Holiday time is in full effect at Universal Studios Hollywood! Fron now through through Monday, January 1, 2024 the entire park will be decked out in holiday decor, festive lights, music and so much more!! We love attending this family-centric event and every time I go I feel like I am living in the actual Grinch movie. We recently visited the park and it was so much fun to see all the characters and costumes are magnificent! The park is completely decked out with happy holiday cheer, especially Whoville! All holiday festivities are included in the price of theme park admission. Here is some of the fun you can indulge in:
Grinchmas In Whoville
Guest can take their picture with The Grinch himself! He’s actually quite friendly, contrary to popular beliefs. There will be professionally taking photos for you and they will allow your group to take photos. We asked more than once if it was OK for them to take photos with two separate phones and all the employees were happy to oblige.
Tip #1: The upper lot Grinch is very busy so get your pictures with the Grinch early in the day as the line get long super fast. By the early afternoon in the upper lot, the line was 180 minutes long for the rest of the day. However, The Grinch is there all day and only takes a break during the tree lightings.
Tip# 2: There is a Grinch photo op for season passholders on the terrace just outside of Jurassic Cafe, located in the Lower Lot. The Grinch can be found posing for photos with guests in front of a festive red chair and holiday backdrop. Please keep in mind that this option isn’t available every day of the holidays at Universal, and the wait for this meet-and-greet spot is usually shorter than those located in the Upper Lot. Times are subject to change without notice is what we found.
Tip #3 If you are lucky, and you are in the right place at the right time, you may be lucky enough to get a photo opportunity with the Grinch as soon as you exit the tram tour. Wait times will vary depending on how many people are exiting the tram.
You can also take your picture with the Grinch’s faithful dog Max. Max is actually a real dog and has the cutest personality. He might sniff you and give you a kiss. My daughter loves animals so this was a highlight for her to be up close to him.
You can also Meet Cindy Lou Who and listen to the acapella sounds of the Who-Bee Doo-Wops.
Story Time With Cindy Lou
Kids will love storytime with Cindy Lou Who. She reads “How the grinch Stole Christmas” to them as they sit on little mats on stage.
Frog Choir In Hogsmeade
Hear the a cappella stylings of this small choir of Hogwarts™ students performing familiar wizarding songs, accompanied by giant croaking frogs.
Triwizard Spirit Ralley
If you are looking to take a break from all of the lines or rides, check out the Triwazard spirit ralley in Hogsmeade! Cheer on the colourful procession of students from the legendary wizarding schools of Hogwarts™, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang as they lead the excitement for the Triwizard Tournament. Kids can sit in the ground for a much needed break.
Tree Lighting
You will not want to miss this exciting event! Once the sun goes down, the 65-foot curvy Wholiday tree lights up every half hour with a snow flurry and music. It does get extremely crowded but the good thing is you can see the tree lighting from anywhere in Whoville! There is a short recorded audio from The Grinch and Max and then they light the tree! Kids will be mesmerized as the snow falls from everywhere!!! There really is no bad spot.
Fun Facts about the Grinchmas Tree
- The tree is 65 feet tall
- It is adorned with hundreds of ornaments and thousands of LED lights
- A brand new tree was created for the Grinchmas event in 2019
Themed Holiday Food
Discover holiday cheer in every bite with festive food and drinks around the park.
Some favorites this year are:
2 Sizes Too Small Cupcake
Heart Grew 3 Sizes Sugar Cookies
Whobilicious Cinnamon Roll
Apple Crumb Donut
Dumpit to Crumpit
Frostbite
Hot Apple Toddy
Make it Snappy Santa
Hot Espresso Martinij
and so much!
Popcorn Bucket
Everyone’s favorite Christmas curmudgeon is wearing his Santa hat and giving you his signature smirk as he holds your popcorn. His bucket has a lanyard attached so you can conveniently wear it around your neck as you stroll through the park. The lanyard is red and says Merry Grinchmas with various pictures from the movie on it.
The Lightshow At Hogwarts Castle
The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle is a spectacular show. It’s a really nice way to end a perfect day. The show is performed with projections, music and dazzling lights. The perfect space to view it is in front of the stage where the holiday frog choir performed but technically you can see it anywhere in Harry Potter World.
More information is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Admission to Universal CityWalk is free. More information is available at www.CityWalkHollywood.com.
