We visited Universal Orlando during the first weekend of the universal orlando resort holiday season, and I had ONE goal while we were there….. the grinch breakfast at Seuss Landing . While we have a grinchmas celebration at Universal Studios Hollywood….we DON’T have the character breakfast and I’ve been wanting to try it for YEARS.
Details You Need to Know
Reservations: Advance reservations are required, so plan ahead to secure your spot. Keep in mind that both a theme park ticket to universal islands of adventure or a 2-Park Ticket and a breakfast reservation are needed for the same day. This experience books up QUICKLY. I watched universal orlando resort’s social media accounts and followed local content creators (shout out to my friend Miss Wizarding World for being my go to source) PLUS checked the website DAILY for them to release breakfast reservations. We were in the right place at the right time, and I got reservations the day they released. I booked a 10:30 time slot after looking at breakfast reservation times and options, which worked perfectly for us.
Dates: The breakfast is available on select dates from November 22 through December 30, 2024.
Pricing: Tickets are priced at $58.99 per adult and $32.99 per child (ages 3ā9), plus tax.
universal grinch character breakfast : our experience
The universal grinch character breakfast is located inside circus mcgurkus cafĆ© stoo-pendous ( last year in 2023 it was moved to confisco grille while this location was being renovated but it’s BACK and I’m so glad we got the full experience). The circus tent themed food spot is colorful, fun and absolutely perfect for a fun character experience . Plus I loved being in Seuss Landing, we got to the islands of adventure park a bit early, so we enjoyed walking around to see the holiday decor and doing the Cat in the Hat ride before our meal with plenty of time to check in.
We checked in about 15 minutes before our reservation time, and were sat almost immediately. I loved walking into the experience, because it is TRULY unique. From the whimsical tables to the holiday decor to the local whos wandering the entire venue…..this is an amazing breakfast time experience.
Food and Menu Options
After returning to our seats from meeting the Grinch at the start of our universal grinch character breakfast experience (more on that below), we had our appetizers and drinks. I was really impressed with the appetizer platters which included fresh berries and yogurt, and muffins….they even had a gluten free plate for me (major bonus points for that).
I drank coffee, but my daughter decided to try the Grinch Sour Apple and LOVED IT. This sour green apple ICEEĀ®Ā has a whipped sweet cream topping and red sugar crystals. It’s included in the price of your meal (along with any other non-alcoholic beverage option).
After appetizers, we placed our order for our plated entrƩe choices. As we waited we visited with dr. seuss characters and explored circus mcgurkus cafe stoo-pendous (there was a LOT to see).
For entrees we chose the Green Grinch Pancake and the green eggs and ham plate. I loved the green eggs and ham and my daughter said the pancakes were the best she’s ever had. We DEFINITELY had plenty of food. There were plenty of other menu options that looked great including Cindy Lou Who’s belgian waffles and Martha May’s chicken and waffles that comes with a hot honey drizzle (yum).
At the end of the meal, was our dessert. We got the cutest green grinch cookies packaged up (and gluten free snickerdoodles for me). I love that these could be eaten there or were already prepared to save for later during our day exploring universal studios florida and all the rest of the holiday festivities.
Characters and Meeting the Grinch
Now, the most important part of the universal grinch character breakfast ? THE CHARACTERS.
Upon sitting, we were given our postcard (aka our ticket to meet the Grinch). We were seated DIRECTLY in front of his seat and greeting area in the dining room . In addition to our meeting, we got to see his ENTIRE morning. Guests walked up to watch him every few minutes and enjoyed a little extra Grinchmas cheer wherever they were seated.
After we ordered our food, we used our postcard to get in a VERY short line for our turn to do a meet and greet with the Grinch. Our wait was ABOUT 10 minutes but WELL worth it. I have heard that you’ll get an even shorter wait if you choose to meet the Grinch at the end of your dining experience.
The Grinch wasn’t the only character we visited with! We also got to see Sam I Am along with our favorite characters from whoville. They wandered the venue, so we could get up to chat with them. We could also wait for them to come to our table. I loved how casual this was!
Universal Grinch and friends Character Breakfast: Is it worth it?
So, did I think that it was worth the money? ABSOLUTELY. This breakfast is a GREAT way to see the Grinch without a long wait. You could also consider the universal holiday tour for this. I loved seeing all the other dr. seuss characters and fun decor. The entire experience was low stress, well done and GREAT for kids. Plus, breakfast with singing whos ….does it get any better? I would love to make this a holiday tradition for us. It was so much fun, I think it was definitely worth the additional cost beyond our park tickets.
