One of Universal Orlando’s sweetest holiday traditions is heading to the big leagues! Earl the Squirrel, Universal Orlando Resort’s very own holiday character, will make his giant balloon debut in the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 26. After soaring through New York City, Earl will head home to Orlando to join Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s at Universal Studios Florida starting in early December.
Who Is Earl the Squirrel?
Earl’s story started nearly 20 years ago, when Universal Orlando’s Entertainment team found a real squirrel living in the branches of the giant Christmas tree at Universal Studios Florida. That little squirrel had a thing for blue Christmas lights and would steal strands of them to carry back to its nest.
Universal has been celebrating that story ever since. Over the years, the team has hidden a lifelike squirrel in the Christmas tree for guests to find, created Earl merchandise and introduced him as a walkaround character for meet and greets. Now Earl is getting his biggest moment yet, literally.
Earl the Squirrel’s Macy’s Balloon
The brand new balloon stands 30.4 feet tall and 14.5 feet wide and shows Earl in his signature winter cap, holding one of his beloved blue Christmas lights. After the Macy’s parade, the balloon will travel to Universal Orlando to join the lineup for Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s starting in early December.
Earl won’t be the only NBCUniversal character floating down the parade route. This year’s 100th celebration will also include balloons of DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, Gabby’s Dollhouse and Underdog, Illumination’s Minions and Felix the Cat, who made history in 1927 as the parade’s very first character balloon. Disney fans will also want to watch for Bluey’s new Christmas balloon.
The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs Thursday, November 26, 2026, starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo. You can find more details at Macys.com/Parade.
A Holiday Tribute Store Themed to the Macy’s Parade
To celebrate Universal’s part in the 100th parade, this year’s Holiday Tribute Store at Universal Studios Florida is themed to a century of iconic Macy’s parade moments. Guests will find winter themed rooms, exclusive collectibles and all new Earl the Squirrel merchandise, including apparel and accessories honoring everyone’s favorite mischievous squirrel. If you’re a collector, you can also check out the Disney and Macy’s holiday collection celebrating 100 years of the parade.
Meet Earl and Try His Hazelnut Dot Cake
Starting November 14, guests can meet Earl the Squirrel daily at Universal Studios Florida and on weekends at Universal CityWalk. There’s also an Earl inspired treat: Earl’s Hazelnut Dot Cake, a chocolate cake with hazelnut spread, toasted hazelnuts and festive red and green dot sprinkles, available at Universal Studios Florida.
Holidays at Universal Orlando 2026
Universal Orlando’s holiday celebration runs November 14, 2026, through January 3, 2027, and it’s included with regular theme park admission. Highlights include Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter across Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe, Grinchmas in Seuss Landing and Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s. For the first time, Epic Universe is adding holiday décor to SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and How to Train Your Dragon Isle of Berk, and the winter wonderland of Celestial Park is returning.
Want to see it all? The Universal Holiday Tour is a two and a half hour guided tour of the holiday offerings, available to guests with park to park access to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Florida residents can also grab a special ticket good for three days that includes Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida each day for $85 per day ($255 total), plus tax. Learn more at UniversalOrlando.com/Holidays.
Get the full rundown in our Holidays at Universal Orlando 2026 complete guide.
Will you be watching for Earl on Thanksgiving morning? Let us know in the comments!
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