Throw Out Your Game Plan – Your Old Theme Park Itineraries Are Officially OBSOLETE

Epic Universe officially opened to the public on May 22nd, and that means that A LOT has changed in Universal Orlando Resort.

Now, there’s a whole other park open with all the bright and shiny new rides and attractions Universal has to offer. So if you’re heading to the resort and are looking for the best way to plan your vacation in order to knock everything off your list that you’re hoping to experience, you’ll need a NEW game plan.

It’s important not to forget about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, as well as Volcano Bay if you’re into water parks, but Epic Universe is (arguably) the best thing Universal has going on right now, so our recommendation is to book at least TWO days worth of Epic Universe tickets and stay at a hotel that’s within walking distance of the park.

Helios Grand Hotel might be TOO expensive for what you’re looking for (be sure to check those prices!), although we loved the exclusive entrance directly into the heart of the park. Sometimes, it’s just not worth the cash, but we do think being close to the park is ideal, so don’t forget to look into Stella Nova Resort as well!

Stella Nova has a walking path that will take you to Epic Universe’s main entrance in just about 5–10 minutes, and often prices are MUCH more affordable than Helios Grand. This is a great mixture of affordability and convenience.

However, these hotels might not be ideal for a vacation where you want to explore the WHOLE resort. Since they’re so close to Epic Universe, they’re further away from all the other Universal offerings. If you’re planning on doing the FULL Universal Orlando vacation circuit, you’ll be traveling 15–20 minutes via Universal bus each day you go to those parks (unless you take your own mode of transportation, which will cost you extra to park, so it’s important to weigh those options). That also doesn’t count how long you’ll need to wait for the bus, although thankfully, in our experience, it doesn’t take too long on most days.

If you choose to stay at the other Universal hotels, almost all of them are within walking distance of Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, CityWalk, and Universal Studios. The only exceptions to this walking rule are Universal’s Endless Summer Resorts and Dockside and Surfside Inn & Suites — you’ll need to take a bus or your own car from these hotels!

HOWEVER, it’s also important to remember that if you’re staying at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, or Loews Royal Pacific Resort, you’ll get FREE Express Passes for everyone in your party for your ENTIRE trip at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, but NOT Epic Universe. At this time, Express Passes for Epic Universe are completely separate, and it doesn’t matter what Universal hotel you’re staying at — a hotel reservation won’t get you a complimentary Express Pass for Epic Universe; that has to be purchased separately.

Therefore, if you’re ONLY going to Epic Universe and not visiting any other parks, OR you don’t care about those complimentary Express Passes for the other two parks, then Stella Nova or Helios Grand Hotel is a great way to go.

However, if you are visiting all three parks, want to stay within walking distance to 2/3 of them, AND get those free Express Passes, then staying at a hotel closer to CityWalk is a better bet.

If you’re looking for the best of both worlds, here’s our ultimate suggestion: Book your first two days at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, or Loews Royal Pacific Resort to get the Express Passes and walking paths to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, and do ONLY those parks. Then, move over to Helios Grand Hotel (or Stella Nova) and spend two days in Epic Universe.

Epic Universe as seen from the Helios Grand

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!