Half Day (Evening) at Universal

[Pyxie]

Looking for advice. I am coming to Orlando in early to mid August for a conference and right now the plan is to spend a few days at Disney after. Universal wasn’t originally on my radar because I didn’t think we had time to fit it in, but my company just announced a deal for discounted half day passes that would get us in after 4pm. We may be able to make that work. What I’m wondering is if this would be worth it. I know we won’t be able to see and do everything in 4-5 hours, but I’ve never been to Universal and I’d like to check it out at least. We would not be buying express passes because the cost of those doubles the price we’re paying for the half day tickets. Would we be dealing with crazy wait times that time of year? Also how much is there to do for smaller kids? What would you do in my situation?

 

[bchbetha]

I’d go. There are no lines to see things, like the amazing Diagon Alley. You can get some rides in too. Have a plan though. Don’t stroll in, grab a map and waste 20 minutes deciding where to go first. Get the Universal app so you can see wait times.

 

[bobbie68]

Hi I agree with going! It is a good way to get introduced to it and see some great stuff. Mid August should be slowing down a bit, you will still have some lines. Yes there are things to do for smaller ones. Take a look at the website and this way you can have an idea.

Enjoy it!!

 

[AussieFan8]

We did the same at a July conference a few years ago and loved it. I was surprised at how much we got done. The crowds were less than I expected. We usually spend one whole day or two half days at Universal, but I really enjoyed spreading out our time over three weeknights. I was able to relax and enjoy it more. Have fun!

Edited to add: We did use single rider lines extensively, which is how we got so many rides done. I didn't pay attention to how long the regular lines were, but it didn't feel crowded in the parks.