If you thought you could casually stroll into Universal Orlando over the long weekend and squeeze in a few rides between Butterbeers and lunch at Mythos, we hope you brought snacks—and an external battery.
Columbus Day weekend turned Universal’s parks into a human traffic jam, with ride wait times exploding into full-blown festival mode. Headliners like Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure hit 255 minutes, a number that hasn’t been seen in years. That wait time, shared on Reddit early Sunday, quickly went viral with one poster summing it up perfectly: “Wow never seen this since 2019.”
wow never seen this since 2019
byu/staycstan_sobad inUniversalOrlando
That pretty much set the tone for the entire day. Guests across the parks encountered massive crowds, sluggish ride operations, and peak-season level congestion, even though Columbus Day isn’t typically thought of as a major theme park holiday. While the long weekend is always a bit busier than usual, what unfolded at Universal was on another level entirely.
The Parks Were Packed—and the Numbers Prove It
Guests at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure faced some of the longest wait times of the season. Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure topping four hours wasn’t an isolated incident. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts stretched to 135 minutes, while Jurassic World VelociCoaster climbed to 110. Even dependable mid-tier attractions like The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Skull Island: Reign of Kong saw elevated waits of 55 and 40 minutes, respectively.
Over at Epic Universe, Universal’s newest addition, the situation was even more intense. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry posted a whopping 240-minute wait. Mine-Cart Madness followed with 200 minutes, while Hiccups Wing Gliders and Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge hovered around 120 and 105 minutes. Even newer rides like Fyre Drill and Curse of the Wereworld held at nearly 90 minutes all day long.
For a park that just opened, those are wild numbers—and a sign that Universal’s expansion is attracting more than just curiosity. It’s drawing massive crowds.
So Why Was It This Bad?
The short answer? Timing, hype, and weather—all perfectly aligned.
Columbus Day weekend has long been an under-the-radar crowd spike for Orlando parks. It doesn’t generate the buzz of Thanksgiving or New Year’s, but for those in the know, it’s a guaranteed swell. After the “back to school” slump of late August and early September, many families are ready for a fall getaway. Schools are closed, the weather is more bearable, and Universal has both Halloween events and new lands to offer.
This year, the weather became a major factor. The weekend brought the first real break from Florida’s relentless summer heat—low humidity, cool breezes, and comfortable afternoons. That combination lured not just out-of-towners, but locals, too. For many Central Floridians, it was the first “theme park weather” weekend in months, and they showed up in droves.
Epic Universe Faces Opening Weekend-Level Pressure
Another major driver was the undeniable hype around Epic Universe. The park is still rolling out attractions during soft opening phases, but that hasn’t stopped the crowds from treating it like the main event. The result? Massive demand on a system still in progress.
Attractions like Battle at the Ministry and Mine-Cart Madness are still ironing out operations and capacity. Under normal crowd levels, that’s manageable. Under Columbus Day conditions, it quickly became a problem. Guests hoping to test-drive the park’s newest experiences found themselves in lines that rivaled opening day chaos.
The fact that multiple rides passed the 200-minute mark suggests that demand is outpacing even Universal’s expectations. And while that’s great for business, it’s a challenge for guest satisfaction—especially for those who only had one day to explore the park.
The Misleading Calm Before the (Holiday) Storm
What throws many guests off is the lead-up to weekends like this. September and early October often give the illusion of calm. With most families focused on school routines, the parks experience a brief, wonderful slowdown. But that tranquility is short-lived.
Veteran visitors know the pattern: Columbus Day is a major crowd inflection point. One online commenter explained it well, noting that people don’t take their kids out for trips in the first month of school, but that changes quickly by mid-October. The crowds start to swell during Halloween season and rarely slow again until mid-November.
The pattern continues right through the holidays. The parks tend to be calmer again in the first two weeks of December, especially mid-week, before holiday crowds surge again for the final two weeks of the year. That’s the time to visit if you’re hoping for shorter waits and cooler temperatures—but Columbus Day? That’s when it all starts.
For Guests, It Was a Test of Patience—and Strategy
If you were in the parks Sunday, there wasn’t much you could do other than make the most of it. With Express Passes selling out and mobile food ordering quickly overwhelmed, navigating the crowds required patience and smart planning.
Guests who arrived early were able to knock out a ride or two before lines ballooned. Others opted for single-rider lines where available, or targeted mid-tier attractions with lower waits while saving headliners for late in the day. And those who came unprepared? They got a crash course in how quickly a holiday weekend can turn.
Online, some parkgoers shared frustration, while others took it in stride. But nearly everyone agreed: this was one of the most crowded days in recent memory outside of the winter holidays.
What to Expect for the Rest of the Season
This weekend was a warning shot for the weeks ahead. Universal’s parks are running at full capacity, and Epic Universe is only going to draw more attention as the holidays approach. If Columbus Day was this intense, Christmas and New Year’s could break records—especially now that Universal has a whole new park to add to the mix.
For anyone planning a visit, there’s still hope for a calmer experience. The sweet spot remains early November and early December (especially midweek). That’s when the parks catch their breath before ramping up for the year-end festivities. And if you’re hoping to avoid another four-hour queue for Hagrid’s, now you know: Columbus Day isn’t the quiet weekend you thought it was.
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