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The year is sprinkled with special events tied to the holiday calendar. The events listed here, with the notable exception of Halloween Horror Nights, are usually included in regular admission, but separate admission is sometimes charged for evening events.
Among the holiday-themed events Universal Studios puts on are:
Mardi Gras. New Orleans’ pre-Lenten bacchanalia comes to Florida in the form of a nighttime parade, complete with garish and gaudy floats, lots of Dixieland jazz, and plenty of baubles and beads that are flung into the outstretched hands of the crowd.
Fourth of July. Universal Studios celebrates America’s birthday with a small town celebration on steroids. It’s Universal’s biggest fireworks display of the year, one you will feel in the core of your being as well as see and hear. Most often, fireworks displays continue nightly through the entire month of July, although this is not guaranteed.
Halloween Horror Nights. After park closing, the parks are turned into a series of elaborately themed haunted mazes through which visitors stream and scream. Some years the event has been held at Universal Studios, some years at Islands of Adventure, and some years at both. Plans for 2007 remain uncertain, although my guess is that this ever more popular event will just keep getting bigger. The separate admission charge also seems to get bigger each year.
Christmas. Ho, ho, ho! It’s a Hollywood version of a heartwarming family holiday, complete with Franken-Santas and Christmas lights on many of the attractions.
New Year’s Eve. Expect a wild street party, often with a live pop concert being taped for later television broadcast. There is an awesome fireworks display at midnight and the park stays open until 1:00 a.m.
These special events can be fun if you’re in the right mood. In fact, Halloween Horror Nights has created yet another “high season” for the Universal parks! However, some people may find them an awkward and distracting overlay to the park’s main business.
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