Grad Bash weekend

[Dee2013]

So I want to go to US/IOA Mother's Day weekend. I just realized that the 9th is grad celebration for middle schoolers and the 10th is Grad Bash.

First off, I teach middle school, so I could make it an early evening to avoid all the hormones.

With the Grad Bash, I can party from 7pm - 2am. Other than the fact I can't stay up that late (!), what does this entail? Are the parks open? Doesn't seem like it from what I can tell. All on City Walk? A bunch of drunken college grads?

Any insight? I was going to book everything (staying onsite) tonight. I also have an AP. I just want to know what I might be getting into. I could wait til the fall, but I don't want to skip a spring trip.

 

[Poly-Anna]

We are going to and staying at Universal in April and the weekend we are there is Grad Bash weekend (both Friday and Saturday nights the parks close at 6 p.m. and reopen for Grad Bash at 7 p.m.). Never having gone at that time before, I guess we'll stay in the parks til closing, then go out to dinner and go to a movie or call it an early night. (?).

I too would like to know how insane these nights might get and if we should avoid Citiwalk during that time.

 

[Metro West]

With the Grad Bash, I can party from 7pm - 2am. Other than the fact I can't stay up that late (!), what does this entail? Are the parks open? Doesn't seem like it from what I can tell. All on City Walk? A bunch of drunken college grads?

Both parks will close to the public at 6pm but then reopen at 7pm for those holding tickets. These are a hard ticket events and requires separate tickets to attend. Grad Bash is for high schoolers not college aged kids so I doubt you'll see a lot of drunken college grads running around. CityWalk can be wild most any night but I don't think it will be any worse during that weekend.

I think you got your dates wrong...Gradventure is May 9th and May 16th and Grad Bash is April 4, 11, 25, 26 and May 2nd...nothing on May 10th except Mardi Gras at the Studios...but the parade and concert is included in park admission.

 

[Dee2013]

The site I was looking at had the dates close together and I saw the 11th and thought it was May. Whew! I also thought it was for college grads, not HS grads for local schools, so it sounds like the resorts will be normal.

I'm an early riser, so I'm pretty much ready to relax in the evening so I'm good with the parks closing early, but excited I might catch a Mardi Gras night for as long as I can stay awake!

Off to do a booking! Thanks for the quick responses!

 

[rowan555]

SO GLAD I just saw this. Our plan is to head to Orlando May 11th and arrive by 5 or so PM and immediately hit Universal for a few hours since I bought a 4 day pass for my daughter. May as well get in a few hours our first evening! I was about to bump everything up a day and go Saturday the 10th - but that would have been a huge mistake! Whew!

 

[Dee2013]

SO GLAD I just saw this. Our plan is to head to Orlando May 11th and arrive by 5 or so PM and immediately hit Universal for a few hours since I bought a 4 day pass for my daughter. May as well get in a few hours our first evening! I was about to bump everything up a day and go Saturday the 10th - but that would have been a huge mistake! Whew!

I had my dates mixed up. Make sure you double check- don't go by me! MetroWest has correct dates and info above this post. I'm kind of psyched it's a Mardi gras night!

 

[Poly-Anna]

I think we should be fine doing things at Citi Walk like mini golf and the movies. Thanks again!

 

[BKMETV]

We were at US a couple of years ago during Grad Bash...they did an excellent job 'corralling' the Grads. As we were leaving the parks into City Walk they had the students entering through a roped off area. They were definitely not given free reign of City Walk...in fact except for the parks closing early and seeing the crowd from a distant it didn't affect us at all.

 

[Poly-Anna]

We were at US a couple of years ago during Grad Bash...they did an excellent job 'corralling' the Grads. As we were leaving the parks into City Walk they had the students entering through a roped off area. They were definitely not given free reign of City Walk...in fact except for the parks closing early and seeing the crowd from a distant it didn't affect us at all.

Thanks so much BKMETV!