Planning A Universal Orlando Trip This Fall? Don’t Miss This Crucial Timing Detail

Fall at Universal Orlando is one of my favorite Florida trips to take — the weather’s decent, the decorations scream autumn, and there’s just something about visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter during the season that seems extra magical. If you feel the same and already have a fall getaway to Universal Orlando brewing, you probably have visions of hitting your go-to rides after dark and sipping Butterbeer while you soak up all the nighttime park energy. But there’s one thing you may not realize, and it’s the kind of crucial detail that could derail your trip if you don’t plan accordingly.

Here’s the thing: Come spooky season, park hours look a little different.

From late August through early November, Universal Studios Florida closes early on select nights — sometimes as early as 5 p.m. — to make way for Halloween Horror Nights, the highly anticipated (and massive) after-hours seasonal event. If you’re going specifically for HHN, this works to your advantage. If haunted houses aren’t your scene, though, you’ll be ushered out of the park before you might expect.

It’s a super-easy detail to miss if you’re not in the loop about Florida theme park news, and it can understandably be a major bummer not to realize until you’ve already arrived and headed over to hop on Revenge of the Mummy after dinner… only to be told it’s time to pack it in for the night.

So, here’s everything you need to know about Universal Orlando’s fall hours so that you can plan accordingly.

Which dates are affected?

This year, Halloween Horror Nights runs from Aug. 29 through Nov. 2 on select nights (typically Wednesday through Sunday, with a few Tuesdays sprinkled in). On these days, Universal Studios Florida closes at 5 p.m.

However, to offset this early closure, the park will also open an hour earlier — at 8 a.m. So, when you’re strategizing about how to spend your park days, make sure you consider that. I would recommend either getting up early and “rope dropping” Universal Studios Florida on HHN days to make the most of your time in the park, or arriving and leaving with enough time to avoid the HHN crowd as they file into the park.

What about the other parks?

Since HHN takes place at Universal Studios, the other parks aren’t affected as much during the fall. Still, I always recommend double-checking the park hours on the days you plan to visit. For the most part during the summer, the park hours have been 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, 10 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. for Epic Universe, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Volcano Bay.

As we move into fall, you’ll notice some fluctuations in those hours, with the park closing times shifting by an hour or two many nights. Islands of Adventure even closes as early as 6 p.m. on HHN Tuesdays, and then at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. on other nights. But none differ as drastically as the hours for Universal Studios during HHN season.

Oh, and while CityWalk isn’t a park, it’s a blast and deserves to be recognized more. During HHN, CityWalk remains open for shopping and dining (even when the parks close early) from 8 a.m. to midnight on Mondays and non-HHN Tuesdays and from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. on HHN days.

What are some hacks for planning around HHN?

If your family wants to maximize your park time but honestly doesn’t have any interest in being haunted, spooked, or otherwise creeped out like the rest of us freaks, there are definitely some workarounds:

• Check park hours in advance. Seriously, I can’t state this enough. Universal posts hours months in advance on their website, so look before you book.
• Go on Mondays or non-HHN Tuesdays. There are few things I love more than a theme park on a weekday! The crowds are generally lower, and during HHN season, you’re also able to squeeze in a little more time if you go on these days. Besides, everyone should witness the dragon breathing fire atop Gringott’s at night at least once.
• Hit up other parks in the evenings. This sounds obvious, but not everyone books tickets to park-hop every day. If you’re only visiting Universal Studios, or even if you are visiting more than one park but aren’t getting park-to-park passes, make sure to schedule your Universal Studios visit for non-HHN nights. Pro tip: Epic Universe at night is incredible.
• Take advantage of the earlier start time. Toss back some coffee and get up and out before the morning rush.
• Line up child care and have a grown-ups night out! If you don’t plan on bringing the grandparents along to help out, plenty of reputable local services offer childcare for theme park stays. This is the way to go if anyone in your adult crew is into scares — the event is an absolute must for horror buffs.

How late can you stay if you do HHN?

Here’s where having that childcare lined up comes in clutch, because HHN ends *late* at night. The closing time varies, but it’s generally either 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. Just remember that this is a separately ticketed event, so you’ll need to wait until the official start time to enter the park.

Unless you splurge, that is. The “Scream Early” add-on lets you check into the park as early as 3 p.m. so you can knock out some rides or shows before heading to the Haunted Houses or scare zones at 4 p.m. Feeling super spooky? Upgrade your experience with other “extras,” like the HHN Express Pass (to get front-of-the-line access).

The Bottom Line

Even with the added logistical maneuvering, it’s 100% worth traveling to Universal Orlando in the fall. The decorations, the energy, the costumes, the seasonal food — it’s every bit as magical as you’re imagining. As long as you factor in the early closing time at Universal Studios when you book your trip, you won’t be disappointed.