Home for the Universal holidays
First look: Macy’s balloons, Tribute Store and more
Bevil: The celebration is underway, with Macy’s balloons, Christmas floats, characters, Santa Claus and more.
Universal Orlando’s holiday celebration is underway, and part of it is under roof for the first time. The famed Macy’s balloons are inflated and on display inside a soundstage at Universal Studios theme park.
The move is one of the many switches that attractions have made during the coronavirus pandemic. In previous years, the balloons were paraded through the streets of Universal Studios, maneuvered by humans stringing them along from the ground. Now visitors parade by them. The entrance to the new holiday experience is between the park’s Music Plaza and the Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon ride. Folks scoot beneath Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster to get over to Stage 21, essentially behind the Music Plaza stage. Halloween Horror Nights types will be familiar with this general space, but I think everyone agrees that the vibe is less harrowing, unless you have a faux snow phobia.
Inside are the full-blown inflatables, most of which will
be familiar to Universal-goers: a nutcracker, a gingerbread cookie, a “Despicable Me” minion in a sweater, etc. It’s not the full parade lineup, but it’s representative.
Universal has dressed up the space to make it seem less like a warehouse. Visitors walk along a red carpet, and the dividers have
been spruced up with red shiny props and greenery. (Floor markings encourage six feet of separation between groups). There are costumed characters (Puss in Boots, penguins, for example) and other performers sprinkled throughout, but stationed away from the walkway. The parade’s soundtrack rattles throughout
the soundstage.
Amid all the balloons are floats from the holiday parade. Seeing them stationary helped me appreciate finer details of their designs. They’ve been gussied up/staged a bit as well. The balloons, I think, benefit from
night sky and a little more distance. But it’s practical to keep them indoors for these holidays, and the experience is enjoyable rain or shine this way.
Midway through the stroll, there’s a way to veer off to meet Santa (who sports a red face covering, naturally). That route includes a photo op with socially distant St. Nick, who is elevated and separated from visitors.
Without the Santa detour, a trip through the balloons would take between maybe 10 and 15 minutes, depending on how many people are there and if they’re slow-walking shutterbugs.
Other Universal holiday happenings
At Universal Studios, a holiday-driven Tribute Store has popped up in the same spot that recently sold Halloween goods.
The glossy shop, across the street from the park’s giant Christmas tree, features a snowy German room, an area devoted to things Grinch, a room that’s utter Harry Potter and a finale space that includes goodies from Earl the Squirrel.
Yes, that’s where the specialty food resides and, therefore, where you might find a bottleneck because there are four different stations then room for two cashiers farther down. There’s limited capacity for the Tribute Store — a Universal worker keeps track at the front door. Sometimes the queue to get in stretches around the corner; sometimes you can walk right in.
The year-round Christmas store is open, and there’s holiday merchandise in the large Universal Studios Store near the entrance of the park.
Christmas décor is up all over the place. The garland and lights generally accent the lines, horizontal and
Universal’s Holiday Experience at Universal Studios features Macy’s balloons, Christmas floats, characters, holiday tunes and an appearance from Santa Claus. vertical, of the architecture of the New York and Hollywood areas. There’s an extra little touch to check out on the dangling greenery on the Metropolis Tribune building, the aqua façade that front’s part of the Fallon ride.
At the bottom of two strands are golden monkey figures. They are shout-outs to the big Curious George inflatable that was once attached to the Tribune.
I haven’t seen all the holiday-ized versions of characters. Just the photo of Santa Shrek gives me pause. Another unusual moment is the “Madagascar” float coming out to the ballroom-esque parade music … but then shifting to an on-stage “Move It, Move
It” character dance performance, which includes a “Go, Santa! Go, Santa!” segment.
I’m not mad about it, just jarred. Then. nearby, Scooby Doo played the air violin when the parade music started up again. It was the “only in Orlando” moment I didn’t know I needed.
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The Holiday Tribute Store is open through Jan. 3 at Universal Studios. It features holiday movie-themed rooms, including “The Grinch”and Harry Potter, where guests can purchase merchandise and sample seasonal treats at Earl the Squirrel’s Tree Farm.