At Universal, Winter Holidays are Wonderful!
Rebecca Jones
8.26.21
After so many cancelled vacation plans in 2020, I was thrilled to be able to experience the holiday celebration at Universal Orlando Resort. They offered a plethora of holiday spirit, both visual and edible.
Throughout the resorts and parks, there were holiday trees. These massive decorations provided the perfect backdrop for a selfie or family photo. Walking throughout the park were entertainers on stilts, and greeters in holiday clothing. They were happy to pose for photos, interact with guests, and just provide a welcome addition to the holiday atmosphere.
A unique offering at Universal is the Macy’s walk-through with some of their amazing balloon floats from the annual parade. After floating down 6th Avenue in New York City, some of the balloons make their way to Orlando and are set up at Universal. In “normal” years, there is a parade with the balloons, but in 2020, they were inside a soundstage at Universal Studios Florida. It was crazy to see just how big they are, all in one place. At the end of the walk-through, guests had the opportunity to sit and have a photo with Santa Claus. His massive float was behind his chair and added to the holiday cheer of the building.
Universal has also started a new tradition of having a “tribute store” dedicated to whatever season they are celebrating. This is typically a multi-room venue near the Mummy ride that offers several merchandise options. There are also food offerings in the last room that are unique to the tribute store.
A fun activity for the guests was to pick up a brochure for the Holiday Treat Trail. Inside, you’ll find details for five different treats found throughout Universal Orlando Resort, including Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, and CityWalk. In 2020, the treats included a Cinnamon Coke found at a couple different carts. It was definitely a different taste that reminded me a ‘tiny’ bit of root beer and was definitely better the colder it was. The Holiday Wreath Cake was at the Today Café (you can find a link to my blog review of this location HERE). PLEASE LINK, I APPRECIATE YOU! I enjoyed the cake; it was vanilla and very moist, although as someone who is not a huge fan of frosting, I left quite a bit of that on the plate. The Red Holiday Popcorn was found at any popcorn cart and is just that – red popcorn. No special flavor, but still fun. The Holiday Ornament Doughnut was found in CityWalk at Voodoo Donuts. It was covered in red frosting and filled with creamy goodness. Lastly, the Pumpkin Spice Churro was at the Production Central cart. It was served with a cup of icing to dip it into and was a welcome snack on a long afternoon. I mean, who doesn’t love churros?
After you purchase the snack, be sure to have your brochure stamped. Once you have all your stamps, you can take the brochure back to a cart and turn it in for another treat – a tree-shaped sugar cookie with decorative frosting. I have to admit, though, after all the other snacks, I didn’t even try the cookie. It was just a fun thing to do during our trip. If my family had been with me, I’m sure we would have shared all these snacks, including the cookie, between us. Consuming it all myself was a challenge.
Lastly, the decorations and performers at SuessLand made the biggest impact on my holiday spirit. That is already one of my favorite areas of the parks, with the bright colors and made-for-everyone rides. Seeing it all decorated for the holidays, with the Whos out and about chatting with guests, singing songs, and just being happy, was a fantastic dose of warm fuzzies. I was also able to meet the Grinch, all dressed up as Santa. This character greeting required reservations in 2020. His somewhat grumpy persona was the perfect antidote to all the joy outside.
Universal has announced their holiday offerings will run from November 13, 2021, to January 2, 2022. If you’d like to visit during this time and take advantage of all the yuletide cheer, please contact your Wishes agent. If you don’t have one, I’d be honored to assist with your Universal Orlando Resort vacation. I can be reached at (325) 733-8399 or by email at rebecca@wishesfamilytravel.com. I hope to hear from you soon!
**During this trip to Universal Orlando Resort, my hotel room and park tickets were provided by Universal. I appreciate their generosity.