Plus, Guests Can Meet and Greet with Earl the Squirrel, Rock New Merchandise Inspired by the Fluffy Critter, and Experience More Jolly Fun at Universal Orlando Resort this Holiday Season
Click Here for a First Look at Earl the Squirrel’s Balloon, All-New Merchandise Featuring the Beloved Character, and More
ORLANDO, Fla. (October 28, 2026) –This holiday season, Universal Orlando Resort’s very own, Earl the Squirrel, will scamper through the skies of New York City as he makes his giant balloon debut in the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 26. Following his debut, he will join the lineup of Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s at Universal Studios Florida in early December. Park guests can also celebrate the fan-favorite character and his larger-than-life debut with all-new merchandise in this season’s newly themed Holiday Tribute Store, in-person meet and greets and more.
WHO IS EARL THE SQUIRREL?
Earl’s origin story began nearly two decades ago, when Universal Orlando’s Entertainment team discovered a real squirrel nestled among the branches of its iconic Christmas tree in Universal Studios Florida. The squirrel had a particular fondness for blue Christmas lights, often stealing strands and carrying them back to its nest. Over the years, Universal has paid homage to this beloved tale in a variety of ways, including hiding a lifelike squirrel within the Christmas tree for guests to discover, creating merchandise inspired by the furry fan favorite, and introducing Earl as a walkaround character for meet and greets. This year marks Earl’s biggest (literally) moment yet with his balloon debut in the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – bringing one of Universal Orlando’s most cherished holiday traditions to one of the nation’s most iconic holiday celebrations.
EARL THE SQUIRREL MACY’S BALLOON
Standing at 30.4 feet tall and 14.5 feet wide, the brand-new Earl the Squirrel balloon will showcase the furry mascot holding a blue Christmas light while sporting his signature winter cap. After the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debut, the Earl the Squirrel balloon will make its way to Universal Orlando and join the lineup for Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s starting early December.
Audiences tuning into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will also see other iconic NBCUniversal characters and franchises come to life as balloons as part of this year’s 100th celebration, including DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, Gabby’s Dollhouse and Underdog; Illumination’s Minions; and Felix the Cat, who made his debut in 1927 as the first character balloon in the Parade’s history.
The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones. For more information, visit Macys.com/Parade.
HOLIDAY TRIBUTE STORE THEMED TO MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE
In celebration of Universal Orlando’s participation in the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, this year’s Holiday Tribute Store at Universal Studios Florida celebrates iconic Parade moments from the past century while bringing winter magic to life through richly themed environments, exclusive merchandise, collectibles and seasonal surprises. Fans can discover all-new merchandise starring Earl the Squirrel, featuring apparel, accessories and collectibles honoring the mischievous squirrel, as well as items themed to the destination’s holiday experiences. Guests can also celebrate with even more holiday-inspired merchandise throughout the destination.
MEET EARL THE SQUIRREL HIMSELF
As part of Universal Orlando’s destination-wide Holidays celebration beginning November 14, guests can enjoy meet and greets with Earl the Squirrel daily in Universal Studios Florida, and on the weekends in Universal CityWalk. Guests can also savor an Earl-inspired sweet treat, Earl’s Hazelnut Dot Cake, a chocolate cake with a hazelnut spread, finished with toasted hazelnuts and festive red and green dot sprinkles, available in Universal Studios Florida.
Universal Orlando’s Holidaycelebration runs from November 14, 2026, through January 3, 2027. Guests of all ages can revel in exciting seasonal experiences inspired by beloved holiday stories, characters and traditions, like Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter across three theme parks (Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Epic Universe), Grinchmas in Seuss Landing (Islands of Adventure), and Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s (Universal Studios Florida). Plus, for the first time at Epic Universe, holiday décor will debut at SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, while the cosmic winter wonderland of Celestial Park returns for the holiday season.
Access to Universal Orlando’s Holiday experiences is included with regular theme park admission. Guests can also take their festivities to the next level with holiday add-on experiences that are on sale now, including the Universal Holiday Tour, where guests with two-park, park-to-park access to Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure can embark on a two-and-a-half-hour guided tour of Universal’s holiday offerings. Click here to learn more.
Guests can take advantage of a variety of special deals and offers to visit Universal Orlando this holiday season, including the special 3-Day Ticket, which includes access to Universal Epic Universe, Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida from $99 per day, plus tax. Click here to learn more.
For more information about Universal Orlando’s Holidays celebration, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com/Holidays.
