Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar: Understand Orlando Crowds with Our Crowd Calendar
There are many things to consider when planning a vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando, including crowds. With heavy crowds, you can expect long lines, slow service, and difficulty making theme park reservations. It can also mean higher prices depending on which days you visit Universal Orlando Resort. We created the following 2024/2025 Universal Orlando Resort crowd calendar to help determine how crowded Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks will be on the dates you plan to visit.
Calendar updated through April 2025
Rating System for the Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar
Our Universal Studios Crowd Calendar rating system is based on historical data that we track, the opening of a new park/ride opening, seasonal events/festivals, holidays and school vacation dates, and other relevant factors that influence theme park crowds and how busy they are on a day to day basis.
Please be aware that our predictions for crowd levels are not to be “taken as gospel.” We do our best to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date crowd predictions so that you know how busy the theme park will be and plan accordingly or be more informed when you select your dates for your Universal Studios in Orlando visits.
Here’s how our crowd rating system works for Universal Studios and other theme parks:
1 – GREEN = Light Crowds (minimal lines)
2 – BLUE = Below Average Crowds
3 – YELLOW = Average Crowds
4 – ORANGE= Above Average Crowds
5 – RED = Heavy Crowds (long lines)
Each day on the crowd calendar is highlighted with one of those colors to help you determine what the crowd size might be on that day at Universal’s theme parks.
Health and Safety Guidelines for Visiting Universal Orlando Resort:
- Face coverings are optional for fully vaccinated guests visiting the theme park. For guests who have not been vaccinated, face coverings are encouraged while indoors at Universal Studios in Orlando – including Universal’s restaurants, shops, and indoor hotel public areas.
- Universal Studios does not require proof of vaccination
- The resort maintains the highest sanitation and cleanliness standards
- Check with your Universal Travel Agent for Universal’s latest guidelines
We trust the Travel Agents at The Vacationeer for all of our Universal Orlando and Disney travel planning needs.
We hope you’ll consider working with them too!
What is a Theme Park Crowd Calendar?
A crowd calendar is a tool to track and predict how busy a theme park will be on a specific month, week, and day of the year.
By using current trends and data compiled from recent years, a crowd calendar determines which days the parks will have shorter lines and which days will have longer lines. This information can be used to give you an idea of the crowd levels at the theme parks on the dates you are considering. A crowd calendar for Universal Studios in Orlando and Islands of Adventure is the perfect way to track crowds and plan the day you visit the theme parks accordingly.
Why Use a Crowd Calendar to Understand Crowd Levels at Universal Orlando Resort?
The crowd sizes at Universal Studios Florida often align to the crowd sizes at Universal’s Islands of Adventure (and vice-versa), but this is not always the case. Some days one park will have fewer or more guests than the other Orlando park and the next day could be totally different.
Even though you may not have the flexibility to plan your Orlando trip around the least-crowded dates, this information about crowd levels can still be helpful for your Universal Studios trip. It’s always good to know what to expect so you can plan accordingly and get the most out of your Universal Studios in Orlando vacation.
For those concerned about potential exposure to COVID-19, this crowd information can also help you choose dates to visit Universal Studios with lower attendance levels in order to reduce your exposure to other guests.
Choose a low crowd time to visit Orlando to limit your exposure to other guests. Lower crowds also mean shorter wait times for the theme park’s attractions.
A Universal Studios Crowd calendar can also help you determine if early park admission or purchasing the Universal Express Pass is worth it. If the crowds are expected to be heavy then this add-on will likely make a big difference in your Orlando theme parks experience.
Questions about adding Express Pass to your trip?
Crowds at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
When is Universal Orlando Least Crowded?
Universal’s theme parks are typically less crowded in Orlando during these periods:
- January 2nd until just prior to Presidents’ Day week (third Monday in February)
- End of April — Mid-May
- Labor Day through mid-October
- Beginning of November through the week before Thanksgiving
- The week following Thanksgiving weekend until the week prior to Christmas.
Generally speaking, Universal Orlando Resort is less crowded mid-week, when schools are in session, and during non-holiday stretches. Early admission to Universal Studios in Orlando is another way to avoid crowds. If you arrive at the theme parks early in the day, they will be less crowded.
When is Universal Orlando Most Crowded?
According to the crowd data we track at the theme parks, Universal’s theme parks usually experience their highest attendance during these periods:
- Presidents’ Day week (third week in February)
- Spring Break period from mid-March through late April
- Memorial Day weekend
- Summer (mid-June through Labor Day)
- Thanksgiving week (including the weekends)
- Christmas week through January 1st
- Weekends are typically more crowded than weekdays
- As far as weekdays go, Mondays and Fridays tend to be slightly more crowded at Universal Studios in Orlando than Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
See our Best Time to Go to Universal Studios page for our recommendations.
Images are courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort
Free Help Deciding When to Visit
Planning your trip may seem daunting, but fortunately free help is available from dedicated travel professionals who specialize in Universal Orlando vacations.
Contact The Vacationeer today to get expert, personalized guidance on when to travel — plus free help booking your hotel, purchasing theme park tickets, and reserving dining. Plus, they can walk you through your entire trip plan and answer any questions you might have.
They can even provide an exact price quote for your vacation so you’ll know just how much to budget for Universal.
Weather at Universal Orlando Resort
Weather is another important factor to consider as you plan a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando.
The Orlando, Florida area is known for its great weather. That said, the weather does fluctuate quite a bit throughout the year and depends on the day.
In an effort to help you choose the best time to plan a trip to the Orlando theme parks, our Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar includes the average low and high temperature for the dates you click on.
August is historically the warmest month in Orlando and January is the coldest month.
July is usually the wettest month. June is the month with the most sunlight hours during the day and is one of the months with the largest crowds at Universal Studios.
See our Disney World Weather page for more information (the two resorts are only a few miles apart so the weather is virtually the same at the theme parks).
Avoid the Crowds with the Universal Express Pass and By Using the Universal Crowd Calendar
Do you hate waiting in lines at theme parks? Would you be willing to pay extra to skip the normal crowd lines? If so, then one of these options at Universal Studios may be right for you!
The Universal Express Pass is a paid add-on that allows you to skip the crowds and regular lines one time per participating ride. The purchase is applicable for 1 of the theme parks – pick either Universal Studios or Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
Similar options at Universal’s Volcano Bay water park allows you to skip the lines at select rides, once per ride (Express Pass) — or at all rides, once per ride (Express Pass Plus).
The Universal Express Unlimited pass is a paid add-on that allows you to skip the regular lines an unlimited number of times at participating rides. The purchase is applicable for 1 park – Universal Studios or Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
Prices vary so please contact a Universal Orlando Travel Agent for the most up-to-date pricing for Universal’s special passes. Some on-site hotels at Universal Studios also include express pass privileges as part of your stay at the theme parks.
How to Use Our Calendar and Book your Universal Orlando Vacation
If you need help planning and booking your Universal Orlando vacation, then you need to be in touch with The Vacationeer.
Their services are always helpful when planning Orlando vacations to theme parks and totally free of charge.
They can answer your questions, give you insider recommendations, book your Universal tickets, hotel reservations, Universal Express Passes, car rentals, and so much more.
We rank The Vacationeer #1 on our Best Travel Agencies for Universal page for a reason. They are fantastic!
Call 833-4MY-TRIP (833-469-8747) for a free, no-obligation price quote today!
We hope our Universal Crowd Calendar is helpful as you plan your vacation.
For more Universal Studios information, please see our How Much Does it Cost to Go To Universal, Wizarding World of Harry Potter Guide and Tips, Universal Orlando Map, and Universal Customer Service pages — and our lists of All the Rides at Universal, the Best Rides at Universal, and the Best Restaurants at Universal. We also maintain some handy Universal Orlando Resort Statistical Data and a history of the resort. And we have several relevant blog posts such as Universal Orlando Transportation, How to Get from Disney World to Universal, How Much do Wands Cost at Universal Studios, Is the Universal Express Pass Worth It, Universal Orlando Accessibility Guide, and How to Get the Universal Express Pass for Free pages.
Thank you for reading our page with Universal’s crowd calendar, and we hope you have a fantastic Orlando vacation!
