Universal Hollywood Sets December 1–2 Pass Member Holiday Takeover; RSVPs Open November 4
The after-hours event runs 7–11 p.m. both nights with limited advance reservations.
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Dates & tickets
Included with a valid park ticket or eligible pass. Pass blockout dates apply; food and merchandise are additional purchases.
November 2026
December 2026
January 2027
Highlighted dates are event dates, not a ticket-availability calendar.
Latest news
Universal Hollywood Holidays Start November 21 With a Merry Minions Meet-and-Greet
The season adds festive Minion meet-and-greets, seasonal Minion Cafe food and new merchandise.
How we’d spend the visit
A little planning. More holiday time.Start with your Lower Lot priorities
Choose Mario Kart or another must-do using the current queue. Group Lower Lot rides together. This leaves more of the afternoon and evening for the holiday entertainment on the Upper Lot.
Nintendo photos and shopping
Enjoy the seasonal decorations and browse the 1-UP Factory before heading upstairs. If a second ride queue is too long, keep the time for lunch instead of forcing it in.
Merry Minions and a sit-down break
Visit Minion Land and consider lunch at Minion Cafe. Allow time to eat, refill water and check the rest of the day’s entertainment schedule.
Meet the Grinch and explore Who-ville
Choose your priority character meeting, then fit a storytelling or singing performance around it. If that queue is longer than you want to give it, enjoy the other Grinchmas activities and move on.
Hogsmeade, one ride and dinner
Ride Forbidden Journey only if the wait leaves a comfortable meal and walking buffer before your chosen nighttime show. Otherwise, enjoy the village and eat first.
Hogwarts and the Grinchmas tree
Choose performances from the actual schedule with enough space to walk between them. Do not plan on exiting one show and instantly entering another. If the times clash, prioritize one and use a later performance of the other if offered.
Optional CityWalk finish
Take a look at the tree or browse the Universal Studios Store if the group is still comfortable. It is fine to leave here rather than turning a full park day into an obligation to stay out later.
Ride wait times
These rides run during regular park hours. Check current status before joining a queue, and leave time for the holiday shows.
Season averages cover operating ride waits on event dates, not queues for shows, food or characters.
No matching rides.
Despicable Me Minion MayhemUpper LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Our recommendationConsider it alongside Merry Minions and lunch. If the character meeting is your main priority, make that the first stop and treat the ride as optional.
Lowest recorded hour—
Fast & Furious: Hollywood DriftUpper LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Lowest recorded hour—
Flight of the HippogriffUpper LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Lowest recorded hour—
Harry Potter and the Forbidden JourneyUpper LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Our recommendationPair this with your afternoon Hogsmeade visit. Avoid a long queue immediately before the castle projection show you want to watch.
Lowest recorded hour—
Jurassic World - The RideLower LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Lowest recorded hour—
Mario Kart: Bowser’s ChallengeLower LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Our recommendationUse the morning Lower Lot block for this priority. The holiday decorations are outside the ride experience, so do not expect a Christmas overlay inside.
Lowest recorded hour—
Revenge of the Mummy – The RideLower LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Lowest recorded hour—
Silly SwirlyUpper LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Lowest recorded hour—
Show all 12 ridesShow fewer rides
Studio TourUpper LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Our recommendationCheck the last departure before choosing your ride order. It needs its own substantial block and should not be squeezed into the gap between two evening holiday shows.
Lowest recorded hour—
TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3DLower LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Lowest recorded hour—
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the LeashUpper LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Lowest recorded hour—
The Simpsons RideUpper LotCurrent waitCheckingSeason average—
Lowest recorded hour—
Shows & holiday experiences
01 / Universal Studios Hollywood
Grinchmas in Universal Plaza
The crooked holiday tree anchors Universal Plaza’s Who-ville celebration. Meet the Grinch, Max and the Whos, then return for an evening tree-lighting ceremony with theatrical snowfall. We recommend separating your daytime character visit from the evening show rather than trying to accomplish both in one crowded window.
02 / Universal Studios Hollywood
Cindy-Lou Who and the Fah-Who 4 A’s
Grinchmas includes storytelling with Cindy-Lou Who and holiday singing from the Fah-Who 4 A’s. These smaller performances are worth leaving room for. Look over the day’s schedule together and choose the ones your group actually wants, instead of spending that whole part of the day waiting for a single photo.
03 / Universal Studios Hollywood
Illumination’s Merry Minions
New for 2026, Minion Land adds Merry Minions decorations, festive character outfits, seasonal Minion Cafe bites and a merchandise collection. Make this a daytime stop while you are already on the Upper Lot. A Minion meeting and lunch work better together than separate walks back later.
04 / Universal Studios Hollywood
The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle
Hogsmeade’s nighttime projections turn Hogwarts into a holiday display set to music from the films. Leave time to reach a viewing area before the performance you choose. This is an outdoor nighttime show, so check its schedule and weather-related changes before building the evening around it.
05 / Universal Studios Hollywood
Hogsmeade in daylight
Garlands and wreaths decorate the village, and the Frog Choir performs seasonal songs. We suggest a daytime pass through for details and a return after dark for the castle. That gives you time for a ride, shopping and Butterbeer without doing them all while a show crowd is assembling.
06 / Universal Studios Hollywood
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD
Mario and Luigi snowmen and a Super Star-topped holiday tree welcome guests to the Mushroom Kingdom. Take your photographs while you are on the Lower Lot for rides. Do not spend another round trip on the escalators solely for a souvenir you could have bought during the first visit.
07 / Universal Studios Hollywood
CityWalk after the park
A large Christmas tree, seasonal shopping and selected evenings of music and performers extend the celebration outside the gates. CityWalk admission is free, although parking and purchases are separate. Treat this as an optional finish if everyone still has energy.
Food & drinks
Grinchmas sweets and Merry Minions seasonal bites are confirmed for 2026. As of November 10, the holiday announcement did not include a detailed menu. The priced choices below are from regular restaurant menus.
Grinchmas in Universal Plaza
Seasonal sweets will be sold around the Grinchmas celebration. Leave room for a treat before the tree lighting; choices and prices will depend on the menu offered during your visit.
Merry Minions at Minion Cafe
The 2026 celebration adds seasonal bites at Minion Cafe. Its regular meals and treats are listed above to help plan lunch and compare prices.
Chicken and/or ribs, vegetables and potatoes.
Universal photo Battered cod with fries.
English sausage, potatoes and onion gravy.
Plant-based sausage and mashed potatoes.
Universal photo Beef, vegetables and potato topping.
Corn and roasted potatoes.
Chickpeas, peppers and coconut over rice.
Warm and nonalcoholic.
Choose either version.
Nonalcoholic alternative; ask which versions are available.
A pumpkin-flavored drink.
Strawberries and Butterbeer toppings.
Universal photo A warm dessert.
Cup or waffle cone.
Nonalcoholic souvenir-cup option.
A 16-ounce can.
A 20-ounce draught.
Merchandise
Prices below are Shop Universal online listings checked November 10, 2026, not confirmed park prices. Coming Soon items are not yet available to buy online. Park selection and prices may differ.
1-UP Factory
Browse the Nintendo holiday collection while you are in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. The online list below helps compare designs and budgets, but does not guarantee that a particular item is on the shelf.
Universal Studios Store at CityWalk
The holiday range includes Grinchmas, Merry Minions, Potter, Shrek, Nintendo and Snoggletog collections. CityWalk is useful for shopping after the park, without carrying larger purchases on rides.
Christmas-tree artwork on an adult Spirit Jersey.
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A compact bag with a tree appliqué and holiday lining.
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A Hogwarts-themed tree ornament.
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Minions and sweater-style patterns on a holiday jersey.
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Bob in a Santa hat decorates this compact bag.
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Bob holds Tim while wearing a fuzzy bear hat. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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A children's tee with Stuart and Otto in Santa hats.
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Mario and Luigi snowmen decorate a cropped hoodie. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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Snowman artwork with a Super Star zipper charm. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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A soft Mario snowman with his red cap. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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A soft Luigi snowman with a polka-dot scarf. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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A small hand-painted Mario snowman ornament. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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A 16-ounce stoneware snowman mug. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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Toothless wears a Santa hat and lights that illuminate. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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Toothless ears, a Santa hat and rechargeable lights. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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A soft Toothless plush wrapped in holiday lights. Online listing marked Coming Soon.
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A small Santa-hat Toothless for your bag.
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Shrek, Fiona and friends in a holiday design.
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Plush ogre ears with a Santa hat.
Item details ↗More merchandise
A new Grinch-themed holiday jersey.
A bag shaped around a holiday wreath.
A themed holiday headband.
New plush characters in the Grinchmas collection.
Before you go
Keep the hill out of your evening
Finish your Lower Lot priorities before settling into the Upper Lot holiday program. One grouped visit is much easier than repeatedly walking to the escalators for isolated rides.
Use the schedule for your date
Tree lightings and castle projections repeat, but their exact times depend on the day. Pick performances after checking the app rather than treating an example plan as a published timetable.
A pass is not valid on every date
Check your pass’s blockout calendar before traveling. The regular holiday celebration and a separately reserved passholder event are different experiences with different admission requirements.
Bring an evening layer
Allow room in your bag for a warmer layer once the sun goes down. Keep small children’s energy in mind when deciding whether to watch both nighttime shows.
Questions & answers
Is Grinchmas a separate-ticket event?
No. The regular holiday celebration is included with valid park admission or an eligible pass, subject to blockout dates.
Does Hollywood have Orlando’s Macy’s parade?
No. Hollywood’s holiday priorities include Grinchmas, Merry Minions, Hogsmeade and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. The Macy’s holiday parade is at Universal Studios Florida.
Are the rides specially changed for Christmas?
Do not assume a ride overlay. The holiday program centers on entertainment, characters, decorations, seasonal food and shopping.
How should I use the wait data?
Compare available current ride waits with your remaining time, but protect your meal and show windows. Ride waits do not represent character-meeting lines or a guarantee of how long your visit will take.