Portofino Bay Hotel and Epic Universe: An Honest Universal Orlando Review for Families

I promised you a Part 2. I did not promise you when.

In my defense, I’ve been busy planning other families’ trips, which is kind of the whole job. But the Universal half of our Orlando week deserves its own post, so here it is: three nights at Portofino Bay Hotel, days at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, and my first full day at Epic Universe.

A quick note before we start: everything below is based on our trip in April 2026, so think of it as a snapshot in time. Universal has already changed a few things since we got home, and I’ve flagged the big ones so you’re not caught off guard. But theme parks change constantly (ride lineups, Express Pass rules, prices, hotel perks), so always double-check the current details before you book, or just ask me and I’ll tell you what’s true for your dates.

If you missed Part 1, where I covered Art of Animation, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Magic Kingdom, start HERE. Otherwise, let’s talk Universal.

Portofino Bay Hotel: My Honest Review After Four Stays

I’ve stayed at Portofino Bay four times now, and it still hasn’t gotten old. I can’t say that about a lot of places.

It’s one of Universal’s Premier hotels, and the whole property is built to feel like a seaside village on the Italian Riviera, from the cobblestone walkways and the colorful buildings stacked around the harbor to the fountain out front with its “Provincia di Portofino” banners. My kids walked in and immediately wandered off to explore, which is exactly the reaction you want.

This trip, I FINALLY got my Juliet balcony with a harbor view. It only took four stays, and it was worth the wait. Turns out I wasn’t the only one who loved it, either. Jackson claimed that balcony as his own personal hangout, and any time we were back in the room, that’s where you’d find him, either people watching down on the harbor or curled up with his iPad like he was lounging at his own little Italian villa.

The rooms are clean and comfortable, with good beds. My one real “meh” is that there are no microwaves, which you definitely notice when you’re traveling with kids and want to warm up leftovers or grab a quick breakfast. That’s honestly my whole complaint list.

But the room isn’t why you stay here.

The Piazza at Night

The sun had gone down, there was a slight breeze, and the harbor lights were bouncing off the water so the whole Piazza seemed to glow. Wendy and I grabbed a table outside with a bottle of Prosecco and a pizza from Sal’s while the kids ran off to the arcade to burn off the last of the day’s energy before bed.

And we just sat there. We talked, laughed, watched people stroll by, and listened to the singers performing from a balcony above the Piazza.

Mamas, this is what vacation is supposed to feel like. You’re not managing everyone or running tomorrow’s itinerary in your head. You’re sitting somewhere beautiful with something cold in your glass, actually exhaling.

I’ve done this with my whole family too, in-laws included, pushing a few tables together while the kids ran back and forth between the Piazza and the arcade. It works beautifully either way, but that quiet evening with Wendy is one of my favorite memories from the entire trip.

You have permission to want that for yourself.

The Pool (and the Boat)

The main pool is lagoon-style, with a rock formation in the middle and a water slide my kids would have ridden until their fingers pruned. The resort also runs real activities around the pool. While we were there, the kids played a hula hoop version of musical chairs, hunted for rubber ducks hidden in the water, and caught a movie poolside at night. It’s a lot more than “here’s a pool, good luck.”

Meanwhile, the pool bar is right there for the grown-ups, so nobody was suffering. And with three pools on property, you’ve got options even on a busy day.

Then there’s the boat. A water taxi leaves right from the hotel and drops you at CityWalk, a short walk from the park gates. It’s easy and pretty, and it makes a mid-day break back at the hotel painless. (Build in that mid-day break. I will keep saying this forever.)

Why Portofino Can Make Financial Sense: The Express Pass Perk

This is the part that turns Portofino Bay from a pretty splurge into a smart decision for a lot of families.

When you stay at Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, or Royal Pacific Resort, everyone in your room gets Universal Express Unlimited at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for your whole stay, from check-in day through check-out day. Your room key is your pass, so you just show it at the Express entrance and go.

When I priced it out this spring for a family of four traveling in June, with no promotions, three nights at Portofino came to about $2,720. Buying Express Unlimited separately for that same family (two parks, two days) came to about $2,119. That means for roughly $600 more than the passes alone, you also get the hotel, the pools, the Piazza, the boat, and three nights of sleep. Hard to argue with that.

Rates change by season, so treat those numbers as a snapshot. Send me your dates and I’ll run the real math for your family.

For my military families: Universal offers military discounts at its hotels, and military Freedom Tickets are deeply discounted and can be used on multiple visits throughout the year (blackout dates apply). If you qualify, Portofino gets even easier to say yes to.

There are also two changes since our trip that you need to know about:

• Hagrid’s is no longer on Express. As of July 1, 2026, Universal pulled Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure from the Express program, so your hotel perk won’t help you there. Rope drop it or plan on standby. Big hitters like VelociCoaster, the Hulk, Spider-Man, and Forbidden Journey still accept Express.
• The perk stops at the Epic Universe gate. Hotel Express doesn’t work at Epic, and Universal’s newest hotel, Helios Grand, which sits right at Epic, doesn’t include Express at all.

Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios: The Classics Still Deliver

We rode Hagrid’s twice, and I regret nothing. It’s one of the best rides in any theme park, period, between the story, the theming, and the surprises along the way. If you’ve never ridden it, put it at the top of your list. If you have, you already know you’re riding it again. (Just remember it’s standby only now, so get there early.)

Over in Universal Studios Florida, E.T. Adventure is my forever favorite. It’s been there for decades and I don’t care even a little, because it makes me feel like a kid every single time. Escape from Gringotts is always a crowd-pleaser too, and the queue alone is worth the walk.

Our best move of the day was saving the water rides for last. Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls will soak every single one of you, and ending a hot park day drenched and laughing with happy, tired kids is a core memory in the making. Just don’t cut it too close, because water rides can close about an hour before the park does.

Epic Universe: My First Visit, My Honest Take

I want to say this first: Epic Universe is beautiful. The moment you walk through the first portal into Celestial Park, you get it. Universal built something special here, and every land feels like stepping through a doorway into a completely different world.

We went for early entry, which I recommend, and getting through security and the photo ID entry was quick and easy. Then we made the best decision of our day.

Isle of Berk: Start Here

We headed straight to Isle of Berk (How to Train Your Dragon) because the Toothless meet-and-greet and Dragon Racer’s Rally didn’t take Express Pass. That was still the case at the time of writing, so going there early is still the move.

Meeting Toothless was so neat, and I’m really glad we did it first. Between the theming, the rides, and the restaurants, Isle of Berk was probably our favorite land in the whole park. It also didn’t feel nearly as crazy as Nintendo World, which I’ll get to in a minute.

Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic

This is the land I wish we’d spent more time in. From the moment you step through the Floo Network into the Ministry, the theming is breathtaking. We rode Battle at the Ministry, and even with Express the wait was about 30 minutes (standby was over an hour), but the queue is so detailed that it barely felt like waiting.

We didn’t eat here, but we did grab a Butterbeer, and it was so yummy. I’m going back just to try the food.

Stardust Racers: Fair Warning

Jackson, my 9-year-old, loved Stardust Racers. The rest of us came off a little rattled, and Madison even got a headache, which surprised me since this is the kid who happily rides the Hulk and VelociCoaster.

It’s a cool coaster with great views, but it’s rougher than you’d expect. If anyone in your crew is sensitive to that, ride it earlier in the day, before your body has been through a few other rides.

Super Nintendo World: Read This Before You Walk Through That Portal

I’m going to be honest about Nintendo World, because I wish someone had been honest with me.

It’s spectacular. You are literally inside a Mario game, down to every surface and detail, and Jackson was living his best life.

It’s also A LOT, and there’s no warm-up. The second you step through the portal, it all hits you at once: the crowds, the noise, and kids and grown-ups tapping PowerUp Bands on everything in sight. I’ve been to more theme parks than I can count, and I walked in and almost turned right back around.

What saved me was a little mushroom seat in a patch of shade. I sat there for about five minutes, got my bearings, and then got back in the game with the kids. After that reset, I had a genuinely great time watching them light up at every interactive thing.

If you or anyone in your group gets overstimulated easily, go in with a plan and give yourself permission to take that five minutes. I’d love to tell you the quiet time of day to visit, but I haven’t found one yet.

One more thing nobody warned me about: bathrooms in Nintendo World are HARD to find. Scout one out before somebody announces they need to go RIGHT NOW.

PowerUp Bands: Get Them Before You Go

The bands turn the whole land into a real-life video game where you tap question blocks, collect coins, play challenges, and rack up points. You don’t need them to ride anything, but for kids (and let’s be real, adults) they’re what make the land feel magical. I’m so glad we got them.

What I did NOT do well was the timing. I waited until we were at Epic, bought the bands in the park, and set them up while standing at the Nintendo World entrance with two excited kids and a crowd moving around us. VERY rookie mistake. HUGE.

Learn from me:

• Buy them ahead of time through Universal, or at a Universal store on an earlier park day. Ours were about $45 each in the park.
• If you’re only going once, rent them from Wizards and Plumbers.
• Link them in the Universal app before you walk in.

Your future self will thank you.

Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge

This was our favorite ride in the park, hands down. Everything about it is so well done, and the visors for the interactive part were actually comfortable to wear, which I did not expect. Don’t rush the queue, either. Take it all in.

Toadstool Cafe

The line looks scary, but they’re super efficient at getting you through and seated. Just have the Universal app downloaded and know how to use mobile ordering before you get there.

We got the Bowser Spicy Meatball Challenge (pretty good and actually spicy), a caprese salad, fettuccine alfredo, and a kids cheeseburger.

Dark Universe: Go at Night If You Can

This land would’ve been SO much better after dark. The spooky-scary vibe works in daylight, but I can only imagine it once the lighting and shadows get to do their job. Both rides are awesome, too. I loved the story and theming of Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, and on Curse of the Werewolf the individual cars spin as you go, which was a blast.

And yes, I will be going back for Das Stakehaus. I need it.

Things to Know Before You Go to Epic Universe

There’s very little shade. It’s a big park, and the few shady spots were already taken by the time we found them. Bring sunscreen, reapply it, and then reapply it again.

Epic’s Express Pass works differently. When we visited, there was no unlimited version at Epic. It was one use per ride, per day, priced on its own, and for our group of four it came to over $1,000. It was worth it to us not to spend hours in line, but it’s a real splurge, so plan for it in your budget. Since then, Universal has also added Express Pass Now, which lets you buy line-skip access for individual rides inside the park. That’s handy if you only care about one or two headliners.

This is the part most likely to change. Epic Universe is still a young park, and Universal keeps adjusting how Express works there. Which rides accept Express can shift, an unlimited option could show up, and the free Premier hotel perk might even extend to Epic someday. None of that is the case as I’m writing this, so check what’s current before you buy.

Don’t wait to buy Express. That goes for all the parks, because they do sell out.

Tickets got more flexible. Since our trip, park-to-park tickets of 3 days or longer now let you hop between Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios, which makes it a lot easier to fit Epic into a bigger Universal trip.

The Universal app isn’t optional. You’ll use it for mobile ordering, wait times, and your PowerUp Bands, so download it and play with it before you go.

Is Epic Universe Worth a Special Trip?

My honest answer is probably not on its own, unless you’ve already done the other Universal parks and don’t feel the need to see them again.

For most families, especially first-timers, Epic works best as part of a full Universal trip with Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. That said, it easily fills a whole day by itself. And between the Butterbeer at the Ministry and my unfinished business with Das Stakehaus, the food alone is pulling me back.

So… Is Universal Worth It?

Without a doubt, yes.

Portofino Bay is easy and beautiful, the hotel Express perk is still one of the best values in Orlando (Hagrid’s aside), the classic parks still deliver, and Epic Universe is genuinely breathtaking. Universal is a full trip on its own, and you don’t have to pair it with Disney. But if you want to, like we did, it can absolutely be done. Just build in that transition day.

Make the moments count. This one’s worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions: Portofino Bay and Epic Universe

Answers reflect Universal’s policies as of fall 2026 and may change.

Does Portofino Bay Hotel include Express Pass? Yes. Guests at Loews Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, and Loews Royal Pacific get Universal Express Unlimited at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for their whole stay. It does not currently include Epic Universe, and as of July 1, 2026, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure no longer accepts Express.

Does any Universal hotel include Express Pass for Epic Universe? Not right now. Epic Universe Express is a separate purchase for everyone, including guests at Helios Grand, the hotel right next to the park.

Is Portofino Bay worth it compared to buying Express Pass separately? For many families, yes. When I priced a June three-night stay for a family of four, the hotel was only about $600 more than buying Express Unlimited for two parks, two days. Rates vary by season, so run the numbers for your dates.

Do you need PowerUp Bands for Super Nintendo World? No, you can enjoy the land and the rides without them. But they make the whole area interactive, and kids love them. Buy or rent them before your visit and link them in the Universal app before you walk in.

What’s the best land at Epic Universe for families? For us, it was Isle of Berk, with beautiful theming, great rides for all ages, and a much calmer feel than Nintendo World. Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge was our favorite ride in the park.

Is Epic Universe worth visiting on its own? For most first-time Universal visitors, it’s best as part of a longer trip with the other two parks. If you’ve already done those, Epic easily fills a full day on its own.

Ready to Plan Your Universal Trip?

Universal only, Disney only, or the full “let’s do both” Orlando adventure like we did: this is exactly the kind of trip I love putting together. The hotel strategy, the Express math, which park on which day, the dining reservations… that’s my job, so it doesn’t have to be yours. And since I keep up with every change Universal makes, you won’t get blindsided by one.

Missed Part 1? Click –>> Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney World Tips for Families

Tell me about your dream trip and I’ll take it from there.