Fort Lauderdale Christmas Lights 2026: Enchanted Safari Is Right Next Door
If you live in Fort Lauderdale, or you're staying there over the holidays, the search for Fort Lauderdale Christmas lights this year has a new answer just west of town. World of Illumination is bringing Enchanted Safari to the Hill Entertainment District in Lauderhill, the Broward city right next door. It's a drive-through Christmas light show filled with giant glowing animals, light tunnels, and holiday music, and it opens November 12, 2026.
To be clear up front: the show isn't in Fort Lauderdale. It's in Lauderhill, a short drive from the city. For a lot of Fort Lauderdale households, that's close enough to make it part of a normal December evening, whether that means a weeknight with the kids or a night out with the relatives who flew in for Christmas.
Enchanted Safari 2026 at a Glance
- Where: Hill Entertainment District, 1010 NW 40th Ave, Lauderhill, FL 33313 (map it from where you're staying)
- When: November 12, 2026 through January 3, 2027, Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays)
- Hours: Gates open at 6:00 PM, last entry at 10:00 PM
- Tickets: Not on sale yet. One ticket covers the whole car, sold online only, with prices that vary by date (Lauderhill ticket page)
- Time in the show: About 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic that night
Fort Lauderdale Christmas Lights, One City Over
Broward County is a patchwork of cities that run right into each other. Most people who live here cross a few city lines every week without thinking about it, for work, school, dinner, or a visit to family. Lauderhill is one of Fort Lauderdale's western neighbors, so heading there for an evening isn't much different from heading across town.
That's the simplest way to think about Enchanted Safari if you're in Fort Lauderdale. It isn't a road trip. It's a holiday outing a short drive from home, and the whole thing happens from your car. You pull in, tune the radio, and roll through the show with everyone you brought.
It also helps to know exactly where you're going before you set out. The show is at the Hill Entertainment District on NW 40th Ave in Lauderhill. Put that address in your phone instead of searching for a Fort Lauderdale address, and you'll land in the right place.
A Christmas Outing for Warm December Nights
December in Fort Lauderdale doesn't ask much of you. Evenings are often mild enough for short sleeves, and plenty of families spend the daylight hours outside. A drive-through light show fits that kind of season well. Spend the afternoon at the beach or by the pool, head home to clean up, grab dinner, and drive over to Lauderhill once it's dark.
On a pleasant night you can roll the windows down while the music plays. If a December shower moves through, the plan doesn't change, because the show runs rain or shine and nobody has to leave the car. Convertibles are welcome too, which is about as South Florida as a Christmas light show gets.
Packing is simple. Outside food and non-alcoholic drinks are fine, and there are no concessions on site, so bring the snacks and the hot cocoa (or the iced version, depending on the night). Pets can ride along as long as they stay in the vehicle.
When the Whole Family Comes to Town
Fort Lauderdale is a place people visit for the holidays. Grandparents come down from up north, cousins land at the airport, and suddenly the guest room is full and everyone wants something to do after dinner. A drive-through light show is one of the easiest answers, because it works for a toddler, a teenager, and an 80-year-old at the same time. No one walks, no one waits outside, and everyone sees the same thing.
A few things make that night smoother when you're hosting:
- Decide on cars before you leave. Tickets are one per vehicle, and you can't combine cars once you're inside the park. If two carloads want to ride together, meet up at home or somewhere nearby and pile into one vehicle first.
- Check the rental before you book it. If you're renting something big to fit the whole family, read the vehicle restrictions first. Standard passenger vans are generally fine, but buses, RVs, limousines, and anything towing a trailer aren't allowed.
- Make sure the FM radio works. The soundtrack plays through your car, and a park ambassador will help you tune in to the show's station as you reach the front of the line.
Visitors staying in a Fort Lauderdale hotel or vacation rental can do the same thing locals do: plan dinner nearby, then drive over to Lauderhill for the lights. It gives out-of-town guests a Christmas night they probably can't get back home, with palm trees outside and a glowing reindeer overhead.
What's Waiting on the Safari Route
This season's theme is Enchanted Safari, and it starts with Toukie Toucan handing out your boarding passes. From there the trip covers land, sea, and sky. You'll drive through a peacock vortex tunnel under a canopy of peacock feathers, pass mega palm tree wreaths, and watch reindeer soar above the clouds.
Then things get a little wild. There's a land lost in time with a thundering T-Rex, and a stop with the King of the Jungle. The trip wraps up at Santa's Bazaar, where all the exotic animal friends you met along the way are decking the halls for Christmas.
Kids tend to spend the whole drive spotting animals out every window. Adults get the music and the scale of it. And because World of Illumination builds a new theme every season, Enchanted Safari is its own show, not a rerun of something you've seen before.
Picking Your Night
Tickets for Lauderhill aren't on sale yet. The ticket page is up, and the site has an email signup for early access to ticket sales, so that's the easiest way to hear the moment they open. When they do, tickets will be sold online only, priced per car rather than per person, with prices that vary by date.
A few planning thoughts for Fort Lauderdale families:
- Remember Mondays are off. The show runs Tuesday through Sunday, so plan around that if relatives arrive early in the week.
- Weeknights are worth a look. They usually move faster than weekends and are easier to fit around a busy holiday schedule.
- Go early in the season, or late. The run starts November 12 and goes through January 3, 2027, so you can see it before the holidays get hectic or save it for the week after Christmas while guests are still in town.
- Watch the last entry time. Gates open at 6:00 PM and the last car goes in at 10:00 PM.
Enchanted Safari isn't a one-year stop, either. The Lauderhill location page already lists Hill Entertainment District seasons for 2027 and 2028, so if this becomes your family's December thing, it can stay that way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Fort Lauderdale Christmas lights show actually in Fort Lauderdale?
No. Enchanted Safari is in Lauderhill, the Broward city just west of Fort Lauderdale, at the Hill Entertainment District, 1010 NW 40th Ave, Lauderhill, FL 33313. It's a short drive from Fort Lauderdale.
When do Enchanted Safari tickets go on sale?
Tickets aren't on sale yet. Watch the Lauderhill ticket page or join the email list for early access. When sales open, tickets will be online only and priced per car.
Can our visiting relatives meet us there in a second car?
Each car needs its own ticket, and cars can't be combined once you're in the park. If you want everyone in one vehicle, consolidate before you arrive.
What happens if it rains?
The show runs rain or shine. If severe weather ever forces a cancellation, ticketed guests are notified by email and offered a full refund or the option to reschedule.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes. Pets are welcome as long as they stay inside the vehicle for the whole drive.
More answers about tickets, vehicles, and what to expect are in the World of Illumination FAQ.
Add a Safari to Your Fort Lauderdale December
A Fort Lauderdale Christmas has its own feel. Warm afternoons, family in from out of town, dinner that runs late, and a long list of people to keep happy. Enchanted Safari gives that season an easy evening plan: load up one car, head next door to Lauderhill, and spend 20 to 30 minutes with glowing animals and Christmas music.
The show opens November 12. Keep an eye on the Lauderhill ticket page, sign up for early access, and pick your night as soon as tickets go on sale.
