hey there, I have looked all over the internet to try to find out about the crowds at universal but im just not having any luck. so I was wondering what are the crowds like from about march 10-17? thanks
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Universal Crowds?
- Thread starter Florida Rocks
- Start date
krankenstein
Well-Known Member
I've been to Universal during that time period and crowds weren't that bad. The only problem you might hit is spring break crowds. Overall rides won't be walk-on but it is a good time to go b/c you are avoiding the summer crowds and the weather is excellent. Plus, Mardi Gras will be going to at Universal Studio.
Carolyn1717
New Member
Most crowds are for Halloween Horror Nights & Mardi Gras. You will not see the crowds like you see at Disney. Basically, Universal is at best, a 2 day park experience. Most people do it in a day and that's it.
Hmmmm....I'm wondering if this is just pure speculation and guesswork on your part, or do you really know for a fact that "most people do it in a day". I know that a lot of hardcore Disney fans on these message boards will SAY it can be done in a day, but I think that's driven more by a bias toward Disney, and less by having the actual hard data to back up the claim. I'm just curious which one you're basing your statement on. I would think there probably is information somewhere that shows how much time the average Universal guest actually spends visiting their parks. My guess is that it's more than just "one day" (but I freely admit that's just speculation on MY part).
Matpez
Well-Known Member
On a not busy day I have gone with family and friends (multiple different trips) and accomplished EVERYTHING (except some shows) at both IOA and USF, even going back to some attractions multiple times.
When it isn't busy, you can do both parks from 9-5.
Summer, probably not.
crazydaveh
Active Member
It all depends on Spring Break next year. This year, it seemed Spring Break never ended due to Easter coming so early, so the weeks before and after Easter were not as busy as they usually are.
Don't come in thinking you'll walk on anything, but plan on waiting upwards of 45 minutes or more for the more exciting attractions.
Don't come in thinking you'll walk on anything, but plan on waiting upwards of 45 minutes or more for the more exciting attractions.
krankenstein
Well-Known Member
Former Universal AP holder, current Disney AP holder! :wave: I love both parks. I have made trips to Orlando just for Universal b/c I like those parks that much. I can say after numerous trips to Universal that you can do pretty much all of the major attractions at both parks within one day depending on crowds. Now, if you plan on watching all the stage shows (Monster Movie Makeup, Beetle Juice, Fear Factor, Sinbad, anything else I forgot) it will take a couple of days.
A quick hint is to get to IOA at opening and head straight for DD. Most people walk in and see the Hulk and go straight to it. DD normally has a very minimal line in the morning. This allows you to ride 3 or 4 times before the crowds start to head that way.
progroupie
Member
I think once you're familar with Universal and you know what is worth doing and worth skipping you can do it in a day. My friends and I are local AP passholders and we go all the time and can finish both parks in a day and still have time to go to dinner at Citywalk but we certainly don't do everything there is to do in both parks, we do the things we like and skip the things we aren't a fan of. However if you're gung ho on doing everything there is to do I'd guess it would take you two days, one for each park, it isn't really a disservice to Universal to say that it's a 1-2 day park, it's just not nearly the size or scale of Disney when it comes to the number of shows and attractions.
Iknewagirlnamed
New Member
I went on January 10th, which is a Thursday. I heard that Thursdays were slower days. Sure enough, I didn't wait in a line more than 15 minutes max.
These are both examples from your own personal experiences though. I appreciate the responses, but that wasn't really what I was asking (quite the opposite actually). Carolyn1717 made the claim that "most people" do it in one day. I'm wondering if that claim was based on actually having real marketing information, or was she just expressing her personal opinion but stating it as though it was a hard fact. Not trying to be argumentative here, but just sincerely curious. Personally, if I were to make a claim about what "most people" do in any given scenario, I would think to mention where I got that information (i.e. "According the fall 2007 issue of Amusement Business Magazine...") or something to that effect. It might have just been her opinion or her perception of what "most people" do, but she didn't state it that way, so that's why I'm wondering. I don't doubt the accuracy and honesty of both your responses, but you're only two people (and frankly, you're both clearly Disney fans which is likely not indicative of the typical masses that pour into Universal on a daily basis).
Mikester71
Well-Known Member
As a Canadian who already booked his trip to Florida and WDW for next March, I can tell you that our Spring (March Break) falls right between those dates you are asking about next year...March 16 to 20th actually. We are hoping to hit up Universal too for the first time in 3 trips and I was counting on the crowd level being pretty heavy because of this. :shrug:
Matpez
Well-Known Member
Well, 2 things. I know that is just my personal experience, but being a discussion forum, I offered that vs. no one responding and letting the topic die.
And second, I am a Universal fan as well. Just because I am posting this message on WDWMagic vs other Universal fan sites (which I am a member of) doesn't discount my Preferred AP for Universal, or the fact I have gone many times with family and friends who have indeed accomplished everything in one day.
I am also not being argumentative, but this is a discussion board and we may not always have the hard facts but we do have our experiences.
sknydave
Active Member
Hmmmm....I'm wondering if this is just pure speculation and guesswork on your part, or do you really know for a fact that "Disney fans are not the typical masses that pour into Universal on a daily basis?".
krankenstein
Well-Known Member
I respectfully disagree that ones personal experience doesn't equate to the typical tourist. As a matter of fact the first time I went to Universal I did spend 2 days but the 1st day I finished everything I wanted to ride. The 2nd was spent re riding. The fact that I am Disney fan did not equate into my Universal experience b/c I was not on a Disney trip of any kind. I did not set foot on property that trip. I know this is personal experience but once again I don't see how my experience wouldn't bear any correlation with the typical tourist visiting. Would I suggest you spend more than one day at Universal? Yes, it is a great facility. Do you have to spend 2 days to experience the major rides and attractions? No, you don't. (depending on crowds, your group size, etc)
Now, just b/c I am a Disney fan doesn't mean I am not a Universal fan. I am a huge Universal fan. I am awaiting Harry Potter to open before I go back but I will be there again. Just b/c I am a Disney fan does not discredit me from your typical person attending Universal. If you have read any of my posts you will see I am not a typical universal visitor b/c I have drove 5 hr before just to visit Universal without ever going on Disney property.
Also, if you have spent any amount time at the Universal facility you would realize how many people visiting are taking a day or two while visiting Orlando to see Universal and Disney too. You see numerous shirts, hats, even pin lanyards on kids from Disney. Your typical person does the trip to Orlando once, if at all, in there life. As a result they get in as much as they can on those trips which includes Universal and Disney (Busch Parks too).
I am not trying to be argumentative, and I understand where you are coming from. However, any sort of result for weather or not it takes one or two days at Universal is going to have to be based on people's personal experience. You would have to conduct surveys from people on there personal experience at Universal. Do I believe you would get a far sample size on wdwmagic? No. Will it give you some idea into weather or not you can do Universal in a day? Yes it will.
That's basically what I was saying, and what I was essentially asking Carolyn1717. It's one thing to have a perception based on what you casually observe happening while you, yourself, are visiting a place. It's another thing entirely to have data acquired through doing mass surveys of visitors (which I'm sure Universal does). To make the statement "most people do it in a day and that's it." is a pretty bold statement if it is merely just one's personal opinion. And often, the perception can be completely incorrect.
For example, I work in the casino industry. Most casinos have player's card programs where guests are encouraged to sign up for these free cards that track their play at all of the games. The purpose of these cards is to provide the casinos with data regarding what are the most popular games, what times of day do certain people like to play certain games, and also some demographic information that helps the casino market more effectively. A lot of these player's card programs have different levels of players, from the casual visitor on up to the "high rollers". A fact that surprises a lot of people is that the vast majority of high rollers are not the people you see playing at the high dollar limit table games. Instead, most of them play penny slot machines. Casinos would have no way of knowing that unless they had a tracking system such as this one, because perception would seem to indicate the opposite.
Another example, also in my industry... My brother is a frequent visitor to a casino and he often complains that they don't have very many of the machines that he likes to play. Instead, they have rows and rows of another type of machine which, he says, "No one is ever playing". Again, this is purely his perception,... and it's an incorrect perception. But he sounds credible because of the fact that he's a frequent visitor. To the average person, he could say something like, "I go there all the time and this is how it is", and people would likely say he must know what he's talking about. But perceptions can be deceiving. The machines that he has observed "no one ever plays" actually get plenty of play. It's just that the day of the week, and time of day, that he usually visits are not the peak times for those machines (believe me, casinos don't hold onto machines for very long if people aren't playing them). Those specific machines just happen to be among the biggest money makers for the casino.
So my point is that it's easy to make a bold statement such as "most people do it in a day and that's it", when it might be nothing more than a person's opinion. But in a "discussion forum" where someone has asked for advice, I think a statement like that should either be backed up, or it should be clarified that it's just the person's own observation...which might not be correct at all. :animwink:
No, actually I don't "know for a fact". That's why I used the word "likely" in my post. Maybe you should read my post more carefully before writing a post of your own which seems to be intended to catch me on some technicality. :hammer:
The others acknowledged that they were simply expressing their own personal experiences, and I acknowledged it as well. How is that giving someone a "hard time"? If anyone on this thread seems argumentative, I'd say that's you.
