Thanksgiving at Universal Studios Hollywood
Are you thinking of visiting Universal Studios Hollywood on Thanksgiving? Well, there’s a couple of things you should know.
First, Universal Studios Hollywood is open on Thanksgiving. The opening hours are typically from 9am until 10pm, but this is subject to change.
Second, Thanksgiving is one of Universal Studios Hollywood’s busiest days. The theme park typically reaches capacity before lunch, so if you want to visit on Thanksgiving, it’s best to arrive early.
Given the high crowds, if you don’t want to spend your entire Thanksgiving waiting in line, then you’ll want to:
- Look at visiting at another date
- Invest in an Express Pass so you can skip the lines
- Plan your day in detail
If this is your first trip to Universal Studios Hollywood, avoid visiting on Thanksgiving if you can. The crowd levels are some of the highest the theme park sees all year. The same goes for the days before and after Thanksgiving.
These higher crowds are typically due to:
- Locals, generally annual passholders, have extra time off work.
- Tourists visit the park in conjunction with visiting family over the holidays.
So, if Thanksgiving isn’t a great time to visit, when is?
Halloween at Universal is popular due to Halloween Horror Nights. However, since this only takes place on selected nights, some dates in October can be quiet.
Alternatively, Universal Studios Hollywood typically decorates for Christmas straight after Halloween. This makes visiting after roughly November 10th the best time to see Christmas decorations.
Taking down Halloween Horror Nights sets and putting up Christmas decorations takes a few days. So, I suggest waiting until around November 10th before visiting.
Alternatively, if you’re happy to wait until the new year, the lowest crowds at Universal Studios Hollywood are in January and February.
If you have to visit Universal Studios Hollywood on or around Thanksgiving, I suggest getting an Express Pass.
However, tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood are sold using a dynamic pricing model. This means both park tickets and Express Pass tickets are the most expensive on Thanksgiving. That being said, given the high standby wait times, the time you should save with an Express Pass will be significant.
If you’ve been to Universal Studios Hollywood before or are a first-timer with a fixed schedule and no Express Pass, you’ll need to plan your day.
If you’ve been to the theme park before, that’s a lot easier to do. You’ll have a rough idea of what to expect and where things are. However, it will be more challenging if this is your first time.
Ways you can save time and streamline your Thanksgiving trip to Universal Studios Hollywood include:
- Staying in a hotel within walking distance of Universal Studios Hollywood
- Planning how you’re going to get to the theme park in advance
- Upgrading your Universal Studios Hollywood parking
- Arriving at the theme park before it opens
- Eating breakfast before you arrive at the theme park
- Buying your theme park tickets in advance
- Making dining reservations for CityWalk in advance
Implementing just a few of these plans before your trip should significantly improve your day.