Question: Do the crowds always start thinning 2-4 hours prior to closing at Universal parks?

[DisneyWalle]

I have been watching the wait times on my universal app over the last few days. What I have noticed is that the wait times reduce drastically during the last 2-4 hours the park is open. Is this a n accurate picture of crowd tendencies?

We decided to go on our first Universal vacation August 30 - September 4. We will be staying on-site at Portofino. I'm just trying to decide how best to avoid large crowd levels. If the parks truly start clearing out during the last few hours of being open, then that would be a great time to be in the parks.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

Generally, yes. Except on the busiest of days (like around Christmas), crowds will be less in the evening.

 

[vatmark]

I think it depends on how late the parks are open. If they are open until 9 or 10 pm then the last hour to 2 hours the parks start to empty out. If they close at 7 pm then no.

Ann

 

[johde]

Like the previous posted suggests, the better way of putting it is the parks start to clear out between 6-8 pm. I think part of the reason is a lot of people head to City Walk for Dinner. When the parks close at 7 or earlier, I think more people just wait for the parks to close then get a late dinner. When the parks close at 10:00 people will head to dinner at a variety of times and many of them will decide not to return to the parks.

 

[RMulieri]

That time of August, the parks start to go back to the earlier closing times and crowds wont likely thin out all that much .If the parks are open till 9-10p, yes they do.

 

[baerchenland]

But if you are at Portofino, you have Express Passes, so the crowds should not be too much of an issue.

 

[back2universal]

They did last week and it surprised me. If I were on a budget you could save alot of money by not getting the express pass or staying onsite and just coming in the evening. Lots/most of rides were walkons then. Midday, nope, just the opposite, lol even with express there were waits but much much shorter than without them. I never tried the morning this time, but I'm guessing unless you are there at open it is busier than in the past. I didn't try open because of the early entry for resort guests. Interesting..

Plus the irony, it was really really hot during the daytime