It’s almost time to ring in the new year, and Universal’s Hard Rock Hotel is going to help you do it in the most extravagant style imaginable! This year’s highly anticipated holiday party will be held on Tuesday, December 31st starting at 6 PM, and will rock all the way through the new year to end at 1 AM on January 1st, 2025.
With Universal’s long and illustrious history of helping usher in a new year of thrills, this Hard Rock Hotel experience is sure to be a banger. But don’t let the venue fool you! This party, held in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort will be a family-friendly celebration of everything we’ve done in 2024 and everything we have to look forward to in 2025.
Alcoholic drinks will be available for guests 21 and over, with valid ID, so don’t worry – you won’t miss your traditional champagne toast! But with specialty desserts and live entertainment like DJs, roaming magicians, and balloon artists, it’s no doubt that this party will be rockin! The Hard Rock Hotel will also be televising the countdown to 2025 live from Times Square, so all the party goers will be able to watch the ball drop, which features a structure 12 feet in diameter, with over 32,000 LED lights, being dropped from a height of 130 feet. A tradition that started in Times Square in 1907, the 2025 ball drop will be the 118th year of this nationally beloved event.
Guests interested in the event are currently able to purchase tickets to secure their reservations for this awesome party – kids under 3 get free admission, and kids ages 3-9 are 50.00 per ticket plus fees and taxes, but guests 10 and up will be shelling out 100.00 plus fees and taxes for this extravagant experience.
This admission price includes all the lobby festivities, as well as complimentary self-parking at the hotel, and the small bites available at the lobby party; however, guests looking to partake in the New Year’s Eve buffet at The Kitchen – the premier restaurant located within the Hard Rock Hotel, guests are encouraged to purchase their tickets through the buffet venue, as admission for the lobby party is included with the buffet, and should not be purchased separately.
The Kitchen’s New Year’s Eve menu is vast and varied, with features such as Roasted Black Angus Prime Rib with horseradish crème fraîche, Seared Sixty South Atlantic Salmon with grilled citrus gremolata, Snow Crab and other chilled shellfish, Domestic + Imported Cheeses & Charcuterie, and a variety of desserts that are sure to make your New Year’s Eve the sweetest ever!
Guests can enjoy gluten-free and vegetarian options at this buffet, as well, and in addition to the decadent choices offered for those with more refined palates, those looking for less extravagant foods will be able to find kid-friendly items like chicken tenders, crispy french fries, macaroni and cheese, and baked rigatoni.
Because this event includes both the New Year’s Eve buffet and admission to the Rock-In 2025 New Year’s Eve Lobby Party at the Hard Rock Hotel, tickets for the buffet run for 175.00 for adults, 80 for children aged 3-9, and free for children under three. Taxes and gratuity are not included in this price, but the food, fun, and festivities sure are! With the buffet running from 5 PM to 11 PM, it’s the perfect time frame to sit down, enjoy a killer meal, and then head into the lobby party for the countdown! Ringing in the new year has never been more glamorous!
For reservations to the lobby party ONLY, guests can visit the reservation site [here].
Guests looking to make reservations for the New Year’s Eve Buffet at The Kitchen should book their reservations [here] or call either 407-503-DINE (3463) or 407-503-2200 to speak to a guest service representative who can help you book your dining reservation and answer any questions you might have.
