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This is what Universal Orlando Resort trip planning sounds like around the Frog Pond:
"We have to do Forbidden Journey first."
"Are you crazy? Escape from Gringotts!"
"I was thinking of splashing into the pool at Cabana Bay Beach Resort right after we check in."
Yes. Even us savvy trip planners can get hung up on how to tackle a Universal Orlando vacation. One of the few things we can agree on is WHEN to visit. Crowd levels have a big impact on everyone's theme park vacation. This post outlines the very best times to visit Universal Orlando in 2021 and 2022. It also outlines the more crowded times to visit. The year 2020 brought more challenges than most with COVID-19, and now there is even more criteria when deciding the best time to visit Universal Orlando.
Universal is limiting park attendance and has introduced health and safety measures to help keep everyone safe. You can read more about what to expect if you visit Universal Orlando now. We understand that visiting the parks now isn't for everyone, and you have to make the call on what is best for your family.
While we have no crystal ball on when things will return to normal, as vaccination rollouts continue across the US, more and more guests are making their way back to the action. After a strong spring break season, where the parks hit capacity most days, we're expecting a busy summer too, especially with the launch of the epic new VelociCoaster. With the long-awaited return of Halloween Horror Nights this fall, we expect summer's momentum to swing all the way through the new year. While we think things will continue to pick up, there will still be some times when crowds are lower. We're here to give you our best guesses on crowd levels based on our years of data collection and insights. We'll dive into the trends for the rest of this year below.
The Best Time to Visit Universal Orlando in 2021 and 2022
As we've said before with visiting Disney World, there's never a bad time to visit Universal Orlando. 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 summer.
We also highly recommend you consider staying on-site at one of Universal’s official hotels that offer Universal Express Unlimited — basically unlimited skip-the-line access on most rides at Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The Universal hotels that offer the benefit are Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal's Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort. 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.
While crowds are currently lower, largely because of caps on attendance to better maintain social distancing, they have picked up considerably since the early days of reopening. 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 spring 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 :)
Determining the Best Time to Visit Universal Orlando in 2021 and 2022
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.
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). Even Universal's scaled-back Halloween event last year, featuring two haunted houses, was enough to bring out more visitors.
Big openings, like we had in June 2019 with Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, can also bring big crowds who want to be among the first to experience the magic. Even openings at other resorts, such as Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney World, have some trickle-over effect. 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. 1, 2021, and will run for 18 months.
While understandably there are still reasons for more uncertainty this year, know that ride and land openings do influence crowds. The big opening for 2021 is Universal's Jurassic World VelociCoaster, launching June 10, 2021.
So When Is the Best Time to Universal Orlando in 2021 and 2022?
The very best times to visit Universal Orlando in 2021 are ...
- Jan. 4-14, Jan. 25 - Feb. 12
- Feb. 22 - March 5
- The second half of August
- Most days in September (minus Fridays with Halloween Horror Nights)
- Most weekdays in October (minus Fridays with Halloween Horror Nights)
- Weekdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving)
- Weekdays in December (minus the week of Christmas and New Year's Eve)
The very best times to visit Universal Orlando in 2022 are ...
- Jan. 5-13
- Jan 24 - Feb. 17
- Feb. 28 - March 4
- The last week of April
- Weekdays in the first half of May
- The second half of August
- Most days in September
- Most weekdays in October
- Weekdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving)
- Weekdays in December (minus the weeks of Christmas and New Year's Eve)
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.
The Most Crowded Time to Visit Universal Orlando
The worst times to visit Universal Orlando in 2021 are ...
- Jan. 1-3, Jan. 15-24
- Feb. 13-21
- March 6 - April 11*
- Weekends in May
- June
- July
- The first half of August
- The week of Thanksgiving
- The week of Christmas through the week of New Year
The worst times to visit Universal Orlando in 2022 are ...
- Jan. 1-4, Jan. 15-18
- Feb. 19-27
- March 5 - April 24*
- Weekends in May
- June
- July
- The first half of August
- The week of Thanksgiving
- The week of Christmas through the week of New Year
*The big variable for spring is when Easter falls. 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 2021, Easter fell on April 4, making it a shorter season than 2022, when it falls on April 17. These are still more spread out and less intense than when Easter lands in March.
Holiday Crowds at Universal Orlando in 2021 and 2022
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 Most Crowded Holidays
- New Year's Day - Jan. 1
- Easter - April 4, 2021, and April 17, 2022
- Independence Day - July 4
- Thanksgiving - Nov. 25, 2021, and Nov. 24, 2022
- Christmas Eve - Dec. 24
- Christmas - Dec. 25
- New Year's Eve - Dec. 31
Best Holidays to Visit Universal Orlando in 2021 and 2022
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 2021, we expect these dates to be busier than normal because of pent-up travel demand after COVID-19, especially if the vaccine rollout remains on schedule.
- Labor Day - Sept. 6, 2021, and Sept. 5, 2022
- Columbus Day - Oct. 11, 2021, and Oct. 10, 2022
- Veterans Day (and Veterans Day Observed) - Nov. 11, 2021, and Nov. 11, 2022
Now you know the best time to visit Universal Orlando in 2021 and 2022. Wondering how crowds will be during your trip? Check out our Crowd Calendar. You'll find more resources to help you plan your Universal Orlando vacation on our When to Visit Orlando page inside the Orlando Planning Timeline!
Keep hopping!
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