Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort Review
Cabana Bay Beach Resort is a hotel in Orlando, within walking distance of Universal Studios Florida & Islands of Adventure theme parks. In this review, we’ll share room photos, info about amenities, pros & cons of Cabana Bay, and how these budget accommodations stack up to Walt Disney World Value & Moderate Resorts.
Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort first caught my attention thanks to its 1950s retro design, with Mid-Century Modern architecture and interior design, and styling drawn from beach and car culture. The quasi-motor hotel style works well for this theme, and Cabana Bay reminds me of the iconic motels you’d find along California’s Pacific Coast Highway or Florida’s coast. Except, like the best Walt Disney World resorts, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is idealized, romanticized, and a more fully-featured hotel.
With that said, Cabana Bay Beach Resort is most definitely taste-specific. If you’re into mid-century Americana, appreciate the subtleties of Mid-Century Modern, or enjoy period television shows like Mad Men, this will be right up your alley. If you look at the photos here and think, this looks like a dated roadside motel, then Cabana Bay is not for you…
I am an absolute sucker for Mid-Century Modern. While living in California, we’d book otherwise pricey hotels during the off-season (read: when it was over 100 degrees in the middle of summer) in Palm Springs, and walk/drive around checking out the architecture. In addition to the aforementioned coasts, Cabana Bay would be perfectly at home nestled between the mountains and desert of Palm Springs.
The clean lines and swooping curves punctuated by geometric patterns, splashes of color, subtly deceiving minimalism, and contrasting materials that typify Mid-Century Modern are present in spades at Cabana Bay. Mid-century modern is ostensibly simplistic, with form following function. However, each element reveals more attention to detail and charm the more you’re in its presence. Same goes for Cabana Bay–there’s a ton of beauty in the resort’s ostensibly understated appearance.
I could go on and on, but I think it’s either something you love–or don’t. I’m very aware that this style is not to everyone’s tastes. As such, it probably makes sense to start with a series of photos from around Cabana Bay Beach Resort so that you can decide, as a threshold matter, whether this theme appeals to you:
When reviewing things I love, be it BBQ ribs, calamari, or ice cream, I often preface my comments by saying that there’s no such thing as a ‘bad version’ of those things. Only good to great. I feel like I should offer a similar caveat here–even before staying at Cabana Bay, I was pretty confident that I’d love it based upon the theme.
That’s why we chose it as our first place to stay at Universal and first hotel to review–it’s going to be difficult to top for me. Just offering that in case you look at these photos, read this glowing review, and wonder how I reached some of these conclusions. With that caveat out of the way, I truly believe Cabana Bay is head and shoulders above other Value Resorts in terms of its features and quality, objectively speaking.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the guest rooms.
We stayed in a Standard Room with a Volcano View. Each such room has two queen beds, a flat screen TV, Cuisinart single coffee pod brewer, iron, ironing board, hairdryer, in-room safe, and mini refrigerator.
These rooms are 300 square feet in size, which puts them between Walt Disney World Value (260 square feet) and Moderate (314 square feet) Resort rooms, size-wise.
The space is well-utilized, and we found Cabana Bay’s rooms to be very good.
There’s our view of Volcano Bay Water Park.
I loved this view and took a ton of day, sunset, dusk, night, and sunrise photos of Volcano Bay during our stay that made the ~$20/night extra we paid “worth it” to us. I probably wouldn’t recommend this upgrade to most people, though.
The most important ‘feature’ of our room at Cabana Bay?
THEMED BEDSPREADS. A+ review, 10/10 stars right there for that alone. You know how I am about my themed bedding.
The bathrooms are fine.
Given what Walt Disney World is doing with its room re-designs at Pop Century and the All Stars, I’d actually give Disney’s resorts the edge in this department.
We did end up with an ADA layout, so here’s what that looks like.
In looking at photos online, I prefer the normal layout, but this is what we were assigned. Not a huge difference either way.
Another little touch that I absolutely love is the themed toiletries.
It’s minor, but providing shampoo and soap with retro labels is really cool and shows the resort’s attention to detail.
One of Cabana Bay Beach Resort’s biggest selling points is its pricing, with standard rooms starting at around $100/night and family suites starting at $200/night. For our travel dates, we paid ~$130/night for a discounted standard room with a view of Volcano Bay Water Park.
If you travel during peak season, expect to pay more. During off-season, you can score deals for less. Currently, there are offers for Florida residents and Annual Passholders that are around $84/night. Given the amenities, features, and quality, the value proposition of Cabana Bay is exceptional.
The biggest perk for Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort on-site guests is early admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Park. (Note that Cabana Bay guests do not receive unlimited Express Pass.)
Early access to Wizarding World of Harry Potter isn’t as important as it once was, but is still pretty key at Volcano Bay, which is literally right behind the hotel–a super easy walk.
Cabana Bay also has shuttle buses and walking paths that provide access to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and CityWalk. (The bus stop is near the classic cars–the cars aren’t the shuttles, as cool as that would be!)
I personally find the Garden Walk to the parks to be lovely and something of a hidden gem, but it’s about a 20 minute walk. Buses can be crowded during prime times, but they’re also incredibly frequent, with one nearly every 5-10 minutes (or less).
In terms of amenities and features, we’ll start with the pools, since those are often the biggest selling point of a resort.
Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort has two large pools: Cabana Courtyard & Pool and Lazy River Courtyard & Pool.
Cabana Courtyard and Pool offers a dive tower-themed water slide, poolside Atomic Tonic bar, cabanas for rent, shaded picnic tables, and a large fire pit.
This area is located off of the main lobby and among three different wings of guest buildings. I don’t know if it was simply my perception or the layout of the pool as simply a single, large area, but the Cabana Courtyard & Pool always felt crowded and chaotic during our stay.
Lazy River Courtyard and Pool features a lazy river, sand beach, the poolside Hideaway Bar & Grill, two fire pits and tons of outdoor seating.
This seems to be the more “chill” of the two pools at Cabana Bay; it’s the one I preferred and recommend.
On the dining front, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort has a ton of options. In addition to the aforementioned pool locations, there’s also a lobby bar, food court, bowling alley restaurant, lobby Starbucks, and in-room pizza delivery.
Not exactly what you’d expect from a Value Resort!
The main dining option where most guests will eat is the Bayliner Diner food court, located off the main lobby.
It’s fine. In addition to standard fare, there’s an international station that has some good options. As for a Walt Disney World comparison, I’d put this somewhere around or slightly above Everything Pop in terms of quality, and below Landscape of Flavors at Art of Animation.
On a previous holiday season visit, I felt compelled to buy this refillable mug from Bayliner Diner. I love Christmas stuff and I use this type of mug a lot. In reality, this whole post was a pretense so I could boast about this rad mug that I bought.
On our most recent visit, we found two different styles of resort-specific mugs at Cabana Bay. Another nice touch.
Moving towards the lobby, The Swizzle Lounge is located across from the check-in desk. Every night we’ve stayed at or visited Cabana Bay, this place has been hoppin’, even into the late night hours.
It’s obviously a popular hangout spot for unwinding after a day in the parks.
Upstairs in the main lobby, there’s Galaxy Bowl, which is–as the name suggests–a bowling alley.
I haven’t bowled in ages, but this seemed like a really nice setup. Bowling has a certain retro vibe to it, so it seems like Galaxy Bowl is the perfect fit for Cabana Bay Beach Resort.
Given the pricing, the slate of amenities that Cabana Bay has is really, really impressive.
There’s little arguing that Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort far exceeds any Walt Disney World Value Resort in terms of hotel features. The bowling alley, multiple restaurants, lazy river, and being within walking distance of the parks are all huge, and things WDW’s Value Resorts simply do not offer.
Of course, there’s the question of whether you’ll use all of those things (while I love the idea of a bowling alley, I’ve never once gone bowling on vacation).
There’s also the question of whether Walt Disney World’s on-site perks like Extra Magic Hours, Disney’s Magical Express, etc., outweigh the early access to Volcano Bay and Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Personally, I think this is a why not both? situation.
If you’re going to spend multiple days in Walt Disney World’s parks and multiple days in Universal Orlando Resort’s parks, do a split stay with at least a couple of nights at each set of hotels. Otherwise, “stay where you’ll play.”
Even though it’s a Value Resort, Universal nails it with the details and design. Conveying an actual theme in a Value Resort is no easy task, but Universal nailed it here by leaning into the motel nature of the accommodations, rather than aiming for something more grandiose and elaborate.
Reasonable minds may vary, but this is a superior thematic approach as compared to Walt Disney World’s decision to decorate its Value Resorts with oversized icons. With Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Universal is recreating the clean, sleek architecture of the 1950s and 1960s–and absolutely crushing it.
By contrast, Walt Disney World’s value resorts are not transportive to another time and place; they feel like modern motels with big decorations all around. (Again, theme and decorations aren’t the same thing.)
In fairness, kids will probably prefer those oversized Disney icons and various decorations, but Cabana Bay is hands-down the superior resort in terms of theme and quality.
My biggest complaint about Cabana Bay is its size. This resort has 1,800 rooms, and at various times it feels like every one of those guests is in the pool, food court, or waiting for the buses.
With that said, this is hardly a unique problem. Pop Century has ~2,800 rooms and each of the All Stars have nearly 2,000.
I’m not sure if it’s the way those resorts break up space with multiple building clusters and more space (or if we just stayed here during a busier time), but Cabana Bay felt busier.
Nevertheless, my late night and early morning strolls around Cabana Bay were still delightful. Seeing the neon glow against the palms or the morning sunlight kiss the sharp lines of the architecture were lovely, serene experiences.
Overall, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is an absolute winner, offering unparalleled value for money among theme park adjacent resorts. The hotel offers far more features than you’d expect from the price-point, especially one situated at a major theme park complex. While I wouldn’t personally use all of these things, the diversity and range of the offerings is really impressive, and all of this in-tandem is what makes Cabana Bay work so well as a bona-fide resort where you’ll have a lot of fun.
On-site theme park hotels have the benefit of proximity, sometimes allowing them to phone it in on quality. That is not even remotely the case at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Rather than feeling like a roadside motel with some decorations and haphazard stylistic flourishes, this is a romanticized and elevated 1950s-60s era midcentury modern motel. While the style might be taste-specific, the attention to detail and quality at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort are undeniable. The end result is an inviting resort that’s actually a place at which I enjoyed hanging out and spending time, irrespective of the theme park association.
Planning a trip to Orlando, Florida? Learn more about Universal Orlando Resort in our Islands of Adventure & Universal Studios Florida Planning Guide. Want comprehensive Disney advice? The best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know. For more on hotels, check out our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page.
Your Thoughts
Have you stayed at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort? What do you think of it? Interested in staying here? What do you think of Universal’s v. Disney’s Value Resorts? What about on-site perks? Do you agree or disagree with our hotel review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
thanks to your picture of the bathroom products, I’m now singing the zestfully clean jingle in my head. . .
We LOVE Cabana Bay. It’s a great place to be if you are going to have resort days. We love the bowling alley and we’ve definitely hit it each trip. It’s a nice activity, they have a good beer selection and the food is good. The pools are nice, and we like the fire pits and “dive in movies.” We have done split stays w/ Disney hotels which is a great option, but I think our favorite trip was one where we stayed at Cabana Bay for the duration and hit MVMCP one night and did a day at Epcot, using Uber to get over there. We rented a cabana at the pool one day and then did a few days at the universal parks, City Walk. It was perfect.
I agree 100%! I stayed there with a friend last february for the Universal part of our trip and we loved it. I love mid-century modern stuff and thought the theming was really fun and detailed. I also really liked the food at the Bay Liner Diner, which was a good surprise. I’m not sure if I’ll stay there next time because I’d like to try another Universal hotel, but it was definitely a great experience, especially after 10 days at the All Star Music (which was a little “dusty”).
We stayed there a few years ago and really enjoyed it! The rooms were really nice and we thought the restaurant was a good value! I would definitely stay there again
We stayed at Cabana Bay our first time we stayed at Universal. We LOVED the hotel. It is my favorite themed hotel at Universal. If they offered the express pass, we would only stay here. Since they don’t, our favorite hotel at Universal is Royal Pacific. Our least favorite (that we’ve stayed in) was Portofino Bay.
We just stayed here during our Galaxy’s Edge preview–it was around $160/night for a family suite, and with two little kids, we really appreciated having the extra space in the room! I’d honestly rank it above Disney moderates in terms of comfort–it’s going to be our new go-to for any trips where we can’t spring for a Disney deluxe!
As a child of the 1980s, I still can’t (and probably never will) shake my impression of the mid-century modern style as old and dated. No matter how much I hear about its design merits, and how trendy it’s become again, it just screams “grandma’s musty basement” or “shabby family restaurant” to me (on a visceral level) rather than “retro cool”. That’s probably how granite countertops, exposed light bulbs, and stainless steel appliances will feel to the kids of 20-30 years from now.
That said, your photos make it apparent that Cabana Bay leverages MCM in a really appealing way. Our family hasn’t yet visited Universal but this looks like somewhere we’d enjoy staying when we do come for the first time.
I’m with you on that style, Pete (born in ’74).
Me too! But, my “appreciation” for it now comes from a gradually learned/self-imposed nostalgia I guess. I’ll humor it, but keep it at a comfortable distance. You know, typical GenX skepticism.
Thanks, Kevin and Ash — glad to see I’m not alone! I’m a ’76er myself. I’ve learned to appreciate MCM on an intellectual level but don’t think I’ll ever be able to muster real affection for it.
Glad you’re venturing into some Universal content – it’s helpful to have your perspective on things, with the comparisons to WDW. I wish we had more time for our Orlando travels as I’d really like to spend some time at Universal in addition to what we do at WDW.
Hi Tom,
I have stayed here and it is a nice property. However, if you love mid-century architecture, have a look at Wildwood, NJ. This was ground zero for mid-century, (or as they call it, “Doo WOP), motels. There was once over 300 such structures on the island, and now their down to about 100. But there is still a lot to marvel over. For a snap shop, take a look at the “Doo Wop Preservation League”. I think Disney deploys this style in the Pop Century as well.
Thanks for this site! It helps so much with our planning.
Al
Really love this content!
We’ve been eyeing a trip to Universal in coming years, and in some light research it seemed like the value proposition (hotel you get for the money) seems to skew way in Universals favor. Hope you can review the other resorts, thank you!
We LOVE Cabana Bay! Stayed in April 2016 for a few nights for our first time at Universal Orlando. Booked it again for next summer. Price is higher due to the peak time we are going (July 1-5), but unlike WDW where I want to try (almost) every resort, I will always return to Cabana Bay when doing Universal. I too am a sucker for that mid century modern decor, and love the colours and the amenities of the hotel. We booked a 4 night stay so that we can have at least one day to use the pools, do some bowling, and just enjoy the resort. Looking forward to trying the water park too, as it was being built the last time we were there. The only problem we had last time was we opted for a pool view room & each morning around 7am they used a leaf blower to clean the sand off the paths around the lazy river pool! 7am! We will never pay extra for a view again – strictly standard next time. But we love the place so much. Thanks for the review – glad you enjoyed it as much as we did.
We had a fractured (beyond split) stay for our recent trip:
Aug 18-20 Cabana Bay
Aug 20-22 Royal Pacific
Aug 22-27 Caribbean Beach
Aug 27-30 Swan
For theming and all around awesomeness, Cabana Bay was me, my husband, and our kids’ favourite. The lazy river was great, and I loved the colours and toiletries and mid-century design. We paid I think $94/night plus parking with the AP rate. If Cabana Bay came with Express Pass included at Royal Pacific prices, I’d pick Cabana Bay. The other hotels were all good and having Express Pass for the 4 of us for 3 days was worth the move to RPR, but Cabana Bay is the one I’d most want to stay at again.
We stayed in Cabana Bay last year looking over the pool (not Volcano side) and loved it. We did as you said in article we split the holiday between Disney and Universal, it was brilliant, like two holidays in one. Totally recommend the Cabana Bay. We are staying in the Lowes Royal Pacific next year after Disney Caribbean Beach. Look forward to more reviews.
I’d book it for the Zest soap packaging.
I was thinking the same about the V05 too! Love this whole era
The wife and I stayed here during our honeymoon four years ago. We stayed three nights but only didn’t one day in the Universal parks. This hotel had enough to keep us busy and help us relax. We stayed in the Americano “tower” and our room overlooked the lazy river. I too felt that side of the Resort was quieter. We loved the theming and enjoyed both the pretty walk to the parks and the promptness is the shuttle and the option of both. Our next hotel after this was Port Orleans Riverside, and that was a huge disappointment after Cabana Bay. We would stay at Cabana Bay every trip if it was closer to Disney. We just aren’t into the Universal parks as much.
Like you, I absolutely love the mid-century modern look of this resort, and would love to stay there some time. With that said, we probably never will, because for us it’s worth moving up to one of the other resorts (usually Royal Pacific) to get the unlimited express pass. This makes a huge difference for us, since our time at Universal is usually limited.
Jack LaLanne gym kept to the theme and was a pleasure. Did you peek in? Also, fun to eat at the bowling alley to the clatter of the lanes. Nice menu,..
My brother and I stayed here last time we to Universal. While I’m not in love with the theme, the value and amenities you get for the price point is hard to beat.. and so I’ve got us booked here again for our next trip! With an annual pass discount, we’re in a family suite for $155 per night!
So after our second stay in October 2019, I will say I -am- in love with the theme now, and I can’t wait to stay here again!
I am like you..love the Mid Century..my house is this way!!! We love this resort ..have stayed many times..the only thing I wish it offered was the Express Pass..the last few times we have stayed at Universal has been st a Deluxe so wer could get the Express Pass..was cheaper that buying the pass…..also the walk is quite long if it is hot
Thanks for this review. I’ve been eyeing this hotel for a trip to Universal. This looks great. I love the style and my husband will too. Kids love anything that’s “fun or fancy.” Lol
Don’t forget you can use the amenities of the other Universal hotels (apart from Endless Summer Resort).
So don’t forget to cross the street (or shuttle over)to Sapphire Falls and take the water taxi to CityWalk. We always do that, Sapphire Falls has own security screening, so you won’t get stuck at the main hub – which can be very busy during peak times.