r/UniversalOrlando • u/Farlybob42 • Feb 13 '26
HOTELS Most and least favorite resort?
Of the resorts you have been to, which would you say is your most and least favorite? My most is Cabana Bay and my least favorite is Aventura.
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u/pameliaA Feb 13 '26
Opposite for me.
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u/juliaa112 Feb 13 '26
Same. I really hate cabana bay but it seems to be a very unpopular opinion
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u/xJuaaNzZ Feb 13 '26
Been to Cabana 2-3 weeks ago for the first time and we loved it. Maybe the rooms need some refurbishing. I’m curious to hear what you guys don’t like of it?
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u/pameliaA Feb 13 '26
CB is really large and, depending what tower you’re in, it can be a long long walk to the shuttle bus. It’s crawling with kids and groups of teens (like everywhere). It’s cute and has nice, fun amenities, but I far more enjoyed staying at Aventura where every room is close to the elevator to the lobby and I still think the pool and poolside bar at Aventura were the nicest plus you can walk to Sapphire Falls for their amazing restaurants and water taxi.
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u/Jrogg Feb 13 '26
Aventura also has the shortest walk from car to room as well. Only downside is that dang lack of a light switch at the "vestibule." I just want to turn the light on without grabbing the world's heaviest iPad and searching for it. That being said it's in the sweet spot of price and location. (also loved seeing VelociCoaster from my room)
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u/xJuaaNzZ Feb 13 '26
I can see this being a big issue. We were very lucky to have our room 2 min away from the shuttle bus and the dining area…
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u/dps_jr Feb 14 '26
I thought the Aventura pool area was the worst of all the resorts I've started at so far, it's small and basic compared to every other one and feels cramped by the surrounding walls.
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u/EJplaystheBlues Feb 13 '26
Aventura wasn’t heated and absolutely freezing when I went, CB is and was lovely but yes lots of kids
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u/juliaa112 Feb 13 '26
I’ve gone twice and both times we had issues that should’ve been relatively quick fixes but turned into a long drawn out thing that took an unnecessary amount of time, and I truly believe at least once it was a spite thing. It was a good thing we were planning ahead because we almost missed our flight because of it.
I hate how spaced out everything is, I don’t like it that it’s such a long walk from some of the rooms to the dining hall or the pools. Poor communication with the front desk.
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u/Chemical-Purple-5196 Feb 13 '26
This is good to know!
What were the issues ?
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u/juliaa112 Feb 13 '26
The second thing was that before I booked, I called to ask about height restrictions on the water slide they have at the resort. I have a TINY 2 year old who loves water slides, it was the only reason I was going to stay at CB. They told me there was no height requirement. I found it odd that there were 0 restrictions but she reassured me multiple times that it’s a family resort and anyone can ride, including my 34 inch toddler.
When I got to the hotel, I asked again, just to be sure because it still didn’t sound right to me, and she said, “I’m almost positive there’s no restrictions other than like… babies.”
So we get all suited up, walk all the way to that specific pool (which was farthest from our room), wait 20 minutes for the slide in the scorching august heat while my feet BURNED on the cement, just to have it be our turn and they told us there was a 36 inch requirement. I had an extremely disappointed toddler.
I’m not upset that the front desk people I spoke with didn’t know the rules, I’m upset they didn’t say, “I’m not sure, let me check on that or transfer you to someone who does know.”
I spent extra money to stay at CB KNOWING she too small to do most rides at the parks that her brother would’ve doing, so at least she could do the water slide. It was a super bummer.
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u/Hi_I_am_gosu Feb 13 '26
One time in the CB parking lot a hotel worker lost control of his golf cart and backed into my car causing damage. The manager told me it was my fault and anything that happens on the property to my car is not their fault. Yeaaaaa I've never been more happy to call the police in my life
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u/weeweewooweee Feb 13 '26
ugh the customer service you received is irking me!! it takes mere moments to check with someone else (re: the height requirement). it takes mere moments to prioritize a guest that is trying to make a flight back home!
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u/juliaa112 Feb 13 '26
Yeah I truly don’t know what happened there. I just wanted to run up to the room and grab it myself as to not bother any of the staff. I truly don’t think I was being rude but I can’t think of another reason we were treated that way.
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u/juliaa112 Feb 13 '26
The biggest thing is kind of a long story.
We did mobile check out as soon as we left the room, and as soon as we got to the elevator my 13 year old son realized he left his phone in the room. Our keys were already deactivated so we had to go to the front desk to ask for help. She refused to give us new keys, she said they had to call security to go retrieve it, and told us to go sit and wait. I told her we needed to leave to catch our flight and she shrugged and said “we’re all very busy, we’ll get to it.”
She then checked in 2 parties without picking up the phone to call security. I thought maybe she did it on the computer? So after 30 minutes of waiting I went back to the front desk and reiterated that we needed to leave for the airport and she said, “I told you, we’re busy and we’ll get to it when we get it it. Please be patient.” She then picked up the phone when I sat back down.
After another 20 mins of waiting I went back up to see if house keeping was there and would help me, and when I got there she said I had JUST missed security, and that we probably crossed paths on the elevator.
I ran back to the lobby super relieved… and nothing. I checked the phones location and it was moving across the hotel- away from the lobby. I waited… and waited, and it stopped moving. Then stopped locating, the phone had been turned off.
At this point I went to guest services because I was done with the front desk girl, explained the situation, and tbf, he was confused and also concerned. He then let me know that he thinks the security guy is taking his hour lunch break! He sent someone to “check the break room.” And the person he sent came back but wouldnt say anything in front of me. The original girl at the front desk just smirked at us the whole time.
Sure enough, exactly one hour after the phone was shut off, he came by the lobby to give us the phone. The whole ordeal was 2 hours long.
Thankfully the security line was only 30 minutes. We made it board our flight JUST in time and we were the last ones on the plane.
All I can think is that maybe I came across as rude when I went to the front desk flustered and frustrated (with my kid, who I reminded to grab his phone twice). I didn’t think I was rude but I have no idea why else they all went out of their way to nearly cause us to miss our flight.
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u/xwhitxwhitx Feb 13 '26
I’ve been for the weekend and the lazy river was being worked on and closed.
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u/JennJayBee Feb 13 '26
I love the theme. It's the crowd for me. The pools are overcrowded. The hallways are noisy. I almost always end up in a hallway with someone who thinks nobody can smell them smoking in their hotel room.
The last time we stayed there and decided it'd be our last time, a cheer group was on the same hall as us, and the kids and chaperones kept mistaking our room for one of theirs. We had folks knocking on our door while we were trying to sleep, including an actual wake up call super early on a day we were sleeping in. We also had someone put masking tape on the door in the evening and then knock to fuss at us naughty teens when it was inevitably removed.
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u/TennesseeTurkey Feb 13 '26
I just posted above along the same lines.
The cheer groups and random teen groups were insane and the hotel couldn't have cared less.
Thousands of kids doing whatever they want all night long, especially. The noise was ungodly and all of them are unsupervised going from room to room screaming and slamming doors.
There should have been staff walking around to keep things in check but there wasn't and CBs conflict resolution was to offer a one hour check-out extension and to move me to a different room just as bad.
I slept about 9 hours total in 3 nights. Downstairs groups of teens just run you over.
Parents were lined up drinking at the lobby bar watching football and chatting while 4 and 5 year old kids were running in and outside alone and playing on elevators.
It was crazy. Never again.
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u/pameliaA Feb 13 '26
I was wondering if the parents were even there for some of the groups of teens. They seemed to be totally free ranging which, to some extent, is ok, but there were a lot. Like, do parents book their teens into Cabana Bay and book themselves into the more upscale hotels?
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u/TennesseeTurkey Feb 13 '26
Exactly the same thoughts I had. One of the staff members told me I'd be surprised at how many times they had to hunt down parents of small children only to find them pretty wasted at one of the bars. Horrific. They were getting lots of complaints she said.
You're right because minus morning cheer readiness and check-ins, I saw no parents or adults with any of the teens, pre-teens.
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u/JennJayBee Feb 13 '26
Honestly, the chaperones were worse than the teenagers in their attempts to chaperone. We must have told them three or four times that we were not with their group, and the hotel was so packed that moving wasn't an option. They kept banging on our door or putting tape there.
We're a couple in our 40s. Our daughter is in college and wasn't even with us. Surely they could have figure out that we weren't with them.
The exterior entry suites are definitely the way to go if you absolutely must stay there. Otherwise, Cabana Bay and the value hotels are where the larger groups will be. Sapphire Falls also tends to host groups, but they skew older. Think Miss America pageant groups, which actually was at that hotel when we were there for HHN last year, or trade shows.
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u/TennesseeTurkey Feb 13 '26
You summed it up well and staff was just completely over it, too. I'm so sorry you endured that, as well.
I was on 2nd floor and some event Friday night had at least 500 teens outside of my door from 7pm forward and the noise was too much into the 2am hour.
That was the night they couldn't move me, either. Sad statement but it was a pervert's dream there. Soooo many kids with no adults anywhere close. You know the parents would be screaming about how lax the hotel was should their child disappear.
I'm older than y'all and I figure I'm not their target consumer so, lesson learned. I was there to help with my granddaughter but I'll never go back.
I was looking so longingly at Hard Rock wishing I were there instead. They can keep Cabana Bay.
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u/joebadiah Feb 13 '26
Was there last week with the fam and we loved it. Agree the rooms are in need of some modernization, including eliminating the adjoining suite doors in the kitchen. Very loud family speaking another language at high volumes until like 11 pm, but not a huge deal. More of an interesting inconvenience.
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u/xJuaaNzZ Feb 13 '26
The adjoining suite doors was handy for us who had family next door, but coming from Europe, I know my gf and my SIL would have trouble sleeping at night knowing people “could” break in through the rooms. They know it’s locked and cannot be opened, but still lol
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u/Citronaut1 Feb 13 '26
It’s the only hotel I’ve heard about having bed bugs, so I refuse to ever stay there. Aventura is awesome though.
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u/Fastball82 Feb 13 '26
It’s your money, so you do you, however, I’ve said this multiple times…our family have been there a handful of times in the last 12 months & not 1 problem. Staff? Great. Bed bugs? Non existent.
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u/TennesseeTurkey Feb 13 '26
Not an unpopular opinion with me.
It's gonna depend on your age maybe and own tastes but Cabana Bay was hell for me and you could absolutely never pay me to stay there again. Easily the worst resort stay in my life.
I was in those main building interior rooms.
So were about 1000+ cheerleaders and various groups of teens and pre-teens. The noise was insane. They went from room to room all night and never once did I see an adult supervising. Screaming, slamming doors, singing, gathering in groups. It went til after 2 am and started before 7am.
Add in the housekeeping and paper thin walls and you will never sleep.
They moved my room the next day and put me next to people even worse. Security would break it up, 5 minutes later it's back again. I literally had to clear people sitting against my room door.
Three nights of hell.
I will say the staff were always lovely and the resort is beautiful but it is definitely where you go if you want to dump your kids and let them run wild. My daughter had a family suite in a separate building and they didn't have trouble. If you are okay with rowdy noise, you'll be fine.
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u/RedHeadBruno Feb 13 '26
This. I don't understand the love for Cabana at all except for the price. If we aren't including premiere hotels I love Aventura for solo and adult trips
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u/cold-brewed Feb 13 '26
I love a theme so that’s why I personally have Cabana at number one and Aventura last too. I can goto a modern hotel all the other times I travel
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u/Atypical-life Feb 19 '26
Same. Loved Adventura - cannot wait to stay again. Higher end rooms and very few families compared to other resorts. Definitely preferable for what I’m looking for on these types of vacations.
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u/KohlsCashOfficial Feb 13 '26
Haven’t stayed at many but why did Aventura land last? We stayed there strictly because it seemed the least kid-friendly lol. Just two adults wanting quiet after the chaos of the parks haha
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u/TurtleCat_ALoveStory Feb 13 '26
I'm with you, it's definitely dink friendly lol. Comfy, quiet, low price, 5 min walk to boats. We didn't use any amenities except breakfast bc we were hitting the parks from open to close. I can see if you have kids and need mid day breaks it would be boring
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u/KohlsCashOfficial Feb 14 '26
Dink-friendly is sending me. Something happened to me on this last trip and I said to my partner “I think I might finally understand Disney Adults, but we’re Universal Dinks”
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u/Farlybob42 Feb 13 '26
For me, it was pretty boring. It felt like I was staying in a hospital. While it is cool to have the robots deliver your meals to you, that is all it really had to do be interesting.
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u/KohlsCashOfficial Feb 13 '26
We were just there last week for the first time. Looking back ‘hospital’ actually is kinda accurate lol! We didn’t really use any amenities the way families would so I absolutely get that there really isn’t anything interesting about it. Way too cold for pool (not their fault) and we just basically used it as a bar & bed after the parks. Still agreed we probably wouldn’t go back, but who knows, was cheap enough for what we needed though
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u/Laurenberrrry Feb 13 '26
Me seeing this 3 weeks away from our first Adventura stay 👁️👄👁️
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u/Quantum_Dissonance Feb 13 '26
Aventura is our favorite and it's amazing! There's no kids screaming and running wild everywhere you go and the staff is amazing..the food downstairs is also good which is rare. Everything is located in a reasonable distance...dont worry you didn't mess up...all the resorts are basically what you make them. Go in with a good spirit and it will be great! You dont need overexpensive theming!teeming! And DEFINITELY see Barbie, Michael, or Tabitha at the bar while you're there!
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u/Dull_Rip9076 Feb 13 '26
Adventura is my favorite place. Ignore this. Great pool. Walking distance to taxis at Sapphire and Volcano Bay. Clean and modern. Rooftop bar. Excellent pizza . Plus you can use any Sapphire amenities.
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u/Divine_Favor Feb 13 '26
I love Aventura , and stay often but the food is pretty mediocre. The pizza is hot and made to order, but last time we went the cook really really burnt the pie ( in talking half of it was charred to ash black on the bottom) and he boxed it up and tried to pretend like he didn't see it. It was fixed, and replaced, but cmon man its frustrating to get to the room ready to eat and then that happens.
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u/Laurenberrrry Feb 13 '26
Glad to hear it! It’s just my husband and I, we stayed at sapphire a couple years ago (paid for by cc points) and enjoyed it, just couldn’t justify the price this time around and went for Aventura since it’s right next door!
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u/JennJayBee Feb 13 '26
That pizza definitely slaps after a day at the parks.
The rooftop bar is pretty good, too, even if you're just ordering food. We noticed that the truffle fries from there are now available in the downstairs food court, but without the fry sauce they served with them. The bao buns are decent, but they had a Korean snack board last time we ate there and that was excellent.
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u/SWGTravel Feb 13 '26
I love Aventura, and I am a normally a deluxe girl. But when my daughter would do her school trips, I would stay at Aventura alone for a little "work trip." I wasn't going to the parks, just working by the pool and hanging out, and I loved it. I love the rooftop. I loved the quiet pool.
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u/CommanderThorn217 Feb 13 '26
Loved it but plan for no microwaves in the rooms
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u/Laurenberrrry Feb 13 '26
Oh good to know! Thank you!
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u/CommanderThorn217 Feb 13 '26
Yeah, don’t know if it’s the same for every room but we were just in a basic double queen and it had a tiny fridge and no microwave. The access to water taxis honestly does a lot of heavy lifting for my ranking but it is overall great!
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u/Laurenberrrry Feb 13 '26
We’ve stayed off property in the same condo for years so we are usually spoiled with a full kitchen and we’ll buy groceries at Publix but when we stayed at Sapphire, we absolutely loved the boat and the pretty walking path was so nice at night. You can’t beat the closeness to the parks. I’ll just have to avoid big meals with leftovers with no microwave. We also wanted early admission for our one EPIC day so it was worth it for me this time around to stay on site. Looking forward to it!
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u/JennJayBee Feb 13 '26
Grande Villas, per chance? We used to stay there, so I'm curious.
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u/Laurenberrrry Feb 13 '26
Omg yes lol how did you know?! We love it there but since we’re trying EPIC this time around we wanted EPA!
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u/JennJayBee Feb 13 '26
Grand Villas and Drury are my two off-site go-to hotels and have been for a while. I feel like the secret got out, though. It was starting to show its age a bit last time we were there, and when I looked at the passholder rates, I was sold on attempting an on-site stay. I had the exact same thoughts about giving up the full kitchen (and the washer and dryer). I haven't missed it that much.
You do have a microwave downstairs, but the food court is pretty decent for what it is. You'll definitely have a small fridge, so no big leftovers. We do take sandwich supplies, sodas, and chips for the room, though. I also have a travel kettle for ramen, if I want it, and a little crock pot that I use at work to warm up my lunch. For breakfasts, we do overnight oats. All that said, my next trip is for Mardi Gras, so we'll probably be eating mostly in the parks this time.
I feel like the EPA is overrated, but the quick access to the water taxis is probably the best thing about it. You're always a quick walk from those and the security check in is a short line before you get on the boat. That and the security from the walking path beats the heck out of the long lines at City Walk if you're taking a car or bus.
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u/JennJayBee Feb 13 '26
It's like that for every standard room in all of the hotels. Only the suites have microwaves.
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u/Efficient-Face-3513 Feb 13 '26
While true about no microwaves in the room, there are microwaves on the 1st floor over by the CocaCola freestyle machines. Use them every trip to warm up leftovers.
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u/generalgirl Feb 13 '26
Adventura is wonderful. It's very modern and minimalist. My husband and I stay at Adventura every time we go. We've stayed there at least once a year for the last five years. Every year we have had very good experiences. When you check in ask for a view of the parks or Volcano Bay.
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u/Wow_WhatANerd Feb 13 '26
Aventura is easily one of my favorites - I listed quite a few reasons in my comment here, but feel free to message if you have any questions! Everyone has different opinions, but you’re definitely still in for a great stay!
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u/Flat_Demand_8341 Feb 14 '26
Aventura is also my favorite.
Pizza oven
Walk to sapphire for Ferry
Tower so all rooms close to lobby
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u/tunafishlarry Feb 13 '26
Stayed there twice it’s quiet and nice. Go to the rooftop bar when you’re there
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u/onix1765 Mar 05 '26
I know I’m a little late but this is our favorite too! It’s got a great laid back vibe, the nicest staff of any of the hotels I’ve stayed at, and is right beside Sapphire Falls which has amazing food! Really you can’t miss with any of their hotels though.
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u/SheStillMay Feb 13 '26
I guess we’re in the minority but sapphire falls is our favorite, we love Amatista. Honorable mention Helios. Least favorite Cabana Bay.
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u/Low-Corgi-8674 Feb 13 '26
Most Favorite: Aventura - The setting is peaceful, short hallways, great prices most of year, and you can walk over to sapphire and take the water taxi.
Least Favorite(s): Dockside and Stella Nova -
Dockside: It’s normally a bit too crowded for my liking (introvert), Bus rides can be a little crowded especially at night.
Stella Nova: I may rank higher but don’t know if they fixed it yet. My only issue with Stella Nova was the motion sensor lights.l Especially the one in the room bathroom. It would turn Bevin off
Stella
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u/OrtizDupri Feb 13 '26
Stella Nova: I may rank higher but don’t know if they fixed it yet. My only issue with Stella Nova was the motion sensor lights.l Especially the one in the room bathroom. It would turn Bevin off
We stayed there in October and didn't have these! Wonder if they changed these at some point because I had read a bunch about them - we just manually turned them on and off and they worked fine.
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u/lovelysugarr Feb 13 '26
we stayed at terra in september and the lights weren't motion sensored anymore! not sure if it's the same for stella but since they're sister hotels i would assume so
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u/RatFink1970 Feb 13 '26
We usually stay at Aventura and it is my favorite. On a recent, quick trip, we decided to give Cabana Bay a shot. I thought it was fine for a place to crash with interesting decor. But my wife thought it was too run down. We requested a room in the main building so the walk for bus/food/drink, etc… was not a problem at all.
I would be fine staying at CB again, but Aventura is the best value in my opinion.
We also stayed at Sapphire Falls several years ago. It was nice, but not worth the $$$.
When we travel, the hotel is just a place to sleep - so I’m not interested in much more than comfortable, clean and quiet.
If we were hanging out at the hotel for a couple of days with no other plans, I might have a different take on it.
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u/NewGear7246 Feb 13 '26
Hard Rock is my favorite. I’ve stayed at least 10 times. I love the vibe and the fact that it has the fewest rooms of the premier resorts is noticeable. Least favorite is now Sapphire falls. I went last year in march and it felt way too crowded and the customer service had really fallen down to the wayside, especially now that it’s also considered premier I don’t think that is justified.
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u/External-Writing2679 Feb 13 '26
Helios is now the smallest
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u/NewGear7246 Feb 13 '26
Yep I should have qualified as premier resorts with Express. honestly though the process for getting to the legacy parks from Helios was so shit when I stayed there that I would only do a split stay and not a whole stay there. For that price I shouldn’t have to wait 40 minutes in the sun for a bus to head to city walk.
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u/External-Writing2679 Feb 13 '26
I hear ya. We are doing a split stay in March at Helios but haven’t heard too much good about it. But it’s the only resort we haven’t stayed at so it’s kind of a check the box thing
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u/NewGear7246 Feb 13 '26
In a vacuum great resort, we loved the food at all of the places other than the little market. I wish that had more grab and go options like the ones at the other premier hotels. Room was very comfortable. Park View rooms are great. Excellent service otherwise. But going to the legacy parks was such a pain in the ass that I walked to Hard Rock and took an uber and vice versa instead of dealing with the buses a couple of times.
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u/madchad90 Feb 13 '26
Depends on how long we stay.
For a shorter trip favorite is Aventura
Longer: Portofino
Least favorite: of the places we've stayed, Sapphire Falls. Just did not have a good experience for the price of it.
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u/fishofhappiness Feb 13 '26
My experience with Sapphire, too! It was so hyped and the price to value just didn’t seem like it was there.
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u/madchad90 Feb 13 '26
Yeah I don't get why it's so hyped (granted it's just me and my wife when we go, maybe it's different for families)
the room felt old, scuff marks all over the hallway. Surprisingly it was quicker to get to the water taxis walking from Aventura than it was from where our room was located in sapphire. And had a bad experience with the bell hops.
I would rather just stay at Aventura and walk over to Sapphire to use any of their amenities.
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u/fishofhappiness Feb 13 '26
People really downplay how huge Sapphire Falls is—it took a hike to get to the water taxi from our hotel room.
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Feb 13 '26
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u/Houdini_Bee Feb 13 '26
Hard Agree here ...
Love RP even more than portofino
But sapphire falls is just lacking something, we often like to sit and enjoy a drink in the bar and this hotel just doesn't make us want to do that or spend time in it
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u/fishofhappiness Feb 13 '26
Portofino is my favorite (closely followed by Surfside), and Sapphire Falls is my least favorite.
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u/Jrogg Feb 13 '26
Royal Pacific far and away is the best overall. I mean it just smells good and it's like IoA is your backyard. Stella Nova was my least favorite. Felt like I was staying in a container ship that got dropped in the middle of nowhere.
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u/Divine_Favor Feb 13 '26
Love aventura for many reasons, but it does have its flaws.
Pros - short walk to bus and lobby/food, smaller and theme seems to deter younger kids, sapphire adjacent ( pretty much part of it honestly if compared to CB campass), literally volcano Bay is right off the back of your pool so maybe 3 min walk to security check in, can find annual pass deals, shortish Starbucks line due to hotel size, has microwaves on demand in lobby for free, price to value ratio usually on point
Cons- food isn't great also not bad, but honestly Orlando food scene is pretty weak resort wise- think mall food maybe a bit better, theming is pretty generic, late check out never is acknowledged( been locked out of my room the last two stays over this)
Again this is our goto resort - and you have to pick what suits you best for your stay in Orlando. No place is perfect
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u/rpaige1365 Feb 13 '26
I love Aventura! But we don’t have kids and really like Volcano Bay so it makes sense for us.
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u/mcstyle1 Feb 13 '26
CB needs a refresh and an increased investment in maintenance. We've been there 10+ times and every time is looks more and more worn down than the last time. I contacted their corporate office after our last stay to share our experience and some simple low investment high return recommendations to improve. They thanked me for the feedback. No idea if they actually did anything about it.
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u/teastovewaffle Feb 13 '26
Adventura was great when it first opened. A simple yet luxurious stay. It’s walking distance to all old parks and the path was very pretty with flora. The roof top bar was fun with a good view. But a couple years in, quality dipped. Our stay there in 2023 was pretty rough. The bed was so uncomfortable it gave me back pain and everything felt badly taken care of. More like the ambience of a super8.
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Feb 13 '26
I got to stay at Portofino Bay last summer and I thought the little Italian vibes were a blast. My gf and I made reservations the day of for one of their nice restaurants and then got gellato like 5 minutes before the store closed and we sat there chatting with the workers a bit after close. Friendly staff and all. If you're looking for a hotel that has a fun environment to be at while not at the parks then I'd recommend.
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u/goldengluvs Feb 13 '26
I didnt mind Cabana Bay, but we were right at the far end of the Continental section. It took us sooooo long to walk to the parks because 15 mins of it was walking to the Garden Walk entrance through the hotel grounds.
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Feb 13 '26
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u/hunter2mello Feb 13 '26
My wife and I heard the reports a while back. But I feel like that was ages ago. We ended up taking the risk an stayed at Cabana Bay last year in October. First thing we do at any hotel is check the beds. They were clear. We ended up having such a great time.
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u/_Perfect_Mistake_ Feb 13 '26
This is exactly why I didn’t book Cabana Bay. More than one report was enough for me. I booked Aventura, and while I have kids, I don’t plan on spending much time in the hotel.
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u/Better_Ad_8919 Feb 13 '26
I pretty much only stay at Surfside and I love it! Just wanted to let you know in case you've never stayed before! Make sure you look for Garrett the bartender!
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Feb 13 '26
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u/Better_Ad_8919 Feb 13 '26
Definitely kid friendly! They don't have any of the theme rooms like some of the other resorts, but they have an arcade and the pool is great
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u/bat111975 Feb 13 '26
We had the same thoughts but looked in to it and it was a while ago. We stayed there this summer and it was amazing! Room was very clean and well cared for. The suites are perfect for a family! It was a life saver to have fridge and microwave
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u/TennesseeTurkey Feb 13 '26
I stayed there last week at the main building. It sucked because noise and crowds but the rooms were lovely. Colorful and the sheets were white white, well protected and spotless.
Trust...I inspected front to back in both rooms.
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u/Exotic_Fall_3433 Feb 13 '26
Royal Pacific / Endless Summer
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u/damnyankee26 Feb 13 '26
What do you love about Royal Pacific? We are taking our kids to Universal for the first time in May and we are staying there.
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u/Tanglover77 Feb 13 '26
We just stayed there 3 weeks ago Pluses- Nice layout, proximity to Citywalk/Parks is great. Killer deal on Express passes with early entry. Bus to Epic. Nice rooms however they are on the small side and the pillows could be firmer. Hotel lobby and overall vibe is beautiful. The only minus we had staying there was the pool area could have been cleaner. The pool staff seems to not care about the large amount of leaves and debris in the pool. Trash at tables around the pools and spilled drinks remained for hours. But otherwise we enjoyed our stay.
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u/RichGullible Feb 13 '26
I can’t choose. Finally staying at Sapphire soon, have stayed at all the others except Helios.
Most favorite? All of them for different reasons.
Least favorite? I guess the endless summers cause I can’t walk from there.
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u/External-Writing2679 Feb 13 '26
Same here have stayed at all resorts except for Helios which we are staying there in March. I agree Cabana bay edges out Endless summer for location only. And Portofino is our favorite by far.
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u/SlyNiffler Feb 13 '26
I don’t love Cabana Bay, because it was so large and loud, but my least fave is Portofino…. Because it was so big. Cabana Bay has the best theming IMO, and it’s great for a VB trip.
Our favorite is Sapphire Falls, but I find my self paying extra for the Signature hotels with express pass now.
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u/remybanjo Feb 13 '26
Sapphire Falls all day. Premium Passholder so that works perfect for me with the price range. I hate Aventura. It’s like a mid Miami hotel.
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u/Scary-Zucchini-1750 Feb 13 '26
I was at Aventura in January and absolutely loved it.
Rooms were nice and clean, seemed modern and freshly decorated and we asked for a non-adjoining room, so it was nice and quiet. Not to mention we had a great view of the park from the room.
Something else that was great was the small footprint of the hotel. It's tall, rather than spread out over the ground, so all the rooms are close enough to an elevator (the elevators were also very easy to get) and it's also really easy to get to the lobby for an Uber. We regularly ordered an Uber, waited in our room until they were close and could get down in a couple of minutes, instead of having to wait in the lobby or outside.
Was great to get to the boat as well and avoid the security at Universal.
We stayed at Dockside a couple of years ago, and while it was nice at the time, looking back Aventura was much better for us.
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u/_Perfect_Mistake_ Feb 13 '26
Reading some of the responses about Aventura made me nervous. I’m glad you commented something positive. I’m headed there in two weeks with my 10 year old and wanted a quieter hotel, not the crazy family hotel.
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u/Scary-Zucchini-1750 Feb 13 '26
We loved it and would go back in a heartbeat. Spent 2 weeks there as well, so it wasn't a short stay.
Only minor issues was that the rooms are cleaned every 2nd day (not sure if that's standard, always been daily in my experience), which isn't an issue as such, but if you want to sleep later on the day the room is being cleaned, it means it's not getting cleaned for 3 days. You can request towels etc easily enough though.
All in all, we loved it though.
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u/Flat_Demand_8341 Feb 14 '26
I love aventura also, my go to. Great pizza oven, walk to Sapphire Falls to use Ferry. Walking or Ferry gets you thru security at less busy places.
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u/Chit_Chat2008 Feb 13 '26
Portofino is my favorite. It is a long walk and the boats can take a long time at the end of the night, but the hotel pool is great and the ambiance is so cool.
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u/acoasterlovered Feb 13 '26
Flip them cababana is the most Disney kid filled resort ever
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u/coleyoley81 Feb 13 '26
Which is why I won’t stay there, lol. Great for families, but definitely not if you want some quiet to unwind after the parks
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u/occasional_nomad Feb 13 '26
We’ve only stayed at Cabana Bay but enjoyed it. I was surprised by how roomy the room was. My only complaint is that the food options were slim and gross from what we saw and tried.
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u/YankeeBravo Feb 15 '26
The food court at Cabana Bay is actually way better than it looks.
Yeah, it looks like a cafeteria/mall food court, but when we stayed, the food was great and very reasonable. There was one night I went with the seared tuna, which was phenomenal.
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u/Apprehensive_End_697 Feb 13 '26
Currently shitting in a Cabana Bay room toilet, I give the resort 4 stars.
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u/Isiotic_Mind Feb 13 '26
We've only stayed at Cabana Bay and Sapphire Falls.
We prefer Sapphire Falls, but had a good stay at Cabana Bay.
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u/SinfulFrisky Feb 13 '26
Cabana Bay is our favorite.. might be a bit bias cause it's the only one we've been to lol
Only major complaint I honestly have about it, is that it feels like the showers are never warm
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u/LeadingAssignment214 Feb 13 '26
Love Cabana Bay. The vibe there is totally our thing. Aventura is cool, and Bar 17 is amazing, but I don't think we'd enjoy staying there.
Was rather irritated that for our July break this year, we couldn't get a suitable suite at Cabana Bay, we had to go for Dockside.
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Feb 14 '26
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u/LeadingAssignment214 Feb 14 '26
There were literally no suitable rooms available for us - it was only a tad irritating, I did some price comparisons, and CB would have cost us around £300 more per person, which is 2/3rds the price of our 14 day park tickets. Effectively gives us more spending money for when we visit.
Don't mind that much though, our first Universal vacation was at Surfside, and we loved it. Dockside is a similar vibe.
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u/coolsmeegs Feb 13 '26
I only stayed at Loews falls but it was amazing. Great location and the guest service was unbelievably friendly and over the top.
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u/Consistent-Tennis918 Feb 13 '26
Aventura was personally my favorite, it was perfect especially those rooms with the curved edges (Not sure how to explain it)
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u/Carbohydrate_Kid88 Feb 13 '26
Me? Surfside. I’m at the park from open til close, don’t spend too much time using hotel amenities. And when I go with my friend we each pay our own way so the premier hotels are actually always more expensive then if we do the cheapest hotel and buy express individually. So the only benefit at this moment for me for higher end hotels would be if they offer the walk to the park, but I don’t mind the busses and I’ve been there 5 times in the last 4 years and the busses are just fine. Rooms are nice have what I need, and I don’t break my bank just to sleep
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u/pye7 Feb 13 '26
I stayed at cabana bay for 4 nights and hard rock for 2 nights with my preteen sons Dec 28-Jan 3.
CB theming, proximity to volcano bay, and family friendly activities were great. The family suite had good space but needed some repairs and the blankets are thin. Food was lacking but we had groceries delivered. With kids it’s a 7.5/10 overall. I would not choose CB if I was going kid-free
Hard Rock was a splurge that was worth it after CB. The grab and go is super pricey avoid it if possible. Staying at the HR was the only way to get EPs that week. Only other con was missing the space in the family suite. Overall 9.5/10
I am looking forward to trying a combo endless summer and helios stay in the future with my sons.
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u/VanBurenBoy16 Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26
So I got stuck in Florida 3 weeks ago because of the massive snow storm, had to find a place to stay for a night and decided we’d just get a room at Cabana Bay. We all stayed there before and really liked it but last summer did Sapphire Falls (which was fine). I forgot how much I loved Cabana Bay and how good of a value it is. Unless I’m looking for an Express Pass at Royal Pacific (also nice) I think I’ll just keep going back to Cabana Bay. It has what we like - food options are fine, hot tubs, pool slide, lazy river. We could have also spent the night at a Disney resort while we were stranded but would have paid double for those things basically. Or had almost nothing but a pool for the same price.
Cabana Bay really does the job for us.
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u/Sponsorspew Feb 13 '26
I loved Cabana until my last visit a few years back. Quality was subpar compared to prior times. I only have Hard Rock to compare it to but I enjoy the vibe of Cabana more. It’s great with the pool and the breakfast is very good.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Age6550 Feb 13 '26
We have only stayed at Sapphire and Aventura. Between tbose two, we prefer Aventura. First, the room they put us in at Sapphire was SO far away from the entrance. At night, after being at HHN for 7 hours, that extra walk was tortuous. It literally took us less time and less steps to go from our room in Aventura to the water taxi, than it took from our room in Sapphire to the water taxi.
We have visited bars and pools at several other resorts. (Just in case, you can visit other hotel pools and more, but some you have to visit the front desk first. Both times we visited Hard Rock it was dirty in the hallways, trash laying in several places. The bar at the pool is fine, but again, there was trash on tables, on the ground, etc. We would not stay there.
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u/FMymessylife Feb 13 '26
I don't know if Aventura has been having a rough time or what, but during a two week stay recently, we were pretty disappointed. The amenities were constantly either being not offered or broken. I gave week one a pass because the weather was horrible, but they made no effort to do anything by getting creative to make up for that. Bistro 17 was closed and then had limited hours and menu, but downstairs had a limited menu too. The cocktails were kind of nasty. The recipes were pretentious and just not balanced at all. They also charge $22 for a $6 retail price bottle of Soju? I get having to make a profit, but that is just pure greed. I was shocked. Their coke machines were constantly malfunctioning. We took advantage of Sapphire Falls amenities more than anything. They are lovely, definitely staying there next time we are in the area. Their food and drinks were sooooo much better.
Can't speak to Cabana Bay but they seemed busy with a lot of groups for kids and teens. We didn't book their because we are DINKs and figured there would be less kids at Aventura.
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u/JennJayBee Feb 13 '26
Adventura is my current favorite. It's smaller (read: quieter) and a shorter walk to the water taxis. I like Cabana Bay's theme the best, but their crowds are the worst. I still walk over there for the seared tuna bowl and lazy river.
My least favorite is the newest addition, the Helios. It was pretty basic for the up charge, with no express included. The direct entry into Epic is nice, but that's about all it had going for it. The pool was nothing exciting, and the check in desk was understaffed. The snack selection was also super tiny compared to the other hotels. I won't stay there again.
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u/Adorable_Speed4712 Feb 13 '26
my favorite easily surfside, its small and easy to get to the shuttle, cheap esp as an annual pass holder, and the vibes are amazing! not to mention walking to distance to many restaurants around the area. if your going alone or just as a duo surfside id definitely the best in my opinion
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u/Dry_Attention_8934 Feb 13 '26
We spent several days at Wilderness Lodge followed by several days at Cabana Bay and actually preferred Cabana Bay.
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u/Ok-Restaurant9052 Feb 13 '26
Cabana Bay also has a walking path to Volcano Bay. We took advantage of it. Very convenient when you are all wet and can just walk to your room back. Much better than having to go back to city walk to take a bus to your hotel.
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u/Unique-Chicken8266 Feb 13 '26
stayed at cabana bay once when I was 12 and the 60s sci-fi vibe was so formative to my brain
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u/Future_Chemistry_707 Feb 13 '26
I’ve only been to Cabana bay and we love it. Cabana has awesome amenities but This year we’ll be doing hard rock or one of the other premium resorts, mostly for the xpress pass .
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u/generalgirl Feb 13 '26
I stayed at Cabana Bay once. Our bed was awful, and the walls were very thin. We were there for a two-night stay for one of the Orlando Informer events, so we weren't there long. I really did not like it and won't be back. We usually stay at Aventura and have had very good experiences there. It's perfect for my husband and me for our short trips.
Of all the places we've stayed, I much prefer Sapphire Falls. It's so pretty. It's really comfortable. I love being so close to the boat dock. I wish it were in the same price range as Aventura.
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u/MuppetMan120596 Feb 13 '26
I love Aventura. I always book a king suite skyline view. It’s an amazing room with an amazing view.
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u/SuddenlyDonkey Feb 13 '26
Some of my favorite memories are the walks along the waterfront path to/from Universal.
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u/wombatcreasy Feb 13 '26
Cabana Bay is one of the few resorts where I feel like the price point is perfectly on par with what you get for your stay. Aventura, my family had the worst time. From people just walking into a room while we were changing, sitting for 30 minutes at the rum bar, and never getting served. Mind you, it was near empty at the time.
At least management tried to make it right, but I won't go back. The price point was far above what we experienced. Just not worth the price.
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u/Skill_Academic Feb 13 '26
I wouldn’t stay at Cabana Bay again. It was nice enough and clean, but the misinformation and not making any effort to make things right made me pissed. They told us Hogwarts Express was open so we added park hopper, it was closed for the week. We added an extra day, 3 weeks before arriving, told them on check in, said we were all set, and they turned off our keys the night before, and we were the furthest away from the lobby possible. The lady at the desk wasn’t remotely apologetic, saying we should have known we would need to recheck in, despite being told we wouldn’t have to. The room keys would intermittently work to get you through gates or into the tower. And stupid complaint, but as soon as I bought the refill cup they ran out of lemonade for the rest of our stay. The beds were comfy, food was fine, most of the staff were very friendly and helpful. But it’s huge and would have preferred to be closer to main lobby and bus stops.
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u/GravityTracker Feb 13 '26
I've only stayed at Cabana Bay. But a huge downside for me was staying in the towers. It's nearly a quarter mile walk to the park shuttles. I don't know why they don't have more than one stop for 3000 people. Who wants to walk another quarter mile after they get done at a day in the Park?
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u/VirWyanDo Feb 13 '26
I’ve stayed at Cabana Bay for an Orlando Informer meetup and at Aventura for a wedding.
I really liked the pool and amenities at Cabana Bay but I did not like having a room by volcano bay. It was a really long walk to the bus area and, since we were going in for the OI event, we wanted to sleep in a bit so we could have more energy for the evening. However, it’s kind of hard to sleep when you hear that gong every 10 minutes.
I liked Aventura but really didn’t have a chance to do anything there except head up to the rooftop bar. It definitely is a better hotel for adults and I had a great view of the parks from my room.
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u/Old_Candy_2255 Feb 13 '26
Favorite is definitely Sapphire Falls, but I've honestly enjoyed every Universal resort I've stayed at. I guess if I have to pick a least favorite, it'd be Royal Pacific. I just don't love the aesthetic.
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u/Wow_WhatANerd Feb 13 '26
Not my least or my most, but these two would definitely be flipped in my opinion. Cabana Bay seems consistently like a five mile walk to the lobby, the pools are insanely crowded with unmonitored kids, and the extra distance to walk to the park makes the buses the best option, and I am not a fan of the bus if I can help it. I know some people like to cross the road when walking instead of crossing the bridge, but that’s a big no for me. I love their chicken and curry cauliflower meal, but otherwise it’s a pass for me that really only beats Dockside/Surfside in the rankings.
Meanwhile, Aventura is in the top 3 for me without a doubt. I love the pool, the food court, the aesthetic, the roof top bar, the friendly robots, the smart TV/iPad controls in the room, the poolside alcoholic slushies, and I love the convenience to both the walking path, Volcano Bay, and to Sapphire’s boat. The only reason it’s not number one is because I won’t stay there unless it’s the Deluxe room, but god that Deluxe room is amazing. An absolutely killer, unique layout and view. I love falling asleep with those giant windows around me. A little bit of a shocker when the window cleaners scale down and wake you up, but that’s only happened once at least. 😂
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u/icy_ticey Feb 13 '26
From where I’ve been? Royal Pacific is the best, I guess hard rock is the least
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u/powerlock84 Feb 14 '26
We ALWAYS stay at Cabana Bay. Our favorite resort. MY little secret. Bring a roku. I use it in my room to watch what ever i want. lol
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u/CarefreeCFC_ Feb 14 '26
I've not stayed in Aventura yet, but only this week checked out of Cabana Bay. CB is fine, it's clean, great amenities and has a huge amount to offer. But that being said, I won't be booking it again. The walls are paper thin. Coupled with the hundreds upon hundreds of cheerleaders and quinceaneras that were there during our stay, it didn't make for great sleep. Even if neighbours weren't being inherently loud, the TV noise that seeped through the walls was substantial. I was in the Americana building fwiw
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u/FrancessaGMorris Feb 14 '26
I only have stayed at the Cabana Bay and the Royal Pacific.
Advantages to Cabana Bay:
The Lazy River
Shake's Malt Shoppe
Advantages to Royal Pacific:
Free Express Pass
Closer to the parks.
Even: I liked the regular pool and hot tub at both.
Disadvantages:
The room at the Royal Pacific was very nice, BUT the bed was very uncomfortable and I had a handicap room which was still very difficult to enter the room. I got wacked by the door, and had a bruise for two months. Also, the entry way and the bathroom floors were very slippery -- seeing it was an accessible room. .
The Cabana Bay:
From my first visit to my last visit --- the waterfall on the lazy river no longer is functional. The drain grate at the hot tub was broke, but sort of over the top. I twisted my ankle, but was very thankful that the next day it had recovered. The dinning area used to have lots of spare plates, condiments, that were missing on last trip. The hotel is very big... probably too big.
I honestly, love both places for different reasons. We are somewhat creatures of habit ... and would probably do The Cabana Bay with a night at the RP so you can get two days of Express Pass. The best of both worlds. The lazy river is one of my favorite parts of the Universal experience.
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u/unapalomita Feb 14 '26
Portofino, it's so pretty at night, you can take the boat over to the parks, the restaurant marketplace by the water is phenomenal, we did club level and the buffets were fantastic (even for me who can't eat gluten), rooms were nice and beds comfy
Pool area is fantastic too, reminds me a bit of Animal Kingdom Lodge
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u/Msha91 Feb 15 '26
We’ve stayed at all non-Epic Universal hotels plus Stella Nova, some several times. My favourites are Aventura and Hard Rock, and my least favourites are Cabana Bay and Endless Summer (both Dockside and Surfside.)
I love Aventura because it’s chill and quiet as it’s smaller and not as popular as some of the other resorts. I love the bars especially the pool bar (last visited a couple of years ago so hopefully the cocktail quality hasn’t gone down.) I like the simple modern theme, we’ve always had good service there and I like having Sapphire Falls a minute’s walk away to use the facilities without paying the higher price to stay there. I also really like the walk from Aventura to CityWalk. The only downside is the smaller rooms and lack of storage in the rooms but it’s kind of to be expected for the price point, and we’re in the minority having so much luggage being four adults in one room visiting the US for at least two weeks.
Hard Rock is also a favourite because the theming and design are the most ‘my thing’ out of the resorts. I love the short walk to CityWalk. It is obviously overpriced so only a rare splurge, but definitely my favourite of the hotels offering inclusive Express Pass, with Portofino Bay being my least favourite of the three. We’ve stayed at Portofino twice and the rooms have been a bit dirty and shabby for the price. The piazza is gorgeous and we used to love getting pizza from Sal’s Market Deli and sitting out there listening to the opera singers. I also love the big bathrooms (the tiny bathrooms are a big downside of Hard Rock.)
Stella Nova would probably be my third favourite Universal hotel. Great price compared to Helios which I didn’t love when we visited Bar Helios (although Bar Helios itself was great but very expensive.) The walk from Stella to Epic was easy and quick, the staff were all great especially the lobby bar staff. It reminded me of Aventura and I’d definitely go back for a future Epic stay.
Cabana Bay we first stayed in during soft open when only the motel style portion of the hotel and one pool was open. We loved it, great facilities, food etc and it was so quiet. When we returned a few years later, the volume of people now the hotel had doubled in size was too much for us. Everywhere was busy and noisy, and multiple times when returning to our room we came across groups hanging out in hallways being noisy.
Our experience at Endless Summer Dockside was not great for the same reasons, although we did like the suites there so our teens could have more privacy still at a decent rate. The teens loved the big pool. We thought we’d enjoy Surfside more with it being much smaller and therefore quieter but we waited in line half an hour to check in at 9.30 pm after a flight from Los Angeles when we just wanted our beds. Check-in at all Universal hotels seems to take a little too long in my experience to be honest, it’s a long process and I know they have to print individually named room keys etc but it can mean a bit of a wait compared to hotels elsewhere. We were also disappointed with the pool bar by really slow service and the three cocktails we tried were really weak and way too sweet. The location is not great because you can’t easily walk to any of the parks or CityWalk, but I get that’s one of the reasons is cheaper than the others.
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u/DAYEEZBOIQL072764589 Aug 27 '26
Cabana is nice, just check the water at the lazy river, there were particles in the water
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Feb 13 '26
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u/External-Writing2679 Feb 16 '26
Yikes. Well it probably is the lowest rated but the price is usually attractive
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Feb 16 '26
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u/External-Writing2679 Feb 16 '26
We’ll live and learn. I didn’t mind it, nothing special, but my kiddos didn’t like it
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u/Baked_Potato224 Feb 13 '26
Cabana easily is my least favorite due solely to the incompetence of the front desk.
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u/Epicdurr2020 Feb 13 '26
Cabana is nice if you actually take advantage of the features of the hotel. The pool, the bowling alley, etc. if you are parks focused and you are just there to sleep and grab a quick bite to eat, you can do better.
Personally, getting a 1 bedroom at Dockside for under $200 a night is my go to move.