I have stayed at various Universal Orlando Resort hotels, ranging from budget-friendly options to the most luxurious ones.

Each hotel offers great benefits such as early entry to the parks and free delivery of merchandise back to your hotel, so you don’t have to carry all your purchases around.

While I would happily choose any of these hotels again, here’s a key reason to consider spending more on the higher-end properties: they provide complimentary Universal Express passes that significantly shorten wait times for nearly every attraction at Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

This is how I optimized both my time and budget by splitting my stay among different hotels at Universal Orlando.

What new hotels are set to open at Universal?

Universal is preparing to launch three new resort hotels next year alongside the new Universal Epic Universe theme park.

The Universal Stella Nova Resort and Universal Terra Luna Resort will debut a month apart in January and February and will feature themes based on outer space and intergalactic adventures.

While an exact opening date for the Universal Helios Grand Hotel in 2025 is yet to be announced, it will be described as “the crown jewel of Epic Universe and the pinnacle of Universal Orlando’s hotel offerings.” This 500-room resort will include a dedicated entrance to Celestial Park in Epic Universe and will immerse guests in a “fantastical world within the palace of Helios, the Greek god of the sun, featuring intricate celestial patterns, stunning constellations, and an elegant Mediterranean style,” according to a statement from Universal.

What are the hotel categories at Universal?

Previously, there were four tiers for Universal Orlando hotels: Value, Prime Value, Preferred, and Premier.

However, Universal announced on Thursday a reorganization of these hotel categories, which will be implemented immediately to help guests more easily select accommodations that fit their style and budget.

The updated categories are as follows:

• Value: Includes Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites.

• Prime Value: Includes Universal Stella Nova Resort, Universal Terra Luna Resort, and Universal’s Aventura Hotel.

• Signature Collection: Includes Universal Helios Grand Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.

Notably, Cabana Bay has transitioned from Prime Value to Value and Sapphire Falls from Preferred to Signature Collection. Consequently, guests at Sapphire Falls will still not receive Universal Express passes, nor will guests at Helios Grand Hotel.

At this point, Universal Orlando confirmed to YSL News that the new hotel categories will not affect the existing exclusive benefits, services, and amenities currently offered at each hotel.

What are the costs for staying at Universal Orlando hotels?

Hotel prices can vary significantly based on the time of year and demand.

Standard accommodations at Surfside and Dockside generally start around $100 per night, not counting available discounts.

During the peak holiday season, a room at Portofino Bay can cost nearly $1,000 per night, as indicated by Universal’s online booking tool.

This summer, my family enjoyed two nights at Cabana Bay for around $150 a night and one night at Royal Pacific for approximately $500, excluding taxes and fees. Although the latter was more than we usually spend on accommodations, the Express passes justified the expense, given the heavy crowds and the oppressive summer heat.

What is an Express pass at Universal?

Similar to Lightning Lane passes at Walt Disney World and Fastrack passes at LEGOLAND Florida, Universal Express passes significantly reduce wait times for attractions. However, you don’t need to reserve times in advance like you do with Lightning Lanes (formerly Genie+). Just show your pass to the staff at the attraction entrance to use the Express queue rather than the regular standby line.

There are a few attractions that do not accept Express passes, including the very popular Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and the child-friendly Pterandon Flyers. Unfortunately, these passes also won’t shorten wait times for character meet-and-greets, such as with Shrek and Donkey in the new DreamWorks Land. Still, overall, these passes save a significant amount of time.

A standard Universal Express pass starts at $89.99, but prices can escalate up to $289.99 based on the date and demand. Each standard Express pass allows for one-time use at each participating attraction. Guests at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, and Portofino Bay hotels receive the more premium Universal Express Unlimited pass, which allows for unlimited rides on participating attractions. Prices for these passes range from $119.99 to $319.99 each.

For my family, just the Express passes would cost about $480 per day. Luckily, I managed to get two days’ worth because they are valid throughout your stay, including on check-in and check-out days.

How does a split stay work?

My family began our stay at Cabana Bay for two nights and concluded with one night at Royal Pacific. You could also start at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay and then switch to a more budget-friendly hotel, but it’s essential to consider how to maximize the use of Express passes. Since we arrived in the evening on our first day, it didn’t make sense to utilize the passes for only a few hours in the parks. We also didn’t need the passes the following day while visiting Universal Volcano Bay, right next to Cabana Bay.

On the morning of our checkout from Cabana Bay, I drove to Royal Pacific to check in and collect our room keys, which also served as dated Express passes for the theme parks. Despite staying at Royal Pacific for just one night, our Express passes were valid for the entire day on our check-in and check-out days.

Having a car made it easy to transport our luggage. However, travelers without a car might want to consider a rideshare or taxi service, as there is no direct transportation between Universal’s hotels. While you can walk between Cabana Bay, Aventura, Sapphire Falls, and Royal Pacific, it’s not very convenient when carrying large bags. Hard Rock and Portofino Bay hotels are also quite a distance away at the resort.

Regardless of check-in time, room availability isn’t guaranteed before late afternoon. In the meantime, bell services can hold your luggage.

Which Universal hotels provide Express passes?

Guests who stay at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, and Portofino Bay get Universal Express passes included with their accommodations.

Plus, those three hotels provide special access to on-site dining options.

All three hotels, along with Sapphire Falls, offer water taxi services to the parks, which provide a closer drop-off location than resort buses or self-parking.

Guests at Cabana Bay, Aventura, Sapphire Falls, Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, and Portofino Bay can enjoy pool-hopping privileges among those resorts.

Every Universal Orlando hotel guest benefits from early entry to select parks each day, free delivery of in-park purchases to the hotel, and room charging options throughout the resort.