The old saying, “The show must go on,” is taken seriously at Universal Studios Hollywood. We visited the park last week during a rain storm and found that when bad weather rolls through, their gates remain open and they make all sorts of special accommodations to keep you happy and comfortable.  Grinchmas is on the way and we have the full list of celebrity readers along with a tour of the Grinchy store in the upper lot.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Special Rain maps are handed out to guests on bad weather days that point out the dryer places in the park.

Surprisingly, very little of the park operations are  affected by rain.  None of the shows are closed, not even Waterworld.  As guests enter, they are handed special rain maps that point out the spots that offer escape from the rain. Free hot cocoa and Coffee are offered inside the Old Globe Theatre facility, across from the Terminator attraction. This is a classy and generous move as the park could easily make a lot of money by  selling warm beverages to shuddering guests.

CITY WALK

City Walk, however, is not the best place to stroll in the rain.  It is better to grab a coffee at one of the restaurants and watch the rain fall. But, I had an update to prepare, so I had to slog through buckets of rain.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
The CityWalk Christmas tree is now set up.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
The Five Towers stage flanked by tin soldiers and trees.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Santa was rained out.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Guests can take their picture with Rockin’ Santa when the weather cooperates.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
The planters are filled with pine and poinsettia.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Kong is getting his Santa on.

Rain aside, CityWalk looks and feels hip and festive. It’s a fun vibe.

UPPER LOT

At the front gates of the park everything is decked out for Christmas Grinchmas.  Ornaments dangle from the archway and the gate is a bright chartreuse, the Grinch’s signature color.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
The main gate turnstiles are decorated with garland and wreaths.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
The entry fountain statue is surrounded by bright red poinsettia.

GRINCHMAS STORE

The flex retail space at the entrance plaza has been reopened as the Grinchmas store.  Here you can pick up everything from Grinch pajamas to T-shirts and tree ornaments.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Plenty of Ornaments. A little on the spendy side at $15 per ornament on average, but mostly adorable.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Grinchjamas?
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
The Cat in the Hat.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL

What happens when it rains at Universal Studios Hollywood? Well, the show goes on of course. But they do it with a surprising amount of style.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Spot the hidden Mickey.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
The Brooklyn facades near the entrance of the park are coated with realistic looking snow.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Baker Street looks right at home in the rain.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Hey! It’s dry in here!
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
They did have the characters out, under covering.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Ironically, no one wants to get wet in the Coke Soak Zone when it’s raining.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Paris is also decorated.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

GRINCHMAS – December 8th and 9th then Dec 15th-31st

The merriest villain that ever was brings Grinchmas celebrations to Universal Studios Hollywood on December 8th and 9th then Dec 15th-31st.  What is Grinchmas?  During the day, it is a winter wonderland of real snow that guests can play in.  In the evenings, there are celebrity readings of the classic Dr. Suess book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with a tree lighting to top things off.

The main celebrations take place in the upper lot at the center of the park.  Once inside the main gates, you really can’t miss the whimsical, curvy Christmas Tree on the horizon.  Follow that and you will find the snow, and the arena for the nightly show.

Below is a full listing for the celebrity readings of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  Note that there are usually two performances each night, but show times vary.  Before heading out, don’t forget to double check the full show schedule on the Universal Website here

Celebrity Readings of How the Grinch Stole Christmas
December 8th
Nia Vardalos 5:30pm
Alison Sweeney 6:15pm

December 9th
Jillian Michaels 5:30pm
Daniella Monet 6:15pm

Dec 15th
Yvette Nicole Brown 7:00pm

Dec 16th
Tahj Mowry 6:15pm
Yarel Ramos 7:00pm

Dec 17th
Jillian Rose Reed & Nikki de Loach 6:15pm
Danny Pudi 7:00pm

Dec 18th
Corbin Bernsen, Kirsten Nelson & Kurt Fuller 6:15pm
Sierra McCormick 7:00pm

Dec 19th
Ryan Beatty 6:15pm
Lu Parker 7:00pm

Dec 20th
Tia Mowry-Hardict 6:15pm

Dec 21st
Jamar Rogers 6:15
Tim Dekay, Willie Garson & Tiffany Thiessen 7:30pm

Dec 22nd

Peyton List 6:15
Diego Boneta 7:30pm

Dec 23rd
Xolo Mariduena 6:15
Raphael Sbarge 7:30pm

Dec 24th
Lauren Bowles 6:15pm
Sharif Atkins 7:30pm

Dec 25th
Kate Linder 6:15pm
Chris Gorham 7:30pm

Dec 26th
Matthew Fahey 6:15pm
Kirk Cameron 7:30pm

Dec 27th
Camryn Manheim 6:15pm
Benjamin Stockham 7:30pm

Dec 28th
Ryan Potter 6:15pm
Ryan Newman 7:30pm

Dec 29th
Teri Reeves 7:30pm

Dec 30th
China Anne McClain 6:15pm
Steve Blake 7:30pm

Dec 31st
Dot Marie Jones 7:30pm

There is also a bit of Grinchmas fun on the backlot tour as well.  As the tram pulls through the Whoville set, the whos bring the exisiting set to life with song and dance. It wasn’t quite ready for guests on my trip, so I don’t have photos for you yet. Stay tuned.

THE SIMPSONS RIDE

Another nice touch that always appears for the holidays can be seen at The Simpsons Ride.  The figures out in front of the ride all wear Santa hats.  There are also a few Christmas tree light structures set up with presents surrounding them.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
We hope Marge isn’t getting another bowling ball named Homer.

STUDIO TOUR

When the weather decides to deliver rain, the Studio Tour soldiers on.  A ride though the backlot could prove to be a damp proposition.  But they thought of this too.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Studio Tour all prettied up.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Universal has installed plastic sheeting on the trams in an attempts to keep riders dry.

The solution offered above, at first seemed awkward and likley to ruin the experience.  But, after a few minutes getting acclimated, the sheets actually didn’t bother us.  In fact, I was pretty thankful for them when the rain really began to pour down.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
The Tour Guide gamely engaged the guests.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Shooting kept the tram from venturing into the New York streets sets.
universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Strangely, Kong was better with the sheets obscuring the view. It added an extra layer of depth and made it seem less like a projection.

 
A large house set has been constructed near the Earthquake attraction.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

Up at the Whoville sets, they are getting ready for the Grinchmas festivities where Whos will greet each tour and dance and sing.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Workmen were out in the rain getting everything ready.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

Finally, some nice wintery trees have been added along the exit of the Tram tour.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
A nice little holiday touch.

LOWER LOT

Jurassic Park was down for adjustments the day of our visit.  But, really, who would have been riding it?

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine
Both of the open lower lot attractions were walk-ons with signs beckoning guests with dry conditions inside.

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

universal studios hollywood, Universal Studios Hollywood – The Show Must Go On – Rain or Shine

And with that rather dry note we leave Universal Studios today.  Though soggy, the Studios park is still a ton of fun in the rain. And due to the weather, the crowds were practically nonexistent. We’ll have a followup article for you shortly as Universal awards Betty White with its annual Whomanitarian award for her lifelong work on behalf of animal welfare.

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Norman Gidney
Norman Gidney, also known as Fishbulb, has produced and edited many of the articles on MiceChat over the years.