Universal Orlando has made a shift from Halloween horror to winter wonderland as Christmas has swept from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Seuss Landing.

And, honestly, it’s already magical because Butterbeer is back and even more holiday treats have officially arrived in the parks! We’re taking you with us, though, to check out all the things happening in Universal Orlando now that Christmas has kicked off!
Since the parades aren’t happening this year as a health and safety precaution, Universal Orlando is still giving you a moment to have interactive experiences for the Christmas season. And, Universal’s Holiday Experience is a brand new feature, where guests are able to see characters and Macy’s balloons up close and personal.

When we first entered the stage (that would have preciously been used by Halloween Horror Nights houses), we were BLOWN AWAY by how close we actually got to be to the amazing balloons your would see in the parades.

We’re not crying, you’re crying!!
So much to look at in the @UniversalORL Holiday Experience! pic.twitter.com/IonVb4xk1V
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 16, 2020
As we walked through the area, we spotted the Madagascar Penguins preparing a holiday gift for King Julien…

…wearing the cutest holiday outfits before they jetset on a trip from the Central Park Zoo to Madagascar.

Right around the corner, you can find the Minions from Despicable Me building one of Gru’s inventions, while Lucy looked as sweet as ever in her blue dress.

But, when we turned around, we found THIS giant guy!
Walking through the @UniversalORL Holiday Experience! pic.twitter.com/IRkVIRArTI
— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) November 16, 2020
The huge Minion Balloon was a show-stopper for us…

…buuut it also had some serious competition with the massive Gingy Balloon from Shrek!

Right next to Gingy, Puss in Boots was living his best life in new red and white festive accessories.

One of Donkey and Dragon’s kiddos was also flying through the air to ring in the holiday season!

As we continued on the trail, we followed the path to meet Santa Claus!

While we passed his workshop at the North Pole…

…we finally encountered the jolly man himself!

Although you can’t see it, snoap (!!!) fell through the air as we exited Universal’s Holiday Experience with a giant smile on our faces.

Wow, Universal Orlando might be winning the Christmas season this year. After exploring the theme parks for the holidays, this was the closest we were able to get to Santa. We loved being able to interact with him one-on-one, along with the other characters out and about.

As we continue to explore all the offerings coming to the parks soon, we’ll give you a look at all the details of Universal’s holiday season!
Here are the 10 things you HAVE to do in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
What is your favorite thing about the holiday season in Universal Orlando? Let us know in the comments below!
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