The new Helios Grand Hotel has many perks, but it will break a Universal trend considered the main benefit of staying on-site for some guests. The ever-popular Universal Unlimited Express Pass has been a staple of Premier hotels for many years now and allows guests to skip standard lines at the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks. Rather than paying separately for Express Unlimited, you can stay at one of the three Premier resorts where it is included when booking. The current Premier hotels include Loews Portofino Bay and Royal Pacific Resorts and the Hard Rock Hotel. According to disneytouristblog.com and confirmed by Universal Orlando Resort’s X account, Universal Helios Grand Hotel is not carrying over the included in booking Express passes as the Premier hotels have.
Source: @UniversalORL on X.com
Additionally, when comparing the Helios Grand Hotel to other Premier hotels, the Express pass is not the only perk not offered. Priority seating at select restaurants is also not included with your stay at the Helios Hotel. This is not too surprising as both Universal Terra Luna and Stella Nova Resorts also do not include the Universal Express Unlimited nor Priority seating in their list of benefits.
Want to stay at Helios with express passes? At this time, there is no announced express pass for Epic Universe, but express passes are still available for individual purchase on the Universal Orlando website. Universal Express Passes for Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure are currently priced between $89.99 and $289.99 per person. These passes will allow guests to skip the line once for each participating ride at the parks. Universal Express Unlimited is priced between $119.99 and $319.99 per person. These passes do not have a limit to how many times a guest chooses to skip the line at any participating attraction.
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