Kids love their Dr. Seuss, and my daughter is no exception. One of her favorite characters for some inexplicable reason: The Grinch. So when Universal’s holiday celebrations began, I knew I had to arrange her own meeting with the the mean, green, Christmas stealing machine.
Crossing the Seuss bridge, you’ll notice that almost half its width is taken up by construction walls. There’s still plenty of room to pass through. They just might mess up your picture a little bit.
Once we arrived in Seuss Landing and found the location, we had about a twenty minute wait. The line moved quickly, and the Grinch came outside the doors periodically to talk to the next guests – so we were well entertained. However, the queue was outside and this was a cold, cloudy day so keep the weather in mind when planning this experience.
When it was our turn, the attendants told us to move inside and the Grinch greeted us both. I was nervous that my daughter might be scared when confronted with a six foot tall Grinch as opposed to the two inch size she’s seen in the books, but she wasn’t scared at all. The Grinch got down to her level and spoke softly to her. He made a joke about stealing my necklace, but then assured my daughter that he wouldn’t come over to our house unless she wanted him to. She, of course, told him to come over, and he said that if he stole any presents he’d give them back a couple hours later. It was a sweet (albeit not too grinch-y) interaction that kept my daughter feeling comfortable.
Exploring Universal’s New Balloon Experience and Tribute Store
After we talked for few minutes, the team members took our picture. I had given one of them my cell phone, so while the photographer took the “official” picture, the character attendant took the one I would actually take home (Have you seen their prices?). This is where it got a little disappointing. While the final, official pictures has a beautiful backdrop of Mt. Crumpit, the real background is just a blue wall. Not only does this look horrible in cell phone pictures (which, I’m sure, is intentional to encourage you to buy their copy), but it definitely takes away from the magic of the moment (especially the obvious electrical outlet).
My disappointment with our final picture aside, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed meeting the Grinch. She did well in the line, and she wasn’t scared during the meeting. Every child is different, of course, but if you think your child can handle it – I recommend this experience for toddlers!
