What is January at Universal like? Are large tour groups a problem?

[larissawbb]

Hi! I have a trip planned for Disney in November. I was thinking of scheduling a second five day trip for Universal around the second week of January. I read on easy wdw that it can be crowded with tour groups at that time. I have only gone in mid November with low crowds. Has anyone been in January and how crowded is it? Any tips???? Thanks!!!

 

[macraven]

i've been in january, second week and couldn't turn without seeing a tour group in the park.

tour groups brings in the crowds.


it wasn't only btg there at the time i was but also family tour groups from SA

 

[RMulieri]

We just did our 2nd Jan trip this year and we are done going this time of year ..We stayed onsite so we didn't have to deal with them in lines much because of express pass , but around the parks was just wall to wall groups with flags and all of them had selfie sticks, walked 5-6 across or more.The one day we wanted to eat at Fastfood Blvd ( simpsons area) and they had a line going out the door and we waited and waited and waited because they were only seating tour groups and they HAD to seat them together.They pushed and shoved in line and it was maddening..Even DH who is very easy going said that there couldn't be anyone left in South America this year because they were all in the parks.We usually can tolerate it pretty easily, but it was too much this year.Btween the unpredictability of the weather and the tour groups, we decided we prefer late August

 

[larissawbb]

Thanks for your honest feedback. I do really appreciate it. I think we will be better off with adding a few more days to our trip in November. We don't mind lines but can't stand pushing, shoving or getting whacked in the head with selfie sticks.

 

[bumbershoot]

We've been there twice in January and we haven't encountered huge groups at Uni (at AK yes, but those were American cheerleaders, and it wasn't January), being pushed, being shoved, or being hit with selfie sticks.

We've experienced 21 degree weather (with wind chill), we've gotten the plague twice now (though the first year I got sick SO fast I probably was already getting sick before getting on the plane, I admit), we don't know what on earth to wear... We're so tired of January weather and illness that I don't want to do January anymore, but it's not because of tourgroups.

Oh wait, once we were at Lombard's and it started pouring. I went to the bathroom and there was a big group of of young teen girls, sitting there, with their matching windbreakers and backpacks. All perfectly well behaved and as quiet as teen girls can be.


My reaction to people taking selfies is an offer to take a picture OF them. They've all said "yes", after the look of "oh, is that still a thing? that other people can do this for us?" flits across their faces. I like to think I'm changing the world BACK, one offer of taking a picture at a time.

 

[EPHomie]

We went this past January and yes there were tour groups. That said, we were able to see everything we wanted in both parks without express pass. The longest lines were obviously in HP. I think our longest wait was an hour for Gringotts.