Eight Reasons to Visit UOR This Holiday Season

Many visitors to  Universal Orlando describe the place as epic. Still, this experience is always ramped up during the holidays as Universal pulls out all the stops to bring to you some of the best holiday experiences in Orlando. ​

As you make your way from Orlando International Airport towards your Universal Orlando hotel, you'll notice this is where your holiday action begins. Each on-property hotel joins in the fun of the season, offering seasonal menus, festive holiday decor, and more surprises. ​

There is no need to stress about what to cook. You may leave the heavy lifting to Universal's remarkable culinary team. Universal Orlando offers a wide variety of dining options for every elf in your group. You can enjoy the vibrant flavors of Antojito's Authentic Mexican Food or experience a chocolate lovers' dream over at Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen. Dad wants a burger, but mom wants sushi...no problem. Just make your way over to The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, where your son can be adventurous, sinking his teeth into a Burgushi Roll. Do keep in mind that if you are visiting CityWalk locations, I recommend making a reservation. You can try putting your name on the standby list, but it will get harder to find open slots that fit your plans as we move closer to the holidays.

​This holiday season brings the return of the Holiday Tour. Guests can get a guided tour of Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure. Guests will be able to meet the Grinch in Seuss Landing, and you will experience an after-hours showing of "The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle" and take advantage of the reserved viewing area for Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's. The most important thing is you get to the big guy himself, Santa. Experience this and more on the Holiday Tour.

The best part of the holidays for me is, of course, the treats. This year Universal is offering a wide variety of sweets around the resort, including hot chocolate bombs, a red hot milkshake, vegan brownies, seasonal doughnuts, and more.. Be sure to keep an eye out for our weekly top 3 list returning for the holiday season the week of 11/13/21.​

Hot Butterbeer! Okay, I kind of cheated. Hot Butterbeer is now offered all year long, but it's so delicious that I mentioned it again. I drink upwards to 20 hot Butterbeers during the holiday season. I probably have a cavity because of it, but it's worth it. If you're looking for Butterbeer in the warm form, you can also find it frozen, as ice cream, or just a refreshing cold drink.

At the time of writing, I'm currently visiting my home town where it's 43 degrees with a low of 28 degrees. So, of course, it goes without saying that a Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation in a warmer state such as Florida sounds like a better idea. Now don't get me wrong, the weather can get cool, but you're more likely to be sitting poolside having a Disco H20. ​

The meanest, greenest character himself returns in Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular, a live retelling of a holiday classic. After Grinchmas, make your way to Seuss Landing, where you will find the area fully decorated by the Whos. Guests can take the time to hop over to All The Books You Can Read Bookstore and participate in a photo opportunity with the Grinch. But, the fun doesn't stop there; jump on over to one of the many merchandise locations where you can shop Grinch theme gifts until your heart increases three sizes.

During Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s, The Minions, Shrek, and Madagascar characters all take to the streets of Universal Studios Florida. You will also see them in the air as they fly with Dixon, and Of course, Santa will be a part of the parade’s finale. We recently learned that the parade will travel about 26 miles as it makes its way through Universal Studios Florida each night. But, with me being a theater nerd, one of the coolest facts I learned is that in 2017, Universal used over 220 gallons of snow machine fluid to assist in the magical finale of the parade. ​

For the holidays, the singing sorceress Celestina Warbeck performs four Christmas songs on the Carkitt Market stage in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. Then, with her Banshees backing her, she'll bring holiday cheer with songs from her chart-topping holiday album, Nothin' Like A Holiday Spell. But, of course, Warbeck isn't the only big name you'll find performing holiday hits throughout the park. Keep an eye out for more holiday performances from The Blues Brother, The Beat Builders, and more. ​

The holidays have just started at Universal Orlando, so there's still time to book your trip now. If you need help, we recommend our friends over at ([nsert travel professional(s) here]. We hope we've helped you make your Universal Christmas list. Make sure you check it once, check it twice, and maybe even a third time to make sure you have a perfect holiday vacation.

Xavier.H.

​​I'm Xavier- a food enthusiast and full-time blogger, theme park lover(especially Universal), and Halloween Horror Nights fan. I so happen to also lead the Universal Food Blog team on our trek to find the best dishes around Universal Orlando Resort to report to you!