By Charly SHELTON

The holidays are full of laughter and cheer, giving and gathering, eggnog and gingerbread. And each year, local theme parks pull out all the stops to bring holiday cheer to those who visit them. This week, we head over to the theme park closest to the Crescenta Valley – Universal Studios Hollywood. The Grinch has invaded the park once again to celebrate the secular Christmas season after that fateful year when he stole the whole holiday.

The entire event is based on the 2000 film version of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” For those who have never seen the 2000 film nor the Chuck Jones animated special from 1966 nor read the book by Dr. Seuss from 1957, the story follows a green creature named The Grinch who hates Christmas. He and his dog, Max, live at the top of a mountain near Whoville, where all the Whos go bananas for anything and everything Christmas, sending lots of noise up to bother him. Then one year he snaps and decides to dress up as Santa Claus and steal Christmas.

He slithers down the chimneys and takes all the presents and decorations and just as he is about ready to throw it all off his mountain, he hears the Whos singing their Christmas song anyway. The Grinch realizes “Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

So The Grinch, whose heart was previously two sizes too small, grows his heart three sizes and loves everything, brings back Christmas and celebrates the season with the Whos.

The whole Grinchmas celebration at Universal Studios takes pages from the story; there are piles of returned Christmas decorations and presents everywhere, various props and references from the movie are hidden throughout the area for a scavenger hunt, the tree itself is larger than life and swirly-curly, not straight. Guests can grow their heart three sizes at the Whoville Post Office by writing down three good deeds they have done this year and sending them to The Grinch, who will donate a book to a child in need through First Book. Cindy Lou-Who reads the story of The Grinch to eager children every hour. The Grinch trims up the tree and holds a big tree lighting ceremony every half hour after 5:30 p.m. Guests can meet The Grinch and Max, take photos in a Christmas card photo-op, make ornaments and crafts and interact with the citizens of Whoville, all in the Universal Plaza. Then, over on the Studio Tram Tour, The Grinch and his friends perform a quick musical revue on the original Whoville sets built for the film.

This is a really great event for fans of The Grinch. It does require, I think, some knowledge of at least one iteration of the story, be it from 1957, 1966 or even more specifically the 2000 version, to fully appreciate the theming. Anyone who comes will enjoy the festival just on its own merits, but the full understanding makes it so much better. And with a new animated version of The Grinch coming to theaters in 2018 starring Benedict Cumberbatch, there may only be a couple of years left with this design. Nothing has been said that this new film will change the Grinchmas festivities, but it would be a little odd not to capitalize on the new film, at least a little bit.

Elsewhere in the park, the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter celebrates its first holiday season in the park. The land has been dressed for winter since it opened, with snow and ice on every roof and in all the gutters. While there are no holiday decorations around, the regular dressing feels appropriate. And to warm guests on these chilly L.A. nights, the famous Butterbeer is now being served warm. I personally can’t handle the sugary butterscotch drink served cold; it’s too intense for me. But warm, it takes some of the edge off and is more like a creamy, butterscotch version of hot cocoa. This is definitely worth a try when it gets dark – the best time to see Wizarding World.

Grinchmas is a favorite of the season and a great way to spend a “Wholiday.” The festival runs every day beginning tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 16 through Jan 1, 2017. For more information, visit UniversalStudiosHollywood.com.

  Charly Shelton