Nov. 14 to Jan. 3 3 theme parks Included with park ticket Checked Oct. 11

Universal Orlando Holidays 2026: dates, the Macy's parade and what's on

Name: Holidays at Universal Orlando
Start: 2026-11-14
End: 2027-01-03
Location: Universal Orlando

The holidays at Universal Orlando run Nov. 14 to Jan. 3 across Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe. Here's what's on at each park, what a ticket covers, and which details Universal hasn't posted.

The short version

DatesSaturday, Nov. 14, 2026 to Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, all season rather than select nights

ParksUniversal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe. Universal's events guide doesn't list Volcano Bay.

HoursRegular park hours. Universal's park hours calendar has each day.

TicketsIncluded with a theme park ticket or annual pass. Blockout dates may apply.

Holiday TourCosts extra, and park admission isn't included. Reservation required. Universal hasn't posted a price.

RidesThe holidays are part of a regular park day, so there's no separate holiday ride list.

Dates and hours

Holidays 2026 dates and hours

The holidays run all season during regular park hours, not on select nights. Here's what's on, where and when.

When	Where
Nov. 14 to Jan. 3: the whole season	Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe, during regular park hours (see Universal's park hours calendar).
Each night: Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's	Universal Studios Florida. Show times are in the Universal app, not on Universal's web page.
Nov. 14 to Jan. 3: Grinchmas	Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure.
Nov. 14 to Jan. 3: Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter	Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida, Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure and wizarding Paris at Epic Universe.
Select dates, Nov. 14 to Jan. 2: Universal Holiday Tour	About 2.5 hours, by reservation. Costs extra, and park admission isn't included.
Dec. 31: New Year's Eve at Epic Universe	DJs, live entertainment and a midnight countdown. Universal hasn't posted a start time.

Universal's main holidays page prints only the Holiday Tour range, Nov. 14 to Jan. 2. The Grinchmas and Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter pages, and Universal's events guide, give Nov. 14 to Jan. 3 for the season, so that's the range used here.

Pick your date

Universal Orlando crowd calendar

The next two weeks at all three parks side by side, with a link to each park's full calendar.

What's there

What's on at each park

Here's what Universal's holiday pages and 2026 winter guide list, park by park:

Universal Studios Florida: Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's runs each night, with large balloons, Minions, Shrek and Madagascar characters. Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is in Diagon Alley, and there's a Holiday Tribute Store.
Islands of Adventure: Grinchmas is in Seuss Landing, with the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular show, Whos, a Grinch photo op and limited-time food and drink. Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is in Hogsmeade, and Universal says Hogwarts castle lights up the night.
Hogwarts castle show: Universal's Sept. 25 winter guide names The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts, a light and sound show at the castle in Islands of Adventure. There's no dedicated 2026 page for it, so dates and times aren't confirmed here.
Epic Universe: Christmas decor in wizarding Paris, Snoggletog at Isle of Berk (How to Train Your Dragon), festive decor at Super Nintendo World, and New Year's Eve with DJs, live entertainment and a midnight countdown. The winter guide also lists North Star Wintry Wonders, a holiday shop in Celestial Park that's open year-round.
Around the resort: CityWalk lists the Green & Red Coconut Club and an Earl the Squirrel meet and greet, and Universal's hotels are decorated and run holiday events of their own.

Tickets and costs

Tickets and passes

The holidays at Universal Orlando are included with a theme park ticket or annual pass. Blockout dates may apply.

The Universal Holiday Tour costs extra, and park admission isn't included. It runs about 2.5 hours on select dates from Nov. 14 to Jan. 2, with Grinch, Max and Santa meet and greets, reserved Grinchmas show seating, an optional reserved parade area and up to 12 guests. You need a reservation, and Universal hasn't posted a price.

Plan your visit

How to plan a holiday visit

Pick your park by what you want to see. The Macy's parade and Diagon Alley are at Universal Studios Florida, Grinchmas and Hogsmeade are at Islands of Adventure, and wizarding Paris and New Year's Eve are at Epic Universe.
Open the Universal app for the parade's show times. They aren't on the web page.
Check Universal's park hours for your date before you go, Christmas week included.
Got an annual pass? Blockout dates may apply, so check yours before you pick a day.
Look at the crowd calendar before you choose a day. Want the Holiday Tour? It needs a reservation, and you'll still need park admission.

Waits during the holidays

When Universal Orlando posts waits for the rides that are running, Ride Ready shows them live, free, and pings you when a line drops.

Get the free app

FAQ

Holidays 2026 FAQ

When do the holidays start at Universal Orlando in 2026?

Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe. The Grinchmas and Wizarding World pages put the end at Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027. Universal's main holidays page prints Nov. 14 to Jan. 2, but that's the Holiday Tour's range.

What are the hours for the holidays at Universal Orlando?

The holidays run during regular park hours, which Universal posts on its park hours calendar. The Macy's parade runs each night at Universal Studios Florida, and its show times are in the Universal app.

Are the holidays at Universal Orlando included with a ticket?

Yes. They're included with a theme park ticket or annual pass, and blockout dates may apply. The Universal Holiday Tour costs extra, park admission isn't included, and Universal hasn't posted its price.

Which rides are open during the holidays at Universal Orlando?

There's no separate holiday ride list, because the holidays are part of a regular park day. The Universal app shows which rides are open, and Ride Ready shows their live waits.

Is there a Hogwarts castle show at Universal Orlando this Christmas?

Universal's Sept. 25 winter guide points to The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts, a light and sound show at the castle in Islands of Adventure. Universal hasn't posted a dedicated 2026 page for it with dates or times.

Does Epic Universe have holiday events?

Yes. Universal's holidays page lists Christmas decor in wizarding Paris, Snoggletog at Isle of Berk, festive decor at Super Nintendo World, and New Year's Eve with DJs, live entertainment and a midnight countdown.

Sources

Checked against Universal Orlando's official pages on Oct. 11, 2026. Parks change hours and details during the season, so check their calendar the week you go.