I’ve stayed at various **Universal Orlando Resort** hotels, ranging from the most affordable to some of the priciest options. All of these hotels offer valuable perks, such as early park entry and free merchandise delivery, so you don’t have to carry your in-park purchases around all day. While I would happily stay at any of these hotels again, there are compelling reasons to consider splurging on the more expensive properties: they come with free **Universal Express passes**, which significantly reduce wait times at nearly every attraction at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure.
Here’s how I maximized my time and money by splitting my stay between different hotels at Universal Orlando.
### New Hotels Coming to Universal
Universal is set to open three new resort hotels next year in conjunction with its new **Universal Epic Universe** theme park.
Sister hotels **Universal Stella Nova Resort** and **Universal Terra Luna Resort** will open about a month apart in January and February, featuring otherworldly, intergalactic themes.
In 2025, **Universal Helios Grand Hotel** is expected to open, though the exact date is still unknown. Universal describes it as “the crown jewel of Epic Universe and the pinnacle of Universal Orlando’s hotel experiences.” This 500-room resort will have its own dedicated entrance to **Epic Universe’s Celestial Park** and will immerse guests in a fantastical world inspired by Helios, the Greek god of the sun, with celestial patterns, dazzling constellations, and elegant Mediterranean design elements.
### Universal Orlando Resort Tiers
Previously, Universal Orlando hotels were categorized into four tiers: Value, Prime Value, Preferred, and Premier. However, Universal recently announced a restructuring of these categories to make it easier for guests to choose a hotel that fits their style and budget.
It’s important to note that **Cabana Bay Beach Resort** was previously classified as a Prime Value hotel, and **Sapphire Falls Resort** was Preferred, not Premier. As such, Sapphire Falls guests did not receive Universal Express passes with their stay, and this remains unchanged under the new categorization. Similarly, guests at the upcoming Helios Grand Hotel will not receive Universal Express passes.
Universal Orlando clarified that the new hotel categories will not affect the current collection of exclusive theme park benefits, services, and amenities offered at each hotel.
### Cost of Staying at a Universal Orlando Hotel
As with most hotels, prices at Universal Orlando vary depending on the date and demand. Standard rooms at **Surfside** and **Dockside** start at around $100 per night, excluding discounts. On the other hand, rooms at **Portofino Bay** can approach $1,000 per night during peak holiday seasons, according to Universal’s online booking tool.
This past summer, my family spent two nights at **Cabana Bay** for about $150 per night and one night at **Royal Pacific** for around $500 before taxes and fees. Although the latter was twice as much as we’ve ever spent on a hotel stay, the Express passes made it worth it, especially with the summer crowds and heat.
### What is a Universal Express Pass?
Similar to **Lightning Lane** passes at Walt Disney World and Fastrack passes at **LEGOLAND Florida**, Universal Express passes significantly reduce wait times for attractions. Unlike Lightning Lanes, there’s no need to book attractions in advance. Simply show your pass at the attraction entrance to enter the Express queue instead of the traditional standby line.
However, there are a couple of rides that don’t accept Express passes, such as **Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure** and **Pteranodon Flyers**. Express passes also won’t reduce wait times for character meet-and-greets in the new **DreamWorks Land**. Despite these exceptions, the passes are a huge time-saver.
The starting price for a standard Universal Express pass is $89.99, but it can go up to $289.99 depending on the date and demand. Standard Express passes can be used once at each participating attraction. Guests at **Royal Pacific**, **Hard Rock**, and **Portofino Bay** hotels receive the more expensive **Universal Express Unlimited** pass, which allows for repeat rides on participating attractions. These passes range from $119.99 to $319.99 each.
For my family, just the Express passes would have cost around $480 per day. However, I actually got two days’ worth because the passes are valid for each day of your stay, including check-in and check-out days.
### How Does a Split Stay Work?
My family spent our first two nights at **Cabana Bay** and our last night at **Royal Pacific**. You might prefer to start your trip at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay and then move to a lower-tier hotel, but you should consider which option maximizes the use of Express passes. Since we didn’t arrive until the evening of our first day, it didn’t make sense to waste the passes on just a few hours in the parks. We also didn’t need the passes the next day at **Universal Volcano Bay** water park, which is adjacent to Cabana Bay.
On the morning of our checkout from Cabana Bay, I drove over to Royal Pacific to check in and pick up our room keys, which doubled as dated Express passes for the theme parks. Even though we stayed at Royal Pacific for only one night, our Express passes were valid all day on both our check-in and check-out days.
Since I had a car, transporting luggage was easy. For travelers without a car, rideshare services or cabs are recommended because there’s no direct transportation between Universal’s hotels. While you can walk between Cabana Bay, Aventura, Sapphire Falls, and Royal Pacific, it’s not ideal with bulky bags. **Hard Rock** and **Portofino Bay** are located farther away across the resort.
Regardless of check-in time, rooms are not guaranteed to be ready until late afternoon. Bell services can store your luggage in the meantime.
### Which Universal Hotels Include Express Passes?
Universal Express passes are only included with stays at **Royal Pacific**, **Hard Rock**, and **Portofino Bay**. Guests at these hotels also get special access to on-property restaurants.
All three hotels, along with Sapphire Falls, offer water taxi transportation to the parks, which drops guests off closer to the parks than resort buses or self-parking.
Guests staying at **Cabana Bay**, **Aventura**, **Sapphire Falls**, **Royal Pacific**, **Hard Rock**, and **Portofino Bay** can pool-hop across these same resorts.
All Universal Orlando hotel guests receive early entry to select parks each day, free delivery of in-park purchases to their hotel, and room charging privileges across the resort.
Source: usatoday.com