Holidays at Universal Orlando: Food, Decorations, and Pressed Pennies

Holidays at Universal Orlando Kick Off

• 🗓️ The 2020 "Holidays at Universal Orlando" event officially began on November 14th, running through January 3rd, 2021, with offerings across Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk.
• 😷 Even iconic park elements are impacted by COVID-19, with the mechanical squirrel in the Christmas tree at Universal Studios Florida wearing a tiny mask.

Tribute Store and Holiday Offerings

• 🎄 The tribute store has been transformed into a holiday-themed experience, featuring a large nutcracker, a holiday workshop, and detailed displays.
• 🇩🇪 One section of the store is designed as a German holiday market (Wakelmarkt), showcasing nutcrackers and holiday ambiance.
• 🤖 A Grinch-themed area offers plush items, sweaters, and merchandise, alongside a "Waxomatic" machine for souvenirs.
• ⚡ The tribute store also features a Harry Potter-themed section with house-exclusive merchandise.
• 🐿️ "Earl the Squirrel's Holiday Tree Farm" offers various food items, including sticky buns, roasted nuts, holiday hot chocolate, and "Earl's Nutty Nog."
• 🦌 A vegan reindeer brownie with candy cane antlers and a red M&M nose is a featured holiday treat.
• 🍫 The "hot chocolate bomb" is an Italian hot chocolate offering with a melting white chocolate ornament and mini marshmallows.

Festive Food and Treats

• 🦃 Central Park Crepes is offering a Thanksgiving dinner crepe with turkey, cranberry stuffing, and gravy.
• 🍩 Voodoo Donuts has holiday offerings like a snowman donut (filled with white chocolate mocha and chocolate peppermint) and holiday ornament donuts.
• 🍪 Toothsome's Chocolate Emporium features a gingerbread shake adorned with a gingerbread man, alongside gingerbread whoopie pies and cookie dough cones.
• 🗺️ The "Holiday Treat Trail" encourages guests to sample specialty food and beverage items across the resort, with a special treat for completing the trail.

Park Navigation and Entertainment

• 🚶 A walkway between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure is open on busy weekends, providing a shortcut to Seuss Landing.
• 🎭 The indoor Grinch show is not being offered, but physically distanced Who characters are appearing in Seuss Landing.
• 📸 A Grinch meet-and-greet features the Grinch as the photographer, with guests posing in front of a green screen.
• 🎈 Universal's Holiday Experience featuring Macy's balloons offers a socially distanced walk-through of parade floats and balloons in a soundstage.
• 🎄 The "Holiday Tree Hunt" involves finding 16 themed trees across the parks and CityWalk, with participants receiving an exclusive ornament upon completion.

Wizarding World and Pressed Pennies

• ⚡ Decorations in Diagon Alley and Hogsme include themed garland and story-appropriate displays.
• 🎶 Celestine Warbeck and the Banshees will perform a holiday version of their show in Diagon Alley, and the Frog Choir will perform in Hogsme, both allowing for social distancing.
• 🏰 The Hogwarts Castle holiday lights show now features a static image projection to avoid crowds gathering.
• 🪙 There are 24 Harry Potter-themed pressed pennies available throughout Universal Orlando Resort, with machines located outside the Wizarding World.
• 🌐 The CTM Group website (ctmgroupinc.com/universal) provides maps to locate pressed penny machines and displays the themed machines themselves.

Upcoming Events and Park News

• 🏨 The Universal Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites is set to open on December 15th.
• 📺 "Dr. Seuss's The Grinch the Musical," starring Matthew Morrison, will air on December 9th.
• 🎬 "Jurassic World Dominion" has wrapped production and is slated for a June 2022 release.
• 📉 Universal Studios Hollywood has laid off 7,000 team members due to ongoing closure and reopening guidelines.
• 🎢 Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl has reopened to help manage park capacity.