Disclosure: I learned about these benefits to staying onsite at Universal Orlando Resort™ by attending the Family Forward Blogger Retreat hosted there. This event provided bloggers and their families with hotel accommodations, meals, and park passes at significantly reduced prices. All opinions are my own.
Planning a trip to Universal Orlando Resort™? Are you wondering if it is worth staying at an onsite hotel? These benefits to staying onsite at the Universal Orlando Resort™ can help you make the most of your visit! We enjoyed our recent stay at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort onsite hotel. We loved staying onsite and having the flexibility to leave and return to the parks at our leisure! Many of these benefits are designed to help guests save time at the parks, while also enjoying fabulous accommodations and amenities.
This is one of the best benefits to staying onsite at Universal Orlando Resort™! Enjoy the parks a full hour before they are open to the public. At Universal Orlando Resort™, onsite hotel guests enjoy early park admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ or Universal’s Volcano Bay™. Early admission varies, so be sure to check the Universal Orlando Resort™ App to see which park(s) is offering early admission for the days you may be visiting. Getting to the park about 15 minutes before early admission is worth it to avoid crowds that may build up later in the day! The morning hours are generally cooler too. You can find more information on early admission days here.
The onsite hotels at Universal Orlando Resort™ are well-known for their excellent service. One day our family accidentally left the “do not disturb” sign on the door to our room. While we were out at dinner, housekeeping came after hours to tidy our room and left extra towels too.
We also loved the hotel text messaging service. Upon checking in to the Lowes Sapphire Falls Resort, I received a text message welcoming us to the resort. The message mentioned that if we needed anything during our stay, all I had to do was send a text and a live person would answer it promptly. One night, our air conditioning unit stopped working. I sent a text to the hotel, and they dispatched an engineer to our room to have the issue solved a few minutes later.
Getting to and from the parks quickly and easily is another one of the great benefits to staying onsite at Universal Orlando Resort™. The onsite hotels are within easy walking distance or a quick complimentary shuttle bus away to Universal’s City Walk™, and all three theme parks.
At select on-site hotels, you could also take the complimentary water taxi. Water taxis may not be available during inclement weather, so be sure to use the bus shuttle service instead. Note — Transportation to Universal’s Volcano Bay™ is available via complimentary shuttle service (no water taxi).
Wow! The pools at any of the onsite hotels are truly spectacular! We really appreciated the attention to safety from the lifeguarding staff. The pool at the Lowe’s Sapphire Falls Resort featured water play areas for little ones, fun water slides, a fire pit, two sand beaches, and even hot tubs. There are pool cabanas available for rent too. The themed pools of the onsite hotels provide lots of fun and relaxation!
After arriving at the park for early admission, we would spend the morning enjoying rides with shorter wait times. We would use the time in the afternoons to make our way back to the hotel to use the pool. The pool and waterslides were such a fun way to cool off! If we needed a break from all the excitement, we could always go back to our room for a nap. Later, we would return to the parks in the evening when the weather would be cooler. There were less crowds in the evening too. Having a break during the day helped us make the most of our vacation time, and gave us some much needed rest! This is definitely another one of the best benefits to staying onsite at Universal Orlando Resort™!
When you stay at an onsite hotel, there is no need to carry your credit card around. Simply use your room key to make any credit card purchases. We also loved that any purchases could be delivered directly to our hotel room free of charge. No need to lug around large souvenir or gift items around the parks!
Keep in touch with family and friends using the onsite hotel’s free wifi. There is free wifi available throughout the parks as well.
Some benefits to staying onsite at Universal Orlando Resort™ are only available at select hotels. Available at the Hard Rock Hotel®, Lowes Portofino Bay Hotel, and Lowes Royal Pacific Resort, guests will receive a free Universal Express Unlimited™ pass. This pass allows you to skip the regular lines at participating rides and attractions at Universal Studios Florida™ and Universal’s Islands of Adventure™. That’s a value of almost $90 per person, per day!! Valid theme park admission is required. The Universal Express Pass is not valid at Universal’s Volcano Bay™. Thanks to having this pass, we enjoyed much shorter wait times on several attractions.
Tip — Even without the Universal Express Unlimited™ Pass, you can avoid most of the crowds by arriving early to the park. Most people wait in line for the first few rides they see at the entrance to the park. Upon entering, make your way towards the back of the park first for less people and shorter wait times!
If you enjoy playing golf, you may be happy to learn about the golf privileges available at certain onsite hotels. Guests who stay at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel® and/or Loews Royal Pacific Resort can now hit the links at two of Orlando’s best golf courses! A dedicated golf coordinator will assist guests with preferred tee times, free range balls, and complimentary club rental for either Grand Cypress Golf Club or Windermere Country Club. There is complimentary transportation available to either club for groups of four or more.
Question — Do you know of other benefits to staying onsite at Universal Orlando Resort™ that are not mentioned here? We would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and share your tip with us!