What to Expect at Universal Studios During Spring Break 2024 | Tips & Guide
Spring Break is one of the most popular times to visit Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood, but it might not be the best time to visit the Universal theme parks for everyone!
Our Universal Studios Spring Break Guide details what to expect at Universal Studios during Spring Break and if it's worth making a trip during this time of year!
Questions We'll Answer About Spring Break At Universal Studios:
- Universal Orlando
- When Is Spring Break At Universal Orlando?
- How Busy Is Spring Break At Universal Orlando?
- How Late Is Universal Orlando Open During Spring Break?
- Is Universal Orlando Worth Visiting During Spring Break?
- Universal Studios Hollywood
- When Is Spring Break At Universal Studios Hollywood?
- How Busy Is Spring Break At Universal Studios Hollywood?
- How Late Is Universal Studios Hollywood Open During Spring Break?
- Is Universal Studios Hollywood Worth Visiting During Spring Break?
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO SPRING BREAK
When Is Spring Break At Universal Orlando?
Spring Break at Universal Orlando lasts over a period of two months as different public schools and colleges across the east coast close for about a week.
Spring Break on the east coast begins in March and lasts through most of April.
Schools in Florida typically have there Spring Break in the middle of March, while New York (where many people vacation from to Universal) has their Spring Break in the middle of April.
You're going to see peak Spring Break crowds from the middle of March through the middle of April, so be prepared for the heaviest crowds if this is when you're going to visit Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure.
How Busy Is Spring Break At Universal Orlando?
Because Spring Break is roughly a two month period at Universal Orlando, the crowd levels you will experience are dependent on exactly when during Spring Break you're visiting.
The beginning of March typically sees moderate crowds and will mostly feel like and average day at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Mid-March through mid-April is when you're going to see some very high crowd levels and long wait times for most attractions.
While peak Spring Break isn't busier than the Christmas through New Years travel period or federal holidays you will definitely notice an increase in the amount of people at Universal Orlando.
Expect to wait close to two hours if not more for the most popular attractions during this period and at least 45 minutes for the less popular attractions.
The end of April will be a big improvement in crowd levels with where you'll see more moderate crowd levels as Spring Break comes to an end.
How Late Is Universal Orlando Open During Spring Break?
Universal Studios Florida will typically open at 8AM and close at 8 or 9PM.
Islands of Adventure will also typically open at 8AM and close a bit later at 9 or 10PM.
Is Universal Orlando Worth Visiting During Spring Break?
The first thing to keep in mind is that you'll be spending most of the day outdoors and in the sun while at Universal Orlando.
Thankfully the weather in Central Florida during March and April is much more moderate than what you'll experience in June, July and August.
If you've never experience a summer in Florida then you've been warned that it is absolutely brutal. The weather during March and April can also get very hot, but often the temperatures are much more tolerable (think 80's instead of 90's-100) and you may even need a jacket some evenings!
This is a huge plus to keep in mind when weighing your travel plans to Universal Orlando.
A negative factor however is ticket prices will be higher than normal. Universal Orlando uses a pricing structure where busy travel periods are more expensive, while slower travel times are cheaper - Spring Break unfortunately falls on the more expensive side of this scale.
You can however save over $10 per person by purchasing your tickets online with Theme Park Center!
Another negative factor is the crowd levels.
You will definitely see some of the heaviest crowds and longest wait times of the year if you visit Universal Orlando during peak Spring Break. If you can visit during early March or late April however, you should be spared of the worst and only see slightly elevated wait times and crowds.
More guests though means that Universal will try to have all attractions, restaurants and shows operating which means you won't have to worry too much about rides being closed for maintenance.
During peak travel times Universal does their best to avoid scheduling ride maintenance and instead plans these closures during slower travel times, so this is another benefit to weigh when deciding to travel during Spring Break.
Overall we think Spring Break is a solid time to visit Universal Orlando. It certainly isn't the worst, but it's also not the best.
If you don't have any alternative travel dates available then we recommend booking that trip to Universal Orlando as the pros slightly outweigh the cons during Spring Break - just try visit in early March or late April, if possible!
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD SPRING BREAK
When Is Spring Break At Universal Studios Hollywood?
While Universal Studios Hollywood is certainly an international travel destination, it's much more of a local's theme park than Universal Orlando.
However, with Super Nintendo Land opening, Universal Studios Hollywood has brought in more guests than ever from all around the world.
Universal Studios Hollywood is a very popular Spring Break destination for Southern California locals, so you're going to see the heaviest crowds when Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego area schools are on break.
Late March through early April is when most of these schools are on Spring Break.
Los Angeles area schools typically see their Spring Break during the last week of March, while San Diego area schools typically have their break during the first week of April.
How Busy Is Spring Break At Universal Studios Hollywood?
The last week of March and the first two weeks of April will see crowd levels just a bit lower than what you'd see on a federal holiday.
It's definitely a busy time to visit Universal Studios Hollywood and you should expect to see some of the most popular rides with wait times at just around two hours with the smaller attractions at about 45 minute waits.
The last two week of April should begin to see crowd levels begin to drop incrementally as Universal Studios Hollywood heads into May which has historically been a slow month for the theme park.
The further you get from the last week of March and first two weeks of April the lower wait times and smaller crowd levels you should expect to see.
How Late Is Universal Studios Hollywood Open During Spring Break?
Universal Studios Hollywood will typically open at 9AM and then close at 9PM during Spring Break.
Despite being Spring Break Universal Studios may close as early as 8PM on some Tuesdays and Wednesdays as these typically are the least busy days.
Is Universal Studios Hollywood Worth Visiting During Spring Break?
We'll lead off by saying the weather at Universal Studios Hollywood will be absolutely perfect during March and April.
Waiting in long lines that may be out in the sun and spending an entire day at the theme park will be much easier with the beautiful spring weather as opposed to what you might experience in July or August in Southern California.
You also won't have to worry about too many attraction closures due to scheduled maintenance as Universal tries to keep all rides open during this busy period which is another huge plus.
The wait times and crowd levels will certainly be elevated though and you should expect to wait in a decent line for just about any attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.
You can also expect to see ticket prices higher than average as Universal Studios Hollywood has different pricing tiers that get more expensive during popular travel times. You can save over $10 per person by purchasing your tickets online with Theme Park Center!
Even rides that normally only have a 15-20 minute wait will likely see that number doubled during Spring Break.
Another factor to keep in mind is that many college students will be visiting Universal Studios Hollywood during Spring Break.
While we all like to have fun, these crowds tend to be a bit more rambunctious and unfiltered than what you might be used to at a family oriented theme park. Typically there are no issues, but be prepared to see more of an adult crowd than families at times.
Overall we think Spring Break is one of the best times to visit Universal Studios Hollywood.
The combination of nearly every attraction being open and perfect weather easily offset the slightly elevated crowd levels!
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPRING BREAK AT THE THEME PARKS!
The 10 Best Theme Parks To Visit During Spring Break
Ultimate Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket Guide | Deals & FAQ
How To Get Free Universal Studios Tickets