While it’s been Christmas in other theme parks for a month already, the holiday season has just arrived at Universal Studios Hollywood, and with it comes beautiful decorations, festive food items, and holiday entertainment that is both enchanted and mischievous. The Grinch has once again stolen Christmas from Whoville, and the magical realm of Hogsmeade has been adorned with dazzling garland, wreaths, and lights that add to the holiday spirit found all throughout the park. Let’s take a look at this uniquely Universal take on the holidays.
Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The word “magical” is a common phrase that is used to describe the spirit of Christmas and the events that take place during the holiday season. Sure, Santa and his reindeer rely on a bit of magic to help make their yearly trip around the globe, but Universal Studios Hollywood shows us that Santa is not the only one who uses magic to help spread Christmas cheer.
In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Hogsmeade has been fully decorated to reflect the Christmas season. The storefronts are festooned with colored lights and festive ornaments that showcase the holiday spirit that can be found in the village of Hogsmeade. The garland and lights offer a classic Christmas feel while still being subtle enough to not take away from the immaculate design and deep detail that can be found all throughout the land. The balance of these decorations truly makes the land feel even more magical than it normally is.
The holiday-exclusive Warm Butterbeer has returned again this year and is sure to spark extra holiday cheer on a cool winter evening. This is a very popular item during the season. If you enjoy the cold butterbeer that is normally sold in the land we recommend that you give this one a try!
The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle
An enchanted projection show, “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle,” has returned to the park this year and offers a beautiful look at how Hogwarts Castle is bewitched by the Christmas season. The 8-minute long show uses state-of-the-art projection mapping to transform Hogwarts into a winter wonderland filled with flying wizards, beautiful hanging lanterns, an elaborate Christmas tree, and a fresh coat of snow.
Hogwarts Castle is the center of this Harry Potter-themed land, and it’s perfect for the iconic structure to host such a colorful display. The show is set to a grand musical score that reinforces the feeling of holiday magic that can only be found in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The technology used in this show may not be brand new, but it still offers an amazing experience for everyone watching. The projection system used by Universal is bright and high definition, making the show feel real at times. If you plan on visiting Universal Studios Hollywood during the Christmas season, put this show on your must-see list.
Holiday Frog Choir
If you hear cheery Christmas carols being croaked out in the streets of Hogsmeade, it’s the “Holiday Frog Choir,” is a light-hearted spectacle involving chipper carolers, giant throaty frogs, and a little bit of magic. During this 10-minute show, carolers sing along to Christmas songs as their giant frogs croak along to the tune. The show is as silly as it is catchy, and the abnormally large frogs help remind the audience that they are indeed celebrating Christmas in the magical world of Harry Potter.
Grinchmas
The Grinch has returned to steal Christmas from Whoville! Here guests can experience what it is like to walk through Whoville and interact with the townsfolk, Mayor of Whoville, good dog Max, and even the Grinch himself!
The talent does a wonderful job of portraying the citizens of Whoville and the interactions with guests are often quite funny. Universal does a great job of building the Whoville atmosphere through convincing prosthetics and charismatic acting, without the entire production feeling too over-the-top or cheesy.
Whoville is decorated with lots of whacky and odd decorations that look they are straight out of the Dr. Seuss book. We had a great time walking around and admiring the unique and styalized Whoville holiday decorations.
At the center of Whoville is a beautiful crooked Christmas tree that fits right in with the rest of the eccentric town and is quite a glorious sight to behold. There is a tree-lighting ceremony is offered on most nights, and you can join the Whoville residents in Townsquare and watch them light their beautiful tree. It is an experience you will not want to miss!
Grinchmas Food and Christmas Merchandise
With any holiday celebration comes themed holiday food, and Grinchmas offers some fun options to try! Some options include the Grinch donut, savory “roast beast” sandwich, Who-hash, and green popcorn.
The green popcorn and Grinchmas donut seemed to be the two most popular items based on how many people we saw enjoying them.
Grinchmas also opens the door for Grinch-themed merchandise, and we have to say that some of the items are quite charming! Most t-shirts have clever Grinch-related sayings on them that are cheeky and festive for the holidays.
Several different types of plush toys based on famous Grinch characters can be found throughout the Whoville merchandise stands.
Mario Lopez Reads “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
We got an early Christmas present Monday evening when Mario Lopez came out on stage to read “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”! Then the Grinch himself and Cindy Lou Who told the final part the “life-changing” story before finally lighting the Whoville Christmas tree! Lopez did a wonderful job reading the story and getting the crowd excited for the grand Christmas tree lighting ceremony. It was a real treat to experience!
Christmas cheer offers a delightful complement to the rides and attractions in this real-life working movie studio and theme park. The naughty grinch and magical wizards puts Universal Hollywood right at the top of our nice list for the season!
!!! Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale Extended Through TODAY ONLY !!! 
MiceChat and Get Away Today bring you the best theme park travel deals. Don’t miss our Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale that has been extended just for today, December 3, from Get Away Today – HERE
This year, give the gift of travel and save even more with MiceChat. Be sure to use our links (or mention MiceChat when you call) for the lowest prices. AND – Here’s a special MiceChat extra. Use promo code MCD23 for an extra $10 off 2+ night rooms/tickets.
Let’s Hear From You
When was your last visit to Universal Studios Hollywood? Have you seen all the recent changes? The park felt brand new to me since my last visit. And let us know if you’ve experienced Grinchmas and Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s a magical time to be a theme park goer, so much to see and do.