Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar Update For October 2021

We are more than half way through the fall season at Universal Orlando Resort and it is time for a Crowd Calendar update.

Crowds levels continue to be all over the map at Universal this fall. In the last 25 days at Universal Studios we have seen at least one day with each of the crowd levels between ‘1’ and ’10’. Crowd levels are generally up since the beginning of October. We saw solid ’10’s on Columbus Day weekend but those were followed by a ‘5’ and ‘3’ the following Wednesday.

The Update

This update sends crowd level predictions higher in general although there are several days that dropped. We finally have enough information to update dates through the end of 2022, something we haven’t done in a while. Of course, if COVID-19 infection rates rise (gulp) we might see crowd level predictions drop again. For now, though, we like the way these updated forecasts look. They represent the closest thing to a “return to normal” that we have seen since March 2020. That is a sight for sore eyes.

Weekends are the busiest days at Universal. We have seen a lot of ‘8’s and above, especially at Universal Studios and especially on Saturdays. So, this update will include some 4-point jumps on future Saturdays – some Sundays, too. Islands of Adventure only sees an increase of that size on November 13. The extreme crowds we saw during Columbus Day might be an indication that more than an average number of guests scheduled trips this fall around a holiday. Veterans Day is November 11 so we may see some spikes that weekend.

Thanksgiving falls on November 25 and we expect the usual rush to the parks that week, beginning on November 20 and fading by November 28. Other than that, crowd levels at Universal look decent through the rest of 2021. Pick a day during the week with a low crowd level and you should have a pleasant day, weather permitting.

Halloween Horror Nights

Universal’s Halloween scare-the-pants-off-you parties are still really popular but they don’t affect the Crowd Calendar. The ‘1’ to ’10’ scale we use reflects the average wait times between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at key attractions. However, it is good to know that crowds for Horror Nights are significant. Lines build in the evenings as guests arrive. The events occur Wednesday through Sunday nights now through the end of October.

2022 and Beyond

Our crowd level predictions are now updated through the end of 2022, based on the patterns we have seen since this summer. A note of caution that these forecasts can change regularly as we observe crowd patterns in the parks and more generally, in the travel industry. They represent the best crowd prediction available using all the information we currently have. If things change, we will let you know here on the crowd blog.

Have any questions about this update? Let us know in the comments.