Holiday Crowds, Cold Weather, Chocolate Chili and Strawberry Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Long Lines to Meet the Grinch, and More: Universal Orlando Resort Photo Report 12/22/21

Annie Wilson

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Holiday Crowds, Cold Weather, Chocolate Chili and Strawberry Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Long Lines to Meet the Grinch, and More: Universal Orlando Resort Photo Report 12/22/21

Winter has arrived and the temperatures have dropped here in Florida. We’re bundled up and ready to hit the parks, so let’s get going and find out what’s happening today around the Universal Orlando Resort.

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We decided to start our morning at Islands of Adventure.

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Hats, gloves, and scarves can be found in the gift shops for those who come to the parks unprepared for the cold.

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First line of the day is for Starbucks. Always grab your caffeine before hitting the parks. Many of the resorts have Starbucks in the lobby, so we suggest grabbing your favorite drink before you leave for the parks.

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The entrance arch is still missing from Seuss Landing. Read more on the missing arch in our post here.

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There are no straight lines in Seuss Landing, not even the line for Green Eggs and Ham. The line was really long and wrapped around the land.

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This is the line of guests waiting to meet the Grinch an hour before he arrives for the day. If you want to meet the Grinch, we suggest lining up early.

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The Wizarding World is always the busiest part of the park, so we’re nervous as we make our way into Hogsmeade.

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Yesterday was rainy with low crowds, but today it’s extremely busy around here!

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There was a 75 minute wait for VelociCoaster. Worth it.

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Only a 5 minute wait for Jurassic Park River Adventure. The temperature has been in the 50’s today, so you better be prepared to spend the money on a people dryer if you get soaked!

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A 100 minute wait for Spider-Man and 45 minutes for Doctor Doom is never a good sign.

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Island Market and Export Candy Shoppe makes fresh fudge and have 3 new flavors available. Raspberry Clotted Cream, Christmas Pudding, and Sherbet can be found among the variety of other fudge in the case.

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As a steady stream of guests makes their way into the park, we’re on our way out and heading over to Universal Studios Florida next.

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When the park first opens, Revenge of the Mummy has a standby line, but it will quickly turn into a Virtual Line for the remainder of the day. Either plan to be there first thing in the morning or try to grab a Virtual Line return time.

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Guests are lined up and ready for the next showing of the Bourne Stuntacular. Thankfully, this theater has a lot of seats and a high capacity.

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If you want to take the Hogwarts Express for the experience, we suggest going early. During the afternoon, there was a 90 minute wait for the King’s Cross Station.

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Remember back in the day when nobody could find Diagon Alley? Those were the days!

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The end of the line for Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts was all the way next to Quality Qudditch Supplies by the entrance of Diagon Alley.

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There was almost no line inside Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour so we popped in to get away from the crowds and grab a quick snack. Chocolate Chili with Strawberry Peanut Butter was a great choice. Check out our post here with reviews of other flavors from Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour.

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Just a little busy around here.

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Wait times around the park are crazy everywhere, so this might be our sign to get out of here.

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Time for a delicious bowl of Nashville Hot Chicken Mac and Cheese before we head out of here. Thanks for following us around the parks today and be sure to keep following for more updates!