It’s no secret that we’re excited for the opening of Epic Universe, but we also admit that we’re a little nervous.
©Universal
Opening an entire new park comes with lots of excitement, but also lots of room for error and for things to go wrong that need to be fixed ASAP so the park can function at its full capacity and meet the masses of people that are arriving to experience it for the first time. Which is why we’re surprised we’re not all talking more about this HUGE issue that’s bound to arise for the new park.
Inside the new Epic Universe park will be the Grand Helios Hotel. This new hotel will give guests direct access into the park (a separate entrance than all other guests will use), and currently is available for bookings. The hotel is set to open on May 22nd, 2025, and guests can expect to pay a minimum of $293 per night plus tax based on a 4-night stay.
Universal Helios Grand Hotel ©Universal Studios
While the pricing is about on par with some of Universal Orlando’s other higher-end hotels, and we understand the price tag since it comes with the massive perk of staying right at the new park, there’s one BIG perk that Universal Orlando’s other higher end hotels like Loews Portofino Bay DO have that the Helios Grand Hotel is missing, and that’s NO EXPRESS PASS!
©Universal
One of the biggest perks of staying at the current higher-end Universal Orlando hotels, which are the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay, and Loews Royal Pacific Hotel, are that you get Universal’s Express Pass included with your stay for EVERY day of your vacation. That’s a huge perk, especially when you’re staying in the busy season when Express Pass prices sky rocket. However at this time, the Helios Grand Hotel is NOT offering Express Pass for any of the Universal Orlando parks.
Universal Orlando Express Pass
So while yes, you’ll be gaining a perk of staying in the backyard of Epic Universe, you’ll be paying the same price (and potentially more) than at the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay, or Loews Royal Pacific Hotel, but missing out on a massive offering that will likely be very necessary when visiting the parks at busier times. At this time it’s possible the offering could be added to the hotel in the future, but it’s also just as likely that it won’t be!
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We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest news, so stay tuned to DFB!
FULL Breakdown of the PRICING for Universal’s NEW Epic Universe Hotel
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The Loews company doesn’t want to provide Express Passes from any of their hotels but they are under a long term contract with Universal. Once the contract is up in a few years, the Express Passes will go away at the older hotels as well. The new hotel is under a new contract so it wasn’t added. Loews loses a lot of revenue providing the EP. They have tried to bargain with Universal to get out of the old contract many times.