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Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort
Christmas season at Universal Orlando is my FAVORITE time of the year at Universal. (I had to capitalize, bold, and italicize that one for the most emphasis possible because it is that important to me!) If you have read any of my other Universal blogs, then you already know that every other season fails in comparison to Christmas for two reasons… Christmas lights, and the, the, THE Grinch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzAs_afEc0A
The Grinch That Stole Christmas has been a Christmas staple in my house ever since I was a little kid. (And no, we won’t talk about how long that has been…). Long story short, the Grinch has always been a favorite of mine. Imagine my surprise the first time I went to Universal Orlando during Christmas season and got to meet the Grinch himself!
The Grinch is available for meet and greets in Suess Landing. Speaking of Seuss Landing… once the park gets dark and Seuss Landing lights up like one big Christmas tree… IT IS GORGEOUS. I love Christmas lights. I will drive for hours and pay to go look at Christmas lights. Universal Orlando does not hold back on the amount of Christmas lights they put up in Suess Landing. One of my favorite things to do on my way out of the park is to walk back through Suess Landing to just admire all the Christmas lights in the otherwise dark park. (Side note, the only thing that makes this experience better is to be drinking a hot butterbeer. Read about the different types of butterbeer here.)
The Grinch is not only at Universal’s Islands of Adventure just to look pretty. He’s there to perform in the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular! The Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular is a live show starring everyone’s favorite stars of the classic, the Grinch, and the Whos! This family favorite will have everyone in the Christmas spirit by the end of the show.
Even though Grinchmas is my favorite part of the Holidays at Universal Orlando, you can also celebrate Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The Hogwarts Castle in Hogsmeade in Universal’s Islands of Adventure is lit up with a special Christmas display at night. The light show on the castle is a must see! Last year, I got to watch a special show after park closing as a part of the Christmas Holiday Tour, and it was spectacular! (More about the tour later.) Don’t forget while you are in Hogsmeade to grab your hot butterbeer.
If you’re like me, another holiday staple to kick off the Christmas season is watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I watch the parade every year, and every year I think next year will be the year I go to NYC for Thanksgiving. (That hasn’t happened yet, but now that it’s out there publicly, I feel like it’s a challenge!) If you can’t make it to NYC to watch the parade, the next best thing is Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s! It is so fun to watch the large balloons of our favorite characters being paraded down the streets of Universal Studios while listening to Christmas music! The parade is capped off with Santa stopping to light up the Christmas tree, and it is an awe-inducing moment. If you have not experienced a parade at Universal Orlando, you are missing out! Universal Orlando does a spectacular job with their parades, and the Christmas one doesn’t disappoint.
After the parade, you can end your night with a special live concert, on select nights only, from Manheim Steamroller! If the Grinch, the parade, or Santa hasn’t put you in the Christmas spirit, an hour of Christmas tunes will do the trick. I love Manheim Steamroller, and their music is only better with the sight of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit taking off behind them. If you can plan your Holiday vacation around a date that includes a concert, I highly recommend it; it is included in your park admission.
Universal’s Holiday Tour is a VIP Christmas experience. I was fortunate enough to take this tour last year, and I LOVED it! The tour is an additional cost and is only on select nights. Last year it did sell out so you will want to book your dates early. Last year’s tour included a meet and greet and printed picture with Santa, cookies and meet and greet with the Grinch, a private after-hours viewing of the light show on Hogwarts Castle, a VIP viewing area to watch the parade, and a Christmas ornament! The Holiday Tour is a newer offering added to the Holiday lineup at Universal Orlando and was slightly different in 2021 than it was in 2020. We don’t have any information yet about what it will look like in 2022, but I am confident it will be a great time. I will be looking for tickets myself as soon as the dates are announced!
If the idea of Grinchmas, Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s, a Manheim Steamroller concert, and a hot butterbeer put you in a Holiday spirit already, then you will want to book your Holiday vacation at Universal Orlando. To book your Universal Orlando Resort vacation, contact your Pineapple Escapes agent or email us at info@pineappleescapes.com Many of our agents are annual passholders to Universal Orlando and would love to help you plan your Holiday vacation. I’ll even throw in a hot butterbeer on me.
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