When Is The Best Time To Visit Universal Studios?

Universal Orlando Resort is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It’s estimated that more than 20 million people per year visit the resort — which includes the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks, the Volcano Bay water park, and the CityWalk shopping, dining and entertainment complex.

If you’re planning to visit with your family, you might be wondering what time of year would be best to plan a trip.

Since crowd levels are a big factor for most people in determining the “best” time to go, we’re going to take a look at some of the slower times of year at Universal Orlando!

But first, a big caveat here: Crowd levels are unpredictable in Orlando. There’s no way to guarantee that a time that has been traditionally “slow” will be slow in any given year. New special events, large conventions coming to town, and discounts introduced by Universal could have an impact. And, since many people visit Walt Disney World during the same period they visit Universal, Disney World events and discounting can also effect the crowds.

Mid-January through Mid-February

The weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Day bring heavy crowds to Universal Studios, but once they die down and school is back in session, the crowds tend to slow.

A couple of things to note here:

• It can get surprisingly cold in January and February in Orlando. Believe it or not, residents will tell you they even tend to see a few snowflakes fall during this period every 3 or 4 years. If this is when you plan to travel, be sure to back some long pants and layers, because it could be in the 70s for a few days and then suddenly drop to a high of 45.
• The Walt Disney World Marathon is usually held the weekend after New Year’s and is a very busy time — which means crowds tend to pick up that weekend at Universal Orlando, too. That’s why we suggest waiting until mid-January to go.
• President’s Day Weekend in February tends to be the end of this winter “slow season.”

Last Week of February / First Week of March

After President’s Day Weekend and before Spring Break season starts, you will typically find another lull in Universal Orlando crowds.

One thing to note here is our same caveat as above — it can be surprisingly cold occasionally in Orlando during this period, so be sure to pack some layers.

Late April / Early May

There is another “sweet spot” usually in between Spring Break/Easter and the end of the school year.

A couple of things to keep in mind here:

• When Easter falls each year is a big factor in when this slower season starts. If Easter comes early and happens in late March, most of April could be slow. Likewise, if Easter falls late into April, this slower period will fall later, since some public schools time their spring break around Easter each year rather than in a particular week of March.
• Keep in mind that even if schools in your area remain in session until Memorial Day or later, schools in some parts of the U.S. start letting out in mid-May, so the “summer season” could come earlier than you expect.

Late August through Mid-November

Late summer and fall will be the longest period of time that will be “slow-ish,” if you will. If you haven’t already noticed, most of the times we are recommending are times when school is in session, and this recommendation is no different.

But, but, but … we’ve got a long list of things to keep in mind if you choose to travel to Universal Studios during this season:

• Hurricane season in Florida runs through Nov. 30th each year, and the season typically starts kicking up in mid-August through October. Is there a high likelihood that a hurricane will impact your vacation? No. But it IS possible, so it’s good to be aware of the cancellation policies of your airline, hotel and Universal Orlando travel package you booked. When a hurricane is going to hit Orlando, the parks are typically closed for a day or more.
• Labor Day Weekend in September will most likely be busy.
• The weekend around Indigenous Peoples Day in October will most likely be busy.
• Halloween Horror Nights is a popular special event at Universal Studios Florida that happens on select nights in September and October. Keep in mind that the park will close early on the dates when the party is happening at night, so look those up and plan accordingly. Halloween Horror Nights is usually held Wednesday through Sunday nights in September and October.
• The weekend around Veterans Day in November will likely be busy.

That’s a look at the best time to go to Universal Studios! Are you planning a trip soon? Let us know in the comments!

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