Why does universal close so early

Joined Jan 1, I think they close early because there is hardly anyone in the parks at that time. We've been there near closing and there were literally only a handful of people left in the park. When attendance demands it, they stay open longer. Why would they stay open late when nobody is there? I know there are ordinances that they have to follow as well. Not sure exactly what the week-day limits are but they are in existence.

Joined Jun 25, Was there during the MA February break by any chance? If you had already done all the rides by 6pm, why would they stay later? Brian Noble Gratefully in Recovery. Joined Mar 23, As with any parks, including Disney's the hours fluctuate based on the expected attendance.

The Frog Family has hopped down during every season and successfully managed the crowds. We stick with our basic plan — get to the park at opening, take breaks in the afternoon when the parks are at their busiest, make use of our park plans and Orlando park plans app, and use Universal Express.

For those of you who can, we highly recommend visiting the parks on weekdays, especially during peak times such as the week of Thanksgiving and the end of December into early January. This skip-the-regular line benefit is a big help for saving time in the parks, especially if you are visiting on weekends. All Universal Orlando Resort hotels offer Early Park Admission , which is also a super hopful tool to get a jump on your day.

Keep in mind that the parks have and do hit capacity during peak times, even though a reservation system is not in place. We cannot emphasize enough just how much we recommend getting to the parks early! For even more tips for visiting Universal during a peak time, hop over to our full post.

In addition to hitting capacity in the parks themselves, there have been several days this summer where ticket sales have hit capacity — meaning Universal has sold out for specific dates. The sooner you can purchase your tickets, the better chance you'll have at selecting your desired dates and the more hotel availability you'll find! Planning ahead is the name of the game — and you've already taken the first step by reading this post :.

Before booking your vacation to Universal on our site, we recommend you check our Crowd Calendar. You can get a view of the crowd levels by day, month or the whole year. You'll also find individual park recommendations so you can easily see at a glance the best time to visit Universal Orlando.

There's no denying there are better times to visit Universal Orlando than others. It should come as no surprise that the best time to visit Universal Orlando usually falls along school schedules. Generally, when the tadpoles are out of school, there are higher crowds at Universal. This applies to one-day holidays such as Martin Luther King Day, a weeklong spring break or the big draw — summer vacation.

The week of Thanksgiving and from Christmas into the new year are notably busy, as well. Special events should also be a consideration in deciding the best time to visit, and they are also displayed on the crowd calendar. For example, Halloween Horror Nights can scare up a good crowd yes, I went there. Big openings, like we had in June with Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, can also bring big crowds who want to be among the first to experience the magic.

The opening of this new land in a galaxy and resort , OK, not so far, far away no doubt has brought additional visitors to Universal. I mean, if you are already coming to Orlando for Star Wars, why not experience the Wizarding World too? This same trickle may happen with Disney World's 50th anniversary celebration , which kicks off Oct. While understandably there are still reasons for more uncertainty this year, know that ride and land openings do influence crowds.

Historically, September has been the very best month of the year to visit Universal Orlando in terms of crowds because the kids have just returned to school. It is still our pick for the best month to visit.

The popularity of Halloween Horror Nights, however, has brought in more crowds, and the event regularly sells out. If you're visiting the resort for that time, and specifically for that event, make sure you purchase your tickets first and book your hotel early. Those weekends could see more guests who come in for the event and spend their daytime hours inside the parks.

Keep in mind that September is the height of Orlando's rainy season. You should prepare for daily afternoon thunderstorms and possibly more rain than that. Come prepared with ponchos. With those caveats out of the way, we still feel that fall is a good time to visit Universal Orlando. When it's earlier in the season, there is generally a shorter, more intense "spring break" as school districts narrow down the week they give kids off.

When it's later in spring, there is generally a longer but less intense "spring break" season as school districts have more variance in the week they give kids off.

In , Easter fell on April 4, making it a shorter season than , when it falls on April These are still more spread out and less intense than when Easter lands in March. Holidays bring crowds, and for good reasons.

People are off from work and want to enjoy their time in the parks. Many families make it a tradition to gather at Universal Orlando to celebrate everything from Easter to Thanksgiving. Universal Orlando Resort has festive and frightening holiday events. We've already mentioned the impact of crowds from Halloween Horror Nights.

Christmas has also become a bigger deal at Universal Orlando than in past years with the arrival of Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Muggles and wizards alike are flocking to the parks to enjoy the holiday decorations, entertainment and food in Hogwarts and Diagon Alley. Universal Orlando's M ost Crowded Holidays.

Stock up on those precious personal days and consider visiting on these less crowded holidays. It will still be busy, but not as noticeable as Christmas. Do keep in mind that for , we expect these dates to be busier than normal because of pent-up travel demand. Now you know the best time to visit Universal Orlando in and Wondering how crowds will be during your trip?

Check out our Crowd Calendar. We usually don't expect Super Bowl Sunday to have a large impact on crowds. Weekends in general are busy, and next year in particular, it will fall on the second weekend of Mardi Gras. Also keep in mind that weekend Mardi Gras concerts are returning, so depending on the performing act, the concert could draw in more crowds as well. Day Jan. Is that a busy holiday to visit? Any holiday weekend can bring in crowds — specifically, we'd expect the Martin Luther King Jr.

Day weekend to bring in level 7 crowds. Will it be super crowded? We'd expect about average to medium high crowds this year — the parks have not been very busy this past week but could pick up over the weekend. Last year, Universal Studios was unusually crowded, but the Beetlejuice house was only open during the day for that one weekend, so it's hard to compare the crowds from last year.

In other previous years, Halloween day has had moderate crowds. Hi and thanks for the great guide! A question - we will be in Florida from Feb 17th to Feb 26th and would like to visit Universal Studios. Would it be better to visit it before Presidents' day weekend or during this week? Are there any rides that would be suitable for here? We'd suggest visiting before Presidents Day Weekend if you have the flexibility, as some families decide to linger for the remainder of the week after the long weekend.

Plus, Mardi Gras festivities will be going on during that time. Hope this helps! Since summer is busy overall, there really isn't too much of a difference between certain days of the week, other than generally weekdays are less busier than weekends. But we'd suggest mid-week as most families plan and travel around weekends. We are planning on visiting in early February. What is the best time to book hotels and get tickets for the Orlando Studios parks?

Also is there a better Universal hotel for couples without kids? We recommend booking in advance the earlier, the better for the best availability! While all of Universal's hotels are family-friendly, we'd suggest Portofino Bay , which has a more relaxed and romantic atmosphere and includes the Unlimited Universal Express benefit!

Aventura is another great option — it's modern and sleek, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the guest rooms and a rooftop bar, at a lower rate.

I'm worried about getting scammed though so of you can point me in a direction for any trusted booking tools, that would be great. Hi, we are traveling to Florida from the 4thth. We are planning on going to Universal on the 5th and 6th. Are those good times to go? It's our first time going to Universal Orlando.

There will be 7 of us. What do you recommend we do first? You can take a peek at our Crowd Calendar to see expected crowd levels during your visit. It depends on your interests, but we usually recommend hitting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at either park wherever you start before it gets too crowded.

If you like roller coasters and you arrive early, then hop in line to be one of the first to ride VelociCoaster or Hagrid's. Hi I am visiting next year at the end of June into the first week of May I am wondering how busy will it be I.

Will I get on all of the major rides if not all of them? Also I have been thier before but it was in November and was not that busy. If you're visiting at the end of June, then you will run into the summer crowds. Average wait times can be as low as one hour and as high as three hours, depending on the ride.

It may be difficult to hit all of the major rides in one day, so we'd recommend looking into Universal Express passes or staying at a premier Universal hotel which gives you the free Universal Express Unlimited benefit , if you can swing it!

July is just as busy; however, the first week of May will be less busy, particularly during the week. What months of the year allow for riding the rides in the dark? In winter, the sun can set as early as p.

As far as park hours go, it varies month-to-month, but generally Universal has extended hours during peak periods such as summer and any holiday and can close as late as 10 p. We'd also recommend weekends over weeknights, as hours may be longer on weekends in any given month. If you can swing it, we'd recommend Express passes as crowds are generally high in July take a look at our Crowd Calendar for our expected crowd levels. With a few exceptions, mainly on weekends, the Universal Orlando theme parks close around dinner time or shortly thereafter.

Here are some ideas for how to have an enjoyable evening at Universal Orlando even when the parks close a little early. You have to walk through CityWalk coming and going from the theme parks.

You might as well make an evening of it. BigFire is one of the newest restaurants and is receiving raving hot reviews. It is wonderfully themed and has two very different courses. Both courses are full of delightful details and humor. It stays open until p. Debating whether it's worth the more expensive hotel to have that included or just stand in regular lines. How do you know which rides will be open during early admission? According to our Crowd Calendar , the crowds look to be pretty manageable the first week of October, with the exception being the weekend.

We don't think it's necessary on the lower crowd days, but it might be nice to spring for it on the weekend. You can also upgrade in the park if you find that lines are longer than expected. You can find a list of the rides available during Early Park Admission here. Also, is it better to go into Universal Studios during EPA and take the Hogwarts Express over to Islands of Adventure to ride Hagrid's Motorbike first thing in the morning, or is it better to go to the opening of Islands of Adventure and walk back to the Hagrid's ride?

My family of six, including myself will be visiting in August. We purchased our tickets online four of us are annual passholders and 2 are buying them when we arrive.

We are staying at universal studios endless summer suites. My question is do I need to print out the confirmation info, since I don't have our official passes yet. We were going to do the EPA. Will the confirmation number be alright to use to enter the park an hour early with the hotel key? Do I need a hotel key for each person also? You'll need the confirmation info and a valid ID in order to pick up your annual passes that you bought online at the ticket window or guest services of either theme park before you enter during EPA or regular park hours.

A hotel key is needed for each family member staying at the resort with you. Am I overlooking it? You can find which parks are offering Early Park Admission here. I have purchased the ticket with room at Aventura. My friend purchased ticket separately and gonna live with me. Would we be able to get early park admission, if I show my room key? We'd suggest getting your friend a hotel room card, as well, from the front desk just to be safe.

Your hotel room key is your access to Early Park Entry! Have a great time! Visiting June 1st and I see no early admission for Universal Studios. Is that for people who have on site Hotel stays. We have early admission passes but US is the only one that shows no early admission. Thank you!! Yes, early park admission is a perk for Universal hotel guests. Based on Universal's website , it looks like Volcano Bay and Universal Studios will be the parks with early admission in June and Islands of Adventure will not offer this perk this month.

We are visiting September th and staying on-site. I don't see any early morning hours listed on the crowd calendar for Universal Studios, Island of Adventure or Volcano Bay. Are the early hours every day for on-site guests, or is it like Disney were only certain days will have early hours.

I'm trying to plan my itinerary :. The park you'll get Early Entry to will vary and unfortunately, is also subject to change, so keep an eye out! Universal posts these about a month in advance, but you can find that information here.

It's not a separate entrance per se, but there will be a sign directing hotel guests towards Early Entry so there's no confusion. Are the early park admission and express pass automatic just by staying at the Universal Orlando Resorts? Or do you also have to get the park tickets through the hotel or some other specific place as well? My work has a discounted ticket program, so I was hoping to get the tickets through that site.

You can walk. They are right next door to each other. We hop between the two all the time on our visits. They sure do! They'll be happy to hold your luggage while you head to enjoy the parks on check-in day if your room isn't already available. We plan on doing Universal and IOA in one day. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks. Is Hagrid's motorbike adventure opening this summer will be open for EPA and what do you expect for waiting line on this new ride?

Universal hasn't yet revealed whether the new coaster will be included in Early Park Admission this summer. We expect wait times will be quite high for it! The groups who have access to early entry are generally those who are staying at the Universal-affiliated hotels, but they do offer some early access to Annual Passholders on select dates, as well as sometimes running promos through Universal that include this perk for select vacation packages.

Hi, great info - do you know by any chance if you have to book the hotel directly with Universal to get the early entry benefit? We aren't sure about other providers, but if you book a Universal hotel through Undercover Tourist , the early entry benefits will be included :.

Do you know what kind of food options are available in the park during early admission? Typically not all restaurants and food locations are open during Early Park Admission.

Some CityWalk locations are, so you could grab Starbucks on your way, for example. All rights reserved. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Destination optional. You should be receiving your first email soon! Thanks for being a part of the family. In order to save your favorite items, you'll need to create an account. Already have one? Sign in. Sign Up Log in 0.

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The pick-up time is later than your return time, please update your pick-up or return time. Visit Blog Home. How to Use Early Park Admission at Universal Orlando To make the most of your time inside the park, we recommend you arrive at least 30 minutes ahead of the start of Early Park Admission to allow that extra time needed to pass security, walk through Universal CityWalk and get through the turnstiles. You definitely should use Early Park Admission in these scenarios: You only have time for one day at the park.

This is especially true if you are park hopping! You are visiting during an extremely busy time — the peak of summer and around holidays. Use our Crowd Calendar as your guide. If it's a level 8, 9 or 10 day, consider using EPA to jump-start your day in the parks before the crowds reach their highest levels. You're spending the day at Volcano Bay. Early Park Admission gets you first access to the rides, but it also gets you dibs on prime seating at the wave pool and other places around the park.

Any time you visit and want to get a hop on the crowds! Comments Leave a Comment. Sort: Newest to Oldest Oldest to Newest. Jul 23, at p. Christina Says FrogBlog Says Hi Christina! Keep hopping! Leap Reply. Jul 8, at p. Bisma Says Jul 8, at a. Hi Bisma! Jul 2, at p. Michael Says Jul 6, at a.

Hi Michael! Jun 27, at a. Rob Polk Says Jun 27, at p. Hi Rob! Jun 20, at p. Jason Says We will be in Orlando Oct Nov 4 Our hotel and flight were packaged together through Allegiant air, so these have already been purchased. If we are able to, how do we go about doing this? Our first time going to Universal, so we are not sure how things work.. Thanks Reply.