Why 2026 is the year of the Helios Grand Hotel
Helios Grand Hotel as seen from Celestial Park in Epic Universe
Helios Grand Hotel, A Loews Hotel.
The shining gem overlooking the immersive and exciting lands of Epic Universe, the newest theme park offering at Universal Orlando Resort. A subtle reminder during your Epic day that some may have, while others have not, but what exactly do they have as guests of the Helios Grand Hotel?
Helios is the new smallest resort on property, as far as capacity goes, holding a capacity of 500 rooms in its premier spot. Guests enjoy many of the same benefits as the other Signature Collection resorts, full-service dining, daily turndown service, and full beach chair service at their zero-entry pool. It’s biggest and brightest perk, is it’s direct attachment to Epic Universe, including a private entrance that is only accessible to guest of Helios.
Lobby of Helios Grand Hotel facing Epic Universe.jpg
The entrance features a small security checkpoint, similar to what we are used to seeing at City Walk when heading into Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios, one metal detector and one bag scanner to keep everyone in the park safe. Once you pass the security checkpoint, you are free to roam into the beautiful new park and start your epic adventure off, without the front of park crowds.
So why is this such a big deal in 2026?
Don’t guests of Helios already have this privilege now? Well, yes, but it comes with a limit.
Current Univeral ticketing restrictions means only one of your days of your vacation package can be an Epic Universe day, unless you are purchasing separate, single day tickets to Epic. 2026 will open things up and change ticketing to allow guests to start each and every day in Epic Universe if they so choose!
This is a really big deal for families with small children, elderly members, or mobility issues that might not have the stamina to squeeze in everything Epic Universe has to offer over the course of one park day. Families can take breaks in their room, grab lunch at Flora Taverna, refill their drinks, and head back out to the park to take things on at their own pace.
Heck, even theme park junkies will love the ability to start EVERY DAY of their vacation out with an Epic Universe start before taking the free transportation over to one of the other theme parks of their choice. This add especially crucial flexibility to those who are hellbent on catching some of Epic’s big draws like Battle at the Ministry or Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which can both find themselves going down from time to time, or rides like Curse of the Werewolf and Stardust Racers, which are venerable to central Florida’s afternoon showers. Did you wishlist ride go down? No problem, just catch it tomorrow morning!
This is a serious level-up for an already high demand resort hotel at Universal Orlando Resort and we are predicting some pretty drastic increase for bookings at Helios next year, which means 3 important things for you when you are planning your 2026 Universal Orlando Vacation.
1 - Book Early
Universal has a very flexible cancellation policy, which allows for flexible changes to your stay’s duration and features, but once rooms are sold out, you are out of luck for getting into Helios in 2026
Helios Grand Hotel entrance signage
2 - Book with a certified Universal Resort Specialist
At Second Trip Travel, we charge ZERO fees on Universal Orlando Resort bookings. We arm you with them best tools and tips to make sure your vacation is a resounding success, and have a Best Price Guarantee with Universal, so if you manage to find a better price anywhere online, we will be able to match or beat that price. Plus, we are constantly in the loop for new promotions that we can apply to your existing bookings. In the wise words of an Old Man, “It’s dangerous to go alone, work with us instead!”.
3 - Prices WILL only increase!!
We all have felt the prices of everything creep up in the past few years, and theme park vacations are no exception. Add the extra demand that Helios will face in 2026 to that and we are predicting a scary jump in 2027 rates, so this really isn’t something you want to wait on if Helios is on your bucket-list.
We are your best planning tool
At Second Trip Travel, we are 100% focused on making your theme park vacation a resounding success, regardless of your budget and needs. We’ve worked with everyone from celebrities and private jet owners to young families squeezing every dollar to make amazing memories for their children, and we want to make sure you aren’t heading home, regretting missing out on that one experience you wish you had.
With ZERO planning or booking fees on Universal Orlando Resort vacations, there really isn’t any reason you have to struggle alone. Click the button below to get started planning your Universal vacation with a certified Universal Orlando Resort Specialist or join our email list to be notified when new promos and groups are coming out.
