Early March?

[Calee]

I feel totally lost lol. We've done a lot of Disney but no Universal.

Due to my husbands job the next time we could go would be early March....like feb 28th-March 4th or 5th. Visiting on weekdays.

Is early March generally busy? Are there typically decent AP rates on rooms? Do I need restaurant reservations and such? I feel so behind bc I'm used to planning almost a year in advance for Disney

 

[mvansear]

This post has a lot of great stuff in it https://www.disboards.com/threads/how-i-plan-a-universal-trip.3794121/
I checked today for some March annual passholder rates and they were out there. I have never been in March so cant speak to the crowd volumes. With express pass (perk of staying onsite Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, or Portifino Bay) crowd level really wont matter.

 

[Calee]

This post has a lot of great stuff in it https://www.disboards.com/threads/how-i-plan-a-universal-trip.3794121/
I checked today for some March annual passholder rates and they were out there. I have never been in March so cant speak to the crowd volumes. With express pass (perk of staying onsite Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, or Portifino Bay) crowd level really wont matter.

I'm wondering if I could stay cheaper and do without the EP's.... I have no idea what early March is like down there though!

 

[tony67]

the 28th to the 5th may not be too bad, I think that is the week between February vacations for schools and college spring breaks that start around the 5th

Of course this year is different - so no way to know for sure when will be busy

 

[cfoxga]

Our breaks for our kids schools in Georgia are Feb 12-15 and Mar 12-15, so you might be in a less busy time. One way to gauge thigs is to look at the rates for when you want to go. The rack rates are 10-20% cheaper for Mar 1-5 than Feb 12-15 (https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/d...ls=&ada=0&currid=0&vouchercode=&attendeeCode=), so that points to Universal expecting a smaller crowd.

Definitely keep annual passes in mind. Unlike Disney, the Seasonal Pass is quite affordable, only a little more than a 2-day park-to-park ticket. That opens up the APH rates, which are really good for either the value or deluxe hotels. The deluxe hotels are a pretty good deal for a family of 4 or 5, being close to the parks and having EPs. But if keeping costs down is important, CB or ESD will be a good option. We stayed in a 2-bedroom suite at ESS and the extra room was nice.

The room is really where all of the planning goes for Universal, especially if you have EPs. We did not make a single reservation during our trip over Thanksgiving, and had no trouble eating where we want.

 

[keishashadow]

the 28th to the 5th may not be too bad, I think that is the week between February vacations for schools and college spring breaks that start around the 5th

Of course this year is different - so no way to know for sure when will be busy

Majorities of schools & colleges in our area (PA) have outright cancelled Traditional spring breaks.

anyone who thinks they can accurately predict crowds this year more than a month or so out is deluding themselves

 

[cfoxga]

Predicting a crowd size accurately may not be possible, but there are some things you can do to hedge your bets. The OP does not have to worry about whether Spring Break will happen or not, as that doesn't start until much later than their visit.

Looking at the cost of the hotel rooms will tell you what Universal is expecting for crowds. Finding a week with lower room costs is a good sign that the park won't be as crowded. And going on a weekday when school is in session for most kids is probably the best you can do in this situation...

 

[blackbird763]

FWIW, visited March 13th(ish) in 2019. (Looking to spring break same time again this year) Had the same 4day promo they just released today. Stayed at Cabana Bay. We had no problems doing everything in those 4 days. 1.5 days @ea park and a full day at Volcano Bay. Did it all despite hr waits for Gringotts, and some others. They were full days, but not overly brutal. I think, this year especially, if they limit crowds, you could get away with a value if you wanted to save on EP. EP hotels obviously offer more and allow for a much more leisure pace, or multiple opportunities to enjoy favorite rides. HTH

 

[cfoxga]

Our first trip was Spring Break 2017 for 4 nights at CB. We were at rope drop each morning and stayed at the parks almost all day, expect for mid-afternoon naps/swimming. We got a ton done during EE each day, but there were some long lines after a couple hours. But since we had 5 days, we did everything multiple times. It was exhausting but we fell in love and used the APs to make a second trip that year. Given that this is not a peak week, CB would be a good option to save about $150 per day...