Margaritaville Resort Orlando runs two different calendars over the next eight weeks. From Friday, November 6, through Monday, November 9, it becomes Hotel EDC, the first East Coast edition of the Las Vegas hospitality pop-up tied to the Electric Daisy Carnival. It hosts pool parties and official after-parties that run from 11 PM to 6 AM. Ten days after checkout, the Promenade at Sunset Walk lights a 40-foot animated Christmas tree, and admission and parking are free.
For anyone at Windsor at Westside who uses Sunset Walk as the neighborhood's restaurant row, the two events set the season. One weekend is sold almost entirely to people with room keys. Everything around it is open to anyone who shows up.
Halloween is the last open weekend before the takeover
This post goes live on Thursday, October 29. That leaves one more stretch of fully public programming before the EDC crowd checks in.
Saturday, October 31 brings two options. Island H2O Live! closes out its family Halloween event, Island H-BOO!-O, that day from 10:30 AM to 5 PM. Admission starts at $39.50, season-pass holders get in free, and parking is $25 per vehicle if you book online ahead of time. That evening, the Sunset Walk Halloween Costume Contest runs from 6 to 10 PM. Admission, contestant registration and spectator parking are all free, and cash prizes of $600, $400 and $200 go to the top three.
Six days later, the same resort turns into something else.
What Hotel EDC keeps for its guests
Insomniac and its hospitality partner Vibee announced the Orlando debut on March 30, 2026. Their release says the property will be "completely reimagined through the visionary lens of EDC," with themed rooms, suites, villas and cottages, and that Hotel EDC is the festival's only official headliner hotel. Orlando Weekly covered the team-up the next day. Its report said pool-party and after-party access comes with the three-night stay.
For a local, the key fact is how the pass works. Vibee's event FAQ answers it directly:
"Margaritaville Resort Orlando restaurants, shops, and common areas will remain open to all, but Hotel EDC Orlando pool parties and activities are reserved for Hotel EDC Orlando guests only."
The same FAQ says Hotel EDC packages are not sold without a hotel room. There is no after-party-only ticket. Here is how that weekend divides:
- Guests only: EDC pool parties, the nightly official after-parties, wellness sessions with yoga and meditation, the glam station, the headliner merch pack, and daily food and beverage credits.
- Open to everyone: the resort's restaurants, shops and common areas, according to Vibee. Sunset Walk's own page tells EDC guests to try the Promenade's restaurants, which means the public dining strip will be shared with them all weekend.
Why the parties start at 11 PM
The festival itself is not at Margaritaville. EDC Orlando takes place at Tinker Field, 287 S. Tampa Ave. in downtown Orlando, where it has been held since its Orlando debut in 2011. Google Maps puts that 22.6 miles from Margaritaville Resort Orlando via I-4 West, about a 31-minute drive before traffic.
That distance explains the schedule. Package guests can add a round-trip shuttle pass to Tinker Field for $89, according to EDC Orlando's Hotel EDC page, then come back to Kissimmee after the festival. The official EDC Orlando site lists the festival for November 6 through 8. That matches the three after-party nights at the resort, Friday through Sunday, each running 11 PM to 6 AM. The Insomniac release gives November 6 through 9, which lines up with the hotel stay and Monday checkout.
Three official pages show three different starting prices for the package:
| Where it's listed | Starting price shown |
|---|---|
| Margaritaville Resort Orlando | $1,445 per person, three nights, double occupancy, tax and fees included |
| EDC Orlando's Hotel EDC page | $1,559 per person |
| Vibee, hotel-only package | $1,596.16 per person, $3,192.32 for two |
At about $1,445 to $1,596 per person, the pool scene is priced for people traveling in. A Windsor at Westside household that wants dinner on the Promenade that weekend can still get it, with more company than usual.
Ten days later, the same Promenade costs nothing
On Thursday, November 19, the Promenade opens Holiday Nights, which runs 6 to 10 PM. The schedule includes Santa and his elves, towering toy soldiers, the tree lighting at 6:30 PM every night, nightly "snow falls," s'mores fire pits, and live music. Admission and parking are free, the public is welcome, and Sunset Walk says the event is always pet-friendly. Two extras cost money. The Pearl Express train tour leaves from the "North Pole Roundabout" for $8 a ride, and the Pearl Express trampoline ride is $15.
Holiday Nights runs on select nights only, so it helps to have the full season in one place:
| Dates | What's happening at Margaritaville and Sunset Walk | Open to the public? |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Island H-BOO!-O final day; Costume Contest, 6–10 PM | Yes |
| Fri., Nov. 6 – Mon., Nov. 9 | Hotel EDC; after-parties Nov. 6–8, 11 PM–6 AM | Restaurants, shops and common areas only |
| Thu., Nov. 19 – Sun., Nov. 22 | Holiday Nights opening run | Yes, free |
| Fri., Nov. 27 – Sun., Nov. 29 | Holiday Nights, Thanksgiving weekend | Yes, free |
| Dec. 3–6 and Dec. 10–13 | Holiday Nights, Thursday through Sunday | Yes, free |
| Dec. 17–25 | Holiday Nights, every night through Christmas | Yes, free |
The schedule has a pattern. Thanksgiving falls on November 26, and Holiday Nights skips it, starting again the next evening. In early December the event runs Thursday through Sunday. From December 17 it runs nightly through Christmas, when out-of-town family is most likely to be visiting. Admission is free, but the event page warns that only tickets bought through Eventbrite will be honored and that there are no authorized third-party ticketing platforms. If the page asks for a reservation, use Eventbrite and no other site.
The weekday lunch that runs all season
Under both calendars, the Promenade keeps a standing deal for Florida residents. Lunch 4 Locals offers discounted lunch specials at participating restaurants, generally Monday through Thursday from 11 AM to 2 PM. Here is what each restaurant currently lists:
- Lizzie's BBQ: lunch items from $8 to $17, Florida resident ID required, Monday through Thursday, 11 AM to 2 PM.
- Rock & Brews: everything on the lunch menu for $12. Its offer page lists a longer window than the program overview, Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM.
- The Wharf: lunch specials from $12 to $16 with Florida resident ID, Monday through Thursday, 11 AM to 2 PM.
- Cowboy Chicken: selected $11 meals with one side and a regular drink, Monday through Thursday, 11 AM to 2 PM.
- SoFresh: 10% off the whole menu, Monday through Thursday, 11 AM to 2 PM.
- Bahama Buck's: $1 off an açaí bowl with Florida resident ID, Monday through Thursday until 2 PM.
Some of these offer pages were posted years ago, so check with the restaurant before you order. Because the deals run on weekdays, they mostly miss the busy dates on the calendar above. Hotel EDC is a weekend event, and Holiday Nights is in the evening.
Two storefronts to watch
One new tenant and one change are coming along this stretch of US-192. Positively Osceola reported on August 11 that Savvy Sliders and Fat Boy's Pizza plan a co-branded restaurant at 3298 Margaritaville Blvd. on the Promenade at Sunset Walk. The report said it was expected later in 2026 but gave no opening date.
A little farther along the highway, the Bahama Breeze at 8160 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. is on Darden's list of locations to be converted to another Darden brand, not the list slated to close, ClickOrlando reported. Darden's February 3, 2026 announcement estimated 12 to 18 months for those conversions and said the restaurants should keep operating until a conversion requires a temporary closure. For now, the restaurant's location page still shows it open, with hours from 11 AM to midnight.
If you own at Windsor at Westside and rent to guests, the Hotel EDC weekend and the Holiday Nights calendar are useful details for your guest welcome notes this season. Pristine International Realty can help you put together a November guide for your property, in English or Portuguese. Request a free consultation on WhatsApp, and we'll go over the dates that matter for your bookings.
