CONFIRMED: Universal Studios Florida to Shut Down August 28

If you’re planning a late-summer trip to Universal Orlando Resort expecting to ride until the lights go down, brace yourself — your park day is about to get a lot shorter. Universal Studios Florida is dramatically cutting operating hours this fall, and for many daytime guests, it’s going to feel like someone just switched off the fun before dinner.

Starting Thursday, August 28, 2025, Universal Studios Florida will close hours earlier than its typical summer schedule to make way for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.

How Much Earlier Are We Talking?

Right now, the park often stays open until 9:00 p.m. during summer, giving visitors a long evening to enjoy extra rides, nighttime shows, and that last lap through Diagon Alley. But once HHN season kicks in, the hours take a sharp turn:

• HHN nights: Universal Studios Florida will close at 5:00 p.m. for daytime guests.

• Non-HHN nights: Even on evenings without the event, the park will shut down at 7:00 p.m.

That’s two to four hours less time inside the park — time that’s especially valuable if you’ve traveled from out of state and are working with a tight vacation schedule.

Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe: Later, But Not Late-Late

If your day at Universal Studios gets cut short, you can hop over to Islands of Adventure, which will generally remain open until 8:00 p.m. on HHN dates. It’s important to note that HHN doesn’t take over Islands of Adventure — the after-dark scares are exclusive to Universal Studios Florida — so those later hours are purely for standard park operations.

Over at Epic Universe, the new expansion located a short drive from the main resort, hours will stretch a bit further, with most nights closing at 9:00 p.m. This still isn’t a “stay until midnight” situation, but it’s a better option for those who want a full evening in the parks.

Historically, HHN season hours last until the first weekend of November, so you can expect this altered schedule to remain in place until Saturday, November 2, 2025.

Why the Early Closures?

Halloween Horror Nights isn’t just a few scare actors lurking in the shadows — it’s a complete transformation of Universal Studios Florida. The park needs to be cleared out well before sunset to give crews the space (and safety) to roll in massive sets, install sound and lighting rigs, prep scare zones, and get dozens of haunted houses and street experiences performance-ready.

And this year’s HHN lineup might be the most headline-grabbing yet, with a mix of blockbuster horror properties and original concepts:

Appearing in both Orlando and Hollywood:

• WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks — honoring Bray Wyatt with a house themed to one of WWE’s most twisted factions.

• Five Nights at Freddy’s — full-scale animatronic versions of Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Bonnie, Foxy, and Mr. Cupcake built in partnership with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

• Terrifier — step into Art the Clown’s funhouse and relive the most infamous kills from the cult horror films.

• Fallout — a trek through the wasteland of Prime Video’s adaptation, complete with Raiders, Scavengers, and oversized mutant pests.

• Jason Universe — a walk-through of Jason Voorhees’ bloodiest moments at Camp Crystal Lake.

Orlando-only offerings:

• El Artista: A Spanish Haunting — the tortured art of a 19th-century painter takes on a deadly life of its own.

• Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters — supernatural violence in a lawless Old West setting.

• Dolls: Let’s Play Dead — guests shrink to toy size and run for their lives from mutilated playthings.

• Grave of Flesh — an eerie funeral turns into a fight against the undead.

• Gálkn: Monsters of the North — ancient evils awaken in icy, monster-infested lands.

Throw in four scare zones, two roaming “street experiences,” and returning live entertainment — including the pyrotechnic Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay and lagoon show Haunt-O-Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey — and it’s easy to see why Universal needs the extra hours for setup.

The Guest Experience Trade-Off

For HHN fans, the early closures are simply the cost of getting a bigger, more elaborate event. But for day guests — especially families with small kids or anyone not interested in a late-night horror marathon — the shorter hours can feel like a raw deal.

Losing those evening hours means fewer rides, less time to explore The Wizarding World after dark, and no chance to catch the park’s nighttime atmosphere unless you buy separate HHN tickets.

Your best strategy? Build in park-hopping. Spend your morning and afternoon in Universal Studios Florida, then head to Islands of Adventure or Epic Universe for the evening. Just keep in mind, neither stays open especially late compared to summer schedules.

This Isn’t Just Universal — Disney’s Cutting Hours, Too

If you think early park closures are only happening at Universal, think again. Several Disney World parks will also be trimming their evening operations in August:

• Aug. 28, 2025 — Disney’s Animal Kingdom will shut down at 5:00 p.m. (instead of the usual 6:00 p.m.), wiping out the final “glow” hour in Pandora – The World of Avatar.

• Aug. 16, 2025 — Disney’s Hollywood Studios will close at 6:00 p.m., canceling Fantasmic! for the night.

From August 28 through early November, Universal Studios Florida is shifting into Halloween Horror Nights mode — and that means daytime visitors will have to make peace with earlier closings. While the park will still deliver a full day of thrills, you’ll need to work smarter to fit in all your must-do rides before the afternoon cutoff.

For some, HHN’s blockbuster mix of horror franchises and original nightmares makes the sacrifice worth it. For others, it’s a reminder that in Orlando, “park closing” can come much sooner than you expect — and the only way to beat it is to plan your day with military precision.