Grinchmas and the holidays have arrived at Universal Studios Hollywood! Who knew being a green curmudgeon wound get you such popularity?! This joyous who-bilation brings with it fantastical holiday greats, entertainment, and various character meet and greets. Including the maven of mischief himself…THE GRINCH. Universal Studios Hollywood brings to life the popular film based on the famous Dr. Seuss story by inviting guests into the world of Whoville and the story of How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Not only that, but there are holiday decorations in every section of the park, encouraging visitors to see all the fun tiny details. From Minions, Secret Life of Pets, Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World, Jurassic World, and everything in between; you’ll find unique decorations. We often found ourselves ranking our favorite decorations around the park. Spoiler alert, our favorites were the decorations in Super Nintendo World.

The SNW decorations were minimal, but perfectly dorky to fit the overall vibe and tone of the popular new land. Let’s also not forget the absolutely adorable Mario and Luigi snowmen outside the land as well.

We also have always had a soft spot for the decorations within the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The snow capped buildings feel fit for holiday decorations. Not only that, but each store has tailor made decorations!

In terms of merchandise, there is so much you’ll need to take home. We talked about the dorky decorations in SNW, but they also have some adorable merchandise for the holidays as well. Some we even took home ourselves.

Grinchmas also has equally fantastic merchandise options as well.

Thankfully, you can find most of this merch throughout the park in various different stores. You can even find it on Citywalk as well!

Let’s talk about the biggest piece of the holiday puzzle at USH…meeting The Grinch! This can be an arduous task during any busy day at the park. Many times, this meet and greet can get upwards of 2 hours or more! That’s a long wait for anything. Thankfully, there are a couple options that can help lower that wait time for people who really want to meet The Grinch.

At the exit of the Studio Tour, you’ll find a fun Grinch photo op, where the man himself can often be spotted meeting guests as they disembark from the Studio Tour. Additionally, if you’re a Season Passholder, down on the Lower Lot there is a meet and greet location specifically for you. You’ll find this location above the Jurassic Outfitters store next to the Jurassic World attraction. This will have significantly lower wait times compared to the line in Whoville! Just make sure to plan your day accordingly so you have plenty of time and snacks to partake in while waiting. With that being said, we didn’t feel rushed in our interaction at all. It’s difficult because every person wants to have their own tailored experience with The Grinch, but operations needs to get everyone through at the same time. Thankfully, The Grinch is such a professional and is able to do both. Guests aren’t rushed, but feel like their have a special moment.

And of course, if you don’t get the opportunity to meet The Grinch, you can also meet his trusty dog Max and other various citizens of Whoville! Honestly, this is hands down our favorite part of Grinchmas. It’s the unique and fun interactions with the various citizens that feel like they’ve been plucked from the movie. This is where we have most of our memories from previous years of visiting Grinchmas.

Now, let’s talk about food! While there isn’t a massively extensive list of food options, there are plenty of treats. Most of these treats are Grinch themed and can be found at various different locations throughout the park. Obviously, the line for these treats will be the longest within Whoville, so you can plan ahead and avoid that line completely. In fact, we got some of our first treats at Jurassic Cafe on the Lower Lot! We’ll rate all the items we got below!

The Grinch Heart Lemonade – 7/10: It’s a perfectly made lemonade with some added flair.

Cocoa Cookie – 8/10: We loved the taste and liked how it tried to emulate the look of hot coco when you looked at the top of the cookie.

The Grinch Donut – 8/10: Surprisingly soft and fluffy. With dough that’s not overly sweet that matches nicely with the sweet icing on top.

Who-ville Present Cookie – ???/10: Our kid devoured this cookie faster than we’ve ever seen her eat anything. And her review was a simple thumbs up…which says a lot for a picky eater like her.

English Holiday Dinner – 10/10: This mountainous pile of delicious food might be the best thing I’ve eaten at any theme park in a long time. For $17 you get plenty of food and it’s all good! Not pictured because it was hidden under all the food, but it also comes with a bacon wrapped sausage! Surprise sausage for the win! It’s one of the few savoury items you can get for the holidays within the park. If you’re open to trying food outside the park, plenty of restaurants on Citywalk have holiday food offerings as well.

As the sun sets over Los Angeles, the twinkling lights of the holidays take over the park.

Not only that, but there are two different holiday show offerings in the park, and you don’t have to choose between them! Of course, you have the Tree Lightening and Wintery Snowfall in Whoville. This is where the Dr. Seuss inspired tree is lit by the green man himself, The Grinch. For those who grew up watching the cartoon or even grew up watching the Jim Carrey film; it gives you the warm and fuzzies. For us, it hits us right in the nostalgia!

Then, in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you can witness The Magic of Christmas at Howarts Castle. This dazzling projection show never stops amazing us, no matter how many times we’ve seen it. The beautiful John Williams music paired with wondrous holiday projections is so much fun. It truly feels like the perfect “kiss goodnight” for the holiday season.

This years holiday celebration at Universal Studios Hollywood has felt more cohesive and park wide than we’ve felt in previous years. While there is still room for improvement in terms of operations of Grinchmas and expanding those offerings; the event itself is such a winner. From entertainment, world class attractions, fantastic treats, and unforgettable experiences; Grinchmas and the holidays at Universal Studios Hollywood is a must see for anyone this season.

FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE HOLIDAYS OR GRINCHMAS AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD, CLICK HERE