Universal Trip - Christmas period

I <3 Disney xxx · 11 Nov 18, 11:01 PM

Hi all,

We're thinking of planning a universal trip for 2019 over the Christmas period. Most likely arriving around 14 December through 25th.

Anyone got experience with crowd levels around this time? I know the closer to Xmas the busier it will be, but is it crazy?

Any advise what to do on Xmas day itself - maybe volcano bay? Was thinking of avoiding the main 2 parks.

Are the restaurant busy on Xmas day? Do they offer anything special?

Any advise / feedback would be fab.

Thank you in advance x

Leelsisy · 12 Nov 18, 04:29 PM

Hi, we were in Universal on 2nd and 3rd January earlier this year. Crowd levels were busy and we were glad of the express passes we had through staying at Hard Rock Hotel. We had awful weather on those two days, although the rest of the previous couple of weeks had been good. On Christmas Day itself we were in Seaworld which had a nice laid back vibe, although again, quite busy. Sorry, probably not hugely helpful to you. Everywhere was fantastically Christmassy though and we loved it at that time of year in spite of the crowds.

JoB · 12 Nov 18, 05:50 PM

We were at Universal last Christmas staying at Cabana Bay. The week before Christmas was busy but manageable. From Christmas onwards it was so busy we looked at the wait times and left the park. We went over to Busch Gardens for Christmas day and that was really busy too. Volcano Bay was fairly quiet during our stay but unless you stayed in the water it was quite chilly. X

WB72 · 12 Nov 18, 08:25 PM

I would suggest getting as much done as possible 14th-18th, as it will get noticeably busier the closer you get to Christmas. First year we went at Christmas we made the mistake of going 22nd and 23rd and it was crazy busy. Since then, we always went at the very beginning of the holiday and it was fine, anytime up to a week before Christmas Day. We have done Discovery Cove a few times on Christmas Day as it is quiet and the food and drink are included.