Guests Arrive Early in the Morning and Wait Hours for Universal Orlando Event

Guests Arrive Early in the Morning and Wait Hours for Universal Orlando Event - Inside the Magic

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Guests Arrive Early in the Morning and Wait Hours for Universal Orlando Event

in Merchandise, Universal Orlando

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Rick Lye

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A large crowd of people gathered under a concrete overpass, standing in multiple lines. Many individuals are casually dressed and the area is filled with a mix of ages and genders. Some people are using their phones while waiting.

Credit: @iamcg83 on X

There’s nothing like a lazy Saturday. Some people think the best way to spend a Saturday is to drive around and look for goodies at local garage sales. But for those driving past Universal Studios Orlando on Saturday morning, there was a strange sight.

The Universal globe with gold letters stands prominently at the entrance of Universal Orlando Resort. Surrounding the fountain are palm trees, lush greenery, and mist from the water. In the background, theme park attractions and animated animals are visible. — Credit: Aditya Vyas on Unsplash

No, this wasn’t Universal Studios testing out flying dragons for Epic Universe. By now, most people in Orlando have grown used to that sight.

Instead, this was a massive line of people waiting outside the employee parking garage at Universal Studios. They were there for the annual Universal Orlando Garage Sale, but what exactly is that?

Universal takes all of its unsold merchandise every year and offers it to guests at a discount. Like most garage sales, it is first come, first serve, and you never know exactly what you’re going to get.

The event was held on Saturday for team members and Annual Pass holders only. The garage sale did not open until 7, but some guests lined up in the wee hours of Saturday morning to get a first crack at the Universal merchandise. The wait to get into the sale was over three hours by mid-morning.

I’ve never seen anything at these yard sales worth waiting in these lines. https://t.co/XzaXB5aVeF

— Clint Gamache (@iamcg83) November 16, 2024

So, was it worth it? Like most things, that was in the shopper’s eye. Some attendees took to social media to complain about the lack of quality merchandise, while others said they spent hundreds on quality stuff at deep discounts.

For most, the best available merchandise were popcorn buckets and leftover merchandise from Halloween Horror Nights. So, if that is what they were looking for, the wait was definitely worth it.

My experience with the Universal garage sale (photo by @hellooolassman which captured how Im feeling about this years event perfectly) pic.twitter.com/a0VRl1zL1u

— SHAWN'S BAYOU ADVENTURE (@ShawnNOrlando) November 16, 2024

While most of the best merchandise may have already been picked through, the event will open to the general public on Sunday and Monday. It occurs at the Universal Studios team member parking garage behind the Universal Resort off Turkey Lake Road.

So, if you need something special for the holiday season and have someone in your life who loves Universal, head over to Universal’s Garage Sale and see what you can find.

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