Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort...WOW!

I have always said that a successful travel consultant is a person who travels and sees things first-hand. I make it a goal every year to try to visit either a new destination or a new resort or a combo of both. This year has not been an exception.  I was fortunate to be invited to a travel agent event at Universal Orlando earlier this month.  While this was not a new experience overall to me, I was able to visit and experience all the new additions that Universal Orlando has to offer such as Hogwarts Express, Diagon Alley and two of the new restaurants in City Walk; Vivo Italian Kitchen and Antojitos.  All of it was incredible.  I will try to write a more comprehensive review of those experiences a little later.  

But what I want to focus on in this post is the brand new resort that Universal Orlando introduced this past Spring (2014)...Cabana Bay Beach Resort.  If you are a fan of Disney's Pop Century Resort, you will love Cabana Bay.  You may even love it a little bit more than the Pop.  I did and I am a fan of the Pop and have stayed there more than once.  The theming at Cabana Bay is a throwback to the 50's and 60's with more of a touch of Florida thrown in.  Unlike the Pop, Cabana Bay is strictly themed to those two eras with virtually no Universal theme park plugs thrown in.  What I mean by that is Disney's Pop Century is themed to various eras as well, but they also make sure you know you are at Disney with Pluto making appearances in the theming as well as gigantic statues of Lady and the Tramp.  At Cabana Bay, you really feel like you have stepped back in time.

The beauty is in the detail.  Universal and Loews did a great job keeping you in the theme all the way down to the VO5 shampoo, Zest soap in the bathrooms and an analog clock in every guest room.  Love it!  


The Bayliner Diner (food court) is well designed to accommodate the possible 4000-6000 guests that could be at this resort assuming full or near full occupancy.  For as big as this resort is, you feel like you have room to breathe.  I like that there is more than one food and beverage venue.  In addition to Bayliner, you have Starbucks, the Swizzle Lounge in the lobby, The Hideaway Bar and Grill and the Atomic Tonic pool bar out near the pools. 

The standard guest rooms are around 300 sq. ft. compared to the Pop's 260 sq. ft. standard rooms.  You feel the extra space.  Standard rooms come with 2 queen beds. That's right...queens!  Again that is compared to the Pop's 2 full sized beds.  Family suites are even larger.  The come in at around 430 sq. ft and can sleep up to 6.  Some rooms offer indoor entry ways depending on their location which is a plus with me.   All of the public spaces are well designed and again make it feel like you can move around freely even if you were there during peak times of the season.  I loved the bowling alley and Jack Lalane fitness center.  It saddens me to think that a lot of guests won't have a clue what VO5 is or who Jack Lalane is, but it fits the theme perfectly.  My tip...google those before you arrive and you might appreciate the detail even more. 

The resort's color scheme is vibrant and cheery, but not gaudy or over the top. You will feel at home upon arrival.  The pools areas are well designed to accommodate guests, even at full occupancy.  

I walked away from Cabana Bay anxious to book a stay there for myself and most likely will very soon.  But I know some are going to be Debbie-downers (sorry Debbie) for one big reason...no unlimited express for guests even though it is an on-site property.  You have to understand Universals' reasoning before judging.  I was one who did NOT like that until I understood more of why.  Unlike Disney's FP system which is available to anyone, Universal's unlimited express is a resort guest perk.  Non-resort guests can buy an express pass add-on, but they are not unlimited.  Universal's express pass line is intended to be a true benefit meaning having an express pass should truly allow you to be on a ride a lot quicker than stand by line folks.  Universal controls those lines by knowing exactly how many guests have unlimited and limited express passes.  Based on capacity at their 3 deluxe resorts, they then offer the limited express pass for sale, but only a certain amount.  It is simply crowd and line control. Imagine if Cabana Bay was at full capacity with almost 6000 guests and how much more crowded that would make the express pass line.  The express line would be too congested and the benefits of having an express pass would be negated.  So that is what went into their decision.  And I get that now.

So I know some of you are thinking...then why would I stay there if I have to pay for an express pass?  Won't that make the cost more in line with one of their deluxe properties?  The answer is yes, yes it would.  So here is my suggestion when it comes to the decision to stay here or somewhere else:  If you are a huge fan of Harry Potter and that is where you plan to spend the majority of your time, then this resort is a great, more budget-friendly option.  Since the Forbidden Journey, Gringott's and Hogwarts Express are not even on the express pass system, you are not losing anything by staying here and not having the unlimited express pass.  You are gaining being much closer to the parks, being able to take advantage of a much more regular transport system, charging privileges at the parks and early entry.  

Why stay at an offsite resort when you can stay at Cabana Bay?  That is the ultimate question.  If you were staying offsite in order to save money, Cabana Bay should now be your resort of choice.  And if you schedule your trip during low crowd periods, you won't miss having the express pass that much.  I have visited both parks during low season and have seen stand by lines be as fast as the express pass lines.  

So the long and short of it is this...I LOVE Cabana Bay Beach Resort.  It had that "wow" factor for me.  I like the uniqueness of the theming.  I like the feel and look of everything.  I like how roomy all of the public areas are.  I suggest giving it a try.  If you are a huge fan of the Pop Century, you for sure need to visit Cabana Bay and see what I am talking about.   Have you already visited Cabana Bay?  If so, what was your overall experience like?

Universal Orlando...The Must Do's

Finally...my long overdue post related to my visit to Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.  I confess that it was my very first visit.  We have always found it hard to pull ourselves away from Walt Disney World anytime that we have previously visited the Orlando area.  But this visit was really a pre-cruise visit so we decided to spend the day at Universal Orlando and see what we might have been missing.

For those of you who are Disney's fans, you have to go into Universal Orlando with a different mindset.  It is not going to immerse you in an overall "magical theme."  The sounds and colors of Islands of Adventure are generally loud.  That is really the best way I can describe it.  When you enter the Marvel Comic area, you are greeted with oversized pictures of Wolverine and Spiderman etc and the music is more of an adrenaline-pumping theme which is probably geared towards getting you pumped to ride The Incredible Hulk roller coaster.  Which is the first one of my "must-do's."  The loops and twists combined with the awesome launch right out of the gate makes this a must-do for any coaster enthusiast.

Another must-do is the Dragon Challenge inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Islands of Adventure.  Even if you are not a huge fan of Harry Potter, this coaster again is a must.  You are suspended below the track which adds to the thrills of the loops and corkscrews that you will encounter throughout the ride.

And speaking of Harry Potter, if you are a fan, you will almost tear up when you enter Hogsmeade. This is the one area of Islands of Adventure where you are truly immersed in a theme and you will truly feel that you have taken a magical journey into the world of Harry Potter.  Just walking around in Hogsmeade is one of my must-do's.  Go into the shops, enjoy a meal at The Three Broomsticks and grab you a Butterbeer.  If you do, I promise that you will have an enjoyable day, even if the lines getting into any of the attractions are horrendously long.

But my next must-do is probably numero-uno on my list of things to do.  If there is only one ride that you could ride in all of Islands of Adventure, I would choose to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.  For those of you who have been to Epcot, but have yet to visit Universal Orlando, the best way I can describe this ride is by saying that it is Soarin on steroids.  You exercise all of your senses on this ride and it has actually become maybe my most favorite attraction, even more than some of my favorites at Walt Disney World.

My last two must-do's come from the other park that makes up Universal Orlando...Universal Studios.  The first one is the Revenge of the Mummy.  I like it because it is not just a roller coaster and it is not just a simulator.  It combines several different directions and speeds and offers some visual effects as well.  It was just fun.  And my last must-do is the new attraction Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.  It is a great attraction for the whole family.  I do wish that they had made more of the queue line indoors.  The line was fairly long and you spend a fair amount of time out in the heat even though it is covered, very similar to lines for Peter Pan's Flight and other attractions in Fantasyland inside the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

I know I brushed over the last 2 must-do's and I know some of you are wondering why The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman did not make my list.  First...I brushed over the last 2 because all of Universal Studios is a "take it or leave it" for me.   The layout and ambience was not something that made me want to just hang around in the park for very long.  So if I had to choose what I would do if we went back, I would spend a day or two inside of Island's of Adventure and spend the majority of that time inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  I know some of you diehard Universal fans will disagree with me, but Universal Orlando, to me, is just something to add on to your Walt Disney World trip, if you can afford the time and extra expense.

Second...I did not include The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman because it broke down while we were on it.  And I overheard others saying that it breaks down a lot.  The lines can get long and it would not be a ride I would want to spend 40+ minutes in line for and then have it break down.

So with all of that said...let me tell you that my opinions may change very soon.  I am actually scheduled to visit Universal Orlando again within 5 days of writing this article.  I have been invited to tour the 3 resorts on Universal property as well as get a special tour of the parks and restaurants.  Will the additional info and experiences change my current views?  Stay tuned and see...

Meanwhile...check out a short video I put together showing some of the sites and sounds of Universal Orlando. Also let me know what you opinion is.  What are your favorite Universal Orlando attractions or what are your must-do's?

Universal Orlando 2012 from Oeshpdog2 on Vimeo.