The weekend crowds have arrived here at the Universal Orlando Resort. Grab a snack and get comfortable, because this is going to be a wild one.
From the moment we arrived, we were shocked. We noticed “Parking” signs with directional arrows pointing away from our normal entrance. That was the first sign that things were going to get ugly. The number of cars trying to enter the parks was intense and we braced ourselves for what would lie ahead.
Pandemic? What’s that? The crowds in the parks today were the worst we have seen since the reopening back in June. Islands of Adventure had two separate entrances of winding, back and forth queue ropes.
We started our morning at Islands of Adventure, and as expected, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure was still closed following a backstage fire.
The Incredible Hulk Coaster had an incredible wait time at 120 minutes not long after parking opening. We can tell everyone went directly to Marvel Super Hero Island at park opening.
Hogsmeade was unusually quiet for the crowds we encountered coming into the park, but with Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure still closed, it didn’t seem like people rushed here like they normally would. It wouldn’t stay quiet like this for long, though.
We made our way over to Jurassic Park and checked in on “Velocicoaster” and our little osprey friend nesting along the track. We also noticed what appears to be a dinosaur transport cage being built for the attraction. Check out our latest update for more details.
Here come the crowds. We decided to head over to Universal Studios Florida since the Hogwarts Express was only a 10-minute wait.
Once we arrived at King’s Cross Station, we found that going the other direction was a much different story. The posted wait time was 70 minutes, but we saw it jump up to 105 minutes not long after.
The line for the Hopping Pot was consistently long this afternoon, stretching beyond the entrance to Sugarplum’s Sweet Shop. I guess it’s a good sign that so many people are willing to line up and wait to pay $7.99 for a Butterbeer. They are delicious.
Diagon Alley was crowded as usual. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts was using Virtual Line to help control the crowds. We noticed a few attractions went to Virtual Line only this afternoon, but many attractions were between a 1 and 2-hour wait.
If you’re looking to relax away from the crowds, the bar next to Cafe La Bamba will now be open on weekends from 11 AM to 4 PM. They’ve got a variety of adult beverages, including 4 different mimosas.
It looks like Central Park Crepes is a success. The line has been consistently long, although we’d be more tempted to join the line if there was some sort of shade. You can read our review of the full menu from Central Park Crepes here.
A temporary food stand has been set up near Universal Studios Classic Monsters Cafe. Lines are long all around the park for food, so this helps a lot with the busy weekend crowds.
We decided to head back to Islands of Adventure, and while browsing the Islands of Adventure Trading Company. we noticed that the retro Universal Studios lanyard does not come with the plastic ID holder anymore. Now, you must purchase the lanyard and ID pouch separately. The retro ID pouch is an additional $3 now.
We’re hoping this surge in crowds is related to kids going back to school and that things will calm down again soon.
The line for the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine was crazy over in Jurassic Park. At least people are trying to stay hydrated.
The water rides were all over an hour wait, but we weren’t surprised. Today was brutally hot.
All of the food locations around the park were busy, but it’s unfortunate a lot of the seating options are outdoors.
Do you think they’re a Slytherin?
Marvel Super Hero Island always seems to be very crowded and today is no exception.
I’m starving, but there’s no way I’m waiting in these lines for a hot dog or pretzel.
We heard that Express passes sold out very early this morning, and with Premier Passholders getting Express access at 2 PM, we wanted to check out how the lines were looking. First, we have to make our way through a sea of people.
The Express line wrapped through the Storm Force Accelatron queue and then back and forth through more ropes outside. The posted wait time for the stand by queue was 110 minutes and Team Members were telling the guests in the Express line that they would be waiting approximately an hour. That’s our cue to get out of here.
That’s all for today. Be sure to wash your hands, wear your face mask, and be safe! Keep following Universal Parks News Today for more updates!
This seems inherently unsafe.
It was our first time back to any park since the pandemic started and it was miserable. I’d heard for weeks how small crowds were and we went and it could have been any summer day of any year, but now you’re concerned about touching anything, staying away from these massive crowds, and being able to breathe in the brutal heat and humidity. Even Shrek was a 90 min wait. I’d forgotten how little shade there is too and even with a cooling towel on my head 90% of the time I’m still sporting a red sunburnt top! The HHN tribute store was fun and the crepes were great, but it took forever in line and I’m pretty sure that wait is what gave us heat exhaustion. Hope the crowds thin because I don’t want to go back if it’s the same way.