VIDEO: New Holiday Parade debuts at Universal Orlando, adding more character to Christmas time

in Theme Parks, Universal Orlando

What do Minions, Shrek, and Santa Claus have in common? They are the stars of the all-new Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s at Universal Orlando.

Making its debut this weekend, the new Universal’s Holiday Parade replaces the long-running favorite Macy’s Holiday Parade with entertainment in the same Christmas spirit but with a distinctly Universal twist.

WATCH – UNIVERSAL’S HOLIDAY PARADE FEATURING MACY’S AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

New floats (more than 15) and new balloons (more than a dozen) fill this holiday parade, featuring characters from fan-favorite franchises like “Despicable Me” and “Madagascar” and “Shrek.”

While the name may sound similar, this isn’t just an upgraded version of the old parade. Universal has started nearly from scratch, developing a parade worthy of the Universal name, showcasing everything the holiday season is all about.

The new floats are Disney-quality, a distinct upgrade from years past. And it’s fun to see Universal’s own new balloons take to the streets that are far more relevant in the park than those transported from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

The Minions definitely steal the show with their hilarious Christmas song, sung in their distinctly Minion language. The whole parade has a kind of dreamlike quality. It’s rather long and never quite hits any ultra high energy moments, instead floating by with grace. And it’s wonderful to see Santa bring it all home in the end.

It’s all a welcome change and addition to Universal’s colorful lineup of Christmas entertainment, which also includes the first-ever year of celebrating the holidays in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter along with the return of Mannheim Steamroller and Grinchmas.

The holiday season at Universal Orlando officially kicks off Saturday, November 18 and continues through January 6, 2018.

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