with five haunted houses (D3LER1UM666 Laboratories, Beneath the Ice, more) and seven scare zones.

• Sept. 8-10: Orange County Regional History Center presents Figurehead Encore Weekend with a panel discussion, concert, walking tour options, plus morning-after brunch that includes a performance by Orlando Americana artist Terri Binion.

• Sept. 16: The horrifying factor decreases as trick-or-treat-heavy SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular and Legoland Florida’s Brick-or-Treat festivities begin.

• Sept. 8-10: Destination D23, which includes an audio-animatronic exhibit, an array of Disney-centric panels and a presentation by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro, is held at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

• Sept. 15: Mirabel, one of the “Encanto” sisters, begins doing meet-and-greets at Magic Kingdom. Her elusive Uncle Bruno joins the park’s Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade that day, too.

• Sept. 16: Island H2O Water Park throws an after-dark, adults-only glow-foam party.

• Sept. 19: Pirates Dinner Adventure will host “Vampirates: When the Blood Moon Rises” dinner show on multiple nights, and its Teatro Martini will be home to a Vegas-inspired Halloween Revue starting Sept. 29.

• Sept. 22: The celebration of the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney Co. amps up at Epcot with a new light show on Spaceship Earth, a character mural and four outdoor kitchens added to Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

• Sept. 23: Orange County Regional History Center hosts Celebration of Latin American Arts & Culture with artists, artwork, dance performances, heritage music and family-friendly crafts.

• Sept. 28: The final experiences aboard Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser begin at Disney World.

• Oct. 6: Taste of Space: Fall Bites food festival begins at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Activities include celebrity chefs and astronauts.

• Oct. 7: Orange County Regional History Center presents Sam Rivers 100, a salute to the jazz musician with a panel discussion, pop-up photo exhibit and evening concert by the Sam Rivers Rejuvenation Orchestra.

• Oct. 14: The Gators, Ghosts & Goblins event — featuring Swamp Ghost’s Monster Museum, Creepy Creature Carnival and more — begins at Gatorland.

• Oct. 21: Science Night Live, the adults-only event, returns to Orlando Science Center.

• Nov. 8: Holiday Nights, an after-hours light presentation, debuts at Island H2O Water Park.

• Nov. 9: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party starts up again at Magic Kingdom.

• Nov. 10: SeaWorld Christmas Celebration begins.

• Nov. 11: The new Disney Jollywood Nights, an after-hours event with musical shows and themed lounges, debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

• Nov. 13-17: IAAPA Expo sets up shop at Orange County Convention Center.

• Nov. 17: ICE, featuring “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” begins at Gaylord Palms. Other holiday activities at the Kissimmee resort include a Cirque show, lights in the atrium, snowball throwing, ice tubing, gingerbread decorating and a holiday escape room.

• Nov. 24: Legoland Florida’s Christmas programming begins.

• Nov. 25-26: Guy Harvey Weekend returns to SeaWorld Orlando.

Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. My Threads account is @dbevil. You can subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.