Holidays at Universal Kids Resort Debuts This November With a Winter Wonderland, a 40-Foot Tree and Santa

A brand-new holiday tradition is arriving at Universal Kids Resort. From November 20, 2026, through January 3, 2027, the park will host its first-ever Holidays at Universal Kids Resort, a celebration made just for kids. Expect beloved characters, thousands of twinkling lights, and an interactive winter wonderland that leads straight to Santa.

Holiday Experiences Around the Park

Throughout the resort, festive decorations, carolers, and performers will give the park a seasonal makeover. Highlights include:

• A winter wonderland leading to Santa: Universal Kids Resort Theater becomes an interactive winter wonderland, complete with twinkling snow lights and an enchanted winter forest. Families can wander through before meeting Santa, who will greet guests and pose for photos through December 24. There’s also a Universal Kids Resort sleigh for extra photo ops along the way.
• A tree lighting ceremony with a 40-foot Christmas tree: Each day at dusk, families can join Gabby from “Gabby’s Dollhouse” in the Isle of Curiosity as the tree lights up. The celebration includes a dance party set to “Meowy Christmas” from the hit series.
• Holiday character encounters: The Penguins of Madagascar make their debut as new friends at the park, joining SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star and Gabby for special holiday-themed meet-and-greets.
• Letters to Santa: With help from Universal Kids Resort Play Ambassadors, kids can write down their holiday wishes in a festive setting and send them off through a special holiday mailbox.

New Holiday Merchandise

Seasonal collections featuring favorite Illumination and DreamWorks Animation characters are also on the way.

• Merry Minions: Cheerful apparel, accessories and collectibles show off the Minions in their holiday best. Standout items include a Merry Minions headband, a Spirit Jersey and an adorable Lug crossbody bag.
• DreamWorks Animation Shrek the Halls: This collection is made for ogre fans, with jolly t-shirts, an ogre ear headband, holiday decor and even sweet treats.

Holiday Bites and Sips

Seasonal dishes, sweet treats and festive drinks will be available throughout the resort:

• Holiday Pizza: A flatbread with classic turkey dinner flavors, available to hotel guests at Curiosity Café in Universal Kids Resort Hotel.
• Poppy’s Holiday Poutine: French fries topped with roasted turkey, melted cheese and gravy, served at Trolls Eatz! in DreamWorks’ TrollsFest.
• Holiday treats at Swamp Snacks: In DreamWorks’ Shrek’s Swamp, try a Gingy gingerbread man cookie or a Holiday Shrekzel with powdered sugar and peppermint chocolate dipping sauce.
• Purrfect Hot Chocolate: Hot chocolate topped with whipped topping and cinnamon sugar, available at Comidas y Leche in DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots Del Mar.

Make It a Holiday Getaway

Families can stretch the celebration into an overnight stay at the Universal Kids Resort Hotel, which is decked out in holiday décor from the lobby to Curiosity Café. The hotel is steps from the theme park and offers 300 rooms and family suites, a dedicated park entrance and Early Park Admission one hour before the park officially opens. Separate valid theme park admission is required.

Plan Your Visit

Holiday operating days and hours vary, and the park will stay open as late as 9 p.m. on select dates. Check the operating calendar for daily hours and scheduled closures. For ticket and annual pass options, visit UniversalKidsResort.com or call the Universal Kids Resort Guest Contact Center at 888-331-9105.

Clint Gamache

Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter/X, Instagram @iamcg83