Best Time To Visit Universal Studios Hollywood (2023)

When it comes to visiting Universal Studios Hollywood planning and preparation are key and one of the biggest influences on your trip is going to be when you chose to visit the theme park.

The best day to go to Universal Studios Hollywood is between Monday and Thursday in the off-season (September – February) with the exception of holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year.

The difference between visiting midweek during the off-season and on a weekend in peak-season is the difference between spending 15 minutes waiting for a ride or 2 hours.

It’s also the difference between spending $109 on a one-day ticket or $149 on a one-day ticket, which you’re visiting as a family, or when combined with an Express Pass or a hotel room can quickly add up to hundreds if not thousands dollars more in total.

Best Time Of Year To Visit Universal Studios Hollywood

The best time of year to visit Universal Studios Hollywood is during the off-season which is classified as September through to February. Excluding holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.

The weather in Los Angeles at this time of the year is significantly cooler. As such your Universal Studios Hollywood outfit will probably want to include trousers, a jacket and potentially even a raincoat. However, we wouldn’t let the bad weather put you off visiting Universal Studios Hollywood during this time of the year as it’s often cheaper and the park is significantly quieter.

Best Day Of The Week To Visit Universal Studios Hollywood

Regardless of the time of year you visit Universal Studios Hollywood, you’ll typically find that Monday through Thursday are the quieter days with people being at school or at work. The only exception to this is if there’s a major holiday on one of these days, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas.

As a result, if you do have to visit Universal Studios Hollywood during the peak season (March through August) then we recommend visiting on a Monday through Thursday because while the park will still be busier when compared to the off-season, it won’t be as bad as what it is on a Friday through Sunday.

That’s because regardless of the time of year Friday through Sunday is when you’ll typically find local annual passholders visiting the park or people visiting the area as part of a long weekend.

The Worst Time To Visit Universal Studios Hollywood

The worst time to visit Universal Studios Hollywood is over a major holiday. These include;

• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
• New Year
• Martin Luther King Day
• Memorial Day
• Veterans Day
• Labor Day
• Independence Day (4th July)

As well as during popular school breaks including;

• Spring break
• Easter
• Summer break

You’ll typically find that during these times people either have time off work, are visiting nearby friends and family or taking a family vacation which naturally makes Universal Studios Hollywood busier with both California locals and out-of-state visitors.

Typically, you only need to spend one day at Universal Studios Hollywood to be able to go on all the rides and experience all the attractions within the park. However, if you’re visiting Universal Studios Hollywood at the worst time of year (Christmas Day, New Year & Thanksgiving) then you may need to purchase a Universal Express Pass or a two-day park ticket.

What Are Peak Days & Non-Peak Days At Universal Studios

Universal Studios works on a dynamic pricing model which means that the cost of;

• Park Tickets
• Universal Express Passes
• VIP Experiences

All vary depending on the day on which you’re visiting the park. These are often referred to as ‘peak days’ and ‘non-peak days’ and are often colour-coordinated on the ticket calendar which can be found on the Universal Studios Hollywood website.

Using this coloured calendar is a great way to get an idea as to how busy Universal Studios Hollywood is likely to be during your trip. The higher the price of the ticket, the busier the park is likely to be.