- I stayed at Universal's retro-themed Cabana Bay Beach Resort, which can cost $140+ per night.
- The resort offers free bus transportation to and from Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
- Cabana Bay also offers a lazy river, poolside movies, and pizza delivery straight to your room.
I stayed at Universal Orlando's Cabana Bay Beach Resort for three nights in August. The highly-themed mid-century modern hotel is without a doubt one of the best deals on the property.
Known as a prime value resort, rates typically start at $140 per night and include complimentary bus transportation to and from Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Cabana Bay Beach Resort is also a short, 10-minute walk to the property's water theme park, Volcano Bay.
The property has a vintage vibe with lots of amenities.
Cabana Bay is my favorite property at Universal Orlando. The resort is highly-themed, offering a floor-to-ceiling, mid-century modern feel. The decor stretches everywhere from guest rooms to dining areas, with a cafeteria that plays clips from vintage advertisements.
Cabana Bay also goes all out during the holidays, offering guests an exclusive Halloween Horror Nights photo op and a large lobby Christmas tree during the winter season.
In terms of amenities, the resort punches above its weight as a value property. There is an on-site bowling alley, two large pools, a lazy river, and ample activities to enjoy once you've returned from the parks.
The resort's retro theme carries into the room decor.
Our room was outfitted with bright colors, fun furniture, and plenty of storage space to unpack and store luggage. The beds were comfortable and the table and chairs made it easy for us to eat in the room when we brought food back.
Cabana Bay offers several options for accommodations, including rooms with standard interior entry, exterior entry, and even views of the neighboring water theme park, Volcano Bay.
Our room had a Volcano Bay view and was a quick, 10-minute walk from the lobby and bus stop, making it easy to catch a ride to the parks.
There's nightly entertainment at the resort's two pools.
One of my favorite parts about staying at Cabana Bay is the poolside movies that are shown each night on inflatable screens. Both pools show different films, offering something for everyone. During past stays, I've watched movies like "Grease," "The Mummy," and "Back to The Future."
There are also multiple firepits located near the pools, with s'mores kits available for purchase inside. I really loved how the hotel spread out its seating areas and activities so that nothing ever felt too crowded.
During the day, there's also an inflatable tube rental stand that sells floats for use in the on-site lazy river. Each of the pools also has a bar and dining options.
The hotel is located near the three on-site theme parks.
There's a bus stop at Cabana Bay that offers frequent service to Universal Orlando and Islands of Adventure. It took approximately 30 minutes to travel from our room to the parks during the day.
However, it did take a little over an hour to get back to the resort when we left at closing. Because there are so many rooms at Cabana Bay, the line for the bus can get very long.
The resort offers lots of options for food.
Cabana Bay has a large food court that offers many different types of cuisine. From standard burgers and pizza to international items like Brazilian beef churrasco, everything we tried was quick, delicious, and affordable.
I also loved stopping at Shakes Malt Shoppe, which served up smoothies in the morning, and scoops, sundaes, and even alcoholic beverages at night.
The resort also has a Starbucks adjacent to the lobby, which is great for grabbing a reliable, high-quality coffee before heading to the parks.
One of my favorite offerings, however, was one of the most fun and unique aspects of the resort — a pizza delivery service that runs pies directly to your room. This was perfect for a meal after a long day in the parks.
Cabana Bay is also a quick walk to Volcano Bay.
Another perk of Cabana Bay is that it's the closest resort to Universal's Volcano Bay water theme park.
Guests with a room key can take an exclusive walking path straight from the hotel to the park. You'll also pass through a private security screening before entering the gate.
If you plan on spending a lot of time at Volcano Bay, staying at Cabana Bay is a great choice. It only took us 10 minutes to get back to our room after leaving the park.
Cabana Bay is an amazing value for the price and offers a fun, cohesive theme.
I loved the design of the resort and how all of the details contributed to the mid-century modern theme.
Cabana Bay is definitely one of my favorite resorts to stay at, mostly due to the unbelievable price for the number of perks available to guests.
From the quick and easy transportation to the parks to the nightly poolside entertainment, you can't go wrong with a trip to Cabana Bay.
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