bwr827
Well-Known Member
You’ve nailed the analysis. Helios needs at least one key exclusive benefit.
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Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Opens 2025
- Thread starter Bob Harlem
- Start date
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
How about exclusive access to the NEW Villain-Con Minion Blast?!?! That sweeten the pot enough? Maybe they can give Helios guests an exclusive restroom at EU.
TalkToEthan
Well-Known Member
First pool slides and then the Express Pass. Some of you are giving it too much weight. Those features would never impact my decision on Helios or not.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
Just saw some aerials of Berk and, I have to say, the level of detail looks amazing. I’m no HtTyD fan, but this area should be visually-impressive. Actually, all four lands look like a feast for the eyes.
When are we booking hotel stays? We went with December 2025 to ensure it’s open. Wife and I are teachers and I’m not confident enough on August to book it.
When are we booking hotel stays? We went with December 2025 to ensure it’s open. Wife and I are teachers and I’m not confident enough on August to book it.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
They would certainly impact some people but no one is suggesting NO ONE will stay there.
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
Pool slides are one thing, but Express has been the defining characteristic for choosing one of the Premier hotels.
It’s definitely not a big deal for people who don’t actually care about Express (like me) or people who are willing to spend a pretty penny for a luxury experience, but it doesn’t really look like Helios is accomplishing the latter either.
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
Berk and Celestial Park are my most awaited lands, visually speaking!
Personally not playing the guessing game until official dates come out, but I know that many don’t have the ability to plan their vacations that late.
Jon81uk
Well-Known Member
What would impact your decision then? Why choose Helios and not Royal Pacific?
TalkToEthan
Well-Known Member
I would choose Helios over Royal because it is new(that means everything in it is new from linens to paint) but more importantly it is next to Epic—--the park that interests me.
But that description also matches up with Stella Nova and Terra Luna - why would you pay potentially a lot more and choose Helios over them, if Helios doesn't provide any exclusive benefits?
TalkToEthan
Well-Known Member
Nova and Luna wont be as luxurious and they are not directly tangent to the park with exclusive entry like Helios, right? Or did I get that wrong?
If Nova and Luna have direct and dedicated access to Epic then you’re right. I’d likely put into one of those two instead.
If Nova and Luna have direct and dedicated access to Epic then you’re right. I’d likely put into one of those two instead.
lentesta
Premium Member
Agreed.
I will be shocked (shocked!) if Helios' like-for-like rooms are less expensive than Portofino / Royal Pacific / Hard Rock.
Also, I'm not sure I believe that park capacity is the reason why Helios is not getting Express Pass. It's 500 rooms, so 2,000 more guests, max, spread out over USF and IOA, and spread out over the course of a day. Wouldn't Early Entry also pose a similar problem where you've got a large number of guests in a tight time window at specific attractions?
This is just UOR removing the expectation of Express from on-site hotel stays, right?
DarkMetroid567
Well-Known Member
Yeah, ditto on the capacity point, although I have no idea what the current Express numbers actually look like. You would think the existence of Epic is inherently going to pull would-be USF/IoA Express users away from those parks.
Probably? I could see UOR giving it to Helios if Helios doesn’t perform as expected.
Jon81uk
Well-Known Member
Pretty certain others have said on forums like this before that Universal would like to limit the number of hotel guests with express pass, but the contracts with Loews for those original three hotels have it in them so they can’t get rid.
bwr827
Well-Known Member
Unlimited Express for every person in the room is a huge bonus of their current top 3 hotels.
To my mind, it’s an immediate $400-$800 impact per night if they drop the benefit. Because you get the passes on both your check-in day and checkout day.
TalkToEthan
Well-Known Member
Only to the careless planners or those bent on showing up during crowded times or those confined(due to personal schedules) to busy days
And I’m sure to select others it’s worth $1000+ extra per night
to me it’s worth $10 per person per night, if that since I only go on quieter times.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
I feel like that’s why they moved Sapphire into the same category, too. You can’t have just one top-tier hotel without.
They have been very aggressive with price increases at the Express resorts the last few years, so if they have to keep offering Express, they’ll make sure we pay a fortune for it. We stayed at HRH for Christmas 2021 and I’m shocked how much more it costs for Christmas 2025. But, when it’s busy and they want $300 per person, per day for Express Unlimited, I feel better paying $900/night at HRH for my family of 4. But, it is still crazy.
And people complain about paying $30 for LLs…
Oh, man. I'm gonna have to start having children to take advantage of that kind of pricing.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
Thankfully, it doesn’t take penguins too long. You can have a football team by next summer. Get it, bird!
Haymarket
Well-Known Member
Is it likely that most children will enjoy Celestial Park?
It seems to lack the busyness and variety of a hub.
Celestial Park seems elegant and relaxing, and it has Stardust Racers, but there seems to be a lack of IP—even in its carousel, even original characters.
It seems to be one of those "it's for children to imagine their own adventure and magic" kind of environments—more Central Park than theme park, more Oslo than Orlando.
Even the Gardens of Imagination at Shanghai Disneyland has IP sprinkled around it, despite going for a similar peaceful and elegant feeling.
I see how it would appeal to adult theme park goers (no IP, refined aesthetics, beautiful landscaping and water features—peace, revitalization, etc.), but I can't imagine most children enjoying it.
Going from land to land requires walking relatively long distances through Celestial Park. Are kids going to be able to tolerate that kind of lull between lands?
I'm thinking that if it proves a turn-off they'll add some characters to the hub. Walkarounds, meet-and-greet areas, revising the rides to add some IP, etc.
Maybe they can plug-in some Pokemon characters or something like that at some point.
It seems to lack the busyness and variety of a hub.
Celestial Park seems elegant and relaxing, and it has Stardust Racers, but there seems to be a lack of IP—even in its carousel, even original characters.
It seems to be one of those "it's for children to imagine their own adventure and magic" kind of environments—more Central Park than theme park, more Oslo than Orlando.
Even the Gardens of Imagination at Shanghai Disneyland has IP sprinkled around it, despite going for a similar peaceful and elegant feeling.
I see how it would appeal to adult theme park goers (no IP, refined aesthetics, beautiful landscaping and water features—peace, revitalization, etc.), but I can't imagine most children enjoying it.
Going from land to land requires walking relatively long distances through Celestial Park. Are kids going to be able to tolerate that kind of lull between lands?
I'm thinking that if it proves a turn-off they'll add some characters to the hub. Walkarounds, meet-and-greet areas, revising the rides to add some IP, etc.
Maybe they can plug-in some Pokemon characters or something like that at some point.
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