If you need another reason to skip right over Thanksgiving, here’s one: Christmas Wonderland is here. Tropical Park is giving Santa first dibs this season. Deco’s Alex Miranda dropped by to get into the holiday spirit.
Santa’s working two zip codes this Christmas season.
Alex: “Merry Christmas! Merry Crisma!”
Tony Albelo: “Merry Crisma to you too!”
Christmas Wonderland is opening here at Tropical Park. Ripley’s Believe It or Not Christmas Park in Hialeah.
At Christmas Wonderland, the big question here is how are you with heights?
Tony Albelo: “It’s the tallest traveling Ferris wheel in the entire world.”
The new America 250 wheel takes you 230 feet above Tropical Park.
Alex: “What can you see from the top of it?”
Tony Albelo: “Well, I was on it yesterday, just to test, and I could see downtown, I could see Bayside, I could see their Ferris wheel.”
Alex: “Jacksonville, Tallahassee.”
Tony Albelo: “Yeah, yeah, maybe.”
Alex: “Almost.”
And if you’d rather be screaming closer to the ground, of course there are 45 rides.
Alex: “People love the rides, they love the food, they love the tradition of Christmas Wonderland but they also love this tinsel trail.”
Where some of the original Santa’s Enchanted Forest displays are back at Tropical Park.
Alex: “Any OG Miami person will know that Tuki Tuki Tuki Ta is representative of ‘Mi Burrito Sabanero.'”
Also new at Christmas Wonderland: the Nu Market.
Tony Albelo: “You get your last-minute shopping or even early shopping in there.”
Alex: “By the way, if you don’t know what to get your grandkids this year, or your kids, right now what is super popular are these squishies, squishies of all different shapes, sizes and themes. Here we have a jumbo squishy banana, you know, the kids are into it, what are you gonna say?”
Regular online tickets are $40 for ages 13 and up, and $30 for kids through 12. Three and under get in free.
And if you like your Christmas a little less “ho-ho-ho” and a little more “What on earth,” Hialeah has you covered.
Jay Mattioli: “It’s a perfect blend of magic holiday spirit and a little razzle-dazzle like only Ripley’s can do.”
Ripley’s Believe It or Not Christmas Park is at Amelia Earhart Park.
Armando Gutierrez: “You’re gonna see a real-life Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum with a lot of surprises and over 100 attractions, including two roller coasters.”
Unlimited rides come with admission.
So do Ripley’s exhibits, where things can get a little weird.
Armando Gutierrez: “Inside of Ripley’s Christmas park, you’ll be able to see oddities, curiosities and the unbelievable.”
There are live shows too.
Jay Mattioli: “We have lasers, electronic gadgets, artificially intelligent robot magic.”
Armando Gutierrez: “We’re a true, family-friendly Christmas park where we’ve got rides for all ages and lots of food.”
Both parks run through Jan. 3.
Mondays at Christmas Wonderland are called Santa’s Enchanted Mondays, which offers guests discounts on tickets, foods and beverages.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Christmas Wonderland at Tropical Park
7900 SW 40th St
Miami, FL 33155
Website
Ripley’s Believe It or Not Christmas Park at Amelia Earhart Park
401 E 65th St
Hialeah, FL 33013
Website
