Christmas season may still be months away, but Universal Orlando Resort is already preparing for one of its busiest times of the year. The resort recently launched a casting call for performers for Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s, continuing a trend that feels very familiar to longtime Disney fans.
Over at Walt Disney World, holiday entertainment has become a massive business. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party fills Magic Kingdom with performers, dancers, parade units, exclusive shows, and holiday overlays. Disney Jollywood Nights has also expanded Disney’s holiday footprint at Disney’s Hollywood Studios over the last few years.
Now Universal appears to be taking notes.
The new casting call shows Universal searching for dancers, character performers, puppeteers, and stilt walkers for the upcoming holiday season. According to the posting, rehearsals would begin in October, with performances scheduled from November 14, 2026, through January 3, 2027.
That is not a small seasonal overlay anymore. That is a major production schedule.
Universal has quietly transformed its holiday offerings over the last decade. What once felt like a smaller seasonal celebration has evolved into a resort-wide event that now includes the Macy’s parade, Grinchmas, holiday decor across the Wizarding World, and nighttime entertainment experiences that attract huge crowds.
The Macy’s parade especially has become a centerpiece offering.
Guests line the streets of Universal Studios Florida to watch giant balloons, floats, performers, and holiday characters move through the park in a way that feels much larger than what Universal offered years ago. It creates the kind of emotional holiday atmosphere that Disney has built its reputation around for decades.
And that is probably not an accident.
Universal Orlando is competing differently now than it was even five years ago. Before Epic Universe opened, many guests viewed Universal as more of a one- or two-day add-on vacation. Now the resort has become a full-scale destination that can compete directly with Disney for weeklong vacations.
Holiday offerings are a major part of that strategy.
Families visiting Orlando during November and December are looking for more than roller coasters. They want entertainment, atmosphere, live performers, themed food, nighttime experiences, and seasonal traditions. Disney mastered that formula long ago, and Universal now appears determined to build its own version of it.
What makes this especially interesting is how competitive Orlando’s holiday season has become overall.
Disney is continuing to refine Jollywood Nights while still operating Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Universal, meanwhile, keeps investing more heavily in holiday entertainment and live performers. Both companies know that holiday crowds bring huge revenue opportunities, especially with premium events, food offerings, and hotel stays.
That competition is only becoming more intense now that Epic Universe is open.
Universal searching for performers in May may sound early, but holiday entertainment requires months of preparation. Costumes, choreography, technical rehearsals, parade timing, and performer training all take time. Disney follows a very similar timeline for its own seasonal productions every year.
In many ways, Universal is no longer just building rides. It is building traditions.
And for Orlando theme park fans, that means the holidays are becoming a much bigger deal across both resorts than ever before.
