Universal Studios Wait Times for November 2022

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I regret to inform you that Halloween Horror Nights has ended for 2022.

Now, we’re left with only two remaining holidays at Universal Orlando Resort.

Photo: USA Today

For whatever reason, guests aren’t as emphatic about Thanksgiving or Christmas as they are for Halloween, an institution at Universal Studios.

Still, tourist behavior works the same for everyone. So, we’re about to watch the crowd sizes expand in the coming weeks.

For now, we’re looking back at the Halloween season, which means that Universal wait times should have been substantially longer than last month.

Photo: Bloody-disgusting.com

Were they? Let’s find out!

Universal Studios Florida – The Big Three Four

Finally, Universal Studios Florida is operating at full strength again. So, we have a Big Four rather than a Big Three!

Return of the Mummy finally reopened after spending most of 2022 sitting on the sidelines.

Photo: Universal

While the attraction didn’t require the longest wait by any stretch, I’ll still mention it first because I’ve really, really missed it.

Like me, many others happily counted down the moments until its return. Then, they waited an average of 30 minutes to experience the new version. What a bargain!

Meanwhile, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts required the longest wait at 59 minutes. That’s an increase of four minutes from last time.

Photo: Universal

At Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, guests waited 45 minutes, six minutes longer than last time.

Finally, we usually include Transformers: The Ride 3D, although it wasn’t one of the top four waits this time.

Still, during the month of October, guests waited for an average of 28 minutes, nearly the same as last month.

If this trend continues, we may need to reevaluate having a Big Four, though. Transformers: The Ride 3D is in danger of dropping to the next tier of attraction.

Image Credit: Universal Orlando

Universal Studios Florida – Everything Else

Here are the other wait times at Universal Studios Florida:

• Hogwarts Express – King’s Cross Station – 43 minutes, up 14
• MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack! – 26 minutes, up 4
• Fast & Furious – Supercharged – 25 minutes, up 8
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit – 23 minutes, down 3
• Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl – 19 minutes, up 8
• T. Adventure – 18 minutes, down 1
• The Simpsons Ride – 17 minutes, down 1
• Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster – 12 minutes, up 6
• Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon – 11 minutes, down 3
• Curious George Goes to Town – 5 minutes, no change

Photo: Discover Universal orlando

Overall, guests waited an average of 25 minutes, only one minute more than last time.

However, this statement comes with several caveats. As a reminder, Hurricane Ian happened at the end of September.

This turn of events impacted several of the attractions during early October.

Photo: NOLA

For instance, Kang & Kodos weren’t available for part of Halloween season, which is borderline criminal. We need our Treehouses of Horrors!

Similarly, nobody was experiencing any of the wet rides during monsoon weather at the parks. We’ll discuss other ripple effects in the next section, too.

Photo: Discover Universal Blog

Finally, I should mention that Hogwarts Express goes up for an odd reason. Universal Studios Florida closes early for HHN events.

When that happens, guests with multi-park tickets hop on Hogwarts Express and head to Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Photo : Erin Wingard

So, the wait times for this attraction occasionally (but not always!) surge because a substantial percentage of park guests head here simultaneously.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

Photo:instagram/universalorlando

Here are the wait times for Islands of Adventure during October:

• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – 130 minutes, up 58
• Skull Island: Reign of Kong – 64 minutes, up 33
• Jurassic World: The VelociCoaster – 37 minutes, up 1
• Pteranodon Flyers – 33 minutes, up 10
• The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – 31 minutes, up 10
• Jurassic Park River Adventure – 28 minutes, up 1
• Poseidon’s Fury – 25 minutes, up 1
• Flight of the Hippogriff – 22 minutes, down 8
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – 22 minutes, down 3
• The Incredible Hulk Coaster – 21 minutes, down 1
• Hogwarts Express – Hogsmeade Station – 17 minutes, up 2
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish – 12 minutes, up 7
• The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! – 9 minutes, up 1
• Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges – 9 minutes, down 1
• Doctor Doom’s Fearfall – 8 minutes, up 1
• The Cat in the Hat – 5 minutes, down 1
• Caro-Seuss-El – 5 minutes, no change
• Storm Force Accelatron – 5 minutes, no change

Photo: Universal

Overall, guests waited an average of 28 minutes, six minutes longer than last month.

That’s to be expected due to HHN and October being a more popular travel month in general.

Let’s Talk about Islands of Adventure Wait Times

Photo: fox35 orlando

Okay, let’s start with the obvious one. Yes, the Hagrid roller coaster spiked with its wait time. However, if you’ve read the news, you understand why.

Robbie Coltrane, the beloved actor who portrayed Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise, died in mid-October.

After that happened, guests paid tribute by raising their wands at makeshift memorials in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Photo: people

That was merely one of several examples of people celebrating Coltrane’s life and legacy.

Understandably, the same people flocked to the roller coaster, which is already the most popular Universal ride anyway. So, the wait time spiked.

Along those lines, Islands of Adventure wait times rise in October anyway.

Photo: Universal

That’s because HHN at Universal Studios Florida leaves guests with only one park to choose after 6 PM.

Ordinarily, wait times late in the evening shrink dramatically. The opposite happens in October, though. So, that’s a lot of the behavior we’re witnessing here.

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