🌎 This Week At Universal

Making your Universal Orlando trips smarter, one email at a time.

In this post you'll find:

• 2025 event schedule

• Universal testing ticketless entry

• New Mardi Gras merch from Universal

• and more!

🗞️ Recent News

The 2025 event schedule and dates have been released

The full event schedule for 2025 has been released! This is a great time to plan your vacation now that we know the specific dates every event will span.

🎭 Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval
Feb. 1 – Mar. 30

• Eat: Globe-trot with your taste buds – international food stalls are back, dishing up bold flavors from New Orleans to Tokyo.

• Dance: Live concerts feature heavy hitters like T-Pain and Joe Jonas.

• Parade: Catch beads, doubloons, and dazzling floats nightly.

🎃 Halloween Horror Nights
Select Nights: Aug. 29 – Nov. 2

• New for 2025: The scares start earlier than ever! Brace for haunted houses inspired by films and twisted original tales, plus sinister scare zones and killer merch.

🎄 Holidays at Universal
Nov. 21 – Dec. 31

• Wizarding World Christmas: Snow-capped Hogsmeade, festive spells, and holiday-themed Butterbeer.

• Grinchmas: Meet the Whos (and the Grinch!) in Seuss Landing.

🌋 Universal Volcano Bay Nights
Select Nights in April & May

• New Event: Dive into the Waturi culture after dark. Details are hush-hush, but expect tropical beats, exclusive eats, and glowing nighttime vibes.

🍺 Butterbeer Season
Mar. 1 – May 31

• Sweet Alert: Limited-time Butterbeer treats drop in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. (Butterbeer churros, anyone?)

📚 Back to Hogwarts
Fall 2025

• Potterheads Rejoice: Celebrate the start of term with house pride merch, special shows, and maybe even a Sorting Hat selfie.

What’s your favorite event at UOR? Personally mine is a toss-up between the holidays and Mardi Gras! I really wish they had more holiday days, several years ago it stretched from mid November all the way into the first week of January!

Ticketless entry testing at Islands of Adventure

Adventuring with Annie caught some video of Universal testing their ticketless entry system while entering Islands of Adventure.

I’ve been told that this has been tested periodically over the past year. Likely in anticipation of Epic Universe, I wonder if this will be the Day 1 system they use. Personally, seems like it could end up causing more bottlenecks, but we shall see!

What are your thoughts on this?

New Mardi Gras merchandise

Mardi Gras starts this weekend and Universal has released several photos of the merch you can expect to see while attending!

I love the popcorn bucket and the 30th anniversary pin! What’s your favorite?

🚧 Upcoming Ride Closures

If you’re going to be at the parks today through the 31st, do note the Hogwarts Express is closed for scheduled maintenance!

Universal Studios Florida

• Hogwarts Express: January 28 – January 31, 2025

Islands of Adventure

• The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle

• Pteranodon Flyers

• Hogwarts Express: January 28 – January 31, 2025

• Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges: February 1, 2025 – March 15, 2025

Universal Volcano Bay

• Ohyah and Ohno Drop Slides – January 2 – February 13, 2025

• Puka Uli Lagoon – January 2 – February 13, 2025

Volcano Bay itself is closed on the following days:

• January: 28

• February: 5, 6, 10, 11, 18, 19, 24, & 25

☀️ Weather

Planning your Universal Orlando trip? Here's your weekly weather outlook so you can pack accordingly!

Wednesday (29th): 🌤️ 75°/51° - Partly Cloudy, 8% chance of rain, WNW winds at 8 mph

Thursday (30th): ☀️ 78°/59° - Mostly Sunny, 10% chance of rain, ENE winds at 10 mph

Friday (31st): ☀️ 83°/63° - Sunny, 9% chance of rain, S winds at 12 mph

Saturday (1st): 🌧️ 77°/61° - AM Showers, 38% chance of rain, N winds at 7 mph

Sunday (2nd): ⛅ 80°/59° - Partly Cloudy, 15% chance of rain, N winds at 7 mph

Monday (3rd): ☀️ 80°/56° - Mostly Sunny, 9% chance of rain, N winds at 6 mph

Tuesday (4th): ☀️ 79°/58° - Mostly Sunny, 7% chance of rain, NNE winds at 8 mph

Wednesday (5th): ⛅ 78°/60° - Partly Cloudy, 8% chance of rain, ENE winds at 10 mph

Looks like a great week ahead! Pack light layers and sunscreen, and be prepared for a few morning showers on Saturday. Have an amazing time at the parks! 🎢☀️

👥 Crowds & Park Hours

Tuesday, January 28 🟢 (Low)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 6 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM (Early Park Admission 9:30 AM - 10 AM)

Wednesday, January 29 🟡 (Moderate)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM (Early Park Admission 9:30 AM - 10 AM)

Thursday, January 30 🟡 (Moderate)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM (Early Park Admission 9:30 AM - 10 AM)

Friday, January 31 🟡 (Moderate)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM (Early Park Admission 9:30 AM - 10 AM)

Saturday, February 1 🟠 (Busy)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 9 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 9 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM

Sunday, February 2 🟡 (Moderate)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM

Monday, February 3 🟡 (Moderate)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM

Tuesday, February 4 🟡 (Moderate)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM

Wednesday, February 5 🟡 (Moderate)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM

Thursday, February 6 🟡 (Moderate)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM

Friday, February 7 🟠 (Busy)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 7 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 7 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM

Saturday, February 8 🟠 (Busy)

• Universal Islands of Adventure: 9 AM - 9 PM (Early Park Admission 8 AM - 9 AM)

• Universal Studios Florida: 9 AM - 9 PM

• Universal Volcano Bay: 10 AM - 5 PM

Weekly Spotlight

Dreamworks Land

I’m cheating a bit by making this an entire land, but it really is an awesome land for the kids and hey, don’t tell anyone, but I have a blast here too lol!

There’s a little bit of everything!

• Character meet and greets with Shrek, Donkey, Fiona, and other Dreamworks characters.

• A live indoor show that is actually awesome (seriously as an adult even I was entertained and thought it was cool).

• Shrek and Trolls themed food and snacks

• A Shrek themed play area

• A kids coaster that’s Trolls themed.

• and much more!

If you have young kids, this would be a must-go area for me. Our family always has a blast here.

Epic Universe Construction Update

I’m trying a new idea with this section, featured a spot for Epic Universe for each week. Let me know if you want to see this every week!

This is an aerial view of the Wizarding World portal at night! The inscription at the top of the portal was recently added. Photos like this get me so hyped because I can just imagine walking through that portal for the first time!

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