Universal Orlando Resort Wait Times for February 2024
By the time you read this, Universal officials will have finally revealed the official details for Universal Epic Universe.
Alas, we won’t worry about this park for another 18 months. For the time being, we remain focused on everything else.
At Universal Orlando Resort, the park has grown more popular than ever, limiting what we once called the offseason.
Even in the dead of winter, the parks remain crowded. Here are Universal Orlando Resort’s wait times for February 2024.
About Universal Orlando Resort
Photo:Universal Orlando
As a reminder, while we call this article the February wait times, we’re actually looking back at January.
Historically, crowds have vanished as soon as the new year begins.
Last year, that wasn’t quite the case, partially because of the holiday calendar configuration.
Photo: Universal Orlando
The weather also played a significant factor, leading to an unusually high average wait time of 37 minutes.
I can tell you right now that this past month wasn’t quite as bad, but there’s a hidden explanation why.
More attractions remained open in January than usual. When that happens, everything’s average wait time drops.
This aspect explains why theme parks try to add attractions regularly. Each one flattens the curve on wait times.
Universal Studios Florida – The Big Five
That statement plays heavily into what’s happening at Universal Studios Florida.
Last year, we lacked an attraction that we have now. It’s Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast.
The ride didn’t open until last summer, but it’s an attraction that offers massive throughput.
Guests basically stand on a conveyor belt and allow the system to drag them everywhere there’s blasting to be done.
For the month, Minion Blast averaged a wait of 21 minutes, which is significant in and of itself. It’s nine minutes less than last month.
So, we’re already talking about a 30 percent drop in the wait time, but what matters is that all those people weren’t on other rides.
Photo: Universal
That aspect reduces the average wait for other attractions.
For example, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts averaged a wait of 49 minutes, which is 14 minutes lower than last time.
Part of that decline is absolutely the difference between the December holiday traffic and the January offseason.
Photo: FX Guide
The rest of the explanation stems from having more viable attractions at Universal Studios Florida.
Similarly, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit averaged a wait of 47 minutes, which is eight minutes less than last time.
Photo: Universal Orlando
As for Revenge of the Mummy, its average was 44 minutes, down six minutes from December.
Finally, we have Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, which had an average wait of 36 minutes. That’s 12 minutes or 25 percent less than last time.
Universal Studios Florida – Everything Else
Photo: Universal
I think you can already tell the traffic situation at Universal Studios Florida, but let’s quickly reinforce your belief.
Here are the park’s average wait times for the past month:
Photo: Universal Orlando
- Hogwarts Express – King’s Cross Station – 38 minutes, down 9
- The Simpsons Ride – 30 minutes, down 2
- TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D – 29 minutes, down 6
- T. Adventure – 27 minutes, down 4
- Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon – 24 minutes, down 3
- MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack! – 24 minutes, down 3
- Fast & Furious – Supercharged – 23 minutes, down 3
- Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl – 21 minutes, down 4
Photo: Universal
Overall, guests stood in line for an average of 32 minutes per attraction, which is five minutes or 14 percent less than last month.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Photo: Universal
Obviously, Islands of Adventure hasn’t added a new ride since last year at this time.
Still, the wait times should be lower due to the offseason and the fact that more people were at Universal Studios Florida.
Photo: Universal
Typically, a new themed land continues to lure guests to that park more than the other during the first year.
Was that the case with Minion Land vs. Islands of Adventure? Let’s find out!
Here are the average wait times at Islands of Adventure last month:
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – 94 minutes, up 3
- Jurassic World VelociCoaster – 75 minutes, down 2
- Flight of the Hippogriff – 51 minutes, up 8
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster – 42 minutes, up 1
- Pteranodon Flyers – 41 minutes, down 3
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong – 39 minutes, down 9
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – 39 minutes, down 2
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – 38 minutes, down 4
- The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride – 34 minutes, down 13
- Hogwarts Express – Hogsmeade Station – 27 minutes, down 14
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls – 21 minutes, up 8
- Doctor Doom’s Fearfall – 18 minutes, up 2
- Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges – 15 minutes, up 2
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – 12 minutes, down 11
- The Cat in the Hat – 11 minutes, down 10
- Storm Force Accelatron – 9 minutes, down 1
- Caro-Suess-el – 8 minutes, down 4
Photo:uofanguide.com
Overall, guests at Islands of Adventure waited an average of 35 minutes, six minutes less than last time.
You’ll notice that every attraction at Universal Studios Florida declined from the previous month.
At Islands of Adventure, a handful of attractions required a longer wait.
Part of that is weather-related, and part of it stems from the parks rebalancing due to the arrival of Minion Land last summer.
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Feature Photo: Attractions Magazine
