Ho! Ho! Ho! Time to celebrate the good life at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Once again this is the time when it wouldn’t be a Holiday if one cannot celebrate “Grinchmas”! Since they are babies rolled in a bugaboo stroller, we have been coming, with my three sons, to Universal Studios Hollywood (https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us ) to celebrate the end of the year and to zoom into the future of another brilliant coming era. Until January 6th you also can be part of the magic and join Mr. Grinch and the people of Who-ville as they sing and dance in front of a giant, 65 foot tall, Grinchmas tree! And of course, on top of indulging yourself with all sorts of cookies and drinks, you also will be able to take selfies with The Grinch himself. After this “must stop” in the land of The Grinch we went down to the lower level of the park where Universal built, a little over a year ago, the fun mad land of Super Mario. ‘Super Nintendo World’ has also put some Christmas colors with two snowmen welcoming you at the entrance of this unique land. For this photo op, one snowman is wearing a red Mario hat and scarf while the other has the iconic green Luigi hat and scarf. Before riding “fast and furious” (Sure to be breathtaking, a ride inspired by the legendary series is announced for 2026. You can already see the groundbreaking construction with several loops and it’s promising to be a crazy ride!) ‘Mario Kart: Bowser’s challenge’ where you will ride your own cart and collect digital coins by throwing shells, I recommend a solid meal at the ‘Toadstool café’. This is the favorite restaurant of my boys, with the enchanting ‘the Three Broomsticks’ at the Wizarding world of Harry Potter. At Toadstool café you should share as an appetizer the classic mushroom soup which comes with its own souvenir mushroom bowl. This time I had to get, as my entrée, the massive one-pound spicy meatball, covered of melted mozzarella, and with its spicy mushroom sauce. It’s called: ‘Bowser’s Fireball Challenge’. Trust me, it is a challenge to eat it all, so might as well share it with your kids and splurge everyone. Two favorites of my boys are the Mario burger with its yummy crispy bacon, some mushroom and cheese. And let’s not forget the Luigi burger coming with a pesto grilled chicken. A pure delight which will gives you energy for the rest of the park. Note that usually the park opens at 9:00am and closes at 10:00pm. I highly recommend booking your seats at the ‘Toadstool café’ as soon as you get there. They get over sold very quickly.
Of course, while you down there on the lower level of the park I encourage you to frighten yourself with a big dive at ‘Jurassic world-The ride’, with the clash of Indominus rex and Tyrannosaurus rex followed by the accelerating mad roller-coaster: ‘Revenge of the Mummy- The ride’. Fasten your seatbelt and your stomach as you are up for some “wild wild wild” moments.
Before heading to the many upper level part of Universal Studios Hollywood, take a break and seat lazily on the tram from the Studio tour. This year the Studio tour is celebrating its 60th anniversary. You will enjoy discovering the backlot sets where some iconic Universal movies have been shot as well as passing through the set of Jordan Peele’s horror film ‘Nope’. And enjoy the classics ‘Earthquake-The Big One’, ‘Jaws Lake’ without forgetting the 3D experience of ‘King Kong’ and ‘Fast and Furious’ (as you wait for the 2026 announced roller-coaster ride!). Count 45-55 minutes for the Studio Tour, which will open your appetite and get you ready for a giant donut from the Simpsons shop. To settle your digestion go check out ‘The Simpsons Ride’; another must experience where you take a journey through ‘Krustyland’ and ‘Springfield’ on roller-coaster simulator. So real…it must be real! Or is it?
Finally, as the sun sets on the enchanting land of Universal Studios Hollywood, our boys’ way to end the day is to spend a few hours testing their magic powers with their Harry Potter wand at ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’. Stroll along the cobblestone streets and snow-capped roofs of Hogsmeade village where most windows shops are animated with a simple twist of your magic wand that you can buy at the ‘wand shop’. Then embark on your own flying broomstick and experience ‘Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey’. It’s an aerial roller-coaster taking you through Harry’s world and facing a legendary dragon. This will take your breath away and it will make you believe you are truly flying on the side of Harry and his friends. For a final show, each evening, during the Christmas season and until Jan 6th, you will want to watch ‘The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts castle’. The whole castle comes alive with a mesmerizing show of colors, animations and a medley of your favorite Harry Potter’s musical composition. As I look into the smiling eyes of my boys I can tell the magic of the season is upon us, casting a spell of Peace and Love, giving them a necessary break from their daily life. It’s important to believe in magic, to keep your dreams alive, to retain a glimpse of hope for better days to come. Hands in hands, hearts against hearts we leave Universal Studios Hollywood with a piece of heaven within and the promise we shall be back soon.
Have yourself a blessed Holiday season and make sure to get your tickets to the most enchanting park of all: Universal Studios Hollywood.
A Big Hug of thanks to Universal Studios publicist: Anastasia Lee.
01.01.2025 | Emmanuel Itier's blog
Cat. : FILM