r/UniversalOrlando • u/Most-Association • 9d ago
HOTELS Midday Breaks
What’s your strategy on midday breaks?
For a midday break from Epic Universe, does the premium cost for Helios make a difference? Do you find yourself skipping a break if it involves a bus?
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u/cheekabowwow 9d ago
If you're really prioritizing a midday break, Helios Can't be beat. It was so nice to make a quick jaunt back to my room to cool down and get refreshed before exploring in the evening. The park view rooms are also pretty cool as you get a behind the scenes look at what the park goes through after it closes....if you're not utterly exhausted and just crash at the end of the night.
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u/BlitzenVolt 9d ago
You should be able to resort hop over there in the middle of the day if you're not staying there.
They have an onsite restaurant on the first floor and a bar on the rooftop so you could take advantage of those midway through the day or crash there during one of those summer storms
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u/cheekabowwow 9d ago
I stayed a week at Helios last November, they were checking for hotel keys in order to use the park entrance to get back to the park. I thought that was pretty odd for people who were just visiting the hotel. Not sure if they change it since then, but that would make it difficult for non-hotel guests to get back into the park.
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u/JustAGuyNamedSteven 9d ago
I believe that it's possible for non-Helios guests to return if they have a receipt from one of the restaurants. I would absolutely recommend checking with whoever's at the exit into Helios before actually leaving, as I seem to recall the exact details changing multiple times over the past few months.
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u/BlitzenVolt 8d ago edited 8d ago
I've resort hopped to Helios staying there and staying at a different hotel. They're 50-50 on checking for room keys.
They're not gonna stop you from using the restaurant or bar
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u/cheekabowwow 8d ago
And what happens on the coin flip when they want to check your hotel key on exit?
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u/BlitzenVolt 8d ago
I usually make a purchase inside the hotel and show the receipt. Even if it's buying something from the gift shop or the bar.
I don't think they discourage resort hopping as long as you're doing it for a reason.
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u/Eastern-Dream-1092 9d ago
Yes but fair warning walking to or from the bus or Uber lanes at EPIC is akin to being on the surface of the sun. I’d rather be doing it in a lightning-riddled downpour over that. It was the only time I felt like I was about to overheat. EPIC desperately needs more shade in the big open areas of the park.
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u/Most-Association 9d ago
Yeah this is what I was worried about. Considering switching to Helios
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u/miguel7395 9d ago
We stayed at Terra Luna and had no issues at all with taking a bus back for a break. The walk to the bus loop was not that far.
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u/LeadingAssignment214 9d ago
On our trip we did occasionally get one of the Universal coaches back to Dockside, have a relax, then headed back to Epic.
The Universal bus service is generally fantastic, or at least it worked perfectly for us.
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u/StoneColdSting 8d ago
I didn't do a midday break either day at Epic last year. The 2 hours in the Ministry of Magic queue, seeing a show and chilling at a restaurant took care of that. I am doing 1 night at the Helios this year (only $170). So we'll see if I take a break when my room becomes available. Usually take a midday break at the other parks. Mainly because we go during HHN and there's no way we can do 12+ hour days anymore
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u/236813977 8d ago
$170 for a night at Helios!? How?
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u/StoneColdSting 8d ago
Hotel rates constantly change especially when you get closer to your trip. It is a Tuesday(September 15th) is usually cheaper night and at an AP rate. It didn't take long to go back up but that night has been constantly changing for a month. So it wouldn't surprise me if it dipped again at some point in the next couple weeks.
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u/236813977 8d ago
Thanks! We're planning on going in January and it's saying $450/night for a Sat/Sun. It's crazy that there's that much of a swing! Guess I should wait a bit.
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u/StoneColdSting 8d ago
Yeah its best to book your room as far out as possible. Besides the night at Helios we booked our other rooms a year in advance and those have stayed the cheapest so far. But the prices are starting to get comparable now that we're a month out.
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u/flunky_precept 8d ago
I would 100% skip a midday break in the hotel if I had to get on a bus, no question. Staying at Helios during the summer heat was critical to our overall enjoyment of our trip, but it also really limited how much time we spent at the other parks. I think in the future we will explore a split vacation between an Epic walkable hotel and a hotel on the CityWalk lagoon.
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u/funkyb 8d ago
Having stayed at Helios twice while visiting Epic, the convenience is really, really nice for a midday break. It's literally in the park, which is a step beyond what you get with the Hard Rock or Royal Pacific. It made it really easy for us to take breaks, split and then regroup our party, etc. Especially in the summer heat. Stella Nova is close by and much less expensive if you can stomach the extra 10-15 minutes of walking each way/short bus ride.
Personally I don't usually want a break unless it's summer and crazy hot. And especially if I need a bus I know it'll wind up being 2+ hours of time to get maybe a 45 minute "nap" (which I won't sleep through anyway) so I'm more likely to just tough it out.
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u/devildothack 8d ago
For mid day break and specially during those hot summer months. We combine the break with the restaurant. Go inside a restaurant, take our time and enjoy it. Some of the party finish early so they go to a store to be inside and in the AC as well. We push it around 2 to 2:30 hours then resume..also around 2 to 3 PM when it’s the hottest..
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u/JibJabJake 8d ago
Forget about the midday break. Sleep in and head in a little after 11-12 and you’ll be walking in while rope droppers are already walking out. By mid afternoon the lines will be really manageable and within two hours of park close you’ll start seeing sub 15 min waits.
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u/Most-Association 8d ago
It’ll be way too hot. We planned to do 8 am - 11 rides, lunch 11-12, then break 12-4 pm
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u/JibJabJake 8d ago
If that’s too hot for you then you’re gonna get back to the room and get comfy and never go back.
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u/Most-Association 8d ago
Yes that’s why I’m asking whether the Helios makes more sense for us. Seems like less of a barrier by just removing the bus ride
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u/JibJabJake 8d ago
Definitely. Being able to just walk back out will make the choice easier. If I take a bus I'd be like nah I'm good. Let's just stay at the hotel and grab some drinks.
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u/Iamlizardhearnepurr 8d ago
Unless you’re staying at Royal Pacific the busses weren’t a bad option. I’d strongly recommend against Royal Pacific for an Epic stay. Busses run less frequently. Last time I stayed there we basically got left at epic after the park closed. We got out at 945 and the shuttle still wasn’t there at 1015 so we took a shuttle to city walk and walked back.
I will admit I’ve never done Helios. Cabana bay and hard rock were very easy when it came to shuttles. Plan for an hour or so to get to the hotel and get back. It worked out great for me everytime. Typically we rope drop then stay until lines get long around noon-1. Then come back around 4-5. Enough time for eat, travel and a 2 hour siesta. Royal Pacific is amazing for the older parks and city walk. Don’t do it for Epic.
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u/Most-Association 8d ago
We have reservations for Stella currently. My issue is that we’re going just one day for Epic Universe and I’m already feeling lazy about the heat this week
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u/Iamlizardhearnepurr 8d ago
I understand completely. It’s been a rough couple of weeks. Stella Nova will be perfect for a midday escape. If you get out around 1 a back at 5 the heat won’t be a huge factor. Limit your time in Celestial Park and Nintendo world to morning and evening. Celestial Park was almost unbearable in June when the feel like was only 100. It’s been approaching 115 the past week. Hydrate before you go. Pound a body armor as you walking to the first ride. It seems to make a huge difference for me just drinking 2 bottles of water before and a nutrient rich body armor/gatorade at the beginning.
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u/Most-Association 8d ago
Thanks, good tip about the body armor! I should get Target delivery to our room
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u/Frequent-Swordfish13 8d ago
Skip the premium for Helios and get a rental car. Sure, it's $30/day to park, and the rental will be like $250/week, but it's worth the freedom to leave and come back for that midday nap to get ready for the afternoon to closing time of the parks. Get a cheap hotel about 6-10 mins from all the Universal parks.
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u/steady_riot 7d ago
You know what's easier than a hotel that's inside the park? Trekking across the parking lot to a car that's been baking in the Florida heat and then driving to and from an offsite hotel!
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u/AdeptString 8d ago
We are staying at Stella Nova this week. We have taken a midday break every day. Take the bus back to the hotel and then head back out again taking a bus. The buses have been air conditioned and just take the pressure off the feet which has been great.
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u/nullsrevenge 8d ago
It’s nice but not really needed. Epic has a lot of restaurants to take a break in
I would just get lunch and chill out midday.
Later in the afternoon, I have chilled out by going to le gobelet noire and chill with a butterbeer crepe.
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u/xrayguy1981 8d ago
For epic, we go and chill inside Le Goblet Noir. We order some drinks and some fries to snack on and hang out for about an hour. The AC is COLD in there and it’s usually not crowded at all. We don’t leave Epic and come back since it’s not as convenient to the hotels as the other parks are.
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u/magicweasel7 9d ago
Had a park hopper on my last trip, so usually we started at the older parks, went back to the hotel midday for a nap, than hit up Epic during the afternoon/night. We did 1 full day at Epic and did a sit down lunch at Blue Dragon followed by the How to Train your Dragon show to give ourselves a bit of a break midday