When you arrive at Cabana Bay Resort at Universal Orlando, you will be instantly transported back to the 1950s and 1960s. From tiny details around the hotel to the overall decor, you'll see the classic, retro design throughout. When you check in, each person in your family will be given a keycard to access the room and different parts of the resort. Adults can also use the keycard for resort-wide charging. At the pool and need a drink, just scan your room key to have it directly added to your stay.
If you're thinking this is just a hotel you'll be sleeping at during your vacation, you're wrong. I love the family atmosphere Universal's Cabana Bay promotes. You spend long, busy days in the parks and can come back to Cabana Bay to gather together to relax and play with your family and friends. It was so much fun to visit with several other Macaroni Kid publishers. We were able to come together to visit with each other's families, swim at the pools together, get a drink at The Hideaway Bar & Grill (one of the many restaurants/lounges on site at the resort), watch our kids interact and roast marshmallows together and just enjoy each other's company. This would also be the ideal resort for family reunions or meeting up with friends!
Staying at Universal's Cabana Bay is a vacation in itself! They have a luxurious bowling alley for the whole family called, Galaxy Bowl. There are many cozy spots around the resort where you can find couches and tables to play cards or just sit and chat. They also have two large courtyard type areas in the center of the resort with huge swimming pools, water play features for the kids, big water slides, a winding lazy river, pavilions with tables and chairs for gathering, fire pits for gathering with friends and roasting s'mores, a large arcade, a physical fitness studio, and a large area with outdoor yard games, ping pong, etc. They even have a beach-type area with sand!
On Friday nights, characters come make meet and greet with your family in the main lobby of the resort. While we were visiting, we met Woody Woodpecker and Betty Boop - both classic 1950s/1960s characters (another way they carry the theme through!) My kids were so excited to meet Woody Woodpecker, and then, see Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster over in the park the following day. We were very impressed with how friendly the characters were and how much time they took to take pictures and play with each of the kids. We also loved that because it's at your hotel - there's not really any lines. You can walk right up to meet them!
Universal's Cabana Bay also has several onsite restaurants and lounges. Choose from Bayliner Diner - a cafeteria-style food court with plenty of options to please even those with a more limited palate (say my 6-year-old daughter!), The Hideaway Bar and Grill - located close to the lazy river yet tucked away to give it a more secluded, quieter feel, Atomic Tonic - located poolside for a quick adult beverage while you relax in the sun, Galaxy Bowl restaurant - located inside of Galaxy Bowl so you can chow down while you play, Swizzle Lounge - located in the lobby of the resort with adult beverages only; however, anyone can enjoy the live music at nights, Starbucks - located in the resort lobby...need I say more?, and Delizioso Pizza - which can be ordered and delivered anywhere on the resort property! You can also purchase a Universal Cabana Bay refillable cup - this cup is available to purchase in the Universal Store on property and can be refilled for free all day!
Guest rooms also decorated in the retro-style and are spacious for families! I can't recommend the Family Suites enough! It comes with a bedroom with two queen-size beds, a walk-in closet, drawer space and the large bathroom. The bathroom is separated into three parts - a toilet room, a room with the tub/shower and a sink/mirror, and a vanity area with another larger sink and mirror. This is ideal for families who are all getting ready together at the same time. Each Family Suite also has a living room with a pullout couch and a kitchenette complete with a sink, counter space with barstools, a mini fridge, and a microwave. After eating at the parks and at Universal's CityWalk several times, it was nice to be able to come back to the resort, hit the pool for an evening swim and eat a late dinner back in our room. We also took advantage of being able to heat up some oatmeal or store some yogurt for quick, out-the-door breakfasts! However, I have to say Three Broomstick's breakfast is absolutely delicious!
They also have a large Universal store right in the resort lobby. You'll find tons of souvenirs for anyone and everyone! From lanyards to stuffed animals to swimsuits and s'mores kits, you'll find anything you may have forgotten or just didn't know you needed!
By staying on property at Universal, you also get early park admission! You can visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and Universal's Volcano Bay™ one hour before the theme park opens with paid theme park admission. So for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you can arrive at 8 a.m. and be the first to ride the Dragon Challenge or Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (my 8-year-old and I LOVE this one! Read more about it in our Family Guide to Universal Studios!)
You also get early access to Volcano Bay! You can literally roll right out of bed and WALK over to Volcano Bay as early as 7:30 a.m.! This means you can walk through the resort security (quick and easy!) into Cabana Bay to save you time instead of traveling through the main entrance with everyone else. This also gives you a head start on finding the perfect spot for your family to come back to and relax at (I recommend by the beach!) and riding the highly sought after rides and slides before everyone else! It also guarantees you admission. Once the park opens and it hits capacity, they have to stop allowing people into the park. By staying on property and taking advantage of their early park admission, this doesn't even have to be a worry in your mind!
By staying at Cabana Bay, you also have complimentary shuttles just outside the lobby to take you to Universal CityWalk where you can eat, shop, play or enter Universal's Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios Florida. This was SO nice, and we took advantage of the complimentary shuttles every day. They were easy to find and quickly dropped usoff right at the front of the resort so we didn't have to worry about parking.
Staying on property at Universal Studios Orlando is definitely recommended, and Cabana Bay Resort at Universal Orlando would be our choice over and over again!
Disclosure: I received complimentary parktickets for myself and my family to facilitate this review. No additional compensation was received and all opinions are my own.
