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
Do you recommend FOL passes for December 22/23 2015?
Yes, the week before Christmas is usually very busy with the holiday season crowds. Front of Line Passes should be helpful.
Will the lines be long for a special event night? I have tickets for 5/9/15 for corporate night from 3pm-midnight.
I’m not sure how popular that event will be, but I’m guessing it won’t be too bad, especially after the park closes to the public. That should be plenty of time to get everything done.
Will Sunday May 24th (day be before Memorial Day) be packed? Also, if we purchase Front of the Line, will there also be long lines for those?
Sunday is expected to be crowded for the holiday weekend. You get to skip the lines with FOL Passes, so there’s pretty much no waiting for the rides.
Do you think FOL passes will be necessary Thu, June 4?
Front of Line Passes usually aren’t necessary on weekdays that early in the summer season. You can always upgrade at the park if needed though.
What do you think about Sunday Oct. 25? Will it be crazy crowded? When will you release the crowd calender for October?
It should be posted soon, but Sundays in October usually aren’t crazy. Most of the crowds arrive in the evening for Halloween Horror Nights. You can look back at last October. I think it will be mostly the same for this year.