MLK Weekend crowds?

Universal Orlando Resort
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I see on the TP crowd calendar the weekend of Jan. 18-20 (MLK Holiday) is 8s and 9s. I was considering an extended weekend trip with my family for then, maybe stay 3-4 nights, but sheesh.

So I guess my questions are how bad are Universal 8s and 9s? And would we avoid it with Express Passes or at that crowd level are we still going to get backed up?

Thanks so much! It’s been 8 years (unbelievably) since we last went.

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If you are comparing to WDW, then it’s not as bad because they aren’t as large. You should expect waits on average to be 40 - 60+ minutes on most rides. Marquee attractions like Hagrid’s or VelociCoaster can be 100 - 120+ minutes on holiday weekends…

UXP will, typically, save you about 50% of the posted standby times during busy seasons

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Thank you! Super helpful.

And from my cursory look at hotels with UXP, there seems to be limited availability that weekend. So fwiw that supports the high crowd level predictions. Along with the usual high weekend crowds, I guess. Hmmmm.

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Most school breaks are going to increase crowds. Universal gets a lot of locals during these shorter breaks too!

I would prioritize what are your “must-do” attractions / shows. Plus, go in with the expectation that it’s going to be very busy and you may not get to every single thing.

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Take this with a grain of salt, as we’re making our first ever trip to Universal soon. But I can tell you we’ve done Disney during Easter and Thanksgiving weeks, which are in the top four busiest times. And each time, we’ve had a blast. You will need a good plan, express passes, or both.

For example, I just had touring plans optimize a day at IOA using express pass and early entry on a level 8 day. I put in every ride (even the kids rides), Hogwarts Express both directions, two meals, and time at a couple other random attractions. Arriving at 8:00am, the plan was complete by 6:00pm. Without express, it’s complete about 9:00. So it’s certainly doable! Just pack some patience navigating the crowds and enjoy!

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I would love to hear your results. (Although, Express Pass probably makes that a pointless exercise.)

I haven’t found the wait time predictions for UOR to be very accurate at all…and even day-of, Universal’s own app has more accurate wait times. The question is if they are close enough on average to make the overall plan accurate.

The TP Universal App is not currently supported, so you need to use the website instead. (I seem to recall, however, that a new version of the app is forthcoming.)

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