Orlando is no longer thought of as solely the house of the mouse; since the boy wizard set up shop up International Drive, people have begun to take notice that Universal has a terrific staff of creative developers of its own. That shouldn’t be a… Read More »Orlando Museum hosts Themepark Concept Art Exhibit
A few years ago you could fire a cannon down any pathway in Islands of Adventure and have little risk of hitting a soul. But a big change swept into the park and with it a ton more visitors, all opening their wallets to take… Read More »How should Universal Maximize Harry Potter Potential
Big news from Universal Studios theme parks division was just announced. Not only is the rumored Universal Studios Hollywood Wizarding World of Harry Potter clone official, the expansion in Universal Orlando Resort has been officially confirmed. Here’s the official press release: Warner Bros. Entertainment and… Read More »Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter Officially Expanding in Orlando, Coming to Hollywood
Universal Orlando Resort showed a bit of restraint waiting until after Thanksgiving to launch its Christmas celebration. That’s appreciated by us purists, but means you only have a short window of time to get yourself to the resort and enjoy the festivities. For a list of their offerings, read our earlier post.
I recommend arriving early and exploring both parks. They have a lot of decorations up and the Holiday Village has fun games and treats for the whole family. I would have liked to see more entertainment options like they had for Mardi Gras, but there was still plenty to see and the treats all smelled delicious.
This year marks the 10th year the Macy’s Holiday Parade has run through the streets of Universal Studios. In theory these are the floats and balloons from the actual parade in NYC and I think I saw a few (the Polar Bear float and some of the balloon characters), the rest are from past parades. But it is the next best thing to being at the real parade, and it was a balmy 78 degrees instead of 42 degrees.
The highlight of the parade was Santa Claus lighting the Christmas Tree. But you have to be standing near the tree (opposite the Macy’s facade near Revenge of The Mummy).
Also returning is Grinchmas – a fun ‘wholiday’ stage show. The show was moved indoors a few years ago, which means you won’t encounter any weather issues. You will have to leave Suessland in Islands of Adventure and venture to one of the Soundstages, however. I found all of the featured performers to be quite talented. That includes Max the dog. Definitely catch this show when you visit.
Wrapping up the evening on the studios side is a special concert from Mannheim Steamroller. We didn’t stay to see the whole concert, but if you like their music, like I do, it is fun to see it made live and in person.
Please join me below the fold for more photos of our special evening at Universal Orlando Resort for their Christmas celebrations:
Read More »Universal Orlando Resort Hosts Holiday Festivities