Winter Took the Scenic Route.
Somewhere between the North Pole and Miami, winter apparently lost its sense of direction. Fortunately, it found a much more interesting destination.
For Jungle Bells, the creative challenge wasn't simply decorating a tropical attraction for the holidays. It was persuading two seemingly incompatible worlds to share the same imagination—without asking either to surrender its personality.
Jungle Island already had what most holiday productions would spend a fortune trying to manufacture: extraordinary vegetation, exotic wildlife, winding pathways, and an atmosphere of discovery. The design opportunity was to make those existing qualities part of the seasonal storytelling.
The 2014 design proposal explored a collection of theatrical destinations, from the Frozen Everglades and Santa's Village to Flamingo Island, Reindeer Games, and the Entrance to Snow. Each offered a different encounter with the unexpected, using scenic installations, atmospheric lighting, playful contrasts, and environmental effects to transform the familiar into something delightfully improbable.
The underlying idea was surprisingly simple: nature didn't need to disappear beneath the decorations. It could become the principal performer.
After all, anyone can bring winter to a theme park.
It takes a little more imagination to make winter go wild in Miami.