Earlier this month, we learned that Universal Orlando holidays were going to look a little different this year. Instead of a grand parade and Grinchmas stage show, Universal announced a smattering of socially-distant, pandemic-friendly activities. These offerings include character meet and greets, specialty foods, and festive decor throughout the resort. Over the weekend, Orlando Decoded got to experience two, all-new offerings for the holiday season: Universal’s Holiday Experience featuring Macy’s Balloons and the Holiday Tribute Store!
Universal’s Holiday Experience featuring Macy’s Balloons
The Universal website describes the experience like this:
“In this brand new walk-through experience at Universal Studios, you’ll get closer than ever to larger-than-life Macy’s balloons and colorful Christmas floats. There’s never been a better chance to get your photo with these beloved giant balloons. Santa Claus himself will be there to pose for photos as well.”
When I first read this description, I pictured an outdoor experience with the Macy’s balloons secured near a guest pathway. I didn’t expect anything to be too festive or overdone. To be completely honest, I expected it to be pretty underwhelming. Well, thankfully I was very wrong! The reality turned out to be completely different from my expectation.
The Holiday Experience takes place inside a huge soundstage (as opposed to outdoors). There’s colorful decor and a plush red carpet to lead guests to the various displays. There’s also Christmas music playing and live entertainers walking around the area to interact with guests and take fun pictures.
As an added bonus, Universal has artfully arranged their gorgeous parade floats amongst the balloons.
The addition of the parade floats makes the whole experience feel more complete. It was almost as satisfying as watching the whole parade, and it was wonderful to see these breathtaking vehicles again.
At a certain point on the pathway, you can choose to either meet Santa Claus or continue viewing floats and balloons. Should you choose to take a picture with St. Nick, you’ll need to enter a separate queue.
Once it’s your turn, you’ll get to have a few moments of conversation before taking a beautifully distanced picture with Santa. You can, of course, take a selfie. However, I did notice Team Members also taking pictures with guests’ cell phones. It’s possible that Team Members won’t always be allowed to do this, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
I was really impressed with the Holiday Experience. I enjoyed walking through the balloon pathway so much that I’m honestly not sure which option I prefer: the parade or the soundstage. The parade is always a blast, but the soundstage provided the opportunity to take personal pictures with Santa and more closely examine the whimsical features of each float. In the parade, the units are moving too quickly to take in all of the many details. I also appreciated the opportunity to revisit the experience if I wished. And BONUS: I didn’t have to take time out of my day to secure a good spot for the parade.
Holiday Tribute Store
Just as the Mardi Gras Tribute Store made its debut earlier this year, Universal has created a brand new installment for the Holiday events. The store has four themed rooms and features Christmas-themed merchandise like clothing, ornaments, and assorted souvenirs.
Room 1: Christmas Market
As you enter the Tribute Store, you’ll be hit with a sweet smell. I couldn’t quite identify it, but it seemed like a candy or cookie scent. The first room is a German Christmas Market (Deihnachtsmarkt?) adorned with wooden nutcrackers and moving scenes. It’s an absolutely gorgeous room with lots of details to explore!
You can look through windows in the centerpiece to see rotating wooden figures.
Room 2: How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Themed to the storybook version (as opposed to the live action movie), this room is full of cuteness! There’s a diorama of The Grinch and Max getting ready to ride down to Whoville and a chimney with little Cindy-Loo’s stocking. Of course, there’s also a giant, colorful tree in the center for Who’s of all ages to gather ’round.
Room 3: Harry Potter?
Maybe I should have expected this, but the existence of a Harry Potter room took me by surprise – especially since this was arguably the smallest and least detailed of the four rooms. With the popularity of the Wizarding World attractions, I would have expected a themed room like this to take up a larger footprint. But perhaps Universal designers assumed that guests already had plenty of opportunity to shop in Potter-themed stores. Either way, I wasn’t a huge fan of this area.
Room 4: Earl’s Tree Farm
Home to the infamous “Earl the Squirrel,” this is less a Tribute Store room and more a highly themed food court. There are a wide selection of holiday snacks including sweets, roasted nuts, and gummy Christmas lights!
While the traditional Universal Holiday celebrations are certainly missed, the park has managed to present some amazing alternatives for this unprecedented year! If you’re planning a trip to Orlando to experience Universal’s Holiday events, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide!
