Universal Studios Florida: What Do We Think About It?

[Jake S]

Young kids love it though. Our grandkids were addicted to it.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Yeah, this ain't great Bob Karen

Mind you, this is a park consistently closing at 6 or 7 PM this month...

 

[belloq87]

That's a bad look. Gives the impression of a park/resort that is struggling, especially when you factor in the other stuff that has been hotly-debated around here (entertainment cuts, attractions operating in compromised fashion, etc.).

Reminds me of when they shut off the fire effects on Jaws to save money. Reeks of cheapskates making decisions to pinch pennies.

 

[Brian G.]

Mind you, this is a park consistently closing at 6 or 7 PM this month...

Just in regards to park hours - that's always been a Universal thing for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't include that as part of a "cuts" discussion.

Point blank - there is no reason to stay at night unless they give you something to do. With no seasonal entertainment at the moment til MG and the lagoon show being worked on, they aren't going to have operating hours past 8.

Otherwise. regarding the later openings - ET used to open at 10 during slower seasons but everything else is a new addition... so yeah... bad optics.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Unambiguously bad decision!

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Just in regards to park hours - that's always been a Universal thing for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't include that as part of a "cuts" discussion.

Point blank - there is no reason to stay at night unless they give you something to do. With no seasonal entertainment at the moment til MG and the lagoon show being worked on, they aren't going to have operating hours past 8.

Otherwise. regarding the later openings - ET used to open at 10 during slower seasons but everything else is a new addition... so yeah... bad optics.

Even with the holiday parade last month, Universal kept closing USF at 7 PM this past month with large crowds at the park. Yes, the parade was at 5:30, but the park is drawing a good chunk of guests and I just find it odd to see it close so early when USF is best seen at night, especially during the holiday season.

 

[belloq87]

USF is best seen at night

I think all parks are, frankly.

I hope Universal realizes that by the time Epic Universe opens.

 

[Brian G.]

Even with the holiday parade last month, Universal kept closing USF at 7 PM this past month with large crowds at the park. Yes, the parade was at 5:30, but the park is drawing a good chunk of guests and I just find it odd to see it close so early when USF is best seen at night, especially during the holiday season.

I'm not disagreeing that I'd love to hang out at the park at night. I'm just saying - park hours have always been a point of discussion since I first joined discussion boards. It's not a "new" thing.

 

[Magic-Man]

Yeah, this ain't great Bob Karen

Mind you, this is a park consistently closing at 6 or 7 PM this month...

I don't understand this. Universal has plenty of money and MIB/Simpsons are some of the more popular rides at the park. Comcast has plenty of money. What the heck are they thinking?

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I don't understand this. Universal has plenty of money and MIB/Simpsons are some of the more popular rides at the park. Comcast has plenty of money. What the heck are they thinking?

In the terms of Simpsons--could come down to the state of the attraction that it is in.

Could be like Hollywood and that they are starting to have technical issues that plague the attraction to cause it to open later in the day.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I hope Universal realizes that by the time Epic Universe opens.

With all the fancy lighting and fountains with LEDs being added in... I hope so. Especially with all the special lighting effects some of the rides will have.

I'm not disagreeing that I'd love to hang out at the park at night. I'm just saying - park hours have always been a point of discussion since I first joined discussion boards. It's not a "new" thing.

And during the timeframe between when this board was created and now, we've seen tremendous attendance & revenue growth from the resort... still the same old ways of operating. This is the point I'm trying to make with the way Universal operates their parks... they haven't changed. They haven't modified the way they operate their parks to match pricing and attendance levels. They've stagnated in that regard.

 

[Mad Dog]

Universal has a history of closing early, BUT in 2017, 2018 & 2019 they started having more later hours. Unfortunately, they've returned to their old ways. I get attacked every time I mention cost cutting, but damn, it's become really obvious, and I don't know how the apologists are going to continue to deny this is happening......Attendance has increased apx. 30% in the past 6 years, but there's less hours of ride operation and less entertainment. ...and maybe that's why line are so long.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

The only excuse I’d give them right now is a lot of the flu and Covid is going around this winter, and their staffing may truly be taking a hit at the moment.

If not that, this is unacceptable.

 

[Mad Dog]

The only excuse I’d give them right now is a lot of the flu and Covid is going around this winter, and their staffing may truly be taking a hit at the moment.

If not that, this is unacceptable.

Damn, that's reaching . This is becoming a trend. Now they've cut the little street entertainment stuff that was supposed to be an acceptable replacement for the big entertainment stuff 'temporary' cuts.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

I'm not disagreeing that I'd love to hang out at the park at night. I'm just saying - park hours have always been a point of discussion since I first joined discussion boards. It's not a "new" thing.

I think the point isn’t that early park closures are new, I think the point is they’re reducing the operating hours of several attractions when there’s already not the most time to get on them in the full scheduled day. It’d be different if the whole park was open an hour later to make up for the delayed mornings.

The only excuse I’d give them right now is a lot of the flu and Covid is going around this winter, and their staffing may truly be taking a hit at the moment.

If not that, this is unacceptable.

Doubtful. Schedules are made two weeks in advance…by the time you’re sick with the flu, you’d be better by the time the current schedule was over with.

 

[Jake S]

they are charging far too much money ($139 for a one-day, one-park ticket on Tuesday) to be doing stuff like this.

 

[Brian G.]

With Epic opening next year, it’s probably likely they are projecting soft crowds and are making adjustments.

Not saying it’s right or wrong. Just offering a possible POV.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think the point isn’t that early park closures are new, I think the point is they’re reducing the operating hours of several attractions when there’s already not the most time to get on them in the full scheduled day. It’d be different if the whole park was open an hour later to make up for the delayed mornings.

Doubtful. Schedules are made two weeks in advance…by the time you’re sick with the flu, you’d be better by the time the current schedule was over with.

Gotta be a lot of confusion and mgt. discussion behind the scenes. They didn't post Feb. hours until Jan. 4th. That's really unacceptable for people planning vacations. I can't ever recall such a late posting......Very little of the tourist public outside of Orlando. knows about Epic yet. I'm guessing expected soft crowds are a result of the past couple years operating policies, prices, long lines, more than anything else. Self fulfillment softness.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

Gotta be a lot of confusion and mgt. discussion behind the scenes. They didn't post Feb. hours until Jan. 4th. That's really unacceptable for people planning vacations. I can't ever recall such a late posting.

And honestly, I get it. Why spend money you don’t need to when resources are being spread thin for the final stretch of a whole new campus? I’m gonna get a nice bonus this spring for finding 2024 FY budget cuts so I’m not gonna be a hypocrite toward Universal about it…but I mean, let’s call it what it is. Like you’ve said before, it just stings extra after the guest experience/operation of the resort peaked around 2019

 

[UniversalRBLX]

The only excuse I’d give them right now is a lot of the flu and Covid is going around this winter, and their staffing may truly be taking a hit at the moment.

If not that, this is unacceptable.

Definitely not an issue when the parks were comfortably open to 10 PM the past two weeks.

None of us have anything to gain from complaining about the parks. As fans, we want them to succeed successfully.

Gotta be a lot of confusion and mgt. discussion behind the scenes. They didn't post Feb. hours until Jan. 4th. That's really unacceptable for people planning vacations. I can't ever recall such a late posting.

It's pretty common to see Universal only post hours two months before... but for some reason not even February hours were posted until this week. Sounds like lots of decisions have been made recently.