KnightNews.com has hunted down all the information UCF students need to know about Universal Knights 2011.
Date & Time: 4 p.m. Sunday, April 3, 2011 to 1 a.m. April 4 | Exclusive UCF hours start at 8 p.m.
Which Park? Islands of Adventure (where Harry Potter Land is located).
Free Parking: Click here to download a free parking pass, valid April 3 from 3 p.m. until 2 a.m.
Take the Bus? It’s not KnightLynx, but a third-party set up a bus ride. Check out details here.
After/Pre-Party: Free cover with UCF ID to most of Universal City Walk starting at 4 p.m.
Weather: Clear and Sunny Sunday with nice temps | 4 p.m. 81 | 9 p.m. 72 | 1 a.m. 68 |
What’s the Deal with Tickets?
UCF’s Student Government Association bought a large chunk of free tickets. Many UCF students were lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket for free. Others were not. There is still hope for you — but you’ll have to pay.
Buy a Guest Ticket:
SGA says there is a limited supply of guest tickets available to buy at Islands of Adventure from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of the event. UCF students can purchase a guest tickets for $40 (plus some possible fees) as long as the student presents a valid UCF student ID. These tickets may sell out before 8 p.m., so if you are banking on this option, get there early. Only one ticket may be purchased per valid ID.
Barter for a Student Ticket from another Student:
In these tough economic times, with tuition and fees at UCF through the roof, KnightNews.com has noticed a lot of Facebook activity from students who stood in line to get tickets apparently just so they could sell them. Other students are offering trades on Facebook to get some tickets.
Ashton Keys posted: “Hi, I’m looking for two tickets. I can afford to pay twenty dollars for them plus a family four pass of Bowling at Boardwalk Bowl which if you use it on a Friday or Saturday night that is worth about another twenty dollars plus its another night out with you and your friends. If this sounds acceptable for anyone sellling their ticket please message me.”
Kimberly Andrea Trimble posted: “I have two student tickets w/ wristbands and a parking pass….message me your best offer!”
KnightNews.com has noticed some students offering their tickets for $35. This is just under the $40 guest ticket and isn’t a bad deal, because you won’t have to wait in the ticket line at Universal Orlando, and there’s no telling when those extra guest tickets will run out at the park. Of course, you could also try Craigslist.
Remember Your Wristband!
According to SGA, all tickets were distributed with an event wrist band and both the ticket and the wristband will be needed to get into Universal Knights. SGA suggests you put on your wristband before getting to the gate, and warns that if you lose your wristband you’re out of luck, and can’t get into the event.
Can’t Get a Ticket — Party at Universal Studios City Walk
Universal Orlando’s City Walk has a ton of food, booze and fun — and it’s always free to walk around. Normally, you have to pay cover to get into a lot of the bars and clubs, but SGA says that cover is waived at “most venues.” We couldn’t find a list from SGA showing which venues waive cover, but we went online and found a few you may want to check out.
Rising Star – A Karaoke Bar on Steroids
It’s a 440-seat club which this Sunday will feature a host, live backup singers and recorded tracks. You can perform on stage and pick from a large selection of song titles. Their website boasts a variety from hard rock to country ballads to favorite standards.
What’s the age to get in? We found Rising Star’s Facebook page, and it states it’s 18 and up to get in on Sunday.
Pat O’Brien’s Brings New Orleans to Orlando
If you’ve been to the Big Easy lately for the UCF vs. Tulane football game, or even Mardi Gras, and want to relive the experience, then this is the bar for you. Modeled after the famous Bourbon Street bar in New Orleans, Pat O’Brien’s at Universal CityWalk has the same dueling pianos, cajun food and fun.
What’s the age to get in? According to Universal’s website, this bar is 21 and up. Will they waive that for Universal Knights? We don’t know, but if you walk up and ask to get in, the worst they can say is no.
Other big hits at Universal Orlando’s CityWalk include:
– Red Coconut Club
– the groove
– Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom
– Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
– Hard Rock Live
KnightNews.com wants to hear about how your experience is going. Feel free to text our tipline at 407-5-tip-ucf or email us pics at news@knightnews.com throughout the night if there’s anything you see that you think other students should know about. We’ll post a recap of how everything went once it’s all over and we hear from you.
