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Home / Blog / Theme Park Tips & Planning / A ~Froggy~ Festive Guide to Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort — 2024 Dates Announced!

A ~Froggy~ Festive Guide to Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort — 2024 Dates Announced!

by Mommy Frog on July 9, 2024
6431 Orlando

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What better way to bring together minions, wizards, toys and more than during Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort? Even the Grinch can't resist the cheer. After all, the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year (right?!)! During the holiday season, from Nov. 22 to Dec. 31, Grinchmas and Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter spread holiday cheer throughout Seuss Landing, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Much of the main entertainment returns year after year, but we always notice new details in the decor to keep things fresh. The Universal Orlando Christmas events are included with regular Universal Orlando admission.

Universal Orlando Christmas - Whoville Citizens

Overview of the Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort

With terrific temperatures, decadent decor, scrumptious snacks and endless entertainment, the holiday season is truly the most wonderful time of the year at Universal Orlando Resort. From the theme parks to the hotels, you'll find jolly festivities everywhere you go. That means you don't even need a park ticket to partake in the resort-wide celebrations!

Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Universal Orlando Christmas - Hogwarts Express

You know that feeling you get when you watch a "Harry Potter" movie with your family while drinking hot cocoa on a snowy winter night? That's the feeling you'll get when you see Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal Orlando goes all out with the level of detail. Hogsmeade in Universal Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida both feature festive Christmas decorations — including garland and lights — along the buildings and streets of the Wizarding World.

Be sure to take a closer look at the decorations outside of each storefront! For instance, Madam Malkin's in Diagon Alley sports pink ribbon bows that match the color of Hermione's Yule Ball dress in the display window. The London waterfront is also decked out in traditional Christmas lights and garland as if you've magically been transported to the city itself. We highly recommend visiting during the day so you can notice all of the small details and returning at night to see everything lit up!

Universal Orlando Christmas - Frog Choir

Our fellow froggies, the Frog Choir, perform special concerts in Hogsmeade with Christmas songs straight from the spell books, as well as muggle holiday tunes such as "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Inside Diagon Alley, Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees get in the holiday spirit with a special show. Listen for four original songs, including the super-catchy "My Baby Gave Me a Hippogriff for Christmas." These shows tend to not draw crowds until they've already started. Every view is good, but even if you only arrive five minutes early, you can still sit down on the ground right next to the stage.

Universal Orlando Holidays - The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle

The true showstopper of Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the projection-mapping show on Hogwarts Castle. "The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle" is eight minutes long and plays intermittently from dusk until park close each night. Muggles and wizards alike will be absolutely dazzled to see the castle come alive! There are breathtaking scenes with Hogwarts students dancing at the Yule Ball, Arthur Weasley's flying Ford Anglia plowing into snowmen and more! Even if you aren't a fan of the usual Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle show, we recommend catching the Christmas show. It's gorgeous and captures the unique holiday fun you see in the "Harry Potter" films. We're so hoppy it's returning once again this year!

Grinchmas at Universal Islands of Adventure

Universal Orlando Christmas - Grinch

It wouldn't be Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort without Grinchmas! Seuss Landing is the most spectacularly decorated of them all, with so many baubles and tinsel wrapped around just about everything.

The viral verdant sourpuss himself will arrive at Universal Islands of Adventure for some holiday fun, as well! The green guy brings his signature snark during a special meet and greet in his lair at Honk Honkers. Last year, the meet and greet used a standby queue. Because of The Grinch's superstardom, we saw wait times go up to 180 minutes. However, on opening day, we got in line at 3:45 p.m. when the wait time was reading 100 minutes. Luckily, we only ended up waiting an hour!

Meanwhile, Who-ville citizens are usually out and about, walking through the land or strolling through The Street of the Lifted Lorax. On opening day, we saw the majority of them gathered by the entrance of Seuss Landing near Port of Entry. All of them will hoppily pose for photos with you!

Universal Orlando Christmas - Who-liday Spectacular

One of our favorite holiday offerings, though, is the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular! In this whoot of a show, talented performers bring the Seuss favorite to life through song and dance. If you'd like to attend, plan to be in line at least 30 minutes ahead of showtime, even if there aren't huge crowds. You do need to walk a fair distance to the theater where it takes place (a space that was previously occupied by Blue Man Group). While definitely a tadpole-centric show, it's still a blast for any fans of the Grinch, who spits out hilarious one-liners. (And OMG ... Max is played by an adorable, live dog. What a good boy!)

Epic Holiday Offerings & Entertainment at Universal Orlando Resort

Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's

Universal Orlando Holidays - Santa in the Holiday Parade

The highlight of Christmas at Universal Orlando (for us, at least!) is Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's. You can catch some of your favorite Universal characters making holiday mischief, including the minions, Shrek and more. And of course, jolly ol' Santa typically makes an appearance at the parade's finale to light up the Christmas tree.

Universal Orlando Christmas - Shrek and Fiona in Universal's Holiday Parade

If you want a prime spot for Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's in front of the tree, get in place at least an hour early on busy nights. This is especially true on weekends. Our favorite spot is usually across the street from the tree next to Revenge of the Mummy. From this spot, you can watch as Santa lights the tree. Since the parade begins near Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show and starts its journey down the streets of Hollywood, you'll first see the parade about 15 minutes after the official start time. The parade kicks off daily at 5:30 p.m., weather permitting.

Annual passholders can enjoy a reserved viewing area in front of Mel's Drive-In Restaurant, which opens up about an hour before the parade, and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have little ones under 10, there's a Lil Stars viewing area in front of the Brown Derby Hat Shop in Hollywood.

Earl the Squirrel Meet and Greet

Universal Orlando Holidays - Earl the Squirrel

Earl the Squirrel comes out of his hiding spot in the big Christmas tree to meet guests near the directly across from Cafe La Bamba! You can confirm his meeting times in the Universal app, though typically he'll be out about once an hour from 9:15 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. 

Festive Food and Drinks During the Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Orlando Christmas - Hot Butterbeer

Drinking Butterbeer is a must-do whenever you visit the Universal parks (did you know there are six different versions?). While you can now get hot Butterbeer year-round, there's no better time to enjoy a delicious cup than when the temperature starts dropping. Think more along the lines of hot chocolate (but butterscotch) rather than a carbonated cream soda, which is what the classic, cold Butterbeer tastes like. You can find it inside The Leaky Cauldron, Three Broomsticks, Hog's Head Pub and The Hopping Pot.

Universal Orlando Christmas - Grinch Cookie

All around Universal Orlando Resort, there are specially-themed holiday food and beverages! We loved getting our hands on yummy offerings such as Earl's Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Acorn Bomb (at Hot Treats in Battery Park), the Turkey Dinner Sandwich (at Yule Enjoy in Battery Park) and the Letters to Santa Holiday Shake (at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen). We were also so frogcited to dig into some verdant Grinch-themed treats in Seuss Landing — such as the frog-favorite Grinch cookies — and sip some specialty nog cocktails!

Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

Any time of year, we absolutely love staying on-site at Universal's fabulous resort hotels, but especially during the holidays. Expect all of the Universal Orlando hotels to be decked out for the holidays, and look out for tree and menorah lightings. Plus enjoy all the trimmings at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The hotels even offer specially ticketed buffets. Some of the hotel holiday celebrations include live music, hula dancers, balloon artists and even bowling.

Universal Orlando Christmas - Cabana Bay Beach Resort Christmas Tree

If you want to experience the Universal Christmas events during the busiest times, we highly recommend purchasing Universal Express Passes no matter where you stay. You can save money when you purchase this add-on to theme park admission for regular Universal Express (which gives you access one time per participating ride) or Universal Express Unlimited. If you stay on-site at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal's Hard Rock Hotel or Loews Royal Pacific Resort, you'll receive the Unlimited Express benefit for all of your party for your entire length of stay. Watch out for the expected busiest days using our Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar. We recommend purchasing Universal Express the week of Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day and on weekends. We cannot underestimate this benefit!

Universal Orlando Christmas - Loews Royal Pacific Resort

If you can't shell out for the Universal Express hotels, jump over to Universal's Cabana Bay Beach ResortUniversal's Endless Summer - Surfside Inn and Suites or Universal's Endless Summer - Dockside Inn and Suites. While they don't offer Unlimited Express, these hotels (and all of Universal's hotels) offer one-hour early admission to a select park. If you stay on-site, you can get a hop on experiencing Christmas in the Wizarding World's holiday magic with Early Park Admission! What's even more magical is to book your Universal Orlando hotel room at a discount, so hop to it!

New Year's Eve at Universal Orlando Resort

If you're looking for something to do when the clock strikes midnight, Universal Orlando offers several different ways to ring in the new year. Ring in the New Year with festivities at CityWalk and throughout the theme parks — which will both be open through midnight on Dec. 31.

Additionally, all of the hotels will host a special New Year's Eve or New Year's Day meal. Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort even hosts a New Year's Eve Spectacular that includes face painting, a balloon artist and a live DJ. This event is complimentary for Cabana Bay Beach guests only. Portofino Bay and the Hard Rock Hotel will also host their own parties.

Our Top Tips for the Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Orlando Christmas - Dapper Winter CityWalk

With so much hoppening at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure during the holidays, you may be wondering, "Which ticket should I get?" We're very big fans of the Park-to-Park option. With the two parks so close together, it's easy to hop back and forth. The Park-to-Park option offers maximum flexibility to enjoy it all. And it's the only way to experience the Hogwarts Express. So if you want to experience Christmas in the Wizarding World at Hogsmeade and then hop right over to extend the merry in Diagon Alley, you'll need the Park-to-Park ticket.

If you're planning to see all of the holiday festivities in both parks on one day, get a viewing spot for the Holiday Parade in Universal Studios right in front of Universal Orlando's Horror Make-Up Show. That's where the parade starts, so by the time the last float passes you, you'll have just enough time to speed-hop over and catch the castle show in Islands of Adventure before the park closes without being blocked off by the parade route! We recommend walking through CityWalk in front of Hard Rock Cafe Orlando and The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen instead of waiting for the Hogwarts Express.

If you need some palm trees and sun with your Christmas vacation, you'll need to find it poolside this season. Universal Volcano Bay water theme park is usually open in the winter. Don't let the time of year trick you. It's still plenty warm in sunny Florida (especially for you snowbirds) and the hotel pools are heated. (Check out all of our discount Universal Orlando ticket options, and don't froget, we offer discounts on the Universal Orlando hotels too!)

Ready for Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort this holiday season? Pick the best dates to visit using our Orlando Crowd Calendar. Check out our Orlando planning timeline for a stress-free family vacation during the holidays at Universal Orlando Resort and other destinations. And be sure to add Universal Express Passes to your tickets to skip the lines!

Related: Complete Guide to Universal Orlando Events

Hoppy planning!

Keep hopping, Mommy Frog!
View Comments

Comments

Nov 21, 2017 at 1:28 a.m.
Meagan Nelms Says...

I would LOVE to spend the holidays at Universal. That would be so awesome.

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:27 a.m.
Melody Says...

Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:26 a.m.
Whitney Says...

So sad I won't get to see it this season but I'm excited to see it next year!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:24 a.m.
Nancy T Says...

Lumos!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:16 a.m.
Katrina Marsiglia Says...

I love you guys !!!! Great place to get tickets from and super helpful ...I tell everyone to use you !

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:14 a.m.
MrsMomVA Says...

nice!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:14 a.m.
Aaron L. Says...

Great blog! I love universal!!!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:13 a.m.
Alyssia Byers Says...

So cool!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:11 a.m.
Lucy Says...

My husband and I went for our honeymoon back in Nov 2013. Best time of our lives! We'll be going back again next November for our 5 year anniversary!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:11 a.m.
CayVel Says...

Schweet!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:09 a.m.
Calpster Says...

I'm here to chew bubblegum and get an extra entry... and I'm all out of bubblegum..

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:08 a.m.
dvsweeper Says...

The Blueman group was a great show.

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:07 a.m.
Dennis Says...

Tried Undercover Tourist before and it really did help me save on Disney and Universal tickets, thanks again!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:07 a.m.
Shelby Says...

Looks amazing!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:05 a.m.
Stephen M Says...

Didn’t realize there was so much going on at Universal for Christmas!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:05 a.m.
mg Says...

Thanks for the info!!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:05 a.m.
Nick Says...

Looks like this year's trip will be in January 2018 but hopefully I'll sneak in another trip December 2018. It's been far too long since I've done an Orlando Christmas!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:04 a.m.
Tammy Hepker Says...

Such great information!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:04 a.m.
J stump Says...

Awesome guide

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:04 a.m.
Stephanie Weber Says...

Looks amazing!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:03 a.m.
jbjbjb Says...

WOW, I learned a lot from this article. This is a really good blog!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 1:03 a.m.
Jamie Stweart Says...

Love the crowd calendar!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:55 a.m.
Cory Stanley-Stahr Says...

Sweet!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:55 a.m.
HockeymomDeb Says...

Nothing more magical than Orlando parks leading up to the holidays - would love to take my son back for his graduating year this year before he moves away from home

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:55 a.m.
Amber C Says...

Awesome!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:54 a.m.
Cheladal90 Says...

Awesome!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:54 a.m.
Darren Cooley Says...

We would love to visit during the holidays!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:52 a.m.
Erin F Says...

I can not wait to see this all in person!!!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:52 a.m.
Tara Says...

It looks like so much fun! Great info.

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:51 a.m.
Krista Corcoran Says...

It’s a dream to see this during Christmas!!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:51 a.m.
Cindy Says...

Love this useful information ... more please !

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:51 a.m.
kevin Says...

Very Cool!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:49 a.m.
Mommy Bear Says...

Just visited in November and will be back in January with the grandkids!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:47 a.m.
Stacy Smith Says...

I can't wait to see Hogwarts at Christmas! This blog has me thinking it's time to plan a holiday trip!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:46 a.m.
Patricia Kuzdzal Says...

Awesome !!!!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:45 a.m.
Paula Says...

This looks like a great way to spend the holidays!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:44 a.m.
Pajeda Says...

I recently planned my Orlando vacation through undercover tourist and didn't have any problems; we saved so much money! Wishing we could be there for Christmas. Maybe next year ❤️

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:43 a.m.
Jessica Brigle Says...

Hot butter beer is not to be missed!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:42 a.m.
Becky Says...

Love undercover tourist!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:41 a.m.
Lindsay VanHorn Says...

Love this sight. Saved me hundreds on my last visit to Disney.

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:39 a.m.
CHESTER Says...

I got the best deals here and can't wait to go back to my favorite vacation spot next month. Universal Studios here I come thanks to the undercover tourist!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:39 a.m.
ANA GONZALEZ OJEDA Says...

It would be a dream to come back and live all the full experience in Christmas.

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:38 a.m.
nl Says...

Can't wait for our upcoming trip!!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:38 a.m.
Cathy Says...

Helpful information for our upcoming trip.

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:36 a.m.
David Says...

awesome blog! Definitely following!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:34 a.m.
Patricia Stoudt Says...

I would love to visit Universal. Haven’t been there since Harry Potter !

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:30 a.m.
suzgal Says...

Excited to enjoy Thanksgiving in Orlando! Hope to win the Universal sweepstake prize! Thanks for adding me to the hopper - Happy Holidays to everybody! :)

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:29 a.m.
kathleen decicco Says...

I've lived in Tampa for 2 years now, and I haven't gotten to Orlando yet! This would be great to win!

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:27 a.m.
Lisa Tew Says...

Magical

Reply
Nov 21, 2017 at 12:27 a.m.
Kathryn Binning Says...

Love this time of year!

Reply

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