Christmas at Universal Orlando: How to plan the perfect holiday season trip

5 days ago 7

We all want to cherish the Christmas magic, but it's not always easy to do when faced with a whirlwind of planning, shopping, cooking and end-of-year logistics. Sometimes the magic is easier to capture when you step out of your normal life for a minute and into somewhere different — like a theme park that pulls out all the stops during the holiday season.

This year's holiday festivities at Universal Orlando run from Nov. 22 through Dec. 31, and every corner of Universal's theme parks and on-site hotels are decked out in holiday finery. There are some moments that could make the Grinch's heart grow a few sizes, including a variety of concerts, shows, character breakfasts, holiday parades and a chance to meet Whoville's most notorious resident himself.

Christmas at Universal Studios Florida

Universal Orlando has a great setup that makes it easy to explore three adjacent complexes: Universal Studios (ticket required), Universal Islands of Adventure (ticket required) and Universal CityWalk (no ticket required). The ease of walking from one spot to the next is key to making the most of your holiday trip to Universal. There's even a tree-lined walking path that connects several of the hotels to the parks and CityWalk. You can also take advantage of complimentary boat and bus transportation. (Options vary by hotel.)

Each year, Universal creates a themed Holiday Tribute Store at Universal Studios Florida, but it's much more than a store. Yes, you can purchase holiday gifts, clothing and treats, but each room of the Holiday Tribute Store is so well-themed that it is basically an immersive walk-through attraction.

If you've ever looked closely at the Christmas tree in Universal Studios Orlando, you may have noticed a tiny stuffed squirrel peeking out from its branches. This little guy actually has a name — Earl the Squirrel — and he's a bit of a legend at Universal.

One year, while Universal's team was unpacking the decorations to prepare for the holidays, they noticed some of the lights in the tree weren't working. They eventually found that a squirrel had made a nest inside the tree and chewed through some of the wires. Some time later, someone stuck a small stuffed squirrel in the Christmas tree as a joke.

Earl may have begun as an inside joke, but he is now a full-fledged celebrity at Universal. Not only can you find merchandise dedicated to Earl the Squirrel, but he is now so popular that Universal introduced him as a walk-around character that you can meet during the holidays. Look for him at Universal Studios Florida and CityWalk.

Universal's Holiday Parade Featuring Macy's

Universal Studios hosts Universal's Holiday Parade Featuring Macy's every day during the holiday season. Think of it as a daily mini version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade features characters from "Despicable Me," "Shrek" and "Madagascar," as well as classic holiday characters like nutcrackers, gingerbread men and, of course, Santa.

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You can usually get a good spot on the sidewalk if you line up about 15 minutes before showtime, but if you want a coveted bench spot, you'll need to arrive at least 30 minutes before the parade.

Annual passholders have a special first-come, first-served viewing area in front of Mel's Drive-In, near where the parade starts.

The street performers do a great job interacting with the crowd, and you'll likely spot several of them out during the day at Universal Studios doing meet and greets and stopping for photos with kids and families. There's even a magical Central Florida snowfall during the parade.

Visit Harry Potter this Yule season

Another reason to visit Universal for the holiday season is to experience Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Walking through this magical world is cool any day, but doing it when it's decked out for the holidays? Next level.

For those uninitiated in all things Potter, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal is in both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You either need a Park-to-Park ticket to visit both sections on the same day, or you need two single-park tickets to visit each place on different days. Really, you probably want Park-to-Park tickets as that is the only way to ride the Hogwarts Express train, which is a fantastic experience any time of year.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogsmeade at Island of Adventure

Start with a trip to Hogsmeade within Islands of Adventure, home to two of Universal's newest rides: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Wait times for those rides, even during the offseason, can be long (though not as long as when the attraction first opened and waits hit 11 hours).

No matter when you visit, it's wintertime in Hogsmeade, but that feels extra appropriate around the holidays. Universal throws in pine boughs, wreaths and twinkling lights at every turn to make the season all the merrier.

Take time to see a special Christmas version of the Frog Choir show and listen to hits by Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees while sipping a hot butterbeer.

After perhaps another butterbeer (or something less sweet) at Hog's Head, consider staking out a spot for the land's nighttime show: The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle. This cool presentation unfolds several times between dusk and park closing, and it features projections, lights and lasers on the castle.

You'll see hologram-like spirits and owls, snow, dancing lights, scenes with your favorite characters, holiday scenery and more. All of it is choreographed to the musical themes you've come to love from each movie. It's really magical — the type of experience that makes the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Did Universal use technology to pull off this amazing show, or could it have been magic? I say magic.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley

Over at Universal Studios Florida, head to "London" so you can enter Diagon Alley.

The entrance to Diagon Alley is built to make you feel as if you're entering another world. This themed area is also transformed for the holidays with festive decor and twinkling lights.

While wandering around Diagon Alley, it's entertaining to look in the shops and watch kids with wands work some pretty cool magic.

You can purchase interactive or noninteractive wands at the theme parks or online before your trip. I recommend buying the interactive one so you can cast spells and interact with magical experiences in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. There are some especially fun spells to cast in Knockturn Alley.

Make a point to see two shows here: The Tales of the Beedle the Bard puppetry performance and a holiday version of Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees. You may even bear witness to a magical snowfall during the show.

If you're visiting during the daytime, be sure to return at dusk to see all the lights turn on and get the complete holiday vibe from Harry Potter's London.

Season's greetings at Islands of Adventure

There are also plenty of holiday events taking place at Islands of Adventure.

If your kids are Dr. Seuss fans, then a visit to Seuss Landing is in order. It has a bunch of kid-friendly rides that also welcome adults. Don't be surprised if you see more adults than kids in The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride — in fact, it's an all-ages favorite.

The holidays shine in Seuss Landing, especially if you can catch one of The Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular shows.

The Grinch stars in the show — a retelling of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" — with music by Mannheim Steamroller. You can catch a performance several times a day. Do yourself a favor, though, and go to a show after dusk. Seuss Landing probably has the most Christmas decorations of any land throughout both Universal theme parks, and it just sparkles at night — adding a bit more razzle-dazzle to showtime.

Holiday add-ons to make your visit even merrier

If you want to guarantee some one-on-one time with the Grinch and his Whovillian neighbors or get VIP access to The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle and the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular, Universal has two add-on offerings that will put the bow on your holiday experience.

Universal's Holiday Tour

Universal's Holiday Tour will get you exclusive access to some of Universal's most popular holiday offerings, along with some fun surprises along the way. Tickets start at $79.99 plus tax per person. Advance reservations and a valid park-to-park ticket are also required. Included in the tour are the following:

Exclusive meet and greets with the Grinch and his dog, Max
Reserved seating for the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular
Snacks and desserts
A private meet and greet with Santa
Priority access to Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast
An after-hours showing of The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle

The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast

At The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast, you can start your day with the mean, green man himself and some of his friends. The breakfast is at Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous in Universal Islands of Adventure, inside Seuss Landing. You'll enjoy a tasty breakfast, along with some face time and photo opportunities with the characters.

Ticket prices start at $58.99 per person plus tax for adults and $32.99 for children ages 3-9. Advance reservations and a valid Islands of Adventure ticket are required.

Universal's hotels are decorated for the holidays

Let's start with where your Universal Orlando vacation may begin: an on-site hotel. You can expect whatever halls you stay in near the theme parks to be appropriately decked for the season.

For example, when you arrive at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, you'll be greeted by a Christmas tree in the lobby that's so tall it barely fits under the lighting fixtures. Throughout the season, Santa and Mrs. Claus even stop by to greet guests, and carolers perform for guests passing through the lobby.

In addition to Santa and strolling carolers, look for specialty menu items, Hanukkah menorah and Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, kids' holiday crafts and more at all Universal Orlando hotels.

If you've been looking for a fun way to spend New Year's Eve, the hotels also typically host New Year's Eve parties.

Use points to visit Universal Orlando

No matter what day of the year you visit, Universal Orlando tickets are not cheap — and neither are the on-site hotels like Loews Portofino Bay. However, you can earn and use points to make the trip more affordable by booking on-site Universal hotels either within the Amex Travel portal, Chase Travel portal or the Citi ThankYou travel portal.

Say you book your stay at Portofino Bay via the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program to get the breakfast, food and beverage credit, and more. Then, you can earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar by booking and paying via Amex Travel with The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Bottom line

Universal Orlando is a wonderful spot to celebrate the holiday season. On top of the fun and excitement you can experience all year long, Universal's festive decor, treats and entertainment make visiting during the holidays even more thrilling.

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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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