Review: Cabana Bay Beach Resort at Universal Orlando
Vacation like its 1955!
Cabana Bay is hands-down my favorite Value Resorts at Universal Orlando. Having stayed at Cabana Bay the most out of all the Universal hotels, recently I did a 5 night stay. In this review, I’ll share information about amenities, the pros & cons of Cabana Bay, and what you can expect when staying.
What’s the Vibe like at Cabana Bay Beach Resort?
You’re immediately transported back to the 50's-60's and you're staring in a beach movie. Cabana provides a totally immersive hotel experience. Cabana Bay is 100% taste-specific. If you’re into mid-century modern architecture, or enjoy period television shows like Mad Men and Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, then you’ll love this resort!There's classic cars are parked outside. Rotary phones line a lobby wall. Don't sleep on the retro bowling alley on the second floor. I particularly love the floor to ceiling windows in the main lobby areasThe fun vintage airline posters on the walls always make me think of the movie, “Catch Me if You Can.”
The Room Set Up
Cabana Bay offers various family friendly rooms with some pretty sweet views. Canba's rooms can comfortable sleep 6 guests. There are standard two-queen or one-king rooms and both one and two bedroom family suites.A Standard Room has two queen beds, a flat screen TV, iron, ironing board, hairdryer, in-room safe, and mini refrigerator. There's a small table with chairs, and a dresser with lots of space to store clothing. 
Room Design:
The retro theming of Cabana Bay is continued into the rooms. Bright, bold colors. Bright, bold colors, clean lines, and contrasting materials seen in Mid-Century Modern design. The retro alarm clocks are a neat added touch.And Yes, there’s a Coffee Maker!
The Bathroom Situation
Pretty spacious! Note- There’s only one sink at the vanity with a large mirror above it. Even with one vanity, there’s plenty of space to store your toiletries on the counter.Some room types come with a standing shower and no tub option — something to double check if you’ve got littles still needing a bath set up.The bathroom DO have a separate toilet room making it more convenient when getting ready for the day. The retro theming even goes down to the Alberto V05 shampoo and Zest soap! 
Cabana Bay’s Biggest Selling Point
Standard rooms typically start at around $100/night and family suites starting at $200/night. For my most recent staycation dates- I paid ~$135/night for a discounted standard room
Cabana Bay Amenities
-2 Swimming Pools.-Cabana rentals, lazy river and even outdoor billiard tables.-Outdoor Fire-pits to roast marshmallows.-Galaxy Bowl: In the main lobby upstairs, you’ll find a ten-lane bowling alley with sit-down dining and bar options as well!-Large gift shop.-Free Wi-FI throughout.-Large food court and poolside grill.-2 bars in lobby and pool area.-Free shuttles to and from the Universal theme parks.-Large fitness center.-Ability to schedule shuttles to SeaWorld and local water parks.
Dining at Cabana Bay
The immersive experience continues with the décor in the dining areas and lounges. Bayliner Diner
Spacious food court offering quick-service meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.Reasonably priced with large portion sizes.Several meal stations, all serving family-friendly items. There's an additional central station that has salads, frozen yogurt, and candy by weight, as well as splits of wine and individual servings of beer in the grab-and-go area.Out of the 3 meal offerings, breakfast is again my favorite.
The best spot for unwinding after a ling day in the parks.Located on the right in the lobby, you can enjoy classic drinks at the Swizzle Lounge, a retro-themed bar typically open from 5:00 pm until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.They also have some fun vintage throwback cocktails, including the Swizzle Rum Punch, a Filthy Manhattan, or a Frenchie (vodka, Chambord, and pineapple juice).
Galaxy Bowl Restaurant
Causal, full-service dining while you bowl!Located on the second floor of Cabana Bay’s lobby building. Some of the many food choices include pizza, burgers, Fried Mozzarella Sticks, loaded fries chicken wings, specialty cocktails, and beer.
Atomic Tonic is a poolside bar that’s in the Cabana Courtyard pool area (the 1 with the dive tower). Open from 11:00 am until midnight, it has a full bar that serves signature frozen drinks, cocktails, smoothies, wine by the glass, bottle and draft beer, and pre-packaged snacks.
Hideaway Bar & Grill
Tropical themed bar and grill that’s open from 11:00 am until 10:00 or 11:00 pm most days, and is located in the Lazy River Courtyard pool area. You’ll find typical grill menu and a full bar like the Atomic Tonic. 
Speaking of Cabana Bay’s Pool’s & Lazy River
There's 2 large pools: Cabana Courtyard & Pool and Lazy River Courtyard & Pool. There's also a little, splash pad area, and a water slide! The 2 zero-entry pools are perfect for kids. Carson whose somewhat nervous around water, had no fear walking into either. Both pools offer complimentary life jackets to use.On select nights there's movies played by the pool!The Lazy River Courtyard and Pool also has a sand beach and lots of outdoor seating.This seems to be the more “relaxed” of the 2 pools at Cabana Bay. As a family, or when staying with girlfriends, it’s the 1 I always prefer and recommend.From my stays, the Cabana Courtyard & Pool always feels the most chaotic and crowded.
Exclusive Theme Park Benefits
Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.Early admission to select attractions in Universal’s Volcano Bay water park.Resort-wide charging privileges with your room key card. Complimentary merchandise delivery from the theme parks to your room.
Where is Cabana Bay located?
Located across the street Adventura.Universal Orlando Resort. It's about a 30 minute walk via the walking path to Universal Orlando.Right next door to Volcano Bay. (Which is awesome) There is a dedicated water park walking path that connects To get to Universal, you'll need to take the complimentary shuttle, or prepare for a long walk.Located about 16 miles from Orlando International Airport.
Things to Keep in Mind When Booking Cabana Bay:
The check-in process an take FOREVER. Even when checking in online, I almost always have to wait about 30-45 minutes.Although the rooms can easily accommodate large families, the partition door separating the living area to the bedrooms doesn't give you the privacy or sound barrier needed when little ones are sleeping.The lazy river doesn’t provide rafts/tubes. You need to bring your own, or youl’ll have to purchase them at the pool area. Since Cabana Bay is the most kid + family friendly its often very loud, especially if your room is close to the pool areas.The hotel is INCREDBILY SPREAD OUT. Depending on where your room is located, its a trek to grab a bite to eat, hop on the shuttle, or to the pool.Express Passes are NOT included. ALWAYS do the math on the savings/cost before deciding if one of the 3 premier hotels is a better bang for your buck.No pets allowed$18.00 per night for parking
My Overall Review on Cabana Bay Beach Resort
Either you love it–or you don’t, as this style resort is not to everyone’s tastes. Cabana Bay is 100% geared towards families In both the room styles, and pool areas. Given the amenities, immersive experience, and quality, what you get vs. what you pay while staying at Cabana Bay is incredible.The Volcano Bay View Room offers a stunning view, but if you’re not planning on spending a lot of time in the room, save your money and book a poolside or standard view room.Those with without children might find Cabana Bay a little too loud and rambunctious.If you’re a light sleeper like me- The Poolside view rooms may be too noisy for you.If you've got family or children with you who may struggle during long park days- There’s SO many activities and things to do at the resort. No one will feel bored if they choose to go back to the hotel early, or even switch to a resort day over a theme park day.The buses can be crowded during peak times, but they’re coming and going really frequently, with one close to every 5-10 minutes (or less).Yes, you can find a cheaper hotel off-site, but the easy access to Universal’s theme parks — including Volcano Bay, the early park admission — and all the themed hotel amenities make Cabana Bay worth staying at.
Comparing Cabana Bay Beach Resort to Walt Disney World’s Value Resorts
Being within walking distance of the parks, The lazy river, bowling alley, multiple restaurants, and Early Park Admission are features that WDW’s Value Resorts don’t offer.Children will prefer the Disney decor, but Cabana Bay is by far the better resort in terms of quality and immersive experience. I also feel like as parents, Cabana Bay provides an adult vibe while offering tons of family + kid activities. 
