The holiday season has officially begun at Universal Studios Hollywood! Different from last year, all holiday events – including Grinchmas – operate daily from November 28 through December 29, offering far more guests the opportunity to experience all of the park’s seasonal offerings. In this article, we’ll focus primarily on Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but keep an eye out for a separate review of Grinchmas 2019.
For the most part, not much has changed at Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this year. Hogsmeade continues to offer a number of festive experiences that bring the magic of Christmas to life for all witches, wizards, and muggles alike across the land. During multiple showtimes throughout the day, the a cappella Frog Choir once again performs an arrangement of classic holiday tunes with a twist, beckoning all to join in the festive spirit.
As guests explore the streets of Hogsmeade, they can sip on a hot Butterbeer and admire the stunning holiday décor adorning each and every building. Inside of the land’s various shops, a selection of unique Harry Potter-inspired Christmas decorations, including ornaments, stockings, tree toppers, and more, are available for purchase as well.
The Three Broomsticks also offers some holiday-inspired fare for guests to enjoy alongside their hot Butterbeer. The divine English Holiday Dinner is the featured option, composed of turkey and bacon-wrapped sausage served with stuffing and doused in gravy, and a side of vegetables and cranberry sauce. Though Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter concludes on December 29, the English Holiday Dinner will be offered through January 6.
To wrap up a day in the park, guests can flock back to Hogsmeade for a viewing of The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle. As a precaution for holiday crowds, we recommend arriving at least half an hour early to secure a good spot for the show in the designated viewing area. The festive nighttime spectacular once again lights up Hogsmeade with gorgeous, vibrant imagery and animations that twirl across Hogwarts castle for all to see. The show itself remains the same as previous years, though the nightly snowfall throughout Hogsmeade village that followed each showing last year is no more. However, snowfalls still periodically occur in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of the Universal Studio Store at the front of the park.
Outside of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the entire theme park is enveloped in a blanket of dazzling Christmas lights and colorful decorations, giving it a warm and cozy feel unlike any other time of the year. Universal CityWalk also sports a 40-foot tall Christmas tree in front of the Universal Cinema, illuminating the surrounding area with its stunning blue and silver lights.
Though this year’s holiday offerings remain mostly the same as years prior, we highly recommend making a visit sometime this season to take it all in and enjoy. Stay tuned for the second part of our holiday review, where we’ll dive into Grinchmas and all of its offerings.
