I Tested Epic Universe’s Exclusive Hotel Entrance and I’d 10/10 Recommend

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Epic Universe a few times already, and can’t recommend Universal’s exclusive hotel entrance enough.

With so much to experience, you might be wondering what the best way to get ahead of the crowds is. If you’ve been on the fence about staying at one of Universal’s newest hotels that features a dedicated entrance to Epic Universe, I’m giving you all the reasons why it’s the ultimate theme park hack.

Sometimes things that sound too good to be true really do exist! When Universal first unveiled plans to have an exclusive park entrance from one of its nearby hotels, I admittedly rolled my eyes a bit and had a good chuckle. How could they possibly make that work and still keep things running smoothly when everyone’s so eager to get into the park?

So, when early previews to step inside Epic Universe rolled around and I had my first taste of waiting in line at the crowds outside of the Chronos entrance to the park, I was willing to try anything to escape them on a repeat visit.

Naturally, the solution was to put this exclusive entrance to the ultimate test and see if it truly could do any better for my experience than I’d previously been subjected to — and I got well more than I bargained for!

Let me back up, though, I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Universal’s Helios Grand Hotel is the newest (and closest) of the three hotels that surround Epic Universe. It’s a stunning hotel filled with great food, even better cocktails, and the views inside the park you’ll experience from your hotel room’s windows are unmatched. It truly is a spectacular hotel (and should be to justify that hefty price tag).

But, even as grandiose as the Helios Grand Hotel is, there’s one big perk that this hotel isn’t offering that typically falls in line with other Universal hotels in its price point — complimentary  Express Pass. The trade-off here, since this hotel is technically INSIDE Epic Universe grounds, you’ll have access to come and go as you please to Epic Universe through the hotel’s exclusive hotel entrance. Yes, this includes early in the morning for early park admission (another Universal hotel guest perk)!

So, naturally, I HAD to test it out. When I say it was so simple to use, I couldn’t be more sincere. You’ll find the entrance for the dedicated walkway just to the side of Aurora Market, which is the hotel’s grab and go restaurant, and adjacent in front of the resident Universal Studios Store (hotel gift shop).

Security will have the entrance closed off until they’re ready to allow hotel guests to be scanned through security, and even with being an hour and a half early, we still experienced standing in line for a bit before we were allowed in. Once you and your belongings have passed security screenings, it’s time for a Team Member to scan your park ticket to advance further. This is all done right inside before you’re directed out the doors and onto the walkway.

Once you’ve made it out of the building, you’re almost there! It’s a short scenic walk down the path that winds around the back side of the hotel (and arguably the prettiest side), and you’ll eventually find the line stalled on the walkway until Team Members are able to allow you to actually step inside the park.

I was super impressed with not only how peaceful the walk was to the park, but how wide the path is, which allowed for our very long line to filter in without feeling like we were on top of each other.

At early entry, we were allowed in through the back side of the park and able to walk over to our desired portals to get a jump start to our day — and that’s really all there is to it!

I’d be lying if I said I wish there was more to give you on it, but a straightforward, simple process to entering the park using this entrance was a very welcome take. I was also able to walk back up to the hotel through the walkway and back down to the park during my stay and day inside Epic Universe, and you’ll repeat the same process each time (just usually with very minimal waiting after the morning rush).

As a parent to multiple age groups of kids, and someone who doesn’t like to walk long distances if I don’t have to, this perk is worth its weight in gold to a tired theme park visitor after a long day, and I could easily see myself bringing my family for our next stay when we visit Epic Universe again soon!

Think you already know Epic Universe? There’s still so much to see! Be sure to check back with us as we bring you along for Epic Universe’s opening ceremony, first official day open, and even more.

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Does this hotel entrance perk have you considering a stay at Universal’s Helios Grand Hotel? Tell us why or why not in the comments below!

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