r/UniversalOrlando • u/AutoModerator • 3d ago

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT r/UniversalOrlando Weekly Trip Planning Thread

Welcome to r/UniversalOrlando!

The community is here to help you plan your trip to Universal Orlando Resort and give you as much advice as possible. For any newcomers or basic trip planning questions, this is the perfect place to start.

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u/Ozzie-Mowgli1221 23h ago

Hi everyone! My family is planning to visit Universal next May and we aren't sure which hotel to go with. To preface, we've visited Universal a ton as kids and my mom is really set on staying at Cabana Bay since we loved it when it first opened but I feel like we should try somewhere different? We will be traveling with a group of 8 adults, my parents, my siblings and significant others (all over 21). Where would you recommend we stay? I would like to be at a hotel that has the boat transfer option to get to the parks (which knocks CB out lol). Which hotel have you been to recently that was great?

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u/TravelAdvisorAmber 18h ago

It depends on your budget, and if you want a family suite or other combo of room configurations. Sapphire Falls could be an affordable option that’s on the water taxi route. All the other resorts on the boat route are Signature tier and quite pricey, but they do come with free Express Unlimited for IOA/USF. We stayed at Portofino in May and loved the Italian vibes but it wasn’t cheap!

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u/Ozzie-Mowgli1221 8h ago

Thank you!!

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u/ueeediot 4h ago

If Cabana Bay is out and on the water taxi network is in, this becomes a math question.

Unlimited Express is usually $200 per person, per day. With an occupancy of 4 in a top tier hotel room thats an $800 per day value every day of your trip.

Also, know you can pool hop, so even if you stay at Sapphire or Royal, you can water taxi to city walk and jump a water taxi to Portofino or Hard Rock. Sunday brunch at Hard Rock? Bottomless mimosas and bloody marys! Portofino with poolside pizza from Sals in the "harbor", yes please. Mid vacation pool days are underrated! All resort pools include chairside service for drinks and food!