Ok y’all we are getting closer and I can see from the UPDATE thread I am not the only one seriously considering a - I gotta see this trip…love to hear how everyone else is planning.
So far here is my outline
I am aiming for early Dec 2025
Off property- within 3 miles
8 days/ 7 nights - giving a minimum of 1 full day to fully explore all lands- extra days will depend on ticket prices…
What’s your plan?
As of now…
First week of February 2026… The parks will have been open long enough to get all the glitches out. Plus, that week in February is, typically, the slowest time of the year for theme parks - IMHO
I’ll always stay on property. I may or may not be over at the new Epic Hotels, but all the UOR hotel buses are going to be able to take you there.
All the premier hotels, HRH, RP, Port are going to need to remodel their bus stations. They all, technically, have one. However, it’s one bus route for all three hotels about every 30 minutes as most people use the water taxis or walk.
By then I hope there’s an AP that includes Epic. I plan to go for at least 4 visits of 5 - 10 days. If there’s no AP with Epic, I’ll just add it on as needed. (and it WILL be needed!!! 
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I am thinking about the same time as @darkmite2 . I will try to see if I can book Helios for at least one night.
We would like to go for a 4-5 night Orlando trip (with 2 days at Epic) sometime fall/winter 2025 or early 2026, but are subject to the school calendar so Epic will inevitably be jam packed when we are there. If there are not express pass options, we will likely hold off until express passes are available.
I bought a 50 point Beach Club contract for my 50th birthday. I am saving up those points for a Christmas 2025 trip. After our first split to Disney and Universal, my family definately wants the next trip to be split between the two.
So we will do 4-5 nights at Beach Club and 1-2 nights at a Universal hotel. If Helios comes with express pass - there will definately be one night at Helios. And I am thinking that should be New Years Eve. If there is no express pass we will stay two nights at one of the prime values and brave the crazy crowds.
I’m looking at summer 2025 because I’m a glutton for punishment. Five nights or so at one of the new prime values with a focus on Epic… with a day or so for IOA/USF. 
I, too, am thinking Feb 2026. Waiting for the glitches to be worked out. Also, Feb is a really nice time to go to a park in Orlando. Weather is very reasonable, and crowds reach a relatively low point. Plus, since we homeschool we enjoy going when school IS in session.
Where to stay. We vastly prefer a VRBO condo. We like the full fridge and being able to each retreat into our own room at breaktime. We also prefer to drive places so have our car anyway. BUT, we really like the express passes. What we’ve done in the past is to get two one-night stays on a one-week trip. What I’d like to do is to find a couple that also wants to go to Universal, and trusts us. Then we might coordinate the timing, and we’ll gladly pay half of the cost of a premier room for a week just to get the express passes. Cost would be the same as us getting one-night stays every other day, but without the hassle of getting new cards.
Some of that is dependent on AP’s including Epic. We consider the existing Universal parks to be a one-week trip. So, we might have the next one a two-week trip. And if we have to buy EPIC tickets, that might make the trip too expensive. If the premiers stopped including Express Passes, that might change things too. Or if they disallowed express passes on one-night stays.
I have to tell an unrelated story on DH. Before me, he had never once gone on a non-camping vacation. I’d had to drag him to the first hotel vacation. So, he didn’t have luggage. Right now we are at my aunt’s house so she can do home hospice, and we are also preparing ourselves to deal with all the crap (stuff) she has. DH commented that she has duplicates of stuff. I said I hadn’t seen any duplicates, and what did he see? His example was luggage. She has three pieces of luggage none bigger than carry-on under the old rules.
Same- I really prefer a real coffee pot and a balcony to have it on.
Club Wyndham International 2.7 miles
Hilton Grand Vacations Club Las Palmeras Orlando 2.0 miles from Epic
Haven’t stayed at these particular resorts but have stayed at Club Wyndham and HGVC at other locations and they were fine for us
Summer 2026 for me. I’m thinking that will be enough time for Touring Plans to have enough data for a solid touring plan and for the Unofficial Guide to get updated. We shoot for 2 weeks in Florida every few years with one week of Disney and one week of Universal. Its one of the perks of being a teacher: summers off.
We will stay in a VRBO condo because, well, as a teacher, can’t afford those Disney resorts and eating Disney food 3 times a day!
What I’m really worried about is going to be the cost of multi-day, multi-park pass. Universal has always undercut Disney for the same amount a days, but when you add in an extra park, that price has got to increase by at least 50%, right?
The only semi definite I have heard was no AP access for a while - on one of the park-stop podcasts.
But yeah I am in total agreement we are gonna see a significant bump in UO ticket prices.
I am hoping it will be a standalone ticket at first- and between DS having destination wedding and Epic opening I have am gonna need to give up cable, home internet and possibly air conditioning for the foreseeable future 
Yeah… The days of buying all three parks for $525 - $550 are going to be gone! I’m hoping it doesn’t double! I’m willing to pay up to $800 for the pass I have now to include Epic with no issues. If it gets near $1000 for a “basic” Seasonal AP I’ll really have to think about how many trips I can go. If they make an AP too much, then I can’t go as often to buy food & stay at hotels!
we are out of state 2 park premier - and just renewed in March- so we are just fall behind on the timeline if previews are a thing. As is I am pretty much at my max for passes do something is gonna give for 2025
My expires during my trip in September. I’m not planning on renewing. It breaks my heart!! I’m not going to Epic until Feb. 2026. There’s no way to overlap anything. I do get a “free” ticket to a Universal theme park each year with my Universal Visa card. I’m trying to find a way to use it next year!