Welcome to the slow season! January tends to be a slower month at the Universal Orlando Resort, which often leads to operational changes at the parks. After the holidays, park hours tend to be shortened, but Universal Studios Florida has now made a major change to their opening: large areas of the park and several attractions will be opening late each day.

Large Areas of Universal Studios Florida Now Opening Late

Most of the park will open at 9 am, but now the area between Hollywood (starting at Central Park) all the way to London will be barricaded and blocked by a Team Member.

Four attractions in this section of the park will open at 10 am, but rather than allowing guests to walk around the park freely, guests will have to wait until 10 am to access Central Park, Springfield, and World Expo.

Men in Black Alien Attack, The Simpsons Ride, Kang and Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl, and The E.T. Adventure will all open at 10 am. The E.T. Adventure and Kang and Kodos’ normally opened an hour after the rest of the park, but you could still access these areas.

Half of the park will be blocked off first thing in the morning, which is a recent change, and will most likely remain until the crowds pick up during Mardi Gras and Spring Break.

Universal Studios Florida is undergoing a lot of changes right now, most likely to cut costs ahead of Epic Universe. Having an entire section of the park opening later saves money on staffing restaurants, shops, and attractions, but limits the overall guest experience.

Universal Orlando also began eliminating Streetmosphere characters and entertainment around the park recently in an effort to cut costs.

What do you think of these cost-cutting changes at Universal Studios? Let us know in the comments.

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