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After 51 Years, Universal Icon Replaces Mickey Mouse

Mickey and Minnie Disney Christmas
Credit: Disney

For more than five decades in the realm of Orlando theme parks, there has been one “king” when it comes to the Holiday season, and that has been Walt Disney World Resort and, specifically, Mickey Mouse.

Mickey Mouse has become synonymous with Disney World and, in many ways, the entire Christmas season. During the Holidays, things become even more spectacular inside Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, guests can see Mickey Mouse in his Holiday best, enjoy shorter lines at attractions, and take in exclusive offerings such as Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.

Mickey dresses as Santa greets a family in front of Cinderella Castle in the dark.

Credit: Disney

While Mickey Mouse still got plenty of fanfare during the Holidays this year, it was another character approximately seven miles north of Disney World who stole not just the Christmas presents but the spotlight, as well. Of course, we’re talking about the mean one himself, the Grinch.

How the Grinch replaced Mickey Mouse

Over the course of the last few years, in particular, the Grinch has seemingly become even more popular. Though Jim Carrey’s version of the character was introduced back in 2000, it seems that we’re just now seeing a meteoric rise in popularity for the beloved and iconic figure, who was first created by Dr. Seuss in How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1957).

Universal fans have always had a love for the Grinch, but just a couple of decades ago, Grinchmas— the stunning stage show that retells the beloved Christmas story– took place on the streets of Whoville in Seuss Landing at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. At one point, the show happened a few times per day on the stage next to the Cat in the Hat ride, which has since been abandoned.

Jim Carrey as The Grinch

Credit: Universal Pictures

Now, the show has become a full production inside a soundstage at Universal with a major cast, and guests must arrive early to ensure they have a seat. As a matter of fact, there have been multiple times this year when shows reached capacity more than 30 minutes before they were set to begin, despite there being eight or more performances each day.

If you thought getting seats for Grinchmas was difficult, you should see the line to meet the Grinch himself.

Universal Orlando had a Virtual Queue for the character meet and greet last year, but fans expressed backlash when they were unable to meet the character as the queue filled up within seconds of opening up each morning. This year, Universal went to a standard line queue for guests who wanted to wait to see The Grinch. The result? Wait times consistently were over 300 minutes, with some exceeding 420 minutes.

For those wondering, that is a gaudy seven-hour wait.

The Grinch looking shocked at Islands of Adventure inside Universal Orlando Resort for Grinchmas 2023.

Credit: Universal Orlando Resort

This means there were people who were willing to give up their entire day in the theme park just to meet the Grinch. That’s how popular of a Holiday icon he has become.

What’s so impressive about this is the fact that it has been an entire month, and the Grinch’s wait times still haven’t dropped. Many times at Walt Disney World Resort, we see a new character meet and greet– such as Figment this past year— spike with a wait time similar to this for the first few days, but as the locals and Annual Passholders get the experience out of the way, it soon drops back in its normal time. That’s simply not the case for the Grinch.

Instead, everyone who is taking a vacation to Orlando during the months of November and December wants to meet the character. Some decide the wait isn’t worth it. Others attempted to purchase Grinch & Friends Breakfast reservations to bypass the line.

The Grinch at Universal Studios

Credit: Universal

When looking at the numbers, it’s clear that the most popular character in Orlando during the Holiday season is no longer Mickey Mouse, but it’s actually the Grinch himself. It could be because his shoes are on too tight. It could be that his heart was once two sizes too small, and that sometimes shows itself in his interactions. But I think the most likely reason is that the Grinch has become a viral sensation who, perhaps, even transcends just the Christmas season.

Could the Grinch become a year-round figure at Universal Orlando?

While there have been fans who have hoped Universal may keep the character available year-round for meet and greets, Grinchmas is still scheduled to come to an end on December 31.

Universal did not issue a response when asked about the popularity of the Grinch and if he could become a year-round figure.

the-grinch-universal

Credit: Universal

Many fans believe the Grinch would become oversaturated if he was available all the time. Others, however, make a good point when saying he could very well maintain a consistent line queue throughout the year because of his cleverly timed quips and attitude, which would easily fit into Seuss Landing’s theming, even outside of the Christmas season.

For now, however, you’ll have to get to Universal Orlando in the next few days if you want to meet the Grinch. If not, we can expect to see him again next November.

What are your thoughts on the massive popularity of the Grinch? 

This post is originally appeared on Inside the Magic.

About Andrew Boardwine

A frequent visitor of Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort, Andrew will likely be found freefalling on Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or enjoying Pirates of the Caribbean. Over at Universal, he'll be taking in the thrills of the Jurassic World Velocicoaster and Revenge of the Mummy.

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