Stella Nova Transportation Guide (3 options w/ pics)

If you are staying at Universal’s Stella Nova Resort, you have several convenient transportation options, no matter if you want to go to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, CityWalk, Volcano Bay, or Epic Universe,

From complimentary buses to walking paths to rideshare services, you can choose what works best for you.

Below, I’ll break down each transportation option available from Stella Nova Resort and share tips to help you decide the fastest and most convenient way to get where you want to go.

Stella Nova to Epic Universe (2 ways)

One of the biggest perks of staying at Stella Nova Resort is the fact that you are so close to Epic Universe! You are literally right across the street. Stella Nova is a great hotel if you plan on visiting Epic multiple times during your vacation.

Here are the two ways to get to Universal’s newest theme park!

#1. Take the complimentary shuttles! (ride is 2 minutes)

Universal Orlando provides buses to get to Epic Universe. They are free to use and an easy and convenient option.

Finding the shuttles is easy. Just exit the main lobby of Stella Nova and turn right, and you will see the bus stop.

Universal runs shuttle buses from Stella Nova beginning about an hour before Early Park Admission and continuing until theme parks close.

I have found that the buses that go to Epic from Stella Nova arrive very frequently! I think this is because the bus ride to Epic is so short. Once the bus leaves Stella Nova, you will be dropped off about two minutes later, as the bus drop-off is located directly across the street!

This is where you are dropped off at Epic Universe.

Once you arrive at Epic, you will go through security before entering the park!

#2. Walk to Epic Universe! (~10 minutes)

It’s also really easy to walk from Stella Nova to Epic Universe. As I said before, the resort is located directly across the street from Epic.

And don’t worry, there are dedicated, stroller-friendly, safe walking paths the whole way. I would estimate it’s about a 10-minute walk from Stella Nova to the entrance of Epic Universe.

To make the walk, you just need to take the walkway that follows the main driveway into Stella Nova.

Once you get to Epic Blvd, you will cross the street and continue to Epic Universe. You will walk through the resort shuttles dropoff area.

You will walk through this area before getting to Epic’s entrance.

Below is the path you would take to walk to Epic from Stella Nova.

View/download a PDF map of Stella Nova Resort.

Stella Nova to CityWalk, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida (3 ways)

The reason that I have lumped these three places together is that they all share the same entrance complex. No matter which one you pick, you will get dropped off or park at the same place.

Also, this area is much farther away (~4 miles) from Stella Nova than Epic Universe. This is why it’s impossible to walk to the CityWalk complex from the resort.

#1. Complimentary resort shuttles (ride is ~15 minutes)

The main way to get to CityWalk, Universal Studios Florida, and Islands of Adventure from Stella Nova is to take the free buses that Universal provides. They start running about an hour before park opening (including Early Park Admission) and continue until around an hour after CityWalk closes.

While you are at the bus stop, pay attention to where the bus is going that arrives. You don’t want to get on a shuttle that is going to Epic when you want to head to CityWalk.

I have found that the buses that are heading to the CityWalk complex don’t arrive as often as those arriving to Epic. That is mainly because it is much farther to the CityWalk complex, as it’s several miles away!

You will get dropped off at the CityWalk resort shuttle drop-off area.

From here, you will go through security to enter CityWalk. From here, it’s only a few-minute walk to the entrances of Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.

#2. Rideshare or Taxi

When I’m in a rush or don’t want to be crammed into a bus, I’ll call an Uber or Lyft. You can also schedule a taxi if you don’t trust rideshares.

The large motorcoach buses tend to drive slowly, so taking a private car ride is often much faster. It’s a great backup if you miss the shuttle or you anticipate a huge line for the buses in the morning or after the park closes.

Pricing is subject to change, but most rides around Universal Orlando cost less than $15.

Stella Nova to Volcano Bay (2 ways)

The two ways to get to Volcano Bay are the same as the CityWalk complex. The difference is that there is a separate entrance for Volcano Bay.

You can either take the free shuttle buses or schedule an Uber/Lyft.

Volcano Bay is roughly a 15-minute ride from Stella Nova. It’s located near the CityWalk complex.

When you arrive at Stella Nova, talk to the front desk about the frequency of buses that go to Volcano Bay. I have found it can vary depending on the time of year and demand.

I highly recommend taking a rideshare to Volcano Bay from Stella Nova. I think it’s well worth the money to get there and home quickly.

In case you are wondering, you can’t walk from Stella Nova to Volcano Bay. They are too far away from each other (~4 miles), and there are no walking paths.

Can you drive yourself?

First, if you are staying at Stella Nova, you SHOULD NOT drive yourself to Epic Universe. It is much quicker and easier to either take the bus or walk there. Not to mention, you would have to pay the daily rate to park in the Epic lot (over $30 per day!).

While I don’t recommend it, there are probably instances where it makes sense to drive to the CityWalk area or Volcano Bay, because of the increased distance from Stella Nova. But, personally, I’d rather take an Uber. It’s probably going to be less expensive, and they will drop me off closer to the front entrance.

There is a large, centralized parking structure located next to CityWalk. From here, you would walk through security and then into CityWalk, which connects to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.

The biggest negative to driving yourself is the cost (over $30 per day to park). That’s in addition to the daily cost for parking your car at Stella Nova!