Orlando, FL — HamiKuma, the gut-spilling teddy bear Universal Studios Japan created for Halloween Horror Nights in 2021, is at every Universal Studios park this Halloween. In Orlando, you can meet him for the first time inside the Five & Dime at Universal Studios Florida during Halloween Horror Nights 35, and at Universal Studios Hollywood he meets guests at select times on event nights.
Universal calls this year an expansion of the character’s presence after what it describes as a successful debut stateside in 2025. He also has an all-new stage show at Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas, and his merchandise line runs from a $7 box of gummy bears to an $85 Spirit Jersey, according to WDW News Today.
Where to Meet HamiKuma, Park by Park
- Universal Studios Florida — his first Orlando meet and greet, inside the Five & Dime store during Halloween Horror Nights 35 event hours. Universal’s opening-night release calls it “a creepy cute meet-and-greet with the infamous HamiKuma located inside the Five & Dime merchandise location.”
- Universal Studios Hollywood — select afternoon and early evening times on event nights at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood
- Universal Horror Unleashed, Las Vegas — an all-new live stage show, running through September and October at the year-round Vegas venue
- Universal Studios Singapore — his debut at that park, at Halloween Horror Nights 14, where he stars with the new character Ponti-Ana in the Nail the Beat show at The Raveyard, at 8:35 p.m., 10:35 p.m. and 12:05 a.m. on the night I went, and the event merchandise includes HamiKuma plush backpacks, popcorn buckets, and headbands
- Universal Studios Japan — leading the Psycho Circus faction in the Street Zombies experience
- Universal Beijing Resort — back at Scares at Universal
Universal has not published set times for the Orlando meet and greet.
HamiKuma Merch and Candy, With Prices
The expanded HamiKuma line arrived August 24. WDW News Today found it at the Universal Studios Store in CityWalk and at the Five & Dime in Universal Studios Florida, with these prices:
- Apparel: raglan T-shirt $35, sheer short-sleeve shirt $40, fuzzy hooded sweatshirt $70, Spirit Jersey $85
- Hats: plush headband $30, plush cap $35
- Bags: packable tote $20, plush backpack $45, crossbody bag $40
- Collectibles: pin set $25, bag charm $25, magnet $14
- Home goods and candy: throw blanket $55, candy coated gummy bears $7, Rainbow Crunch Clusters $15
Universal’s press photography shows a bear-head hat with tartan-lined ears, a bear-face zip pouch, a small plush bear clip, and the boxed gummy bears. The tartan runs through the whole range, on the belt bag, the ear linings and the bow at the character’s neck.
The candy coated gummy bears come in a 3-ounce box, and the Rainbow Crunch Clusters come in a 4-ounce tin. My HHN desserts and candy guide has photos of both from Universal Studios Florida.
On the apparel side the photos show a red tartan pinafore with a bear patch and a matching neck scarf, and a brown and cream raglan tee carrying the bear graphic, worn with the belt bag and a plush clipped to its strap.
My Halloween Horror Nights merchandise guide covers the rest of the 2026 collections with prices.
Who HamiKuma Is
The name translates literally to “protruding bear,” per Universal, and the design follows the Japanese “kowa-kawa” style, which Universal describes as scary cute.
HamiKuma was a sideshow act in a traveling circus, per Universal, who drew big crowds until the other performers grew jealous and decided he could not possibly be a real bear. They trapped him in the big top and slashed his belly open to see who was inside, but no one was. To cover it up they burned the tent down, and HamiKuma died in it.
In the afterlife a demon called Death Bringer worked its way into the open belly, giving him eternal life and the ability to keep performing. He came back with his guts hanging out, which is the look he has carried ever since.
He debuted in the Gothic Killer Cuties scare zone at Universal Studios Japan in 2021 and received his own show, HamiKuma Psycho Circus, the following year, per Universal. Three variants have followed, per WDW News Today:
- HamiKuma Soul — his soul, left behind in the afterlife
- HamiKuma Punk — his anger and resentment
- HamiKuma Candy — his greed
His origin is a circus sideshow act, and he arrived in Orlando the year Universal Studios Florida became the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, with Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow running the event as ringmasters.
What He Is Like in Japan
I met HamiKuma at Universal Studios Japan, where the meet and greet ran against a red curtain and brick wall set. The costume is a full walkaround build: a stitched seam across the crown of the head, one wide blue eye, the other eye hanging loose against the muzzle, long white claws, a tartan bow, and a spill of candy, cake and beaded strands pouring out of the open belly.
Japan builds food around him too. The Hami-Kuma Churritos Death was a chocolate churro loaded with candy and raspberry sauce, served in a branded sleeve, priced at 700 yen on the cart menu when I photographed it in 2023.
Why Orlando Waited Until 2026
Orlando’s meet and greet is a debut because the park missed out in 2025. Universal’s Discover Universal blog post from September 2025 carried both coasts in its title and announced the character’s international debut at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, then described the meet and greet in the same post as “exclusive to the West Coast.” Orlando’s paragraph pointed guests to Five & Dime for merchandise instead. WDW News Today reports the same outcome.
So Five & Dime, the store that got the merchandise in 2025, is where the character now appears in person.
Event Dates and Tickets
Halloween Horror Nights 35 runs 49 select nights through November 1 at Universal Studios Florida, according to Universal, and the Orlando meet and greet runs during event hours. Tickets and event information are at universalorlando.com/hhn.
My Halloween Horror Nights hub tracks dates and lineups for the Universal parks, and my tickets guide covers every tier. Park lineup, stage show, merchandise, and character background details per Universal’s press materials. Photography by Philip Hernandez / Haunted Attraction Network and Universal Destinations & Experiences.
