There’s never a bad time to visit a theme park, but the best time might be the winter holiday season. While theme parks open in November and December aren’t usually found in places where you’re going to have a white Christmas, it’s amazing what a little decoration and music can do to put you in the right frame of mind, and Universal’s parks in Florida and California are both gearing up for another amazing season.
This year will see the return of popular favorites to both Universal Orlando Resort (like the icon Earl the Squirrel) and Universal Studios Hollywood, like Grinchmas and a Christmas-themed Wizarding World, but a number of new additions will be joining the festivities as well. Here’s a look at everything coming to Universal Destinations and Experiences this holiday season.
Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is still the flagship attraction at any Universal park, and there’s something truly wonderful about seeing Hogsmeade covered in a layer of snow while drinking a warm cup of Butterbeer. The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle light show will return at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal's Islands of Adventure again this year. We’ll also see the return of the Frog Choir performances at both parks.
Universal Studios Florida’s Diagon Alley will also get in on the holiday festivities, with performances from Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees.
Grinchmas (Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood)
Another mainstay of Universal’s Holiday offerings is the annual Grinchmas celebration. The Dr. Seuss character will be on hand at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal’s Islands of Adventure at Seuss Landing, and the Grinch is always good for a laugh. Each park will also present the classic story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas in different ways. In Orlando, The Grinchma Who-liday Spectacular will present a live performance version of the story, while Universal Hollywood will have Cindy-Lou Who on hand to read the story, prior to a meet-and-greet with Cindy-Lou herself.
Each park will also have a few other exclusive offerings. A Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast will be available on select dates at Islands of Adventure. In California, there'll be all-new musical performances from Who-ville musical sensations, and the Who-Bee Doo-Wops will be available, as will a kid’s craft area where ornaments can be designed to adorn the Grinchmas tree.
Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s (Universal Studios Florida)
There’s nothing quite like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as a way to launch the Christmas season, but even before it makes its way through the streets of New York, a parade sponsored by the retailer will travel down the streets of Universal Studios Florida. Featuring iconic Macy’s balloons, as well as balloons and floats inspired by many of the same Dreamworks characters that are about to come to the park in a big way, this one should be fun.
Mannheim Steamroller (Universal Studios Florida)
Manheim Steamroller is one of the most popular holiday musical acts in history, so they will certainly be a huge draw when they make their annual trip to Universal Studios Florida. The group will only be on hand for four dates: December 2, 3, 9 and 10, so if you want to catch them, be sure to plan ahead.
Universal CityWalk (Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood)
If you’re taking a break from any of the parks, you still won't need to miss out on the holiday fun, as Universal CityWalk will have plenty of inspired food and beverage on hand. The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is promising a new seasonal milkshake, and Voodoo Doughnut is sure to have some unique baked goods as well. In fact, you can expect most locations to have special holiday fare that will be worth checking out.
Universal Orlando Resort Hotels
While Universal Studios Hollywood may be working toward its first resort hotel, Universal Orlando Resort has several to choose from, and each is offering a variety of special events for the season. From Christmas tree and Hanukkah Menorah lighting ceremonies, to special holiday meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas, to New Year’s Eve parties, there’s enough to keep you entertained, and well-fed, all season long.
Universal Holiday Tour (Universal Orlando Resort)
If the list of offerings at Universal Orlando Resort sounds like your kind of fun, but you really want to avoid the crowds, a special Univeral Holiday Tour is available to give you a little bit of everything, but without the wait. It includes special meet-and-greet opportunities with both the Grinch and Santa, reserved seating for the Grinchmas™ Who-liday Spectacular, and a special after-hours showing of The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle. In addition, you’ll be able to sample at least some of the food and get priority access to one (pre-selected) attraction. For $80 a person, it’s at least worth considering.
Annual Pass Holder Offerings
If you’re an Annual Passholder at either Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood, the parks have some special gifts available for you. In Orlando, you can get discounts on both the Holiday Tour and the Grinchmas breakfast. There is a special passholder-only viewing area for the Holiday parade, as well as special passholder food and drinks at both the parks and the hotels. UOAPs also will get early access to the Holiday Tribute Store on November 9.
At Universal Studios Hollywood, Annual Passholders have a chance to enjoy the park itself without the rest of the crowds, as part of the Holiday Park Takeover, November 28 and 29 from 7-11 p.m.
The hardest part is going to be experiencing everything in the park, along with all the other excellent attractions that are there the rest of the year. Universal Orlando is running a cool ticket offer that will give you free days in the park, which might be needed to see and do everything.
Things are only going to get more exciting from here. There's only going to be one more holiday season before Universal opens Epic Universe, and when that happens we can expect the third gate to drop a lot of new holiday experiences on us.
