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You long-time frog fans know Tad as our official frog family videographer. While he toadally enjoys making ride videos for our YouTube channel, he really has set his sights on becoming the next Spielberg. For him, it doesn't get any better than Universal Studios Hollywood. It's a thrill for him to be "on location" inside the theme park that just so hoppens to be where "Back to the Future" and "Psycho" were filmed. And we know he's not the only one who's excited to visit! With the addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and more family-friendly attractions, this theme park/working studio sure is more hopping than ever!
Whether you have a filmmaker in your family or you're just a bunch of fun-seekers, it helps to know not only what to expect when visiting Universal Studios Hollywood after its recent reopening, but also, when to plan your trip. And, action!
When to Visit Universal Studios Hollywood in 2021 and 2022
First thing's first: We are toadally glad to be out of 2020, but it's important to note that 2021 is still very different than years' past. In order to reopen safely, Universal Studios Hollywood has some important health and safety guidelines in place, which you can read all about in our full reopening post. At this time, only California residents and out-of-state visitors who are fully vaccinated may visit Universal Studios Hollywood.
While there is no reservation system in place at Universal Studios Hollywood, tickets are date-based, effectively limiting capacity each day through the number of tickets sold. That means it's more important than ever to purchase your tickets ahead of time so that your preferred dates aren't sold out. And one other piece of advice: During our recent trips, Express Passes have become more useful than ever in maximizing our time at the parks. Much like admission, it's best to purchase your Express Passes in advance (they can sell out, and more so, the advance, online price is usually the lowest).
That's right: While capacity is limited at Universal Studios Hollywood, the demand is still very much there! Visitors were happy to hop back into the action, and with summer break fast approaching, we don't see that trend changing any time soon. While this year is different in many ways, some things stay pretty consistent year after year, including attendance trends.
Our Los Angeles Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get a day-by-day look at expected crowds a full year in advance. If your particular dates are not listed, jump down to the comments below and ask. We frogs will be hoppy to answer. We've got a similar post devoted to the best and worst times to visit Disneyland if you hoppen to be planning visits to both. (Now, if only we could predict travel times on those SoCal highways!)
It's probably a good time to talk about Avengers Campus. While it is opening in an entirely different park, June 4 at Disney California Adventure, it has and will continue to influence crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood for some time. While crowds aren't impacted as much by Avengers Campus at Universal Studios Hollywood as they are at Disneyland, they do have some impact. This is because many of the people who are making the trek to LA to experience Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure will also decide to hop over to Universal Studios Hollywood.
How Locals Influence the Best Times to Visit Universal Studios Hollywood in 2021 and 2022
If you’re used to visiting Universal Orlando Resort rather than the Hollywood original, know that there are some differences. The best times to visit Universal Studios Hollywood in 2021 and 2022 aren't necessarily the same ones at Universal Orlando. The biggest difference is the locals. Universal Orlando has locals, but not nearly as many as those in the Los Angeles regional area. More and more of these locals are annual passholders, who think nothing of popping in for a pint of Butterbeer after the end of a long week. A lot of passholders visit on Saturdays, so that may influence you to visit during the week if you can.
While the regional passholders have a large influence on crowds, it's not all doom and gloom. Many passholders have blockout times during the times most popular with tourists — mostly summer, spring break and the holidays, but also a few weekends here and there. Looking at Universal's Silver Annual Pass available days calendar gives you a fairly good idea of the very busiest dates of the year. This is because these are the times when most of the passholders are not allowed to enter.
Now let's hop into the key topic at hand — the dates of the best and worst times for crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood. We'll start with the bad news first (depending on how you look at it).
Expected Busiest Days at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2021
- Most of May
- June 3 to Aug. 11, 2021
- Oct. 1-16, 2021
- The week of Thanksgiving - Nov. 21-28, 2021
- Christmas week through the second week of the New Year - Dec. 18, 2021, to Jan. 4, 2022
Expected Busiest Days at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2022
- Jan. 1-9, 2022
- MLK Jr. Day - Jan. 14-17, 2022
- Presidents' Day - Feb. 18-21, 2022
- Spring break and Easter - March 13 to April 17, 2022 (elevated crowds March 5 to April 24, 2022)
- Weekends and Grad Nite dates in May
- June 3 - Aug. 21, 2022
- The week of Thanksgiving - Nov. 19-28, 2022
- Christmas week through the second week of the New Year - Dec. 17, 2022 - Jan. 8, 2023
*The fall of Easter impacts Disneyland crowds in the spring. Some school districts base their spring break around Easter; others do not. When Easter falls earlier in the season, March or early April, it has the effect of making a more intense, but shorter spring break season. When Easter falls later, as it does in 2022, the effect is a longer but less intense spring break season. Many California universities consistently have spring break at the end of March, which can affect crowds then.
Other Dates That Might See Higher Crowds
We've pulled together other days that see higher crowds, but not as high as the absolute worst days. Some of the dates listed are isolated, with the days around them generally fine. These dates do bring in more locals. Anyone out there in La-La-Land aware of other dates that are popular with locals? Share in the comments below!
- Labor Day - Sept. 6, 2021, and Sept. 5, 2022
- Yom Kippur (when it falls on a weekday) - Sept. 16, 2021, and Oct. 5, 2022
- Columbus Day (elevated crowds that week) - Oct. 11, 2021, and Oct. 10, 2022
- Utah and Arizona fall breaks from late September through mid-October
- Veterans Day (and Veterans Day Observed) - Nov. 11, 2021, and Nov. 11, 2022
- Memorial Day - May 31, 2021, and May 30, 2022
Best Times to Visit Universal Studios Hollywood in 2021
- May 10-13
- Weekends during the last two weeks of August
- The first half of September; Tuesdays through Thursdays for the remainder of September and the second half of October
- Mondays through Thursdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving or Veterans Day)
- Mondays through Thursdays during the first half of December
Best Time to Visit Universal Studios Hollywood in 2022
- Weekdays in January (minus the week of New Year's Day and the days around MLK Day)
- Weekdays in February (minus the days around Presidents' Day)
- The first few days in March (until March 4, 2022)
- April 25-29, 2022
- Weekdays in May
- Weekends during the last two weeks of August
- The first half of September; Tuesdays through Thursdays for the remainder of September and the second half of October
- Mondays through Thursdays in November (minus the week of Thanksgiving)
- Mondays through Thursdays during the first half of December
So there you have it — the best and worst times to visit Universal Studios Hollywood! If you can't avoid visiting during a busy time, don't sweat it! We have a ton more hopful tips and resources to help you save time waiting in line and plan a great trip.
Related: Tips to Maximize Your Time at Universal Studios Hollywood
Related: Tips for Maximizing the Universal Studios Hollywood Express Pass
Keep hopping!
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