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Writer's pictureAshlie & Lauren

Creative Universal Orlando Outfits for the Holidays

Updated: Oct 25

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Universal Orlando puts on a very festive holiday celebration. From Grinchmas over at Islands of Adventure to the Macy’s Day Parade at Universal Studios, you’ll find plenty of holiday cheer included with your park tickets. For the 2024 season, these special events run from November 22nd through December 31st. 


Universal Studios during the holidays

At both parks, you can find special entertainment that ranges from Mannheim Steamroller shows on select nights and The Blues Brothers singing classic Christmas tunes to a must see performance from the Grinch at the Who-liday Spectacular. You can find more information on all the holiday events over at the Touring Plans Blog. We want to say thank you to Touring Plans for letting us use some of their photos!


Universal Studios during the holidays

But of course, we always want to answer the question of, “What should I wear?” Winter months in Florida can be tricky. Typically, it’s warm enough for a tee and pants, but occasionally it can get chilly. We always recommend packing a layer or two, but the outfits we styled and planned would most likely be very comfortable at night, as it can dip into the 50’s. 



So, let’s get to our outfits and themes for Universal! If you happen to love these looks, but want something a little more customized to your style preferences and sizing, be sure to check out our outfit planning services! 


Universal Studios


Both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure have plenty of holiday offerings to make sure you don’t become a Grinch while you’re visiting. Even if you’re visiting just one of the theme parks, you’ll find holiday cheer all around! 


Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s


If you can’t make it to NYC to see the OG Macy’s Parade, Universal Studios has you covered. They teamed up with the department store to recreate this iconic parade with some familiar Universal characters. There are 15 floats, 16 giant balloons, and of course, just like the parade in New York, Santa Claus closes out the big event. We wanted to create a couple of looks inspired by this incredible experience that’s offered to everyone with a regular park ticket at Universal! 


Nutcracker Outfit


Universal Studios during the holidays Macy's Parade

While Universal Studios puts its own characters into the parade, it also hosts a few balloons that you can spot in the original Thanksgiving parade. One of our favorites is The Nutcracker. This giant holiday staple is a holiday tradition that we felt would be so fun to bring to life with an outfit. 


Nutcraker outfit for Universal Studios during the holidays

Of course, this outfit would be styled depending on the weather. The Florida weather is unpredictable, and the winter months could be chilly enough for a sweater, or you might find yourself sweating and regretting this choice. With that being said, if you’re traveling, make sure to check the weather a week before you leave! You could easily swap out the sweater for a red tee if the temperature looks a little warm. We also added a velvet pant and skirt option, depending on the weather. However, we are partial to the pant option, as it truly ties in the uniform of The Nutcracker.



Macy’s Star Balloon Outfit


Universal Studios during the holidays Macy's Parade

Another iconic balloon from the parade is the Macy’s Star. She might not be as big as the other balloons, but she still shines, and it wouldn't be the same without her there. So, we thought it would be fun to create a look centered around the department store balloons, as well as the classic Macy’s colors. 


Macy's star balloon outfit for Universal Studios during the holidays

We started with the red dress because when we think of Macy’s, we think of red! From there, we wanted to add elements of the department store through the accessories. The star balloon purse is BEYOND perfect for this look. We also added some snowflakes in the necklace, as the balloons are covered in mother nature’s frosty gift. The rest of the accessories were styled with holiday wrapping in mind as shoppers rush home with their holiday gifts! 



Gingerbread Man Outfit


Gingerbread man float during the Macy's parade at Universal Studios during the holidays

Oh snap! Over in DreamWorks Land, you can stop by and say hello to Shrek and Donkey. We’ve seen a few photos floating around the internet of the Gingerbread Man meeting guests, but we’ve NOT been able to confirm an official meet with him. However, we are sure Shrek and Donkey would love to see their tasty friend represented through an outfit. Plus, you can “catch” the Gingerbread Man from Shrek during the Macy’s Parade. We even added a little Santa hat ring to tie in the impressive float! 


Gingerbread outfit for Universal Studios during the holidays

This sweet and adorable outfit can also be worn exploring the Loews Royal Pacific Resort and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort gingerbread house displays! Even though the Gingerbread man isn’t really known as a Christmas character in the Shrek movies, we still feel like he fits the mold during the holiday season. This brown corduroy jumper is a great way to style the look, as it adds a little bit of texture and can be paired with a long sleeve or short sleeve shirt underneath. We also loved this lollipop purse and already have plans to use it again for a Honeydukes look!



New York City Tacky Taxi Christmas Outfit


New York City at Universal Studios during the holidays

New York City plays a big part of the Universal Holiday Parade. It’s where the official Macy’s Day Parade is located, and Universal Studios has created a mini piece of The Big Apple. In New York, you can find a collection of holiday decorations over on 5th Avenue, and one of them is an I 🧡 NY Holiday Taxi Cab. It is bright, colorful, and full of holiday cheer and something we wish Universal would add to their holiday decor at the NYC section of the park! 


New York City outfit for Universal Studios during the holidays

Even though this delightful holiday decoration was inspired by the 1950’s, we found these pants and could not resist creating an outfit around them. This look leans into the 70’s a little bit, but we feel like it’s such a fun way to create a look for the love of New York and bring it to the streets of Universal and take some adorable photos! We style this two ways: full on tacky taxi cab and sweet taxi cab with Santa Claus accessories. 



Earl the Squirrel Outfit


Earl the Squirrel at Universal Studios during the holidays

We absolutely love the legend and origin story of Earl the Squirrel. According to the Orlando Informer, an adorable squirrel was wreaking havoc on a strand of blue lights on their Christmas Tree at Universal. There are many tales of the squirrel making his home in the backlot and inside the tree. Throughout the years, the team members started hiding a stuffed squirrel in the Christmas Tree to pay homage to the little critter. 


Earl the Squirrel outfit for Universal Studios during the holidays

Universal decided that Earl needed a more permanent place within the parks, and now you can actually meet the menace turned icon. Passholders and Universal fans love Earl, and we wanted to create an outfit to match this cutie. To make it a little more temperature-friendly, we swapped his red buffalo hat with a headband or scrunchie. We also added some Christmas lights since they seem to be his favorite. And if it does happen to be chilly, throw on some fleece tights to keep your legs warm!



Islands of Adventure


The holidays are also in full swing over at Islands of Adventure. One of the most infamous celebrations is their Grinchmas. Over in Seuss Landing, the residents of Whoville are making their holiday preparations, and Grinch has a lot of feelings about it. 


An Extra Grinchy Outfit


Meeting the Grinch is not to be missed. It’s one of the best character interactions throughout the entire park. There are a couple of ways to meet the green, grumpy, but lovable character. The Grinch meets at Honk Honkers in Seuss Landing, but this line fills up fast. Wait times can get up to 130 minutes, so if this is high on your list, make sure to head there first with early entry, or try and swing by at the end of the night. 


Who-ilday Spectacular Show at Universal Studios during the holidays

There are two other ways to meet him that require an additional purchase. One is the Grinch and Friends Character Breakfast, and the other is the Holiday Tour. Thanks to the Mammoth Club, we learned that the Universal Holiday Tour is also the only way to meet Max. This tour also includes a guaranteed seat for the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular Show. 


Grinch outfit for Universal Studios during the holidays

Because the Grinch is so extra, we wanted this outfit to be extra as well. We love the combination of the hot pink and green. The Grinch earrings from Mel’s Trinkets were the perfect addition to this outfit. The pants are amazing, but would be another weather-depending choice. If you choose to do the Holiday Tour, the pants would be perfect, as that is an evening tour! 



Holiday at Hogwarts Outfit


Hogwarts at Universal Studios during the holidays

And last, the perfect nightcap to the holiday festivities at Universal Studios. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter celebrates a Happy Christmas in both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You can find special treats and decor throughout both spots, but you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss the Magic of Christmas projection show over in Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure. This spectacular nighttime show located on the Hogwarts castle is truly beautiful! 


Harry Potter outfit for Universal Studios during the holidays

When it comes to planning outfits for The Wizarding World, it can sometimes be a…challenge. For those of us who like to theme our looks to the parks, finding unique items from small shops is not easy. So we put together a look based around holiday plaids and the famous Weasley sweater. You can wear the dress during the day if it’s warm, but we love the idea of being able to throw the sweater over the dress and style it with a crop tuck band. Plus, you can rewear the dress to all of your holiday parties! The floating candle earrings were added, as they are an essential part of the Christmas Decor of The Great Hall. But, our favorite piece might be the howler crossbody bag. The colors are perfect for the holidays, and you can wear it all season to the parks!



Whatever you wear, you are sure to have an amazing time during the holidays at Universal Studios. And remember, theme park fashion doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to make you smile!

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