Universal Orlando in May 2025: Hours, Events, Crowds

Universal Orlando in May is a great time of year for guests to visit Orlando to still take advantage of the last bit of mild weather before the summer heat kicks in!

Make sure to read our Universal Orlando crowd calendar to get an idea of what to expect when it comes to crowds as you plan your vacation. We base our crowd calendar predictions on data we collect from 1-day ticket tiered pricing, seasonal events, annual passholder calendars, and more.

In our monthly Universal Orlando guides we cover the events, weather, and park hours you should expect during your visit to Universal in May.

Universal Orlando Events in May

Here are all the current events to know about impacting Universal Orlando in May!

Epic Universe Opens

May just might be one of the biggest months of the year at Universal Orlando with the opening of Epic Universe on May 22, 2025. The opening of this theme park is a big deal as we haven't seen a theme park open of this big of scale in a long, long time in the Orlando market. If you are planning to attend the opening of Epic Universe be sure to read up on the ticket types, Express Pass, and more!

Butterbeer Season

Butterbear Season at Universal Orlando runs through May 31, 2025. This seasonal event celebrates the iconic Harry Potter drink with Butterbeer themed treats, themed merchandise, and an expansion of the current beverage offerings for Butterbeer. You can find it all in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Gradventure

Universal Orlando celebrates middle school gras on May 2, 9, 16 and 17, 2025 with private access to Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure in this separately ticketed event. he theme parks don't close early for the event as it takes place after park close so this typically does not impact operations at Universal. However, the graduates do get to arrive to the park early before it closes which may cause an uptick in crowds at the parks after 4PM.

Universal Volcano Bay Nights

Universal Volcano Bay nights takes place May 3, 10, and 17, 2025. This after hours event includes reduced wait times for popular attractions, interactions with DreamWorks characters, a live DJ, games, and speciality themed snacks. Guests receive a complimentary Coca-Cola Freestyle souvenir cup as part of their purchase.

Universal Orlando in May Crowd Calendar

According to our Universal Orlando crowd calendar, most crowd ratings are sitting steadily around Normal Crowds until Epic Universe opens on May 22 and crowd levels bump up to Massive Crowds. Predicting crowd levels for a new theme park opening is a tricky business though since Universal Orlando has been releasing the tickets for Epic Universe in slow, methodic ways. There is some speculation we might NOT see the Massive Crowds many of us are expecting for the opening of this brand new theme park. Or at least, we won't see that large of an impact on the other two Universal Orlando theme parks.

I do think it's best to err on the side of caution and assume we will see Massive Crowds in May for Epic Universe. Regardless of high how the crowds get, it is guaranteed this part of May will be busier than normal because of the large draw of this new theme park.

If you want to avoid crowds and are not interested in Epic Universe, I highly suggest visiting before the theme park opens at the end of the month.

Universal Orlando Weather in May

Universal Orlando in May will bring the chance of more rain and storms as Florida moves closer to the summer/rainy season. It's not unexpected to encounter storms with lightning, torrential rain, and thunder in the afternoon. The average high in May is 88 degrees with the average low being 69 degrees.

Even though the temperatures can be high and storms are possible, the humidity in May is still much less considerable than it is in the summer months making the heat a little more bearable. Visiting in May will be much more pleasant when it comes to weather as opposed to visiting in the summer months so it is the best summer month to visit as it only gets hotter and rainy from here!

Universal Orlando Park Hours in May

Universal Orlando shifts their park hours to accommodate busier times of the month so during that Massive Crowds stretch for the Epic Universe opening, their hours may be extended in anticipation.

Last month, Universal Orlando's opened at 9AM each day with an 8AM opening for hotel guests. Most nights the theme parks close at 7PM with the closing time extended until 9PM for the anticipated busy days of the month. We will learn more about the hours for May as we get closer, it's likely because of the Epic Universe opening in this month it is causing a delay for the hours release.

What to Wear and Pack for Universal Orlando

So what should you wear to Universal Orlando in May? Always check the weather leading up to your trip. May is just on the cusp of the tropical weather rain at Universal Orlando so you should plan for hot days and potential for afternoon storms. Plan on wearing summer clothes and bringing rain ponchos with when you visit the parks so you're prepared for any afternoon storms.

The warm weather will be in full swing in May so think summer clothes, sunscreen, cooling towels, and whatever else you might need to keep your family cooled off if the temperatures get high.

If you're looking for information on visiting Walt Disney World in May, see our monthly guide on those events and crowd predictions!

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