Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Loved our stay at Cabana Bay. While not perfect (some of the doors wouldn't open because they needed maintenance. My parents were locked out of their room for a while) the staff at Cabana Bay really went out of their way to make everything a wonderful experience for us. Friendly, helpful staff. Adorable Christmas decorations! Clean! So clean.
And the food was very good! Loved that they have Coca Cola remix machines that you can use as many times as you want if you get one of their cups. The pools were nice and heated and having that private entrance to Volcano Bay was great, too. We'll definitely be back!

Absolutely loved my stay on property. Love the atmosphere and great staff. Loved my room went bowling and much more on property. Definitely enjoyed my park days as well and love the convince of if you need to come back to your room you can. Good food at this hotel and the pool plus lazy river are amazing.

This was our first trip to universal and my first time renting a scooter. I was a little scared how I would manage, but was totally surprise how easy it was. I'm thrilled with my ability to keep up with my family and to be able to go where they go, with very little difficulty. The hotel, bus and theme parks did an awesome job working with the scooter. so happy

We spent Christmas at Cabana Bay, we enjoyed the convenience of the shuttle to universal. Our room had a cool view of the Universal volcano.

Check in was great with Damian.

Plenty of activities to keep the kids occupied, food options in the lobby of the hotel were convenient as well

Our first time staying at this property and we will definitely come again. Check in was easy - Gru was there in line with us! Our room, a family suite, was spacious and well appointed. I really liked the bathroom layout. It was designed so that multiple people could get ready at the same time. The little kitchen area with fridge and microwave got a lot of use. The Bayliner Diner had decent food and a wide variety of options to please everyone in our party. We enjoyed the pool in the evenings, especially the lazy river. Shuttle service was prompt and always available. We had very little wait time. Early park access was very helpful. Overall, a great week at Universal Studios Orlando!

We have stayed on multiple occasions on this property and it doesn't disappoint. There are tons of activities for the kids and Adults. The location is very convenient for parks and many local attractions. The only critique I have is the family room we stayed in was lacking a bit on the extra pillows and a heavier blanket for the pullout couch. Not a major issue at all and easily fixed by the maids. I would 100% recommend a stay here.

Love the retro theme!
They have a food court with various options, salad bar, and grab and go items. There's also a malt shake shop right across. This is super convenient if you didn't get a chance to eat at the theme parks and/or the City Walk was too crowded. The room was clean and just right for a standard room. Room service came by everyday unless you put up the privacy sign. The fitness facility is the best I've seen so far on my travels. I'm a little disappointed I only used it once! Beautiful pools! The hot tub was a little smaller than expected, which was no big deal.

The staff was very nice. The beds were the most comfortable ones we've slept in for a while traveling. The lazy river was our favorite activity. We didn't have time to all we wanted to since this was a work trip. We would definitely go back!

Very friendly staff who is knowledgeable. I enjoyed the family suite and the amenities. There's a lot to explore on this hotel and I had a blast. Rooms have a huge fridge! And a regular size microwave. Plastic silverware is provided as well as plastic plates and bowls. We didn't need it but found out the couch is the family suite was a pull out sofa bed. There's shuttles to the park but if you want to take a water taxi, you'll have to walk to sapphire hotel. Overall, great experience.

We would definitely stay at Cabana Bay again! We rarely waited more than a couple of minutes for a shuttle to or from City Walk. Loved staying so close to the parks and having purchases sent back to the hotel. I can't imagine coming to Universal and not staying on property.

The head chef at the diner was very helpful and kind in helping me find food I could eat. The burgers at the diner and throughout the park were so good! And we enjoyed pizza delivery to our room one night!

The peanut butter whiskey shake at the malt shop was amazing and came in a nice souvenir shake cup!

Stayed in a suite and it was as expected and clean. Easy to get to both pools and lobby easily. Pools were great with one pool having a slide for the kids and the other with a lazy river. Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable. Easy to get to the parks

As an x-Disney World Platinum member who stayed at the mid-to-top end Disney Resorts. Cabana Bay without a doubt is a home run for couples or families. Everything from check-in to rooms to food no Disney Resort can compare with variety, fun atmosphere, cleanliness of the resort, friendliness of everyone who works there. We enjoyed our stay so much we already purchased our return stay in May and purchased Premium Annual Passes. Rooms and food very affordable. I have to tell you the variety of selections for food was amazing and I didn't feel like I was being taken to the bank with the prices....and the food taste great and you get great portions. The Galaxy Bowl is a trip. Great place for a little nostalgia, highly recommending for my family and friends when they come to town.

This place is simply impressive, the decoration inspired by Cuba during the 50s. A scenery that is based on orange, blue and green colors, which makes you feel tropical vibes. The mix between vintage and modern, It’s simply to admire. During my stay I was able to enjoy two pools, both equally impressive, with salt water and warm temperatures, although I must add that my favorite was the one with artificial waterfalls and a system of streams that makes your experience unforgettable. The pools are open until 10:00 pm. The staff is professional and friendly. The hotel has a private entrance just for guests to the Volcano Bay water park, which I thought was great. The rooms are well decorated, clean and with spectacular views (in the towers at least). An excellent place to vacation with family and friends.

PROS:
Walking Access to Volcano Bay with special guest entrance
Free 10-15 minute bus transport to Universal
Spacious rooms that can sleep 2-4-6 people - clean, well maintained mostly. As a family of 4, we had a lot of space to sit, relax & sleep
Kitchenette & Laundry & Drying Rooms
Pool
Variety of food options - yummy breakfast at the Diner
Universal Gift Shop in the hotel
Had a good vibe and family-friendly feeling

CONS:
No kosher/halal food options (vegetarian is not the same)
Though they have multiple buses, during busy times bus transport can take longer as lots of people queue up. So its best to be early or late
Car Parking is not free

We loved Cabana Bay. Our family suite with split bathroom was so spacious
Loved the ability to microwave leftover pizza and heat water for coffee.. the extra space with chairs and sofa was so nice. We did have issues with the cleaning of the room, but was probably due to new staff. Beds were made and comfy each day.

Hotel design and rooms are super cute, they keep most of the hotel super clean. The dining and other common areas are also well designed, the theme is consistent throughout and is bright, cheery, and retro. Its really nice for a budget hotel. Only downsides- parking isn't always the greatest, and they only have pizza for room service. Bus to and from the park is very convenient, especially as when we went this time there was a dedicated Cabana Bay bus, so you don't have to stop at multiple other hotels to and from the park.

My stay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort was a great experience! The rooms, grounds, etc were all very clean and well kept. There are fun options for things to do around the resort, like bowling, an arcade, and pools with a lazy river. I also loved the retro futuristic sort of theme/decor! Very cool place!

My boyfriend and I have stayed at Cabana Bay three times and there’s a reason we keep coming back. We LOVE the retro style and how well of a job they did incorporating it throughout the resort. It’s affordable compared to other universal and Disney resorts. You’re a short shuttle away from Universal and Islands. There’s plenty to do - an arcade, two large pools and a lazy river!, bowling and outdoor movies are played every night. Rooms are always clean and check in is always easy (just make sure you don’t book at a busy time aka summer or spring break). Our only “complaint” would be the food - they have a market style area where you can get breakfast, lunch and dinner but everything is quite expensive and a la carte. The quality/taste of the food isn’t our favorite and we prefer to eat outside of the resort. They do charge parking per night during your stay as well, unlike most Disney resorts where parking is included. You’re about 25-30 minutes from the Disney parks which isn’t bad. If you’re going to Volcano Bay, it’s literally in the backyard of the resort and you can see it from your room (if you pay extra for that particular view).

My daughter and I stayed here for 3 nights. Its a pretty busy and active place, but overall alot of fun. It can be a little overwhelming for a first timer. The lobby was fun with the bar, live music and a minion walking around entertaining kids. The food court was reasonable, had good food and plenty of options. The arcade was small, but my daughter loved it. The bowling alley seemed pretty decent too. The pool and adjacent bar were fun. The shuttles run continuous and were very convenient. One pool was closed off and we didn't use the walking trail to the parks. We'll definitely be back.

It was very clean and smelled nice. Overall though, this place is quite cool! I love the vintage vibe throughout and the cafeteria style restaurant has delicious food. I'm looking forward to going back again to take advantage of the lazy river, arcade, and bowling - which all looked like a lot of fun too. The bus to the parks was a nice perk, but they cram you in there like sardines and standing up while the driver is navigating theme park traffic is a thrill ride in itself.