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5 Surprising Takeaways From My First Stay at the New Epic Universe Hotel


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We are getting closer and closer to the opening of Epic Universe! Universal’s brand-new theme park opens in just 67 days — not that we are counting or anything. Who are we kidding? We are definitely counting down the days.

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Epic Universe Model

Along with the brand-new theme park, there are also three brand-new hotels to support Epic Universe. Universal Terra Luna Resort opens on March 25th, and Universal Helios Grand Hotel opens on May 22nd. The first hotel, Universal Stella Nova Resort, opened on January 21st, and we are sharing some of our takeaways from our stay!

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Universal Stella Nova is a sister hotel to Universal Terra Luna, which are both located near Epic Universe. Universal Stella Nova is a space-themed hotel inspired by “the infinite vastness of the unexplored universe, where galaxies spiral ever outward and unknown worlds revolve around unnamed stars.”

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Universal Stella Nova

We had the chance to stay at this brand-new hotel and had a few surprises that we wanted to share with you! First, we were surprised by just how close the hotel was to Epic Universe. If you get an Epic Universe view room, you can see the park very easily! It is so cool to be able to look out your window and get a glimpse of the new theme park.

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You can see Epic Universe from some rooms!

Not only can you get a great view of Epic Universe, but you can also walk to the park easily. We walked as far as we could on the path and estimated that it would only be about a 10-15 minute walk to the park. There isn’t an entrance to the park like Universal Helios Grand Hotel will, but that is not a bad walk at all!

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Celestial Park from Stella Nova Hotel

We were also a bit worried about how long it would take to get from Universal Stella Nova to Universal’s other parks. You can hop on a bus to get to CityWalk, Universal Studios, and Islands of Adventure, but the bus ride takes you through pretty active, public roads. However, we were pleasantly surprised that the ride only took about 15 minutes (12 minutes if you want to be exact). 

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We were surprised at the length of the bus ride!

It is very possible that the bus ride will be a bit longer once Epic Universe is officially open, but we were glad to see it wasn’t a crazy long ride.

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Stella Nova Lobby

The hotel has lots of fun details, and we loved exploring all the different areas. There are galaxies and stars everywhere you look, and the curves of the walls were lots of fun. Of course, it wouldn’t be a DFB hotel stay if we didn’t try the food, and we have some thoughts!

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Nova Bar

Let’s start with Cosmos Cafe & Market. Here, you can find many American classics, such as burgers, pasta, pizza, chicken sandwiches, and more. We grabbed the Salmon Fried Rice, and we just have to say — wow! It was one of the better theme park salmon dishes we have had, and it came from a hotel quick-service spot! It was on the pricey side at $19, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Salmon Fried Rice

We also had such a great experience at the Nova Bar! The bartenders were amazing. They provided fantastic service and were super sociable and friendly, even when the bar was packed with people. It seemed like they were having a great time, and it made our experience that much better. Plus, they also served up some wonderful drinks! We grabbed the Super Nova for $16, and you could really tell that the bartenders’ craftmanship is fantastic.

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Super Nova

We enjoyed our stay at the Universal Stella Nova and can’t wait to explore the other hotels and, most of all, Epic Universe. Make sure to stay tuned to DFB for full coverage of all things Epic Universe. We can’t wait to take you all along with us!

FULL List of NEW Restaurants Opening in Epic Universe in 2025

Have you stayed at the Universal Stella Nova Resort yet? Let us know about your experience in the comments!

The post 5 Surprising Takeaways From My First Stay at the New Epic Universe Hotel first appeared on the disney food blog.

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