Universal after dark

[kahluacream]

Heading to Universal for the 1st time with teens after many trips to Disney.

From what I can tell, it looks like the parks will be closing at 9 and I dont see any big nighttime shows.

With older kids who like to stay up late, what are some recommended things to do after dark? Is there nighttime entertainment you’d recommend for a family with teens? We will be staying at one of the Universal hotels with no car, so something in the area of the parks or CityWalk would be great.

Thanks!

 

[pattyw]

Shopping and dining at City Walk is great! The mini golf is fun! It's open late- they have packages where you purchase dinner and golf.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I second City Walk - plus you can enjoy additional park time by planning to eat dinner after the parks have closed. Alternatively, are the hotel pools open late?

 

[AuroraluvsPhillip]

Can also catch a late movie at City Walk as well.

 

[pattyw]

Check out Voodoo donuts or Toothsome for great desserts!!

 

[schumigirl]

There aren't a whole lot of shops at Citywalk, but they do have some lovely restaurants that teens would enjoy.

Cinema and mini golf are about the only things to do there apart from eating, of course just enjoying the vibe is nice. They do sometimes have live music on occasions. Citywalk is fun!!

Enjoy some pool time at your resort, pools are usually open till 10 or 11pm depending on season.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

This is definitely something I find strange about UO, especially with the marketing that they are the big kids vacation. They close the parks rather early and not much for tweens/teens to do. Maybe an area they can beef up in coming years.

 

[AllieBoo]

This is definitely something I find strange about UO, especially with the marketing that they are the big kids vacation. They close the parks rather early and not much for tweens/teens to do. Maybe an area they can beef up in coming years.

Yes, I find this odd too. We just got back from a three day visit and we did wish the parks were open a little later as we like to take a long midday break to relax by the pool. We decided to take time to eat one sit down dinner at Mythos while we were there, but other than that, we tried to grab quick snacks so we could maximize park time.

 

[glocon]

What resort are you staying at? Pool time at night is fun, and it helps wear them down so they go to bed before midnight.... so they don't sleep in too late when you want to go to parks in the morning.

 

[gotomu212]

We really liked going to Hard Rocks pool at night. It was a fun funky vibe that I think would be perfect for teens. (Just FYI in case you didn’t know pool hopping at Universal is fine. You can show your hotel card for towels at any of them). You can use the water taxis (and CB bus) to get between the hotels by transferring at City Walk.

 

[Blue32]

Not sure how late the showtimes are, but we would probably plan one night for the Blue Man Group show.

 

[kahluacream]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. We are staying at Hard Rock, and the pool is open late. Looks like we will be doing some night swimming and night mini golfing!

 

[pattyw]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. We are staying at Hard Rock, and the pool is open late. Looks like we will be doing some night swimming and night mini golfing!

Sounds fun! Love the pool at HRH! The water slide is great!

We haven't done the mini golf at City Walk yet. Please let us know how it goes. I read very good reports on both sides of the golf!

 

[kohlby]

When we went with five kids - three of them teens - the pool was the biggest evening hit. We were at CB with them and one pool closed at 10pm and the other 11pm. We focused on the parks during the day and then nights were for swimming.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Pools are great after hours. Unlike Disney, Universal resorts allow pool hopping. Plus, they're all so close together, it's really easy to go check out different pools. Maybe plan to visit a different resort each night.

Also, Cabana Bay has a bowling alley that's open until midnight, so you could easily take a boat/bus back to CB after the parks (yes, I know CB doesn't have water taxis, but it's directly across the street from Sapphire Falls, which is served by water taxi, so it's easy to hop on one of theirs).

Different resorts will usually have different free/cheap activities planned like movies in the court yards, marshmallow roasting (s'more kits available for purchase), etc.