I have stayed at many different hotels at Universal Orlando Resort, from the cheapest to the most expensive.
They all offer valuable perks like early park entry and free delivery of merchandise so you don’t have to lug your purchases around the park all day.
I would stay at any of these hotels again, but you may want to consider the most expensive hotels instead for the following reasons: They offer free Universal Express Passes, which can significantly reduce wait times at virtually all attractions at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure.
So I stretched my time and money by staying at several hotels at Universal Orlando.
What new hotels are coming to Universal?
Universal will open three resort hotels next year as part of its new Universal Epic Universe theme park.
Sister properties, Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort, will open approximately one month apart in January and February. They will have otherworldly, intergalactic themes.
It’s not yet clear exactly when the Universal Helios Grand Hotel will open in 2025, but when it does, Universal says it will be “the crown jewel of Epic Universe and the pinnacle of Universal Orlando’s hotel experiences.” The 500-room resort will have a private entrance to Epic Universe’s Celestial Park and will be themed to immerse guests in “a fantastical world in the palace of Helios, the Greek sun god, adorned with beautiful details of celestial patterns, dazzling constellations and elegant yet casual Mediterranean design elements,” Universal said in a press release Thursday.
What resort categories are there at Universal?
Previously, there were four categories of Universal Orlando hotels: Value, Prime Value, Preferred and Premier.
But on Thursday, Universal announced it would restructure its hotel categories effective immediately “to make it even easier for guests to choose the hotel that best fits their preferred style and budget.”
Here are the new categories:
It’s worth noting that Cabana Bay was considered a Prime Value hotel and Sapphire Falls was a Preferred, not a Premiere. As such, guests at Sapphire Falls did not receive Universal Express passes with their stay and will not receive them with the new category. Guests at the Helios Grand Hotel will also not receive Universal Express passes.
“At this time, the new hotel categories will not change the current collection of exclusive theme park benefits, services and amenities offered at each hotel,” Universal Orlando told USA TODAY.
How much does it cost to stay overnight at a Universal Orlando hotel?
As with almost every hotel, prices vary depending on dates and demand.
Standard rooms at Surfside and Dockside start at about $100 per night, excluding discounts. At Portofino Bay, however, rooms cost nearly $1,000 per night during peak holiday season, according to Universal’s online booking tool.
This summer, my family stayed two nights at Cabana Bay for about $150 a night and one night at Royal Pacific for about $500, before taxes and fees. The latter was twice what we’ve ever spent anywhere else, but the Express Passes were worth it to me given the crowds and oppressive summer heat.
What is an Express Pass at Universal?
Like the Lightning Lane passes at Walt Disney World and the Fastrack passes at LEGOLAND Florida, Universal Express passes significantly reduce wait times at attractions. But unlike Lightning Lanes, formerly Genie+, you don’t need to book attractions in advance. Simply show your pass to the team member at the attraction entrance to get into the Express line instead of the traditional standby line.
There are a few rides that don’t accept Express Passes, namely Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, one of the most popular rides at the resort, and Pterandon Flyers, which is geared toward kids. Express Passes also don’t cut down on wait times for meet-and-greets with popular characters like Shrek and Donkey at the resort’s new DreamWorks Land. But overall, the passes are a huge time saver.
The starting price for a standard Universal Express Pass is $89.99, but can increase to $289.99 depending on dates and demand. Standard Express Passes can be used once at any participating attraction. Guests of the Royal Pacific, Hard Rock and Portofino Bay hotels receive the more expensive Universal Express Unlimited Pass, which allows repeat rides at participating attractions. Universal Express Unlimited Passes range in price from $119.99 to $319.99 per pass.
The Express Passes for my family alone would have cost at least $480 per day. I actually paid for two days since they are valid for every day of the stay, including check-in and check-out day.
How does a shared stay work?
My family stayed at Cabana Bay for the first two nights and the Royal Pacific for the last. You may prefer to start your trip at the Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino Bay and then move to a lower category, but you should consider which option makes the most use of the Express Passes. Since we didn’t arrive until the evening of our first day, there was no point in wasting the passes on a few hours in the parks. We also didn’t need the passes the next day at Universal’s Volcano Bay water park, next to Cabana Bay.
The morning of our check-in from Cabana Bay, I drove to the Royal Pacific to personally check in and pick up our room keys, which doubled as dated express passes to the theme parks. Although we only stayed at the Royal Pacific for one night, our express passes were valid all day on the days of our check-in and departure.
I had a car with me, so transporting luggage was not a problem. Travelers without a car may want to use a rideshare or taxi, as there is no direct connection between Universal’s hotels. You can walk between Cabana Bay, Aventura, Sapphire Falls, and Royal Pacific, but this is not ideal with bulky luggage. Hard Rock and Portofino Bay are on the other side of the resort in Florida.
Regardless of check-in time, we cannot guarantee that rooms will be ready before late afternoon. Luggage storage may be available in the meantime.
Which Universal hotels offer Express Passes?
Universal Express Passes are only included with stays at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock and Portofino Bay.
Guests of these three hotels also receive special access to the on-site restaurants.
All three hotels and Sapphire Falls offer water taxi transportation to the parks. The water taxis will take you closer to the parks than resort buses or if you park yourself.
Guests staying at Cabana Bay, Aventura, Sapphire Falls, Royal Pacific, Hard Rock and Portofino Bay can rotate between pools at these resorts.
All Universal Orlando hotel guests receive early daily access to select parks, free delivery of in-park purchases to their hotel, and room recharge privileges throughout the resort.
