1st Trip to Universal in September

[libbis84]

My husband and I are planning our 1st trip to Universal/IOA for my 30th birthday - minus the kids ' - around the last week in September. We are planning on staying offsite and were wondering if anyone has been during this time of year? What are the crowd conditions like? Ride times?

We went to Disney at the same exact time about 5 years ago and the crowd levels were almost nothing. We rode some rides (Space Mountain) and immediately walked right back on and rode again.

I wasn't planning on purchasing express pass but we also aren't staying onsite. I have tried to get my hands on any Universal info I can but there just isn't as much out there as Disney. I just happened to find this site! I would appreciate any help/tips/info I can get for a trip during this time! Thanks so much!-+

 

[keri125]

My husband and I are planning our 1st trip to Universal/IOA for my 30th birthday - minus the kids ' - around the last week in September. We are planning on staying offsite and were wondering if anyone has been during this time of year? What are the crowd conditions like? Ride times?

We went to Disney at the same exact time about 5 years ago and the crowd levels were almost nothing. We rode some rides (Space Mountain) and immediately walked right back on and rode again.

I wasn't planning on purchasing express pass but we also aren't staying onsite. I have tried to get my hands on any Universal info I can but there just isn't as much out there as Disney. I just happened to find this site! I would appreciate any help/tips/info I can get for a trip during this time! Thanks so much!-+

Hi! We are going to Universal for the first time, too, in November! I am so excited! It will be just me and my 9 year old son who is HUGELY into Harry Potter, so I know it will be a blast.
I know I have been anxious to know what the crowds are going to be like as well, but I don't think anyone can really give a good answer yet because they don't know how the new Diagon Alley opening is going to affect crowds. I know they anticipate it to be very crowded during the summer, especially after the grand opening (estimated to be June 20th right now), and then elevated crowds the rest of the year. However, my understanding is that "elevated" at Universal is not like "elevated" at Disney! According to what I have been reading, even "elevated" in the fall at Universal is not bad.
We are staying on-site at Royal Pacific, so will have Express passes, but really, you should be fine. The Express passes for me are a nice added bonus, but honestly, we're just staying on-site because I don't want to have to worry about driving anywhere. Since it will just be me and my son, I love the idea of being able to walk out our hotel and straight into the parks. (Well, a ten-minute walk, but you get the idea! )The only thing you might want to check out are the dates for Halloween Horror Nights, as they might start at the end of September. I know that can elevate crowds as well AND the parks shut down really early for the party.
One tip I have heard is to keep an eye out on the projected cost for the Express pass. I guess the price goes up for the dates Universal is going to be crowded, so if you look up the prices of the Express pass that week you are going and the price is higher than normal, you can expect higher crowds.
We must be vacation twins! We did Disney five years ago too, about that same time! (October!) I agree, crowd levels were insanely low. Same thing, walked off a ride, turned around and walked right back on. Never even used a fast pass!! Of course, I understand that even now at Disney it is no longer that way, even during the slow periods.
Good luck and have fun!

 

[macraven]

last year and years prior, last week of september was not crowded.

hhn will be happening in late september.
weekends will have more in the park than the weekdays.

i have been in the middle and end of that month.


when parry hotter 2 new attraction opens, you'll find many posts and threads about it on the darkside here.

everyone is anxious to know how the crowd patterns will change once the summer vacationers are gone and we hit the fall seasons.

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

Hi, hope it's okay to jump in this thread to ask since we're going for a day at the end of September as well. Harry Potter is not a priority for us. Would you guys recommend paying for the express pass? I don't want to spend the day waiting in lines, but we will have driven down from Massachusetts the day before and were hoping to get a good night's sleep and not worry about making a Rope Drop. Does it work the same way at Universal as at Disney? Should we choose between rope drop or express pass? Or, assuming that the Diagon Alley crowds aren't still crazy by then, is September not a time of year to worry about that?
Thanks!

 

[Metro West]

Hi, hope it's okay to jump in this thread to ask since we're going for a day at the end of September as well. Harry Potter is not a priority for us. Would you guys recommend paying for the express pass? I don't want to spend the day waiting in lines, but we will have driven down from Massachusetts the day before and were hoping to get a good night's sleep and not worry about making a Rope Drop. Does it work the same way at Universal as at Disney? Should we choose between rope drop or express pass? Or, assuming that the Diagon Alley crowds aren't still crazy by then, is September not a time of year to worry about that?
Thanks!

The best advice I can give you is...wait until you arrive and can see the wait times for yourselves...then decide if you want to purchase EPs. They are sold throughout both parks. Crowds tend to calm down after Labor Day but who knows what DA will do to those historically low crowds. The best thing to do...just wait.

 

[Mikkimús]

Based on the fact that nobody nows how the crowds are going to be why are the 18th marked red for USF and the 21st marked red for for IOA on Undercover Tourist?
I will be at HRH 18-21 It seams like tho that every thursday and saturday are marked that way in september.

 

[KeroKero]

We've been to US/IOA a couple times in September and have never had any problems with SB wait times.

We were there in Sept of the year that WWoHP opened an SB line for FJ was a little less than an hour wait. We went through SB line once to experience going through Hogwarts and after that it was Single Rider line over and over and over again. We were there at RD.

Like everyone is saying we can't anticipate what the crowds will be like due to Diagon Alley opening, but honestly I don't think its going to be all that bad come Sept-Oct.

I'll be there late Oct - early Nov .... I'm trying to be optimistic!

 

[csmith041177]

Same here. Last week of September going into October. Hoping the Daigon Alley opening will not make crowds everywhere crazy.