Bachelor Party Suggestions

[Mackie Mouse]

Hi all,

I am serving as "Best Lady" (how cool is that) for a close college friend's wedding this April. His fiancee is from the Orlando area, and they are getting married in Maitland. I have been charged with planning his bachelor party. Since 1) we will be a mixed-gender group (well...I will make it a mix-gender group), 2) none of us are terribly familiar with Orlando, and 3) we aren't looking for "traditional" (ahem) bachelor party fare, I am thinking that a Universal-based day might fit the bill nicely. (I should also state that we would drink around the world at Epcot...but the bachelorette party is already doing that!)

I am thinking that we could do an optional day for the guys at one of the theme parks - probably IOA - and then spend the evening at City Walk. What restaurants/bars would you recommend for our crowd? I hear terrific things about Mythos, but would we all need park admission to dine there? Which Universal-area hotels do you think would be a good value for us (the goal is to avoid driving that night if at all possible, and we'd love to not even have to hire a car service). Any advice is appreciated for this Disney, not Universal, veteran!

 

[Badge]

How fun!! While I don't consider myself a Universal vet, I can try to provide some help with this big event.

First off, you mention not wanting to drive (great idea) and would rather stay near Universal. Have you considered staying onsite at one of the three hotels? Without the dates of the trip, I can't look into how much it will cost. If there is a LOT of you going, you might be able to work a deal with Universal to get a group rate on the rooms. The onsite hotels are as good (and IMO better) than the Disney Deluxe hotels and they offer some GREAT perks!

One of the perks the group will love is the front of the line access! Simply show the room key at the start of the line at nearly every ride at both IOA and Universal and you will be on the ride in a matter of minutes. This is not like the Fast Pass system where you have to wait for a return time! If you want to ride a ride, just show the room key and you will be on it in no time.

Another great perk is getting to and from the hotel. All three hotels, along with Citywalk and the two parks are connected by a water taxi system. They are similar to the buses at Disney. Go to dock at whatever hotel you pick and the boat will arrive shortly. The boat will drop you off right in the middle of Citywalk where you can explore the bars and shows or head to either the left or the right to go to the different parks. The water taxis run late into the evening (I think around 1 am in the summer, not sure about off season). If for some reason you miss the last water taxi, the hotels are all within walking distance and take about 10 minutes to reach following the pathway.

Royal Pacific will most likely be the cheapest option, but like I said, depending on the group size and how many rooms you will need, you might be able to get a discounted rate.

Now for food. Mythos is not for everybody. I have tried it twice and have not liked it either time. Check out the menus that are on these forums to see what type of food they offer. A fun place to eat at would I would think for the group might be the Hard Rock Cafe, the NBA place, or a personal favorite of mine which is The Kitchen at the Hard Rock Hotel (and onsite hotel). Look at all the menus and decide what the group would like best. There are a TON of places to eat at (all three hotels offer nice places, Citywalk has some, and the parks do as well). Hopefully some others will come around and provide some more places that they suggest.

If you have ANY questions about Universal, either post here or send me a PM. I would be more than happy to help you

 

[mark290]

Sounds like a great idea. Lots of places to drink and lots of places to play.
I would suggest staying on site. Having City Walk within walking distance is a good idea. Check out the happy hour thread on this board. Having a happy hour beer at the Irish pub and then riding the Mummy is fun. Then another happy hour beverage and catching the Blues Brothers show. Good clean fun. Check and see who might be playing at Hard Rock Live and depending on the time of year, Summer Concert Series. Lots of different spots to hit and you can't get into too much trouble. Like I said, good clean fun.

 

[macraven]

sounds like fun.
i think you should invite all us homies here to join in on the fun..




check out the on site hotels and DoubleTree to see if they have rooms available for your dates.

if you stay offsite, taxi back to the hotel when citywalk closes at 2 am.

 

[Metro West]

How fun!! While I don't consider myself a Universal vet, I can try to provide some help with this big event.

You're learning quickly though.