One of the most common questions when planning their Orlando vacation is what are the best days to visit Universal Studios Orlando in 2023? There is so much to see and do at Universal Orlando including three amazing theme parks which include the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Guests very well might need a few days to see everything these amazing parks have to offer. In this article we’ll help you identify the slowest days at Universal Orlando Resort so you can get as much done as possible.
We hope you find this post helpful! Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time and money on your next Universal Orlando vacation! If you are planning a trip to Universal Orlando be sure to check out the latest deals on Universal Orlando vacation packages and our discounted Universal Orlando tickets which include EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
So if you’re ready to learn about the best day of the week to visit Universal Orlando in 2023 read on!
SPECIAL NOTE: If you need help picking the best time to visit Universal Orlando for your next vacation be sure to check out our Universal crowd calendar!
Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar
It’s important to note that if you prefer to use a free tool to plan your Universal vacation then check out our Universal Orlando Crowd calendar. We break down estimated crowds based on the month, week and even day. We even easily outline exactly which parks we recommend to visit each day, including the average temperatures and daily ticket prices.
Not only will this save you a ton of time in the theme park but it can also save you money! How you might ask? Well just like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando theme park tickets now fluctuate based on the time of year you visit. So one of the easiest ways to pick the best day to visit Universal is to compare the cheapest Universal Orlando ticket prices. The cheaper the tickets the more likely it is that the parks won’t be as crowded during that time of year.
Related Page: Harry Potter Early Park Admission Tickets
Sometimes I find it easier to back into an answer, and that’s why I have decided to cover the 2023 busiest days at Universal Orlando first. And there are many factors that determine which Universal Orlando theme park is busier than the others during any given day.
Below is quick overview of the peak periods and the busiest times at Universal Orlando.
Related Page: Comparing Universal Orlando Ticket Prices
The busiest days of the week at Universal Studios in 2023 tend to be Saturday. This is mostly due to the fact that the Universal Studios parks are so popular among Florida locals that the weekends in general tend to draw a larger crowd. This is especially true during the fall when Halloween Horror Nights is held. We also see Monday to be a very busy day at Universal. This is because many families typically start their vacation to Universal Orlando on Sunday so Monday is usually the first full day in the parks. Universal Studios is also the original park and it’s still what most people thing of when you talk about Universal Orlando.
It’s important to note that Universal Studios also host a ton of holiday events and is one of the most popular parks during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. However on the flip side Universal will typically give access to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for everyone who has out Universal Early Park Admission tickets!
So, what is the best day to go to Universal Orlando? As a general rule of thumb, Tuesday and Wednesday tend to be the best days to visit any of the three Universal Orlando parks. With that being said there is more that can go into picking the best day to visit each of the individual Universal parks which we will cover below. With one of the most important being the time of year that you plan to visit Universal and if there is a special event going on at the parks. This is especially true for Halloween Horror Nights which can have an impact on how many people might visit Universal Studios Florida vs Islands of Adventure on any given day.
Although Universal Islands of Adventure was the first Universal park to have the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios remains one of the most popular parks in all of Orlando. This park can also draw big crowds as it is home to it’s own Wizarding World of Harry Potter section in Diagon Alley, and also the very popular Universal Halloween Horror Nights.
So, when is the best day to visit Universal Studios Orlando? As you can guess if Saturday and Monday tend to be the busiest, Tuesday tends to be the best day to visit Universal Studios Orlando. We also find Thursday to be one of the least busy days of the week at Universal Studios, with Sunday being a great weekend option.
As discussed above one of the easiest ways to pick the best day to visit Universal is to compare the cheapest Universal Orlando ticket prices. The cheaper the tickets the more likely it is that the parks won’t be as crowded during that time of year.
From our experience visiting Universal Studios Florida, we typically see the least busy days to be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Monday in that order. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind the time of year that you will be visiting because a Tuesday during a holiday week will bring larger crowds than a Saturday during a slower time of year. We always recomend to check our Universal Orlando crowd calendar when trying to decide on the least busy days at Universal Studios!
Related Page: Harry Potter Early Park Admission Tickets
There are a few reasons you’ll want to make sure you have a game plan going into your day at Islands of Adventure. For starters it’s the original Universal park to have the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade. It’s also now home to one of the most exciting rides in Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, as well as so many other amazing Universal thrill rides! So when exactly is the best day to visit Universal Islands of Adventure?
Well just like with Universal Studios let’s start with the busiest days to avoid at Islands of Adventure. And if Monday is typically the day when most people start their vacation at Universal Studios, we find the crowds to travel over to Islands of Adventure on Tuesdays. Just like almost all of the Universal theme parks we also find Islands of Adventure crowd levels to be higher on the weekends.
Universal Islands of Adventure Least Busy Days in Order:
Related Page: Islands of Adventure Early Park Admission Tickets
Volcano Bay is such an interesting park to plan around the crowds because you can truly get so much done even when the parks are a bit busier. One of the main reasons is the Volcano Bay TapuTapu system which is essentially a virtual line. However even with this amazing system it is important to try to pick the best day to go to Volcano Bay during your next trip. This is also especially true if you plan to rent one of the Universal Orlando cabanas.
Very simply the busiest days at Volcano Bay tend to be the weekends as this water theme park is extremely popular among the Florida locals.
Now that you have an idea of the best days to visit Universal Orlando, let’s take a look at the best time of day to visit Universal Studios. So, when exactly should you visit Universal Orlando Florida during the day? And very simply, the best time of day to visit Universal is early in the morning for early park admission! One of the main reasons is most families will sleep in, and you’ll be able to ride some of the most popular rides on Universal property with very little to no wait!
Related Page: Discount Universal Orlando Early Park Admission Tickets
We typically recommend using the tips below for avoiding large crowds at Universal Orlando.
One of the easiest ways to figure out the best day of the week to visit Universal Orlando is to pay attention to one day Universal ticket pricing. One of the ways Universal tries to entice people to visit during the least crowded days at Universal Studios Orlando is to lower ticket pricing. We typically see the cheapest Universal Orlando tickets during the weekdays in September and between the middle of January and early February.
Be sure to check out our Universal Orlando crowd calendar as we highlight all one-day ticket prices and Universal Studios Orlando least busy days.
One of the easiest ways to make sure you get the most out of your day no matter which Universal Orlando park you plan to visit is to take advantage of early park admission. This is one of the most popular benefits of purchase your Universal Orlando tickets from The Park Prodigy. This is also a huge time saver for anyone looking to make the most out of their trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
Taking advantage of early park admission will also allow you an afternoon break at your hotel if need be. It’s important to note that early park admission can switch from between parks during the slower times at Universal.
Weekend foot traffic at Universal Orlando can be unpredictable for sure. Another important tip when figuring out the best days to go to Universal Orlando is to pay attention to the special events. Universal is home to some of the most popular events in Florida such as Halloween Horror Nights, Mardi Gras, and holiday celebrations. These events have become extremely popular among the Florida locals and as you could have guessed many people visit on the weekends.
This might seem like it’s obvious but Holidays tend to attract the largest crowds at Universal Orlando. In many cases such as Fourth of July and Christmas, the parks will reach capacity. You can still plan a great family trip around holidays such as Labor day, memorial day, and Halloween however we still recommend following the tips outlined above.
This tip is really for guests who might be booking a last-minute trip to Universal Orlando. However, always pay attention to the weather when picking the best days of the week to visit Universal Studios Orlando. This is especially true if you plan to go on some of the thrill rides which are almost all outdoors.
Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights is one of the most popular events in the world. For that reason it can be difficult to pick the best day to go to Universal Studios during the months of September and October. However one of the best tips we have learned is to visit Universal Studios the day of one of these Halloween Horror Nights events. The reason being is park hours tend to be shorter and most people will visit Islands of Adventure instead. However crowds will be lower at Universal Studios and you will be able to get so much more don in your day.
Another popular question that we receive is, is Disney or Universal more crowded? And as a genral rule of thumb, the least crowded days at Universal Studios and Disney can vary, but overall we tend to see Walt Disney World Resort theme parks with larger crowds throughout the year. The slowest days at Universal Orlando and Disney World can change based on the season and special events happening, especially over at Universal Orlando with Halloween Horror nights in September and October.
If you’re not sure when to plan your next Universal vacation, Our Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down the park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices by day, and average temperature.
Guests can also beat the crowds with our Universal Orlando tickets! All guests who purchase their tickets from The Park Prodigy will get Early Park Admission to Universal Orlando! This could save you a ton of time in the parks and avoid buying express passes!