When is Universal Studios Hollywood least crowded?
Known as “The Entertainment Capital of L.A.,” Universal Studios Hollywood is the very first Universal Studios theme park and is located less than an hour from Disneyland. The park is still a working movie studio, and features many rides, shows, and attractions from the big screen.
Universal Studios attracts millions of visitors each year, making it one of the most popular destinations in all of Southern California, but when is the best time to go? Let’s take a look at what kind of crowds to expect throughout the year.
January
New Year’s Day – The holiday season crowds are still around for the first week of the New Year. The off season (and shorter lines) doesn’t usually begin until after the first weekend of the month.
MLK Weekend – Weekdays and weekends after the first week of January are traditionally manageable, but it does get busier for MLK Weekend. Plan on that Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (MLK Day) to be crowded.
February
Presidents Day Weekend – The off season continues into February, with light crowds on weekdays and manageable weekends. Presidents Day Weekend, however, attracts big crowds.
March – April
Spring Break – Aim for going early in March if you can. The Spring Break crowds start to pick up by the end of the month as schools get out of session, peaking on the week before Easter and the week of Easter.
May
Weekdays – Crowds aren’t too bad at Universal in most of May. Saturdays are still busy, but weekdays and Sundays tend to be manageable.
Memorial Day Weekend – The three-day weekend marks the start of the summer season as more schools get out of session. Plan on that Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to be crowded. The weekdays after Memorial Day are manageable.
June
Summer Season – For shorter wait times in June, try to go on weekdays early in the month. Weekends in all of June are crowded, and weekdays are packed as well by the last week of the month.
July
4th of July Weekend – Universal Studios is typically very crowded for the 4th of July. Try to arrive early.
The summer season is in full swing by July, and most days are very busy. Avoid the weekends if you can. Weekdays (Monday – Thursday) are your best bets for lighter crowds.
August
Summer Season – The summer season crowds are still out in early August, but start to die down on weekdays by the last two weeks of the month. Saturdays and Sundays are still crowded.
September
Labor Day Weekend – The summer crowds are back for the three-day weekend. Be prepared for that Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to be busy.
Weekdays – The summer season crowds are gone completely after Labor Day, with manageable weekdays. Saturdays are most crowded.
October
Halloween Horror Nights – The annual Halloween event is wildly popular and starts in late September through the first weekend of November. Shorter hours mean manageable crowds during the day, especially on weekdays. For lighter crowds on Halloween Horror Nights, go in September or early October. It traditionally gets very crowded on the last weeks of October around Halloween, especially on Saturdays.
Check out our updated Halloween Horror Nights: Best & Worst Dates to Go crowd guide, with our handpicked best and worst nights to visit HHN every year.
November
Veterans Day Weekend – Weekends in November are traditionally busy, including the holiday weekend. Crowds are usually light on weekdays.
Thanksgiving Weekend – Universal Studios gets crowds for the extended weekend starting on Thanksgiving Day through Sunday.
December
Grinchmas – Grinchmas takes over Universal for the holiday season in December. Expect weekends to be busy, while crowds are manageable on weekdays for most of the month. The holiday crowds peak at the end of December, so be prepared for some of the biggest crowds of the year on the week of Christmas (including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) through the end of the year (New Year’s Eve).
For crowd predictions of upcoming dates, as well as historical crowd ratings, check out the Universal Studios Hollywood Crowd Calendar.
For live crowd updates and conditions at the park, check out the Universal Studios Hollywood Crowd Tracker.
When do you think is the best time of the year to go to Universal Studios Hollywood? How crowded was it when you visited? Got any crowd tips?
Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Image: billyv
Hi there – I am planning a trip with 4 friends to LA and we plan to go to Universal on August 25 (A Thursday). We are debating about getting FOL passes or not. We only have the one day free unfortunately. What would you suggest? Thanks so much!
I think Front of Line would still be helpful that week, but not absolutely necessary (maybe 30-60min waits). A lot of schools are back in session by then. I would just wait until you get there to see what the lines are like and upgrade at the park if needed.
I’m planning to go early October (weekday) and deciding whether to buy FOL passes or not. Based on your recommendation, it’s not necessary during this time; but is it possible to buy FOL passes even if we’ve already entered the park (and discover that lines are not as manageable)? Thanks!
Yes, you can upgrade to Front of Line inside the park if needed.
Hello Robert! Do you know how manageable are crowds in October weekdays? Mom and I have only one day for Universal and we want to do as much as we can! We don’t have a lots of money to spend, so we cant buy the VIP experience, or the FOL.
Thank you!
Thanks for the advice! Much appreciated.
Around 20-30min waits is the norm on weekdays in October, so I don’t think Front of Line will be needed.
Hi Robert! Im from Australia so im not too familiar with the US Spring break period. My husband and I will be visiting Universal Studios on Monday 17th April 2017. From what i can see, i believe this is the last day of the school holidays which has me worried. Would you recommend that we buy a FOL pass even though it’s a Monday? Thank you for your help!
Some schools have the week of Easter off, but most in the area are off earlier so I don’t think it will be too bad then. You can always wait until you get there to see what the lines are like and upgrade at the park if needed.
Thanks!