Why does Universal close early?

JordanNite

JordanNite

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I was at the parks last week - and it was unbelievably crowded. Outside the summer, easter, and Christmas periods i had never seen it this busy. You had queues of up to 90 mins for the Gringotts ride, same for the Despicable me attraction, even Disaster was attracting a good one hour wait !

Yet the park after opening at 9am closed at 6pm. Why do Universal do this?

Really let me frustrated - i had a park to park ticket. So i caught the train over at Harry Potter and did a few attractions at IOA. But it was all rushed. I couldn't relax, go somewhere to take the scenery in, stroll around, go or a meal and eat a nice slow pace. Instead i was just rushing around like a zombie trying to get into most attractions before the park closed. After doing the whole Gringotts ride it was almost 11am and that was just my first attraction! The queue at Starbucks was a good half hour too! So as you can imagine it's just very frustrating - and i noticed this frustration in other guests too, was a lot more pushing in, aggression, and general unpleasentnes.

Compare this to Magic Kingdom - which on the same day was open till 2am (with evening Magic hours, but they don't throw anyone out) and we were just casually strolling around the park - just enjoying it.

I don't really fathem why Universal close so early? Granted had the park been empty, and everything was a walk on, then sure fair enough - but the park was packed. And when we went back a few days later it was still crowded, but yet again a 6pm closing. What business sense does this make? Surely a longer opening park, ensures guests spend more, eat more, buy more, and generally stay in the park spending money where they can. What is the point of an early close, other than save labour charges? Surely that would be offset by any tourist looking at the hours and deciding against visiting.

I love Universal, i really do, but really felt short changed, and for the first time an inclining of rip off-itus towards Universal.
 
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M

Mike C

Well-Known Member
This was the Gradventure/Grad Bash event for high school graduates. Disney *used* to do this at the Magic Kingdom also with Grad Nite (WDW's last year was 2011, they still do it in Disneyland) I went myself many years ago to Grad Nite.

And since Disney quit doing it, Universal's is that much more crowded (so they do it multiple friday nights/weekends)

They stopped the tradition at WDW as a side effect of the modern day super planning required for modern WDW. (And boy did upset some in the family that were planning to go the year they stopped it)

See https://www.universalorlando.com/Events/Grad-Bash/overview.aspx

https://www.universalorlando.com/Events/Gradventure/overview.aspx

Outside of an industry event this past week, the parks are open til 9 or 10PM. And last weekend was the last of the grad events.
 
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GLaDOS

GLaDOS

Well-Known Member
You were probably there on a Grad Bash day, which you could have looked up months ago.

Universal also gets rented out by outside companies a few times a month, which necessitates a 6PM closure. Still, the park hours are posted well in advance.
 
sheriffwoody

sheriffwoody

Well-Known Member
We were there during one of those events last year. We only had two days of park time, and the dates where determined by a work trip, so we couldn't change that. We still had fun, but having to leave so early was definitely a bummer. It would be cool if you were one of the grads though!
 
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wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
GLaDOS said:
You were probably there on a Grad Bash day, which you could have looked up months ago.

Universal also gets rented out by outside companies a few times a month, which necessitates a 6PM closure. Still, the park hours are posted well in advance.
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Yes, but then we would have been deprived of such a wonderful opine....
 
danpam1024

danpam1024

Well-Known Member
It does stink when there are special events the rest of us aren't invited to, but it is a special night for grads- one of the last they'll ever have together. I went to the Disney one in 1994- it was the best time <3
1013889_10200859662605121_1586085593_n.jpg
 
danpam1024

danpam1024

Well-Known Member
Disneyhead'71 said:
I think it won't be long until Universal will have to curtail the private events and such as their resort becomes more popular. The people staying on site definitely want to stay in the parks later than 6pm. And the more on site guests there are, the more Universal will have to accommodate them.
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How much do they charge to "rent out" Uni?
 
JordanNite

JordanNite

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Wait so these graduation events are for all of May ? How short sightedness is that, to turf out your paying customers and rent a park out - small minded is that. Leaves customers feeling short changed, which can harm the parks image in the long term.

Because during May they often close at 6pm. Sure early May is quiet but not late May, no excuse for that.

Also, if its the case they are hiring out Universal Studios then why not leave IOA open till late?
 
GLaDOS

GLaDOS

Well-Known Member
JordanNite said:
Wait so these graduation events are for all of May ? How short sightedness is that, to turf out your paying customers and rent a park out - small minded is that. Leaves customers feeling short changed, which can harm the parks image in the long term.
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First of all, you know the hours are posted on their website, right? You could have easily planned around this.

JordanNite said:
Because during May they often close at 6pm. Sure early May is quiet but not late May, no excuse for that.
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They closed at 6PM 5 out of the 31 days in May. Not "often".

https://www.universalorlando.com/Resort-Information/Theme-Park-Hours.aspx
 
wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
JordanNite said:
Wait so these graduation events are for all of May ? How short sightedness is that, to turf out your paying customers and rent a park out - small minded is that. Leaves customers feeling short changed, which can harm the parks image in the long term.

Because during May they often close at 6pm. Sure early May is quiet but not late May, no excuse for that.

Also, if its the case they are hiring out Universal Studios then why not leave IOA open till late?
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Almost as shortsighted as someone not checking the parks calendar before they visit?
 
JordanNite

JordanNite

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
wm49rs said:
Almost as shortsighted as someone not checking the parks calendar before they visit?
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I don't go to Orlando specifically to vist Universal, but other parks too - like Disney, Sea World, Kennedy Space Centre, sometimes i'll even take a few days in Miami. So if i have a week or ten days in Orlando, my schedule is limited - and if Universal is pretty much closing early everyday there is not alot i can do is there?
 
wm49rs

wm49rs

A naughty bit o' crumpet
Premium Member
JordanNite said:
I don't go to Orlando specifically to vist Universal, but other parks too - like Disney, Sea World, Kennedy Space Centre, sometimes i'll even take a few days in Miami. So if i have a week or ten days in Orlando, my schedule is limited - and if Universal is pretty much closing early everyday there is not alot i can do is there?
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All the more reason to check their calendar if your time is limited. And even more reason not to start some p&m thread after failing to do so....
 
GLaDOS

GLaDOS

Well-Known Member
JordanNite said:
Ah don't be fasetius, because you are not inlcuding the days they close at 7pm, which is borderline terrible too !
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Well that's IoA, not USF. IoA nearly always closes earlier than USF.

JordanNite said:
I don't go to Orlando specifically to vist Universal, but other parks too - like Disney, Sea World, Kennedy Space Centre, sometimes i'll even take a few days in Miami. So if i have a week or ten days in Orlando, my schedule is limited - and if Universal is pretty much closing early everyday there is not alot i can do is there?
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Except, if you were there for a week or 10 days, USF was open until 9PM for 5-8 days of your trip. If you took the time to look at the park hours you could have easily had at least one day at Universal where the park was open until 9.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
I do believe that in the near future, Universal is going to have to rethink their early park closings. If they are truely going to make the jump to destination theme park resort, both parks are going to have to stay open until at least 9pm most of the year. There are going to be more and more people staying at the resort, and they just need to bite the bullit and consider 9pm the regular park closing time except summer, where it would be 10pm. And Jan. where it would be 7pm. Otherwise, 9pm is the norm.

Also more activities in CityWalk like the Mini-Golf would be helpful. And more live music. A lot more live music.
 

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