Is Universal Studios Busy In December? | Holiday Crowds & Forecast
December is one of the busiest times of the entire year to visit Universal Studios, but if you manage to visit earlier in the month you may be able to catch a break from the insanity!
We're here to detail what you can expect to experience at Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood in December - and how to potentially beat the crowds!
Questions We'll Answer About How Busy Universal Studios Gets:
- What Are The Best & Worst Times Of Year To Visit Universal Studios?
- Is Universal Studios Hollywood Busy In December?
- Is Universal Orlando Busy In December?
What Are The Best & Worst Times Of Year To Visit Universal Studios?
Theme parks in general have exploded in popularity over the last 5-10 years and while there previously were times of the year when you could visit a nearly empty Universal theme park, those days are largely over.
Just in the last decade, millions more people are visiting both Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood than we would see back in the early 2000s.
Along with the overall increase in attendance at Universal, a dynamic ticket pricing structure that began a few years ago has helped spread attendance more evenly throughout the year and somewhat eliminated the old "Off Season".
Those who visit Universal during the generally slower travel periods of the year are rewarded with a cheaper ticket price, while those who visit during busier travel periods pay a higher price.
This structure has enticed visitors to travel during times they usually may not have to take advantage of cheaper admission prices, not to mention aggressive sales and promotions that are also offered during the "slow season" (like buy one day, get one free).
While we don't see the same slow periods as we used to at Universal, there are certainly much better times of the year to visit Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood than others.
To optimize your visit to Universal, we've provided some of the best and worst times of the year to consider visiting:
THE BEST TIMES OF THE YEAR TO VISIT UNIVERSAL
- January: Beginning the second week of the month and avoiding MLK weekend.
- February: All month.
- March: The first two weeks before Spring Break begins.
- May: All month.
- June: The first week before Summer Break begins.
- September: All month after Labor Day weekend.
- October: All month.
- November: The first two weeks before Thanksgiving Break begins.
- December: The first two weeks of the month before Christmas Break begins.
THE WORST TIMES OF THE YEAR TO VISIT UNIVERSAL
- January: The week of New Year's Day and MLK weekend. We especially recommend avoiding New Year's Day.
- March: The last two weeks of the month which kicks off Spring Break.
- April: A large number of schools are on Spring Break all month creating a lot of crowding.
- June: The first three weeks begin Summer Break for many schools. around the country, kicking off the continually busy Summer season.
- July: Most of the USA is deep into Summer Break at this point bringing many families to the parks. We recommend especially avoiding the 4th of July weekend.
- August: The first two weeks of the month are particularly busy as Summer Break is still in effect. Crowds begin to moderate substantially in the last two weeks of the month.
- September: Labor Day weekend is extremely busy and should be avoided if possible.
- November: Thanksgiving week is another extremely popular time and we recommend generally avoiding this time of year.
- December: The week of Christmas and the week following Christmas leading into New Year's Eve is one of the busiest times of the year at Universal.
Is Universal Studios Hollywood Busy In December?
Early December, typically the first two weeks of the month, are often slow to average in terms of busyness at Universal Studios Hollywood.
With Holiday/Christmas vacation schedules for schools, employers, and colleges around the country on varying schedules you'll typically see a pickup in crowds during the second week of December as some folks start their vacations earlier than others.
Most schools and employers don't give the first week of December off for the holiday break with the exception of some universities, so this will be the slowest and best time to visit Universal.
The second week of December will see a noticeable uptick in attendance at Universal Studio Hollywood as there are quite a few universities across the country that start their break very early on in the month.
Not long after will the crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood hit the point of insane busyness...
The week of Christmas and New Year's Eve are the two busiest weeks of the year not just for Universal Studios Hollywood, but nearly every major theme park around the country for that matter.
During this holiday travel period, it's not uncommon to see nearly every ride at Universal Studios Hollywood with at least a 45-minute wait with many reaching the 120+ minute mark.
You should also prepare yourself for certain areas of the park to close entirely due to hitting capacity. Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter have been known to switch to a virtual queue system after "waiting in line" via the virtual queue - and even this doesn't guarantee you'll get in!
Visiting Universal Studios Hollywood between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day requires lots of careful planning if you want to get as much done as possible - visiting just a few weeks earlier (the beginning of December) and you'll be able to walk into the park without much planning and still be able to experience nearly every attraction.
If you're set on visiting during the winter holiday travel period then we'd recommend looking into Universal Express Pass.
Express Pass can cost well over $150 per person during this time of year, but it's something we recommend seriously looking into if your budget allows given just how crazy the park gets - yes, it's that bad!
Flexibility in December is key. If you can visit early in the month then you'll be rewarded with low crowds and average wait times. The holiday travel period around Christmas and New Year's Eve however is insanity.
Early December Busy Scale: 6/10
December Holiday Travel Busy Scale: 10/10
Is Universal Orlando Busy In December?
Orlando Florida is one of the most popular domestic and international travel destinations in the world during the holiday travel period beginning around Christmas through New Year's Day.
Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure are of course among one the major draws that make Orlando such a popular travel destination during this time and is easily one of the busiest, if not the busiest, time of the year at the parks.
With international and domestic travel being in full swing we often recommend avoiding Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure during the last half of December.
While enjoying theme parks sounds like a magical way to spend your Christmas holiday, it can often be stressful when you see wait times of 120+ minutes for many of the most popular rides and massive crowds of people.
However, it's certainly better than not going at all if you have no other options and it's possible to enjoy your vacation if you're prepared for what will be lots of waiting in line for everything from rides to shows and even restaurants.
If you can be more flexible and plan for another time in December, then we suggest you look at the first or second week of December, with the first week being ideal.
Most employers don't give the first week of December off and many schools won't be out for their winter break just yet. Many universities will either have just finished up their Fall semester or will be finishing in the next week further reducing crowds at Universal Orlando.
After the first week of December, things start to get much busier, but the second week of December is much less busy than the last half of the month.
We don't think anytime in the first half of December is a bad time to visit and you'll still get to experience all of the holiday offerings at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure!
If you can do so, stay away from Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure during the last half of December unless you have no other choice. Otherwise, the first two weeks of December are generally average in terms of busyness and a good time to visit!
First Half Of December Busy Scale: 6/10
December Holiday Travel Busy Scale: 10/10
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