Epic Universe’s opening season has been a wild experience. Common’s new park has had sky-high wait occasions and crowd ranges, however no longer essentially attendance. That first part of that development seems poised to boost up within the months to return, however no longer ahead of an low season slowdown. This comes as 1-day tickets are beginning to promote out for choose dates thru December 2025, with many extra days and whole weeks hitting (cushy) capability.
We’ll get started through another time creating a plug for our rundown of Why You Must Skip Epic Universe. That was once written all through paid previews, nevertheless it has elderly like a high quality wine–for essentially the most phase. We lately returned with a refresh to that publish, as our recommendation for almost all of visitors is to stick at the sidelines and wait till Epic Universe improves its operations and potency.
Amongst different issues, two of the opposite main issues raised in that article are “Unpredictable Attendance & Crowds” and “Journey Breakdowns & Downtime.” Those proceed to be the overriding problems with Epic Universe, as the brand new park is still a veritable curler coaster of day-to-day crowd ranges and moderate wait occasions since its respectable opening 3 months in the past. With that stated, there are some fascinating updates on crowds and ticketing at Epic Universe, so let’s dive proper in to these…
Park Capability & Price tag Information Loophole
For the primary few months of the park’s lifestyles, Epic Universe price ticket records may well be got through scraping the Common Orlando backend site. Sadly, Common in spite of everything wised up and closed the loophole that allowed this knowledge to be obtained, so we not can see what number of tickets are to be had and what number of were bought.
Previous to the information lockdown, we knew Common Orlando was once firstly restricting attendance at 12,000 to fifteen,000 visitors from the beginning of previews in the course of the finish of June, relying upon the day. That then expanded to kind of 22,000 visitors in line with day in July. That’s the place the higher restrict stood thru the rest of 2025, in line with their records.
One by one, it’s our been figuring out that Epic Universe has a complete theoretical capability of round 35,000 to 40,000 visitors. Corroborating this, Common Orlando greater its price ticket cap to 45,000 around the board for the rest of 2025, doubling or tripling the restrict relying at the date. As we defined in any other publish detailing the rise, the numbers are a little deceptive. Common made many extra multi-day price ticket sorts to be had, which few visitors have been buying within the first position.
The base line was once that although Common was once providing to promote ~45,000 tickets in line with day to Epic Universe, natural call for was once the true restricting issue since the ones have been much less fashionable price ticket sorts and even common 1-day tickets most commonly weren’t promoting out from mid-July onward. The result was once that Common Orlando was once promoting round 15,000 to twenty,000 tickets (with a couple of outliers that make bigger the variety to 13,000 to 22,000) in line with day. Now not as soon as this summer time did Epic Universe hit even part of that 45,000 quantity.
Bought Out Dates Build up & Lower
The entire above is related, even though it’s previous irritating, as a result of we were looking at price ticket records and gross sales for the overall few months of the 12 months. These days July, there have been a number of dates round Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Yr’s Eve that have been bought out of single-day tickets.
In early August, much more dates seemed bought out. I may swear it was once round part of all dates between October and December, or even some Mondays in September (kicking myself for no longer taking screenshots). Then sooner or later inside the remaining couple of weeks, availability were replenished, just about around the board. Only some dates round Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Yr’s Eve have been long past.
Now, extra of the ones dates have bought out, however nonetheless next-to-nothing in the following few months. The above screenshot is from nowadays (August 20, 2025). Previous to November, the one unavailable date is October 7, 2025. Simply two weeks in the past, availability was once considerably decrease.
In all chance, that is the results of Common Orlando reallocating price ticket capability. Again once we wrote that publish detailing the former soar in capability from ~15,000 to ~45,000 that we (mainly) referred to as not anything to fret about, we added one asterisk. That it may well be meaningless if it have been laying the groundwork for long run adjustments and more uncomplicated reallocations of capability a number of the quite a lot of buckets of park tickets. Particularly: “If 45,000 single-day Epic Universe tickets have been unexpectedly made to be had for every day with every week or two understand, our research of the have an effect on on crowd ranges can be very other.“
Sadly, we don’t know precisely what came about with the allocation throughout ‘buckets’ since the price ticket records loophole has been closed. However we will surmise from the cases that: 1) tickets were reallocated from much less fascinating buckets to extra fascinating ones, and; 2) prior to now bought out dates are actually promoting extra tickets. That means that is not a not anything to fret about scenario, and those upper caps completely do topic. At minimal, dates all through the autumn and vacation season are going to promote extra tickets than ahead of and exceed the former 22,000 excessive water mark.
For no matter it’s price, the rationale I’ve stalked the single-day price ticket web page on Common Orlando is no longer so I may purchase tickets to dates that have been prior to now bought out. It’s just about the complete opposite. I would like to concentrate on which dates and days of the week are promoting out maximum often so I will be able to steer clear of them. My view isn’t that it’s a “just right factor” that tickets are again on sale. This isn’t like a widget that sells out and is restocked.
If tickets turn out to be to be had after promoting out, that capability is coming from someplace. I’ve 0 need to discuss with Epic Universe on any date that sells out, and I’d implore you to rethink visits all through the ones height weeks. Or no less than wait till on-the-ground stories are available from Columbus Day weekend, as that’ll be the primary large rigidity take a look at of Epic Universe operations.
Lowest Crowds on Weekends
Talking of which, the 2 days of the week with the bottom moderate wait occasions over the previous couple of months were Saturdays (#2) and Sundays (#1, through some distance). Friday is third-lowest. The perfect reason behind that is that Epic Universe single-day tickets are most costly on weekends, so budget-conscious vacationers are in search of out more cost effective dates.
There’s much less consistency for Mondays thru Thursdays, and no longer sufficient records issues to attract definitive conclusions. Statistically, Wednesdays and Thursdays were worst, which generally is a byproduct of visitors beginning out their weeks at Walt Disney International, visiting a pair parks there, then doing Epic Universe. Or beginning out at Common’s legacy parks.
To that time, the remainder of Common Orlando is busiest on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, adopted through Sundays. That is fueled in large part through locals and Annual Passholders over the weekends, after which vacationers being maximum vulnerable to discuss with on Mondays. Midweek is the best possible time to discuss with the opposite parks, with moderate wait occasions bottoming out on Wednesdays.
This is smart! Floridians paintings on weekdays, making weekends their highest time to discuss with the opposite parks for Annual Passholders. However Epic Universe doesn’t have APs, and lots of locals have already gotten their “repair” of Epic Universe and are looking ahead to Annual Passes. The outcome has been a identical dynamic as we noticed at Walt Disney International when AP gross sales have been suspended for goodbye (it nonetheless exists to nowadays, however isn’t as exaggerated).
Something to notice is that once Annual Go gross sales or Florida resident price ticket offers get started for Epic Universe, this dynamic flips. Saturday and Sunday will turn out to be the busiest days of the weekend. Additionally, there are exceptions to all the above when climate rears its unpleasant head. Not anything throws a monkey wrench into Epic Universe wait occasions like a stormy day!
Present Crowds
It’s been nearly precisely two months since we shared our initial 2025 Epic Universe Crowd Calendar, which introduced predictions and a recap of present crowds. At the predictions entrance, that publish nonetheless holds up.
Clearly, there’s two months of extra wait occasions records since then to proportion (courtesy of thrill-data). Crowds have most effective worsened since then. Epic Universe set a file for its busiest day ever on July 16, when moderate wait occasions have been 85 mins and the gang point was once 10/10. That was once adopted through back-to-back 80 minute days August 6-7. There were a number of different days at or above 70 mins, with day-to-day lows within the mid-to-upper 40s.
Past due June was once the beginning of a stretch when weekly averages have been 64-68 mins for six consecutive weeks; with all however one week within the 64-66 minute vary. For a park this is so inconsistent on a daily foundation, that’s remarkably constant on a weekly one.
Two out of the remaining 3 weeks have proven indicators of growth, and our expectation is this development doesn’t simply proceed, however that it speeds up within the subsequent 4-6 weeks. I’m cautiously constructive that Epic Universe could have a weekly moderate beneath 50 mins someday in mid-September. On the very least, there must make sure days when the common wait time is below 40 mins. Epic Universe has been as regards to that at the two most up-to-date Sundays.
It’s price noting that no different Common Orlando or Walt Disney International park is hitting moderate day-to-day wait occasions at any place close to the ones ranges. As we’ve said numerous occasions ahead of, that is most commonly a capability and potency tale, and no longer one in every of overwhelming call for.
The park is hitting those crowd ranges with moderately low attendance. There’s possible for this to get a lot worse if Epic Universe doesn’t to find its footing on experience throughput. (Or will get unfortunate with climate on the next attendance day.)
To position those numbers into standpoint, it’s additionally price noting that Walt Disney International’s two busiest days since 2019 were 71 and 70 minute waits–each got here all through the weeks of New Yr’s (early 2020 and overdue 2023). At the identical dates this summer time, Walt Disney International’s moderate wait time has been not up to part of Epic Universe and that’s in spite of upper day-to-day attendance. The similar is going for Common Orlando’s different parks, which might be seeing averages of round 25 mins.
The trendline is beginning to flip sure now that college has long past again into consultation, however we nonetheless extremely counsel Epic Universe on a weekend, if in any respect, all through the 2025 low season. Differently, ready till 2026 nonetheless turns out like the most productive plan of action, however that includes large caveats in regards to the park scaling up capability at a sooner clip than it improves experience throughput. It’ll prove that the following 5-6 weeks plus scattered dates this vacation season finally end up being the candy spot.
If making plans a overdue 2025 or 2026 commute, I’d goal all the identical dates on our Easiest & Worst Weeks to Discuss with Walt Disney International in 2025, 2026 & 2027. That’s a mixture of quantitative and qualitative, and I’d argue that the latter issues extra at Epic Universe than Walt Disney International. If you happen to most effective have sooner or later to do Epic Universe, make it a Sunday all through a kind of weeks.
Workforce Member Complimentary Access
Common Orlando Workforce Contributors can now use as much as two in their complimentary passes for access to Epic Universe every calendar month. Prior to now, Workforce Contributors must acquire single-day tickets in the event that they sought after to discuss with Epic Universe.
Word that Workforce Contributors nonetheless don’t have self-admit privileges, so they have got to make use of those comp tickets on themselves and a visitor in the event that they wish to discuss with the park. Or, they may be able to give each away to circle of relatives & pals. Comp tickets expire on the finish of every month, so Workforce Contributors can’t gather multi-month stockpiles to be able to discuss with with extra other people.
It’s arduous to mention the level of an have an effect on this may have on Epic Universe crowds. It’ll undoubtedly transfer the needle to a point, however diluted over the path of a whole month, more than likely no longer considerably so. It’s much less important than self-admit or the rollout of Annual Passes can be.
The perspective from which that is some of the fascinating is that it’s a step in opposition to the inevitable rollout of each. This was once a logical precursor to AP gross sales or ID get entry to for Workforce Contributors, both of which may well be subsequent up. Whilst additional Workforce Member get entry to turns out much more likely, introducing restricted add-ons for the highest tiers of Annual Passes is a revenue-generating transfer, so it may well be step one.
In truth, we are hoping that doesn’t occur till someday in 2026 (and don’t be expecting it to). Even if we’d love with the intention to acquire an Annual Go for Epic Universe, there’s just one month of low season ahead of crowds pick out up once more. If that, as the beginning of Halloween Horror Nights may unharness a type of pent-up call for.
Then it’s the center of the Halloween and vacation seasons, either one of which might be prone to be busier. Then in 2026, common ticketing insurance policies are at ease, which might additional exacerbate crowds. Common Orlando must do the whole lot to maintain the visitor revel in for informal vacationers, and that most probably approach no Annual Passes for any other 12 months except main strides will also be made to toughen operational capability.
Park Hopping Check
Talking of the relief of ticketing insurance policies, we already know that visitors reserving 2026 Common Orlando holiday applications for commute in January and past will find a way to make a choice park-to-park tickets that comes with Epic Universe. Those tickets will not come with Epic Universe as a separate entitlement, and as an alternative permit park hopping.
We suppose the similar can be true of normal multi-day Common Orlando tickets for 2026. Whilst the above Workforce Member comp access is a vital prerequisite to Annual Passes, and so on., so too is solely organising standard ticketing insurance policies for Epic Universe. And the logical date for that’s January 2026.
Previous to then, Common Orlando is reportedly coming into choose visitors with holiday applications right into a park hopping take a look at at the moment. We’ve most effective observed a pair scattered stories of this on social media, however figured it was once price citing proactively for those who’re fortunate sufficient to be decided on. Our recommendation can be hopping to Epic Universe after 4 pm. Do this for your first day and feature that be your preliminary Epic Universe revel in. See the way it is going and decide whether or not that’s an acceptable way for you on next days.
Income Name
Comcast lately held its quarterly profits name and, unsurprisingly, they praised the a hit release of Epic Universe. The park was once the direct motive force of a 19% build up in profit for the theme parks phase, which is smart because it didn’t prior to now exist! Listed below are a few government quotes from the name transcript:
“We think Epic to proceed to scale over the process the 12 months, with upper attendance and in line with caps in addition to considerably progressed working leverage.”
“As anticipated, our near-term center of attention is on increasing experience throughput to scale back early attendance constraints. Epic is trending in keeping with our expectancies and smartly on its method to remodeling Common Orlando into a real week-long vacation spot.”
It’s not possible to understand how executives actually really feel about Epic Universe’s release, as they’re going to color a fairly rosy image since the numbers did–and can proceed to–move up. However, those quotes counsel they’re going to proceed discovering tactics to extend attendance whilst additionally making improvements to operational potency.
That is what we’re seeing above with ticketing adjustments and it’s what we anticipated with potency. Nonetheless, it’s just right to listen to the manager feedback about experience throughput and working leverage. That is reassuring, and signifies even high-level leaders notice that they may be able to’t merely pack the park–the reliability must first toughen. I recognize that.
As a handy guide a rough apart, I pay attention a large number of chatter about how Orange County attributing a file atmosphere month for occupancy tax collections to Epic Universe is “evidence” that it’s hurting Walt Disney International. On the chance of declaring the most obvious, having extra resort rooms crammed is what will increase the prospective occupancy tax pool–and Common simply opened 3 new ones, thereby expanding the county’s general room stock!
There are extra inns now, so it stands to explanation why that, even on the identical occupancy share throughout all accommodations, tax collections would build up. If the similar selection of visitors have been visiting however stayed at Common as an alternative of Disney, occupancy tax collections can be flat. That’s no longer what came about, despite the fact that, as Walt Disney International’s occupancy share additionally greater. And that is in spite of Disney additionally including room stock during the last 12 months. Epic Universe would possibly (rightfully!) get the credit score, however each Disney and Common contributed to the file.
Programming Word: Visiting Quickly
In truth, I’m looking at all the above out of my very own self-interest, as I’m aspiring to discuss with Epic Universe once more quickly. I’m undoubtedly going no less than sooner or later and am debating a 2d (have already got nights booked at Helios Grand). I’ll undoubtedly be placing my cash the place my mouth is through occurring a Sunday, however find a way to additionally discuss with on Saturday if the information (and climate) are having a look just right or gamble at the following Monday if Sunday is going smartly (or, I suppose, is going actually badly and I desire a do-over?).
We’ve now driven off our circle of relatives commute two times now, with overdue January 2026 being the brand new goal, so this one is simply me once more. The function is to consume up to humanly conceivable, checking out the boundaries of ways a lot the human abdomen can undergo when crammed to capability and loaded into consecutive rides on Stardust Racers. I’ll be doing a number of different checking out as smartly, and am open to tips in this entrance if there are specifics you’d love to learn about present ops at Epic Universe. Or when you’ve got any menu & eating place suggestions, please proportion the ones, too.
Want commute making plans pointers and complete recommendation on your discuss with to Central Florida? Be sure to learn our Common Orlando Making plans Information for the whole lot about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. Additionally take a look at our Walt Disney International Holiday Making plans Information for the whole lot about the ones parks, accommodations, eating places, and so a lot more. For normal updates, information & rumors, a heads up when reductions are launched, and a lot more, join our FREE electronic mail e-newsletter!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever visited Epic Universe for the reason that get started of summer time? Making plans an afternoon within the low season or all through Halloween Horror Nights? What did you recall to mind wait occasions and crowds? Enjoy any operational meltdowns because of breakdowns or climate? Is it conceivable or possible that Epic Universe if truth be told has even upper attendance from October thru December 2025, or right through 2026? Will you discuss with Epic Universe this 12 months, or will you watch for crowds to calm down (in concept) in 2026? Agree or disagree with our overview? Any questions? We adore listening to from readers, so please proportion some other ideas or questions you may have within the feedback beneath!
Epic Universe’s opening season has been a wild experience. Common’s new park has had sky-high wait occasions and crowd ranges, however no longer essentially attendance. That first part of that development seems poised to boost up within the months to return, however no longer ahead of an low season slowdown. This comes as 1-day tickets are beginning to promote out for choose dates thru December 2025, with many extra days and whole weeks hitting (cushy) capability.
We’ll get started through another time creating a plug for our rundown of Why You Must Skip Epic Universe. That was once written all through paid previews, nevertheless it has elderly like a high quality wine–for essentially the most phase. We lately returned with a refresh to that publish, as our recommendation for almost all of visitors is to stick at the sidelines and wait till Epic Universe improves its operations and potency.
Amongst different issues, two of the opposite main issues raised in that article are “Unpredictable Attendance & Crowds” and “Journey Breakdowns & Downtime.” Those proceed to be the overriding problems with Epic Universe, as the brand new park is still a veritable curler coaster of day-to-day crowd ranges and moderate wait occasions since its respectable opening 3 months in the past. With that stated, there are some fascinating updates on crowds and ticketing at Epic Universe, so let’s dive proper in to these…
Park Capability & Price tag Information Loophole
For the primary few months of the park’s lifestyles, Epic Universe price ticket records may well be got through scraping the Common Orlando backend site. Sadly, Common in spite of everything wised up and closed the loophole that allowed this knowledge to be obtained, so we not can see what number of tickets are to be had and what number of were bought.
Previous to the information lockdown, we knew Common Orlando was once firstly restricting attendance at 12,000 to fifteen,000 visitors from the beginning of previews in the course of the finish of June, relying upon the day. That then expanded to kind of 22,000 visitors in line with day in July. That’s the place the higher restrict stood thru the rest of 2025, in line with their records.
One by one, it’s our been figuring out that Epic Universe has a complete theoretical capability of round 35,000 to 40,000 visitors. Corroborating this, Common Orlando greater its price ticket cap to 45,000 around the board for the rest of 2025, doubling or tripling the restrict relying at the date. As we defined in any other publish detailing the rise, the numbers are a little deceptive. Common made many extra multi-day price ticket sorts to be had, which few visitors have been buying within the first position.
The base line was once that although Common was once providing to promote ~45,000 tickets in line with day to Epic Universe, natural call for was once the true restricting issue since the ones have been much less fashionable price ticket sorts and even common 1-day tickets most commonly weren’t promoting out from mid-July onward. The result was once that Common Orlando was once promoting round 15,000 to twenty,000 tickets (with a couple of outliers that make bigger the variety to 13,000 to 22,000) in line with day. Now not as soon as this summer time did Epic Universe hit even part of that 45,000 quantity.
Bought Out Dates Build up & Lower
The entire above is related, even though it’s previous irritating, as a result of we were looking at price ticket records and gross sales for the overall few months of the 12 months. These days July, there have been a number of dates round Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Yr’s Eve that have been bought out of single-day tickets.
In early August, much more dates seemed bought out. I may swear it was once round part of all dates between October and December, or even some Mondays in September (kicking myself for no longer taking screenshots). Then sooner or later inside the remaining couple of weeks, availability were replenished, just about around the board. Only some dates round Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Yr’s Eve have been long past.
Now, extra of the ones dates have bought out, however nonetheless next-to-nothing in the following few months. The above screenshot is from nowadays (August 20, 2025). Previous to November, the one unavailable date is October 7, 2025. Simply two weeks in the past, availability was once considerably decrease.
In all chance, that is the results of Common Orlando reallocating price ticket capability. Again once we wrote that publish detailing the former soar in capability from ~15,000 to ~45,000 that we (mainly) referred to as not anything to fret about, we added one asterisk. That it may well be meaningless if it have been laying the groundwork for long run adjustments and more uncomplicated reallocations of capability a number of the quite a lot of buckets of park tickets. Particularly: “If 45,000 single-day Epic Universe tickets have been unexpectedly made to be had for every day with every week or two understand, our research of the have an effect on on crowd ranges can be very other.“
Sadly, we don’t know precisely what came about with the allocation throughout ‘buckets’ since the price ticket records loophole has been closed. However we will surmise from the cases that: 1) tickets were reallocated from much less fascinating buckets to extra fascinating ones, and; 2) prior to now bought out dates are actually promoting extra tickets. That means that is not a not anything to fret about scenario, and those upper caps completely do topic. At minimal, dates all through the autumn and vacation season are going to promote extra tickets than ahead of and exceed the former 22,000 excessive water mark.
For no matter it’s price, the rationale I’ve stalked the single-day price ticket web page on Common Orlando is no longer so I may purchase tickets to dates that have been prior to now bought out. It’s just about the complete opposite. I would like to concentrate on which dates and days of the week are promoting out maximum often so I will be able to steer clear of them. My view isn’t that it’s a “just right factor” that tickets are again on sale. This isn’t like a widget that sells out and is restocked.
If tickets turn out to be to be had after promoting out, that capability is coming from someplace. I’ve 0 need to discuss with Epic Universe on any date that sells out, and I’d implore you to rethink visits all through the ones height weeks. Or no less than wait till on-the-ground stories are available from Columbus Day weekend, as that’ll be the primary large rigidity take a look at of Epic Universe operations.
Lowest Crowds on Weekends
Talking of which, the 2 days of the week with the bottom moderate wait occasions over the previous couple of months were Saturdays (#2) and Sundays (#1, through some distance). Friday is third-lowest. The perfect reason behind that is that Epic Universe single-day tickets are most costly on weekends, so budget-conscious vacationers are in search of out more cost effective dates.
There’s much less consistency for Mondays thru Thursdays, and no longer sufficient records issues to attract definitive conclusions. Statistically, Wednesdays and Thursdays were worst, which generally is a byproduct of visitors beginning out their weeks at Walt Disney International, visiting a pair parks there, then doing Epic Universe. Or beginning out at Common’s legacy parks.
To that time, the remainder of Common Orlando is busiest on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, adopted through Sundays. That is fueled in large part through locals and Annual Passholders over the weekends, after which vacationers being maximum vulnerable to discuss with on Mondays. Midweek is the best possible time to discuss with the opposite parks, with moderate wait occasions bottoming out on Wednesdays.
This is smart! Floridians paintings on weekdays, making weekends their highest time to discuss with the opposite parks for Annual Passholders. However Epic Universe doesn’t have APs, and lots of locals have already gotten their “repair” of Epic Universe and are looking ahead to Annual Passes. The outcome has been a identical dynamic as we noticed at Walt Disney International when AP gross sales have been suspended for goodbye (it nonetheless exists to nowadays, however isn’t as exaggerated).
Something to notice is that once Annual Go gross sales or Florida resident price ticket offers get started for Epic Universe, this dynamic flips. Saturday and Sunday will turn out to be the busiest days of the weekend. Additionally, there are exceptions to all the above when climate rears its unpleasant head. Not anything throws a monkey wrench into Epic Universe wait occasions like a stormy day!
Present Crowds
It’s been nearly precisely two months since we shared our initial 2025 Epic Universe Crowd Calendar, which introduced predictions and a recap of present crowds. At the predictions entrance, that publish nonetheless holds up.
Clearly, there’s two months of extra wait occasions records since then to proportion (courtesy of thrill-data). Crowds have most effective worsened since then. Epic Universe set a file for its busiest day ever on July 16, when moderate wait occasions have been 85 mins and the gang point was once 10/10. That was once adopted through back-to-back 80 minute days August 6-7. There were a number of different days at or above 70 mins, with day-to-day lows within the mid-to-upper 40s.
Past due June was once the beginning of a stretch when weekly averages have been 64-68 mins for six consecutive weeks; with all however one week within the 64-66 minute vary. For a park this is so inconsistent on a daily foundation, that’s remarkably constant on a weekly one.
Two out of the remaining 3 weeks have proven indicators of growth, and our expectation is this development doesn’t simply proceed, however that it speeds up within the subsequent 4-6 weeks. I’m cautiously constructive that Epic Universe could have a weekly moderate beneath 50 mins someday in mid-September. On the very least, there must make sure days when the common wait time is below 40 mins. Epic Universe has been as regards to that at the two most up-to-date Sundays.
It’s price noting that no different Common Orlando or Walt Disney International park is hitting moderate day-to-day wait occasions at any place close to the ones ranges. As we’ve said numerous occasions ahead of, that is most commonly a capability and potency tale, and no longer one in every of overwhelming call for.
The park is hitting those crowd ranges with moderately low attendance. There’s possible for this to get a lot worse if Epic Universe doesn’t to find its footing on experience throughput. (Or will get unfortunate with climate on the next attendance day.)
To position those numbers into standpoint, it’s additionally price noting that Walt Disney International’s two busiest days since 2019 were 71 and 70 minute waits–each got here all through the weeks of New Yr’s (early 2020 and overdue 2023). At the identical dates this summer time, Walt Disney International’s moderate wait time has been not up to part of Epic Universe and that’s in spite of upper day-to-day attendance. The similar is going for Common Orlando’s different parks, which might be seeing averages of round 25 mins.
The trendline is beginning to flip sure now that college has long past again into consultation, however we nonetheless extremely counsel Epic Universe on a weekend, if in any respect, all through the 2025 low season. Differently, ready till 2026 nonetheless turns out like the most productive plan of action, however that includes large caveats in regards to the park scaling up capability at a sooner clip than it improves experience throughput. It’ll prove that the following 5-6 weeks plus scattered dates this vacation season finally end up being the candy spot.
If making plans a overdue 2025 or 2026 commute, I’d goal all the identical dates on our Easiest & Worst Weeks to Discuss with Walt Disney International in 2025, 2026 & 2027. That’s a mixture of quantitative and qualitative, and I’d argue that the latter issues extra at Epic Universe than Walt Disney International. If you happen to most effective have sooner or later to do Epic Universe, make it a Sunday all through a kind of weeks.
Workforce Member Complimentary Access
Common Orlando Workforce Contributors can now use as much as two in their complimentary passes for access to Epic Universe every calendar month. Prior to now, Workforce Contributors must acquire single-day tickets in the event that they sought after to discuss with Epic Universe.
Word that Workforce Contributors nonetheless don’t have self-admit privileges, so they have got to make use of those comp tickets on themselves and a visitor in the event that they wish to discuss with the park. Or, they may be able to give each away to circle of relatives & pals. Comp tickets expire on the finish of every month, so Workforce Contributors can’t gather multi-month stockpiles to be able to discuss with with extra other people.
It’s arduous to mention the level of an have an effect on this may have on Epic Universe crowds. It’ll undoubtedly transfer the needle to a point, however diluted over the path of a whole month, more than likely no longer considerably so. It’s much less important than self-admit or the rollout of Annual Passes can be.
The perspective from which that is some of the fascinating is that it’s a step in opposition to the inevitable rollout of each. This was once a logical precursor to AP gross sales or ID get entry to for Workforce Contributors, both of which may well be subsequent up. Whilst additional Workforce Member get entry to turns out much more likely, introducing restricted add-ons for the highest tiers of Annual Passes is a revenue-generating transfer, so it may well be step one.
In truth, we are hoping that doesn’t occur till someday in 2026 (and don’t be expecting it to). Even if we’d love with the intention to acquire an Annual Go for Epic Universe, there’s just one month of low season ahead of crowds pick out up once more. If that, as the beginning of Halloween Horror Nights may unharness a type of pent-up call for.
Then it’s the center of the Halloween and vacation seasons, either one of which might be prone to be busier. Then in 2026, common ticketing insurance policies are at ease, which might additional exacerbate crowds. Common Orlando must do the whole lot to maintain the visitor revel in for informal vacationers, and that most probably approach no Annual Passes for any other 12 months except main strides will also be made to toughen operational capability.
Park Hopping Check
Talking of the relief of ticketing insurance policies, we already know that visitors reserving 2026 Common Orlando holiday applications for commute in January and past will find a way to make a choice park-to-park tickets that comes with Epic Universe. Those tickets will not come with Epic Universe as a separate entitlement, and as an alternative permit park hopping.
We suppose the similar can be true of normal multi-day Common Orlando tickets for 2026. Whilst the above Workforce Member comp access is a vital prerequisite to Annual Passes, and so on., so too is solely organising standard ticketing insurance policies for Epic Universe. And the logical date for that’s January 2026.
Previous to then, Common Orlando is reportedly coming into choose visitors with holiday applications right into a park hopping take a look at at the moment. We’ve most effective observed a pair scattered stories of this on social media, however figured it was once price citing proactively for those who’re fortunate sufficient to be decided on. Our recommendation can be hopping to Epic Universe after 4 pm. Do this for your first day and feature that be your preliminary Epic Universe revel in. See the way it is going and decide whether or not that’s an acceptable way for you on next days.
Income Name
Comcast lately held its quarterly profits name and, unsurprisingly, they praised the a hit release of Epic Universe. The park was once the direct motive force of a 19% build up in profit for the theme parks phase, which is smart because it didn’t prior to now exist! Listed below are a few government quotes from the name transcript:
“We think Epic to proceed to scale over the process the 12 months, with upper attendance and in line with caps in addition to considerably progressed working leverage.”
“As anticipated, our near-term center of attention is on increasing experience throughput to scale back early attendance constraints. Epic is trending in keeping with our expectancies and smartly on its method to remodeling Common Orlando into a real week-long vacation spot.”
It’s not possible to understand how executives actually really feel about Epic Universe’s release, as they’re going to color a fairly rosy image since the numbers did–and can proceed to–move up. However, those quotes counsel they’re going to proceed discovering tactics to extend attendance whilst additionally making improvements to operational potency.
That is what we’re seeing above with ticketing adjustments and it’s what we anticipated with potency. Nonetheless, it’s just right to listen to the manager feedback about experience throughput and working leverage. That is reassuring, and signifies even high-level leaders notice that they may be able to’t merely pack the park–the reliability must first toughen. I recognize that.
As a handy guide a rough apart, I pay attention a large number of chatter about how Orange County attributing a file atmosphere month for occupancy tax collections to Epic Universe is “evidence” that it’s hurting Walt Disney International. On the chance of declaring the most obvious, having extra resort rooms crammed is what will increase the prospective occupancy tax pool–and Common simply opened 3 new ones, thereby expanding the county’s general room stock!
There are extra inns now, so it stands to explanation why that, even on the identical occupancy share throughout all accommodations, tax collections would build up. If the similar selection of visitors have been visiting however stayed at Common as an alternative of Disney, occupancy tax collections can be flat. That’s no longer what came about, despite the fact that, as Walt Disney International’s occupancy share additionally greater. And that is in spite of Disney additionally including room stock during the last 12 months. Epic Universe would possibly (rightfully!) get the credit score, however each Disney and Common contributed to the file.
Programming Word: Visiting Quickly
In truth, I’m looking at all the above out of my very own self-interest, as I’m aspiring to discuss with Epic Universe once more quickly. I’m undoubtedly going no less than sooner or later and am debating a 2d (have already got nights booked at Helios Grand). I’ll undoubtedly be placing my cash the place my mouth is through occurring a Sunday, however find a way to additionally discuss with on Saturday if the information (and climate) are having a look just right or gamble at the following Monday if Sunday is going smartly (or, I suppose, is going actually badly and I desire a do-over?).
We’ve now driven off our circle of relatives commute two times now, with overdue January 2026 being the brand new goal, so this one is simply me once more. The function is to consume up to humanly conceivable, checking out the boundaries of ways a lot the human abdomen can undergo when crammed to capability and loaded into consecutive rides on Stardust Racers. I’ll be doing a number of different checking out as smartly, and am open to tips in this entrance if there are specifics you’d love to learn about present ops at Epic Universe. Or when you’ve got any menu & eating place suggestions, please proportion the ones, too.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever visited Epic Universe for the reason that get started of summer time? Making plans an afternoon within the low season or all through Halloween Horror Nights? What did you recall to mind wait occasions and crowds? Enjoy any operational meltdowns because of breakdowns or climate? Is it conceivable or possible that Epic Universe if truth be told has even upper attendance from October thru December 2025, or right through 2026? Will you discuss with Epic Universe this 12 months, or will you watch for crowds to calm down (in concept) in 2026? Agree or disagree with our overview? Any questions? We adore listening to from readers, so please proportion some other ideas or questions you may have within the feedback beneath!
