The Top 5 Favorite Christmas Movies In Florida – #1 Came Out This Year

It's the holiday season which means it's time to snuggle up on the couch and watch some Christmas classics. Doesn't matter if it's your favorite holiday or not, we all have a favorite Christmas movie, some may not be able to narrow it down to just one. We recently found a list of the favorite Christmas movies by state and were shocked to find out what Florida's favorite is. Keep reading to see which holiday flick is Florida's favorite.

Hubscore recently released a study of each state's favorite Christmas movies. They noticed Christmas movie preferences vary from state to state. How did they conduct this study? They delved into America's diverse preferences by analyzing public data on favorite Christmas movies. Some of these metrics include movie reviews, scores/ratings, and public opinions.

Some key notes:

Most states are fans of the Home Alone movies, with 8 states favoriting the first movie, and 9 states favoriting the sequel. Two states had a favorite film that no other state agreed with. Nebraska was the only state to favor the film The Polar Express. And Ohio was the only state to favor the classic Christmas movie A Christmas Story.

Florida seems to be on the more violent side of films. Violent Night, Home Alone, and Die Hard all made the top 5 of Florida's favorite Christmas movies. Also included in the top 5 is The Nightmare Before Christmas. What we thought was interesting was Florida's #1 favorite Christmas movie came out this year (and we've never heard of it). Coming in at number 1 for favorite Christmas movies in Florida is Exmas. Not only is Exmas Florida's favorite film, it ranked #1 in other states including Georgia, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

For those like us who have never seen the film (because it came out in November of this year). It's about a man who flies home to surprise his family for Christmas to find out they've invited his ex-fiancé. The two then compete to see who the family favors more and will be kicked out of the Christmas traditions. The film stars Leighton Meester (known for her role on Gossip Girl) and Robbie Amell (known for the film The DUFF).

Looking for some ways to get into the holiday spirit without breaking the bank? You've come to the right place! One of our favorite holiday traditions is driving around neighborhoods in the Tampa metro area to see some of the best Christmas lights displays. Scroll down to see our favorite neighborhoods.

There are plenty of events and options to see some dazzling Christmas displays. But keep in mind how much you'll have to pay to get in and how much you'll spend on holiday-themed drinks, snacks, etc. Some families work for days to get their houses lit up beautifully for the holidays. Why not take advantage of the free Christmas light displays around the Tampa Bay area? If driving around isn't enough for you, we have the must-see holiday events guide here. 

We have a lot of non-traditional holiday celebrations in Tampa. While many other cities can take advantage of winter-themed celebrations, we have to get creative in the Sunshine State. Light-up boat parades are one of the more popular Florida Christmas events, you can see Christmas sand sculptures or make "sand angels". And all of our theme parks transform into a holiday paradise.  Here are some unique ways you can spend your Christmas day in Tampa.

When driving around the area gazing at lights, remember to respect the privacy of the families in their houses. Try not to park in front of their yard or ask them to keep their displays on longer. Also, keep in mind some families might turn off their displays when it's raining. We got our inspiration for this list from a Reddit thread and added a few of our favorites.

You could spend hours just admiring the houses along Bayshore Blvd and in Hyde Park, but during the holidays it's another level. The best street is South Boulevard between Swann and Bayshore.

The neighborhoods of Lake Park Estates, Wieker, Lakeside Estates, and Lake Seminole Village, generously decorate their homes and yards with over 3.0 miles of Christmas Lights and Decorations for the public to enjoy. Donations are accepted at the Suncoast Hospice Cart located along the route. 100% of the donations are provided to Suncoast Hospice to support their community activities. Find more info here.

This Palm Harbor neighborhood has been going all out for the holidays for YEARS! You can drive down any street in this neighborhood and find all of the houses decked out in lights.

The St Petersburg Oakdale neighborhood has been putting on this nationally recognized Christmas display for 46 YEARS! They have 500,000 lights, fantastic 18 Train HO Scale Model Railroad and more! They'll be open from Friday November 24, 2023 to January 3, 2024. Click here for more info.

This neighborhood in Temple Terrace starts decorating for Christmas in SEPTEMBER! So you know the stroll through the neighborhood is worth it.

Address: 7804 River Ridge Dr Temple Terrace, FL 33637

This Tampa neighborhood goes all out every year for the holidays. Drive by houses with decked out lights, inflatables, and a light show tuned to a radio station!

Any Tampa local knows all about the Chick-Fil-A on Waters Ave in Town n' Country. Every year this stores Christmas lights display gets bigger and bigger. We can't wait to see what they do this year!