We all have our favorite Christmas or Holiday monster. Some prefer the Krampus. Others prefer the Yule Cat. We, in Hollywood are loyal fans of The Grinch! It just so happens that Universal Studios Hollywood has a studio theme park full of Holiday cheer no matter the taste. Now through January 6, guests can experience the festive cheer of the Holidays at Universal Studios Hollywood. Whether you are a fan of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s magical take on Yule, the fecund green hues of Grinchmas or the all-new festive touches in Super Nintendo World, there is something for everyone included with park admission.
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
We fell in love with Super Nintendo World at its debut. But now, this game-driven, interactive land joins in on the holiday fun. with a few dashes of themed decor and a holiday treat in the Toadstool Cafe. As guests enter the portal to Super Nintendo World, they will find two snowmen. One donning a red Mario hat and scarf and the other a green Luigi hat and scarf. Inside the immersive land visitors can visit Toadstool Café, an all-new holiday treat.
CHRISTMAS IN THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER
Over in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the land is vibrant with the pulse of Christmas. During the day, guests can take in holiday-themed fare that includes the iconic seasonal hot Butterbeer at Three Broomsticks. Next to Frozen Butterbeer, this is the best. Meanwhile outside, an enchanting a cappella Frog Choir performans seasonal songs.
The real tentpole of the holiday offerings for this land is “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts™ Castle,”. On our visit, team members were referring to this as a “Light Show.” This is underselling it a bit. While nothing is new this year, this show is still as magical as ever. Perch yourself in front of Hogwart’s Castle before one of the showtimes with a cup of hot butter beer and you will discover a new holiday tradition.
GRINCHMAS
Throughout the day the central Universal Plaza is alive with the Whos of Whoville. As the first major offering of holiday cheer as guests enter the park, the WHO-Billation is a hive of non-stop holiday activities. Guests can trim up the tree with their own ornament, they can grab some Who-bilicious Treats (do NOT look at the WHO-lories) and they can even say hi to The Grinch’s beloved pal Max.
Trim Up the Tree with your own Ornament.
Say Hi to beloved Max.
But really, the two most awesome things to do are to watch the Tree Lighting ceremony that happens multiple times a night and to say hello to the one and only Grinch.
Tree Lighting – MUST DO
The Tree Lighting show is, essentially, a 12 minute breakdown of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, sort of. This is a MUST DO, no question. The good thing is that there are plenty of show times. Our advice though is to go as early as possible. What’s more, get there at least 45 minutes before your chosen show time. No, really.
Meet and Greet with THE GRINCH – MUST DO
While many will head to Universal Studios Hollywood for a magical Christmas in Hogsmeade or a Super Nintendo twist on holiday cheer, our black hearts were set on meeting The Grinch. There are two locations to say hello to the big green one himself. You can visit the WHO-lebration on the upper lot or if you are a Universal Studios Hollywood Passholder, you can shoot down to the lower lot.
In both instances, be prepared to wait an hour or more to come face to face with The Grinch. That’s if you show up early.
If you are meeting up with The Grinch in the upper lot, enter the Universal Plaza and the WHO-bilation and head to the far left corner of the plaza. Find the queue for The Grinch and hunker down.
If you are a Universal passholder, bypass the plaza and head straight to the Lower Lot. Locate the stairs that lead to the terrace above the Jurassic World store and queue. Present your pass and you might have a shorter wait time to see the almighty green one.
Suffice it to say, the wait is worth it.
Below is our encounter with the absurdly silly Grinch.
With three separate takes on this festive time of year, including a chance to meet up with The Grinch, we think that Universal Studios Hollywood is a great to cut loose and have some Christmas fun.
