There is but it’s not part of universal it is a private house that is rented out. They even have a room the cupboard under the stairs. Look up Harry Potter house in Orlando. Vlogs are out there.
@@largol33t1 Universal has been trying to cut costs by building only lightly themed hotels recently. The Aventura has essentially no theming at all; it's just "modern." Both sides of the Endless Summer resort are attractively but only modestly themed. Even Sapphire Falls, which looks great, is just a hotel in the tropics that's themed to look like a hotel in a different part of the tropics. Universal needs to come up with a new, heavily themed resort hotel that transports guests to a truly different place and becomes a destination unto itself.
Probably in the new Epic world they are building. I saw blueprints that shows 3 more new Resorts to stay at. Hopefully one is Harry Potter themed. They are having a 3rd Harry Potter area in the new epic world so would make since
A few things you might want to add regarding Cabana Bay. First, there is a hidden entrance for quick access to Volcano Bay if you're there for the water parks. Think twice before booking in January however. I went in the first week of January and a lot of kids were very disappointed that VB was closed because of very cold weather. The pools are big and there is always room for everyone. You do NOT have to use or buy a tube to swim in the lazy river. I took a swim in it and the lifeguards said nothing. By the way, in winter months, the pool is heated so your kids won't shiver if they want to swim. You can not dive in because it's a massive kiddie pool. I think it was less than 5 feet at the deepest point. There is plenty for the kids to do such as big beachside games and they play movies on exterior big screen TVs some nights. There are barbecue grilles to actually roast marshmallows after dinner (you buy the marshmallows and rods in the cafeteria by the drinks fridges). And there is a massive spa for families but beware, a lot of regulars know about this so it gets taken VERY quickly. And of course, it wouldn't live up to its name if there weren't actual cabanas. They have them. You can book a cabana in advance and they have a small fridge and a phone for quick room service so they can bring you meals and drinks. I like that you get a choice: if you're nostalgic for the 1950s/60s days of South Florida's beach motels, you can book the east side of the hotel. These rooms reminded me of my childhood trips to Tampa because they were similar in layout with an exterior entrance and balcony. They have exterior vending machines as well and the gates are secure, you MUST take your room key to navigate through the gates anywhere in the property. Great for keeping out freeloaders and pickpockets BUT it can make it a hassle to maneuver if you want to access a pool if the lobby is between it and your room. I didn't use the bowling alley so I can't give a review on the service there. The fitness center is so well equipped it even has a full locker room with showers. Fun fact: Jack Lalanne (the fitness center is named after him) was the one who first got the nation started on the fitness craze. He was such a devoted fitness expert that he worked out every single day until he dropped dead from something associated with pneumonia. The rooms are a bit of a conundrum because of the layout. This is a huge hotel. If you want a great view of Volcano Bay day or night, it comes with a tradeoff: you are situated far from the elevators so it's going to be a bit of a jog if you forget something like your camera or cell phone when you get to the elevator, which I find hilariously ironic considering the well equipped fitness facilities. The food court is just like when you were in school if you were growing up in the 70s or 80s: remember to take your tray to the center and leave it on the counter for the staff to retrieve. Overall, I really liked this hotel and would recommend it to families.
I've never stayed at one of the Universal Hotels before but I'm planning to stay at the Hard Rock after the pandemic. Life's too short to not have great vacations!
I stayed at the hard rock hotel my first time over there in October of 2020, and they have amazing rooms and amazing service, they do however when I was there we requested a room with a view of the pool and it took them a few hours to get it ready so we had to wait in the longer area, the lounge area has snacks a couch a few seats and drinks that are free and you can also go there for breakfast and coffee, also if you do a Harry Potter related thing you should receive a box at the front desk with some goodies, I do love the hard rock hotel because my experience with it was fun but obviously everyone thinks differently, I hope my review helped ya out in some way, haha.
I find the title of this video somewhat misleading. The real topic here is, "favorite Universal Orlando hotels for families with young children who want to spend all their time at the hotel." The Cabana Bay, ranked no. 1 here, does have some fun amenities, and lower prices, BUT it also has NO full-service restaurants, smallish rooms unless you get a suite, and no Express Pass benefit for the theme parks. There's no way you can say such an establishment is truly "better" than a resort like Portofino Bay or Royal Pacific that offers substantially higher-end services in many ways. It's just a different kind of hotel for people with different priorities.
We stayed at Royal Pacific a few weeks ago for 4 nights. Loved it! Great staff, perfect location, nice room and facility, easy walk or boat ride to/from park, etc. The best perk for us though, since we were going to spend most of our time at the parks/have annual passes, was the free Express Pass. We didn’t spend more than 15 minutes in any lines throughout our stay, and some of the lines were showing well over an hour wait. Def a nice perk of staying at the 3 higher $ resorts....totally worth it.
We have only stayed at Royal Pacific which we loved! Cabana Bay is on my list for next time! This was great...love seeing & hearing about all the hotels.
I’d agree with the first few, but after that it’s pretty subjective. I’ve stayed at Cabana Bay more than any of the other resorts, mainly due to the price, but I’d probably place it #4 overall. No water taxi access to the theme parks, no express pass access for the theme park rides, cafeteria style dining options only, loud people in the hallways and neighboring rooms at late hours of the night.
You can "cheat" by walking across the street to Aventura and get in line for the water taxi. I never had any issue with excessive noise in the hallways when i stayed and I am a light sleeper.
As a guitar player and bass guitar player who’s never been there before, you have now added something to my bucket list of places i would love to visit!!
We love Portofino Bay and if you look at pictures of the real Portofino Bay it looks just like it except there is a mountain in the back of the real spot. We are going to try Royal Pacific this year I hope we will be as happy.
We’ve only stayed at Cabana Bay but we loved it. It’s a little cheaper and the amenities are great. The bowling alley on site was cool and is a fun atmosphere to even just grab food. The best part was the lazy river. We enjoyed relaxing in it everyday. Would highly recommend it. I am debating trying Portifino when we go next year for our anniversary though. Glad to hear you say it might be the best for couples.
Cabana Bay is best only if you go to Universal when it's not busy. When it's busy you're better of staying at a premium hotel so you get the Express pass included in your stay.
No mention of the Express Pass amenity? If you're visiting the parks, you'll need it! Peak season, Express Passes for 4, good for one day: $600. OR - Stay at a Universal hotel that offers them for free, and spend $300+/- for one night. So essentially, spend $300 (instead of $600) and get 4 Express Passes with a room for free!
If Universal classifies your resort as "value" level you don't get the Express Pass. Although she rated it #1, Cabana Bay is rated a value resort so no Express Pass. If you go in "off season" (after Xmas through middle of January) you probably won't need it. Crowds are very light in the morning. The only parts of the parks that got really crowded by 3pm were Diagon Alley and Hogsgmeade. Harry, Ron and Hermione are still partly responsible for most of the guests visiting the parks.
@@largol33t1 - I agree that off-season, an Express Pass won't be necessary. But also during off-season, the parks close early, the hotel bars and restaurants close early, some entertainment venues are closed completely and several attractions will be closed for off-season maintenance. We like to enjoy the parks after dark, which isn't possible off-season.
@@mattrost2574 There's always some kind of tradeoff, isn't there? But I'd rather have lighter crowds over extra wizarding hours any day! (Yes, pun intended. I don't know why Universal doesn't use and offer that as a way of digging back at the Mouse...)
I stayed there last year and honestly, even if it cost the same as Hard Rock, I would have preferred Cabana Bay by a small margin. I love the 1950s decor and the rooms have great views of Volcano Bay at night. There are two swimming pools and the food is okay but not awful.
I've been to the Surfside and dockside. Honestly for the price it's amazing the rooms the lobbies the pool area its pretty up there for being a cheaper hotel. I prefer dockside just because the lobby and cafeteria area is way bigger but there both great. That is my go to location
I’m not lugging any kids with me lol so I like Portofino and Hardrock the best with Royal Pacific close behind . I never stay at the others since they don’t offer the free express pass .
Main reason why the premier hotels r the best, buying the express pass while staying at a different hotels actually brings the price higher than staying at a premier hotel
@@teamslaiyans3808 universal has 3 premier hotels hard rock hotel, Loews Portofino bay, and Loews royal pacific resort. if u stay at one of these 3 hotels u get the express pass for all of your stay and a 1 hour early access to all the parks
The Royal Pacific will always be my favorite! It's a lot cheaper than the other deluxe hotels while it still has all the benefits: perfect location, luxury, restaurant is amazing, fastpass included... And also, it's a lot cheaper than even most of the moderate hotels at Disney. Total win. Portofino Bay doesn't really tempt me since I'm from Europe, but if I had a bigger budget I'd definitely try out one of the awesome suites at Hard Rock.
That is a great point about Royal Pacific. It is the least expensive of the Deluxe Resorts especially if you want the Universal Express. You are so right about Disney, too. This is a lot less money with a lot more amenities!!!
I like the Drury inn universal resort hotel. It has a pool and hot tube ,exercise gym. I also have unlimited drinks,breakfast and dinner. I am also able to schedule a pick up for all three theme parks as well. I can also bring my dog. I love this hotel and would book here again for my next vacation for Orlando universal resort stay.
@@blindpeopledostuff3587 That's why I changed my plans at the last minute and added a fourth day to my stay: 3 days in the parks and 1 day just lazing around the pool at Cabana Bay. It took a lot of the stress off of walking in the parks in the freezing wind all day while fighting huge crowds in the Harry Potter parks.
Beautiful video that really did touch upon the resorts stylishly! I love that every review was positive! I’m not a huge fan of Cabana Bay, but I do agree that it’s theming is brilliant! My personal favorite is Royal Pacific with second place being Aventura.❤️
I was meant to be staying at cabana Bay September 2020 but we had to move it to September 2021, for obvious reasons. So we decided to upgrade and go for the portofino, as a couple we felt this hotel best suited our needs, and your video confirms this, especially where you said if its for couples this would be number 1. Thank you for the insight, I'm so excited for my return trip.
@@georgestokes5116 I don't know about spring break or summer pricing but if you go in off-season (Jan-Feb), it can be pretty good. My entire trip - plane tickets, food, hotels, theme park tickets, Universal bus service (costs extra) with tax and everything cost about $1,200-1,400 for one adult. Very good price I'd say considering what you get in return. Remember, Universal CityWalk is completely open to the public, they only charge for parking at certain times of the day. I stayed at Cabana Bay and would recommend it.
Totally agree my favorite resort is definitely Cabana Bay! My home away from home! The staff are super helpful and friendly. Amazing place to stay. Can’t wait to go back next year again. Family have stayed there multiple times.
I love that Cabana Bay made the #1 spot. I'm going to Universal in March and went with Royal Pacific, but I was seriously considering Cabana Bay even though they are very different price points and experiences.
Cabana Bay was a lot of fun but the mattress was too hard for my wife. Hard Rock mattress was supposed to be awesome but it was not that great. Old and worn out more like it. But great to stay at Hard Rock for access to the Parks.
I'm trying to plan a surprise getaway with the Orlando Informer meetup and I happened to go with the #1 pick, it just sounded insane and incredible! Hopefully the trip goes through and hopefully I made the right choice!
Hi I'm planning to go to Universal next year and we're planning to stay in an Universal Hotel, can you please tell me, are they close to the parks? Or they provide the transportation? :) Thank you so much! Your video is very useful!
All of the Universal Orlando hotels offer transportation either by bus or boat. You can also walk from almost every hotel (except Endless Summer). The bus or boat is faster, but it is an option. The closest hotel by walk is Hard Rock Hotel.
I really enjoyed my stay last time I went to Cabana Bay, but I would have never guessed it would be number one. Now that I'm rebooking for September trying to decide whether I should do Sapphire Falls for the pool and boat transportation or stay at Cabana Bay for the themeing and HHN set up they'll have.
Some advise: You should come to the point faster. I don't want to listen so long to an intro. I'm sure the negative feedback is because of that. The rest is awesome!!! Finally someone cool, telling about universal. :d a second AJ.
I am about to purchase my hotel tickets and I'm wondering if I would still receive the unlimited express pass even though I will be booking through a third party site other than universal studios website as its a little cheaper and I plan to stay at the hard rock hotel. I would truly appreciate any advice you have to give. thanks in advance
I don't know about pricing but Cabana Bay and Aventura are about a 5-minute drive from the theme parks and they have free bus service for their guests. The Endless Summer resorts are the farthest from the parks so I'm guessing they take well over 6-10 minutes.
If those are your only two choices, then I recommend cabana bay but that depends on what theming you prefer. Cabana-retro themed, a Ventura-modern simplistic themed
If you love the styles of the 1950s and early 60s, Cabana Bay is a nice place. They even show old TV commercials in the cafeteria. The food there is decent and won't blow a hole in your wallet but Universal does allow diner hopping. You can go to any other resort and eat. I once had sushi from Aventura and it was good.
I've stayed in 3 of the hotels mentioned. Cabana Bay would not suit you as its aimed at family's and kids really. Aventura I would say as it has a really cool rooftop bar and everything you would need from a hotel including a gym (which I don't think she mentioned). You also only have to cross over hotels (2 minutes walk) to get to the free boat over to the parks. It's also one of the cheaper options, so you can spend your money in the bar haha
You can reach out to Destinations in Florida at destinationsinflorida.com/. They are a U-Preferred Travel Agency which is a recognition from Universal Orlando. This travel agency is no cost to you. Reach out to them and they can help you plan your Universal Orlando vacation. 😀
Hard rock hotel is our home away from home. We have visited numerous times and just can’t bring ourselves to stay anywhere else. We have visited the other resorts but I always feel most comfortable at the hard rock. Portofino is absolutely stunning but it is just too quiet for our liking.
Having vacation at the resort hotels multiple times over the last 10 yrs, I can honestly say Royal Pacific is the best (staff, rooms, and proximity to entrance), whereas Hard Rock is the worst (except for proximity).
Come and stay at a Hotel In Lakeville,MN and also at an amazing Hampton Inn In. Rochester,MN sometime u will love the Hotels In Rochester,MN and also In Lakeville,MN.
The Hyatt is located near Disney World, so you are about 15 minutes from Universal Orlando. It is considered a more luxury resort. It is a good resort in Orlando for adults.
I have never stayed there so I can't give an opinion. I've never had a bad experience at any Hyatt. My favorite is the one in Scottsdale, AZ. It has a mini water park in the back that takes up a whopping 2 ACRES with a 50' tall enclosed slide for kids and teens!
In summer months, I vehemently recommend you use the free bus service. It's very reliable and comes and goes every 10-15 minutes. They will drop you off outside the parking lot next to CityWalk. Sorry, I forgot to add, even if you come in a busy time, I've only seen one stop on the trip, which is Aventura across the street. I think it's for the late ones who missed the first bus! I suspect the driver has a radio and Aventura's staff might ask for spare seats for late risers but this is rare. I stayed 4 days last year and it only stopped at Aventura twice.
@@largol33t1 yes we are Welsh, fingers crossed for later this year, rescheduled for September and we are super hopeful, it can be safe and we’re allowed to travel 🇺🇸🏴
All the videos don't explain the tickets, you walk by alot to get to Harry Potter can you do these thing with a potter tickets, new to looking at stuff.
I wish there was a Harry Potter themed
There is but it’s not part of universal it is a private house that is rented out. They even have a room the cupboard under the stairs. Look up Harry Potter house in Orlando. Vlogs are out there.
I wish hogwarts was a hotel
It blows my mind that they STILL don't have a HP theme hotel. I wish they would add the Ministry of Magic to WW of Harry Potter.
@@largol33t1 Universal has been trying to cut costs by building only lightly themed hotels recently. The Aventura has essentially no theming at all; it's just "modern." Both sides of the Endless Summer resort are attractively but only modestly themed. Even Sapphire Falls, which looks great, is just a hotel in the tropics that's themed to look like a hotel in a different part of the tropics. Universal needs to come up with a new, heavily themed resort hotel that transports guests to a truly different place and becomes a destination unto itself.
Probably in the new Epic world they are building. I saw blueprints that shows 3 more new Resorts to stay at. Hopefully one is Harry Potter themed. They are having a 3rd Harry Potter area in the new epic world so would make since
A few things you might want to add regarding Cabana Bay. First, there is a hidden entrance for quick access to Volcano Bay if you're there for the water parks. Think twice before booking in January however. I went in the first week of January and a lot of kids were very disappointed that VB was closed because of very cold weather. The pools are big and there is always room for everyone. You do NOT have to use or buy a tube to swim in the lazy river. I took a swim in it and the lifeguards said nothing. By the way, in winter months, the pool is heated so your kids won't shiver if they want to swim. You can not dive in because it's a massive kiddie pool. I think it was less than 5 feet at the deepest point. There is plenty for the kids to do such as big beachside games and they play movies on exterior big screen TVs some nights. There are barbecue grilles to actually roast marshmallows after dinner (you buy the marshmallows and rods in the cafeteria by the drinks fridges). And there is a massive spa for families but beware, a lot of regulars know about this so it gets taken VERY quickly.
And of course, it wouldn't live up to its name if there weren't actual cabanas. They have them. You can book a cabana in advance and they have a small fridge and a phone for quick room service so they can bring you meals and drinks. I like that you get a choice: if you're nostalgic for the 1950s/60s days of South Florida's beach motels, you can book the east side of the hotel. These rooms reminded me of my childhood trips to Tampa because they were similar in layout with an exterior entrance and balcony. They have exterior vending machines as well and the gates are secure, you MUST take your room key to navigate through the gates anywhere in the property. Great for keeping out freeloaders and pickpockets BUT it can make it a hassle to maneuver if you want to access a pool if the lobby is between it and your room. I didn't use the bowling alley so I can't give a review on the service there. The fitness center is so well equipped it even has a full locker room with showers. Fun fact: Jack Lalanne (the fitness center is named after him) was the one who first got the nation started on the fitness craze. He was such a devoted fitness expert that he worked out every single day until he dropped dead from something associated with pneumonia.
The rooms are a bit of a conundrum because of the layout. This is a huge hotel. If you want a great view of Volcano Bay day or night, it comes with a tradeoff: you are situated far from the elevators so it's going to be a bit of a jog if you forget something like your camera or cell phone when you get to the elevator, which I find hilariously ironic considering the well equipped fitness facilities. The food court is just like when you were in school if you were growing up in the 70s or 80s: remember to take your tray to the center and leave it on the counter for the staff to retrieve. Overall, I really liked this hotel and would recommend it to families.
Thank you! Great info.
Thankyou so much first time coming so I pick this hotel for me an my two babies!!
I've never stayed at one of the Universal Hotels before but I'm planning to stay at the Hard Rock after the pandemic. Life's too short to not have great vacations!
I stayed at the hard rock hotel my first time over there in October of 2020, and they have amazing rooms and amazing service, they do however when I was there we requested a room with a view of the pool and it took them a few hours to get it ready so we had to wait in the longer area, the lounge area has snacks a couch a few seats and drinks that are free and you can also go there for breakfast and coffee, also if you do a Harry Potter related thing you should receive a box at the front desk with some goodies, I do love the hard rock hotel because my experience with it was fun but obviously everyone thinks differently, I hope my review helped ya out in some way, haha.
@@EllarGaming thanks for sharing!
@@EllarGaming q0
I would choose Portofino as my #1 choice for the european ambiance, Italian food, quiet piazzas, and boat ride to the parks.
I find the title of this video somewhat misleading. The real topic here is, "favorite Universal Orlando hotels for families with young children who want to spend all their time at the hotel." The Cabana Bay, ranked no. 1 here, does have some fun amenities, and lower prices, BUT it also has NO full-service restaurants, smallish rooms unless you get a suite, and no Express Pass benefit for the theme parks. There's no way you can say such an establishment is truly "better" than a resort like Portofino Bay or Royal Pacific that offers substantially higher-end services in many ways. It's just a different kind of hotel for people with different priorities.
We stayed at Royal Pacific a few weeks ago for 4 nights. Loved it! Great staff, perfect location, nice room and facility, easy walk or boat ride to/from park, etc. The best perk for us though, since we were going to spend most of our time at the parks/have annual passes, was the free Express Pass. We didn’t spend more than 15 minutes in any lines throughout our stay, and some of the lines were showing well over an hour wait. Def a nice perk of staying at the 3 higher $ resorts....totally worth it.
Does the family get the free express pass? Or just one person
@@Juan-mj3bm everyone in the room 'should' get their own pass...but...they may limit the number.
@@Juan-mj3bm oojj ok ki ok on oioo. K ko
We have only stayed at Royal Pacific which we loved! Cabana Bay is on my list for next time! This was great...love seeing & hearing about all the hotels.
Another great thing with cabana bay is the volcano view rooms!
Best view in Florida in my opinion. That volcano at night time is amazing.
@@Solowar15 actually that's a water park right next to it but it's okay if you can call it a volcano
@@Barf_BagFromBfdi yeah its actually called VOLCANO BAY. Great water park. Been there quite a few times and it's suppose to be a volcano.
Yesss!!! I have stayed in a room with the view of volcano bay I like it
Thank you for making this video cause it helped a lot, you deserve a like for this video
I’d agree with the first few, but after that it’s pretty subjective. I’ve stayed at Cabana Bay more than any of the other resorts, mainly due to the price, but I’d probably place it #4 overall. No water taxi access to the theme parks, no express pass access for the theme park rides, cafeteria style dining options only, loud people in the hallways and neighboring rooms at late hours of the night.
You can "cheat" by walking across the street to Aventura and get in line for the water taxi. I never had any issue with excessive noise in the hallways when i stayed and I am a light sleeper.
As a guitar player and bass guitar player who’s never been there before, you have now added something to my bucket list of places i would love to visit!!
That is wonderful! I am so glad to hear that!
Ah yes, the Aventura. The world’s largest fidget spinner! Jokes aside, my favorite is the Portofino. It’s so beautiful
We love the Royal Pacific
We love Portofino Bay and if you look at pictures of the real Portofino Bay it looks just like it except there is a mountain in the back of the real spot. We are going to try Royal Pacific this year I hope we will be as happy.
LOL, a lot of Universal's fans call it the fidget spinner hotel!
We’ve only stayed at Cabana Bay but we loved it. It’s a little cheaper and the amenities are great. The bowling alley on site was cool and is a fun atmosphere to even just grab food. The best part was the lazy river. We enjoyed relaxing in it everyday. Would highly recommend it. I am debating trying Portifino when we go next year for our anniversary though. Glad to hear you say it might be the best for couples.
Cabana Bay is best only if you go to Universal when it's not busy. When it's busy you're better of staying at a premium hotel so you get the Express pass included in your stay.
What u mean premium hotels and what’s the express pass ? please explain 😅
Wow. This was so helpful. I feel so much more informed and confident we will make the best decision for our family. Thank you!
No mention of the Express Pass amenity? If you're visiting the parks, you'll need it! Peak season, Express Passes for 4, good for one day: $600. OR - Stay at a Universal hotel that offers them for free, and spend $300+/- for one night. So essentially, spend $300 (instead of $600) and get 4 Express Passes with a room for free!
If Universal classifies your resort as "value" level you don't get the Express Pass. Although she rated it #1, Cabana Bay is rated a value resort so no Express Pass. If you go in "off season" (after Xmas through middle of January) you probably won't need it. Crowds are very light in the morning. The only parts of the parks that got really crowded by 3pm were Diagon Alley and Hogsgmeade. Harry, Ron and Hermione are still partly responsible for most of the guests visiting the parks.
@@largol33t1 - I agree that off-season, an Express Pass won't be necessary. But also during off-season, the parks close early, the hotel bars and restaurants close early, some entertainment venues are closed completely and several attractions will be closed for off-season maintenance. We like to enjoy the parks after dark, which isn't possible off-season.
@@mattrost2574 There's always some kind of tradeoff, isn't there? But I'd rather have lighter crowds over extra wizarding hours any day! (Yes, pun intended. I don't know why Universal doesn't use and offer that as a way of digging back at the Mouse...)
I completely agree with your number one spot!! This is where my friends and I stay each time 🤩
Adventura is our FAVORITE! 😅 We always get the higher up suite, because of the fantastic views, even from the shower!!
The best one is the one that cost the least for me lol
I stayed there last year and honestly, even if it cost the same as Hard Rock, I would have preferred Cabana Bay by a small margin. I love the 1950s decor and the rooms have great views of Volcano Bay at night. There are two swimming pools and the food is okay but not awful.
Right? Lol
Gonna be planing a trip and stay at the cabana. The family is so excited.
Portofino is our fav. No small kids, but can take our 4 legged doggie.
wonderful !! thanks for the info, very detailed , i love it !
Woohoo! I always love to hear this! 😀
@@JonesFamilyTravels ☺
I’ve only ever stayed at cabana bay, I stayed for half a day to get early access to volcano bay, and then was one of the first 5 groups in the park
Thanks for doing this video!!!
I would love to stay at Cabana Bay or Hard Rock! The new endless summer hotels look decent for the price too
I've been to the Surfside and dockside. Honestly for the price it's amazing the rooms the lobbies the pool area its pretty up there for being a cheaper hotel. I prefer dockside just because the lobby and cafeteria area is way bigger but there both great. That is my go to location
I’m not lugging any kids with me lol so I like Portofino and Hardrock the best with Royal Pacific close behind . I never stay at the others since they don’t offer the free express pass .
Main reason why the premier hotels r the best, buying the express pass while staying at a different hotels actually brings the price higher than staying at a premier hotel
@@Cowflakes premium hotels ? Can u name some ? I have now idea what’s goin on, my first time goin to Orlando this year 😅
@@teamslaiyans3808 universal has 3 premier hotels hard rock hotel, Loews Portofino bay, and Loews royal pacific resort. if u stay at one of these 3 hotels u get the express pass for all of your stay and a 1 hour early access to all the parks
@@Cowflakes that’s pretty nice…
Thank you for this awesome video! I didn’t even know these places existed! Definitely helped from Atl,Ga!
Yay! I am so glad it helped!
The Royal Pacific will always be my favorite! It's a lot cheaper than the other deluxe hotels while it still has all the benefits: perfect location, luxury, restaurant is amazing, fastpass included... And also, it's a lot cheaper than even most of the moderate hotels at Disney. Total win.
Portofino Bay doesn't really tempt me since I'm from Europe, but if I had a bigger budget I'd definitely try out one of the awesome suites at Hard Rock.
That is a great point about Royal Pacific. It is the least expensive of the Deluxe Resorts especially if you want the Universal Express. You are so right about Disney, too. This is a lot less money with a lot more amenities!!!
I like the Drury inn universal resort hotel. It has a pool and hot tube ,exercise gym. I also have unlimited drinks,breakfast and dinner. I am also able to schedule a pick up for all three theme parks as well. I can also bring my dog. I love this hotel and would book here again for my next vacation for Orlando universal resort stay.
I do like the Drury brand! Especially the breakfast and appetizers at night. Such a great value! It is a good property outside of Universal Orlando.
Going to cabana bay in 4 days staying for 10 days
I don't know about others but when we go to these theme parks we are there from opening to closing. Hotels are nothing more than a place to sleep.
This is why i choose cheapest. As long as it's clean I'm not picky
I get more than one day because I can’t do all day long in one park. It’s good to take a break.
Same, but I still benefit a lot from the fastpass. That's why I always choose the cheapest hotel that includes them.
@@blindpeopledostuff3587 That's why I changed my plans at the last minute and added a fourth day to my stay: 3 days in the parks and 1 day just lazing around the pool at Cabana Bay. It took a lot of the stress off of walking in the parks in the freezing wind all day while fighting huge crowds in the Harry Potter parks.
This was so helpful!!
Beautiful video that really did touch upon the resorts stylishly! I love that every review was positive! I’m not a huge fan of Cabana Bay, but I do agree that it’s theming is brilliant! My personal favorite is Royal Pacific with second place being Aventura.❤️
Thanks for mentioning they will inflate floats for us I was gonna bring a pump with me 🤣😂
I was meant to be staying at cabana Bay September 2020 but we had to move it to September 2021, for obvious reasons. So we decided to upgrade and go for the portofino, as a couple we felt this hotel best suited our needs, and your video confirms this, especially where you said if its for couples this would be number 1. Thank you for the insight, I'm so excited for my return trip.
what i dont hear from these people making these videos are how much these places cost.
@@georgestokes5116 I don't know about spring break or summer pricing but if you go in off-season (Jan-Feb), it can be pretty good. My entire trip - plane tickets, food, hotels, theme park tickets, Universal bus service (costs extra) with tax and everything cost about $1,200-1,400 for one adult. Very good price I'd say considering what you get in return. Remember, Universal CityWalk is completely open to the public, they only charge for parking at certain times of the day. I stayed at Cabana Bay and would recommend it.
Thanks, a very nice overview in preparation of our trip! Still doubting between the top 2 :D
Great 👍🏻 Review ! Thank You. For the great video
Thanks for sharing. Very helpful 💕
Thanks for the informative video.
Here’s my opinion, if the resort works for you than that’s all that matters.
You are exactly right! It is always what is best for your family.
Such a great video!
Thank you..damn good information.
Totally agree my favorite resort is definitely Cabana Bay! My home away from home! The staff are super helpful and friendly. Amazing place to stay. Can’t wait to go back next year again. Family have stayed there multiple times.
So glad to meet a fellow fan of Cabana Bay! 😊
I love that Cabana Bay made the #1 spot. I'm going to Universal in March and went with Royal Pacific, but I was seriously considering Cabana Bay even though they are very different price points and experiences.
We absolutely love Cabana Bay. The ONLY downside, in our opinion, versus Royal is that you don't get Universal Express. Other than that, it's awesome!
Going in March!
I’ll look for A Weird Human in March 😂
Cabana Bay was a lot of fun but the mattress was too hard for my wife. Hard Rock mattress was supposed to be awesome but it was not that great. Old and worn out more like it. But great to stay at Hard Rock for access to the Parks.
Maybe it was recently installed. I hate hard mattresses too. When I stayed at Cabana Bay, the mattress was fine, not too hard or too "spongy."
Cabana Bay is our favorite Universal Resort stay! I am not surprised it is yours, but all of the resorts are fabulous. Now everyone will know…. hehe…
This video alone got you all a new subscriber! #LoveFromChicago
I’ve been to Endless Summer Resort, it was really nice but I can definitely see why you ranked it so low compared to the others!
I'm trying to plan a surprise getaway with the Orlando Informer meetup and I happened to go with the #1 pick, it just sounded insane and incredible! Hopefully the trip goes through and hopefully I made the right choice!
Super helpful video!!! Thank you! 🙏🏼
Yay! I'm going to Universal Orlando in June, and i'm staying at Cabana Bay!!!! So excited!!!! 😁
Me too I'm super excited
But I'm not staying at Cabana Bay
Hola, so the near hotel to Universal Studios is Hard Rock? i travel by myself so that's the most important to me.
Yes! You walk a safe walking path to Universal Studios, CityWalk, and Islands. I stay here by myself and feel comfortable.
@@JonesFamilyTravels Thanks! Last night i make a reservation for the first week of December!
Loved this video
Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi I'm planning to go to Universal next year and we're planning to stay in an Universal Hotel, can you please tell me, are they close to the parks? Or they provide the transportation? :) Thank you so much! Your video is very useful!
All of the Universal Orlando hotels offer transportation either by bus or boat. You can also walk from almost every hotel (except Endless Summer). The bus or boat is faster, but it is an option. The closest hotel by walk is Hard Rock Hotel.
I really enjoyed my stay last time I went to Cabana Bay, but I would have never guessed it would be number one. Now that I'm rebooking for September trying to decide whether I should do Sapphire Falls for the pool and boat transportation or stay at Cabana Bay for the themeing and HHN set up they'll have.
I am so happy you put my favorite resort cabana bay at number one 😁
I went to cabana bay about 4 years ago I loved it definitely want to go back
I agree with you number one cabana bay it’s a great place
Yay! Glad we nailed it!
Thanks for sharing
I am planning a trip at Orlando what do you think would be my budget 1adult and two kids
I was very excited! 🥰🥰🥰
Love this video!!🌟
Greetings from Japan🇯🇵
Like 918👍👍
Some advise: You should come to the point faster. I don't want to listen so long to an intro. I'm sure the negative feedback is because of that.
The rest is awesome!!! Finally someone cool, telling about universal. :d a second AJ.
Very informative
New sub here. Thx for sharing such great info.
Thank you for subscribing!!! I am so glad you are enjoying the content. 😀
I am about to purchase my hotel tickets and I'm wondering if I would still receive the unlimited express pass even though I will be booking through a third party site other than universal studios website as its a little cheaper and I plan to stay at the hard rock hotel. I would truly appreciate any advice you have to give. thanks in advance
Yes, this is a free service at the hotel not supplier.
Do any of these hotels offer rides to Disney? We want to do islands of adventure and Disney
No, they do not offer shuttle transfers to Disney. However, you can take a taxi or Uber.
I love ur videos so much 😍😍what site do u use to book one of these hotel?
DestinationsInFlorida Dot Com
Hi. If i will stay at hard rock will i get fast pass for studios or islands?
Yes! I do love that perk if you are going to the parks!
I really only wanted to know one thing and I didn't get it... which hotel has the most comfortable bed?
Portofino Bay Hotel
I wish there was pricing info and walking distance from the hotels.
I don't know about pricing but Cabana Bay and Aventura are about a 5-minute drive from the theme parks and they have free bus service for their guests. The Endless Summer resorts are the farthest from the parks so I'm guessing they take well over 6-10 minutes.
omg i miss cabana bay i love that hotel cuz the worker are so nice
I am so glad to meet a Cabana Bay fan!
:)
My Fiance and I were going to book the Aventura for our honeymoon...do we pick cabana bay instead? I cant decide! lol
If those are your only two choices, then I recommend cabana bay but that depends on what theming you prefer. Cabana-retro themed, a Ventura-modern simplistic themed
If you can choose another hotel go for the portofino bay 😃
But hard rock, royal caribbean, and royal pacific are more expensive, so if you are trying to spend less money cabana bay is your best bet. 😊
If you love the styles of the 1950s and early 60s, Cabana Bay is a nice place. They even show old TV commercials in the cafeteria. The food there is decent and won't blow a hole in your wallet but Universal does allow diner hopping. You can go to any other resort and eat. I once had sushi from Aventura and it was good.
Don't switch! You can't even get a king size bed at Cabana Bay! I mean... it's your HONEYMOON!
If you’re a group of young adults, which hotel is ideal? I’m struggling to decide!
I've stayed in 3 of the hotels mentioned. Cabana Bay would not suit you as its aimed at family's and kids really. Aventura I would say as it has a really cool rooftop bar and everything you would need from a hotel including a gym (which I don't think she mentioned). You also only have to cross over hotels (2 minutes walk) to get to the free boat over to the parks. It's also one of the cheaper options, so you can spend your money in the bar haha
If you are staying at other hotels can you go bowling and restaurants at cabana bay?
Yes! 😃
I have a small dog and which hotel allow small pet.
What’s the best way to do reservations?
You can reach out to Destinations in Florida at destinationsinflorida.com/. They are a U-Preferred Travel Agency which is a recognition from Universal Orlando. This travel agency is no cost to you. Reach out to them and they can help you plan your Universal Orlando vacation. 😀
Hard rock hotel is our home away from home. We have visited numerous times and just can’t bring ourselves to stay anywhere else. We have visited the other resorts but I always feel most comfortable at the hard rock. Portofino is absolutely stunning but it is just too quiet for our liking.
do any of the hotels offer military discounts?
Yes! They offer discounts on hotels and tickets. You do need to contact the travel office on base for more details and to book.
Having vacation at the resort hotels multiple times over the last 10 yrs, I can honestly say Royal Pacific is the best (staff, rooms, and proximity to entrance), whereas Hard Rock is the worst (except for proximity).
Is there a merchandise store at hard,rock hotel
Come and stay at a Hotel In
Lakeville,MN and also at an amazing Hampton Inn In.
Rochester,MN sometime u will
love the Hotels In Rochester,MN
and also In Lakeville,MN.
Are the pools At these resorts heated?
Yes. All Universal Orlando pools are heated.
Is this list for kids?
Yes, the focus is on families.
Where do you rank the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort ? Its just me and my wife...
The Hyatt is located near Disney World, so you are about 15 minutes from Universal Orlando. It is considered a more luxury resort. It is a good resort in Orlando for adults.
I have never stayed there so I can't give an opinion. I've never had a bad experience at any Hyatt. My favorite is the one in Scottsdale, AZ. It has a mini water park in the back that takes up a whopping 2 ACRES with a 50' tall enclosed slide for kids and teens!
Can you go and use amenities at other hotels if you’re staying in one of the universal Orlando hotels?
No not really supposed too. The only way really to get away with it is just to use your credit card and not your hotel room key
Sadly, they do NOT let you pool hop. I tried it myself. They won't let you use another hotel's pool even if you show your room key.
When I went, I stayed at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Going to cabana bay at the end of the month for 4 days cant wait
Do the shuttles run during Halloween Horror Nights?
Yes!
What about walking from Cabana Bay to the parks with a stroller? Is it too far?
It's a bit of a hike, but I don't think it would be bad with a stroller, other than the stairs right as you leave Cabana Bay
In summer months, I vehemently recommend you use the free bus service. It's very reliable and comes and goes every 10-15 minutes. They will drop you off outside the parking lot next to CityWalk.
Sorry, I forgot to add, even if you come in a busy time, I've only seen one stop on the trip, which is Aventura across the street. I think it's for the late ones who missed the first bus! I suspect the driver has a radio and Aventura's staff might ask for spare seats for late risers but this is rare. I stayed 4 days last year and it only stopped at Aventura twice.
Does Sapphire Falls have a beach pool similar to Portofino Bay’s beach pool?
Yes, they have a beach entry pool.
Love this vid, we’ve got this place, cabana bay booked this April, but sadly can’t see us being able to go end of April 🇺🇸🏴
Is that a Welsh flag? I thought the British Invasion is from January to February? I went in the first week of January last year.
@@largol33t1 yes we are Welsh, fingers crossed for later this year, rescheduled for September and we are super hopeful, it can be safe and we’re allowed to travel 🇺🇸🏴
for a solo traveler would you recommend aventura or sapphire falls? both fit in my price range.
I like Sapphire Falls better! It is such a fun and tropical resort.
I have been to sapphire falls and loved it
Correction there’s another hotel in Florida with a bowling alley. The Edition by Marriott on South Beach
Really? Thanks for the update! I will have to check that out.
Great video
The endless summers pool isn’t shaped as a fish. It’s shaped as a surf board
Universal Orlando told us a fish! 🤣
Have you two ever seen Erique Claudin, one of The Universal Classic Monsters, round Universal Orlando Resort?
No, I have not.
All the videos don't explain the tickets, you walk by alot to get to Harry Potter can you do these thing with a potter tickets, new to looking at stuff.
Price also depends on time of year also
We did Hard Rock and then Royal Pacific. I Prefer the latter, but it's not a HUGE difference.
Thank you for sharing! Glad you enjoyed them both!