Universal Orlando's holidays start Nov 14, 2026 and run through Jan 3, 2027. This week added two things to plan around: Grinch breakfast reservations opened on Oct 27, and Universal revealed that Earl the Squirrel will be a Macy's Thanksgiving balloon before he joins the park parade. Here's what's included, what costs extra, the hours, what's closed, and a simple way to plan your days, with every source linked.
What's included with your ticket
All of this comes with regular admission to the park it's in, per Universal's holiday announcement ↗:
- Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in all three Wizarding World areas: Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure), Diagon Alley (Universal Studios Florida) and the Ministry of Magic (Epic Universe), with holiday lights, décor and entertainment. Hogsmeade also gets The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle, a nighttime projection show on the castle.
- Grinchmas in Seuss Landing (Islands of Adventure): the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular stage show, a Grinch meet-and-greet and the Who-Ville Tree Lot.
- Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's (Universal Studios Florida): a nightly parade with giant balloons and floats from Despicable Me, Shrek and Madagascar, ending with a tree lighting led by Santa.
- Epic Universe's first holiday season: new décor in Super Nintendo World and Isle of Berk, plus Celestial Park's winter look with holiday displays at the Cosmos Fountain.
Universal hasn't published daily showtimes on its own pages yet. Our holiday event finder lists the reported Grinchmas show times and parade time, marked unconfirmed until Universal posts them, so check the Universal app on the day.
What costs extra (and what to book now)
| Experience | Dates | Price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast (Circus McGurkus, Seuss Landing) | Nov 14 – Jan 3; reservation times 8 AM – 12:15 PM | $64.99 adults (10+), $38.99 kids 3–9; 20% gratuity included | Booking opened Oct 27. Needs same-day Islands of Adventure admission. One plated entrée and one non-alcoholic drink. |
| Universal Holiday Tour (about 2½ hours, guided) | Select dates Nov 14 – Jan 2 | From $69.99 plus tax; Passholders save $10 | Needs two-park, park-to-park admission to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Includes private Grinch and Max meet-and-greets, reserved Grinchmas show seating, a Santa visit and optional reserved parade viewing. |
Sources: breakfast details from CrowdLevels ↗ and Parks Magic ↗ (Oct 27, 2026), which also notes the kids' price is $6 higher than last year; Holiday Tour details from Universal's announcement ↗. Capacity is limited for both, so if a Grinch breakfast is on your list, book it before you book anything else for that day.
Earl the Squirrel: wait until after Thanksgiving for the parade
Universal announced on Oct 28 that Earl the Squirrel, the holiday mascot who started as a real squirrel chewing the Christmas tree lights, will be Universal Orlando's first balloon in the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on Nov 26, 2026 (NBC, 8:30 AM ET). After New York, the balloon joins Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's at Universal Studios Florida, so he won't be in the park parade until after Thanksgiving. Before then, look for Earl as a costumed character (Universal press releases ↗; Parks Magic ↗).
Holiday park hours
From Universal's published hours, as pulled into our park hours calendar on Oct 29, 2026 (times ET; Universal hotel guests get Early Park Admission up to 1 hour early at select attractions, per Loews ↗):
| Date | Universal Studios Florida | Islands of Adventure | Epic Universe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Nov 14 (opening day) | 10 AM – 7 PM | 9 AM – 7 PM | 10 AM – 8 PM |
| Thu, Nov 26 (Thanksgiving) | 10 AM – 8 PM | 9 AM – 8 PM | 9 AM – 9 PM |
| Fri–Sat, Nov 27–28 | 10 AM – 8 PM | 9 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 PM |
| Sat, Dec 5 and Dec 12 | 10 AM – 7 PM | 9 AM – 7 PM | 10 AM – 7 PM |
| Sat, Dec 19 | 10 AM – 9 PM | 9 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 PM |
| Thu–Fri, Dec 24–25 | 9 AM – 9 PM | 9 AM – 9 PM | 10 AM – 9 PM |
| Mon, Dec 28 – Wed, Dec 30 | 9 AM – 9 PM | 9 AM – 10 PM | 9 AM – 10 PM |
Early December has the shortest days (many 7 PM closings), so the parade and the Hogwarts castle show leave less time after dark. Universal hasn't published Dec 31 hours yet. Hours change, so check again the week before your trip.
What's closed this holiday season
- Volcano Bay is closed until on or before Apr 1, 2027 (Universal ↗; details).
- Jurassic Park River Adventure (Islands of Adventure) stays closed until it reopens Dec 17, 2026 (Inside Universal ↗).
- Animal Actors On Location! (Universal Studios Florida) closes for good on Nov 3, and the Hogwarts Express closes for one day on Nov 4 (Fruglar ↗).
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong is running without its giant Kong finale after the figure was damaged during maintenance; no return date yet (Inside Universal ↗).
- Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges closes Jan 4 – Feb 2, 2027, right after the holidays end (Fruglar ↗).
The full list, with sources and reopening dates, is on our Universal closures page.
A simple holiday plan for a family
- Islands of Adventure day: Grinch breakfast at the first seating, then the Grinchmas show and Seuss Landing while lines are short. Stay into the evening for The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle.
- Universal Studios Florida day: Diagon Alley in the afternoon, then find a parade spot early. On a 7 PM closing day, the parade is close to park close, so don't leave it for last.
- Epic Universe day: Epic's first holiday décor in Super Nintendo World, Isle of Berk and Celestial Park. Guests on Reddit warn that Epic single-day tickets and Express can sell out weeks ahead on busy days (r/UniversalEpicUniverse ↗), so lock in your date first and see our Universal Express planner.
Visiting after Thanksgiving gets you Earl in the parade and holiday hours that run later as Christmas gets closer.
Quick answers
When are the Universal Orlando holidays in 2026?
Nov 14, 2026 through Jan 3, 2027, per Universal. Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (all three parks), Grinchmas in Seuss Landing, Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's and the new Epic Universe holiday décor are included with regular park admission.
How much is the Grinch breakfast at Universal in 2026?
$64.99 for adults (10+) and $38.99 for kids 3 to 9, with a 20% gratuity included, per CrowdLevels and Parks Magic. It runs Nov 14, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027 at Circus McGurkus Cafe Stoo-pendous, with reservation times from 8 AM to 12:15 PM. You also need Islands of Adventure admission for the same day.
When will Earl the Squirrel be in Universal's holiday parade?
After Thanksgiving. Earl debuts as a balloon in the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on Nov 26, 2026, then joins Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's at Universal Studios Florida. Before that, you can meet Earl as a costumed character.
Do I need a park-to-park ticket for Universal's holidays?
Not for most of it: each park's holiday experiences come with that park's admission. You need park-to-park if you want to see Christmas in all three Wizarding World areas in one day, ride the Hogwarts Express between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, or book the Universal Holiday Tour, which requires two-park, park-to-park access to those two parks.
Is Volcano Bay open during the holidays?
No. Volcano Bay closed for seasonal maintenance on Oct 26, 2026, and Universal lists a planned reopening on or before Apr 1, 2027.
What time does Universal close in December 2026?
Per Universal's published hours as of Oct 29, most early-December days run Universal Studios Florida 10 AM to 7 PM, Islands of Adventure 9 AM to 7 PM and Epic Universe 10 AM to 7 PM. From Dec 19 the parks stay open to 9 PM, and Islands of Adventure runs to 10 PM on Dec 26 to 30. Dec 31 hours aren't published yet.
Splitting the trip with Disney? See Disney World's 2026 holiday season and what to do instead of Universal's closed rides.