More Aquatica Cabana questions

[kkmcan]

I was thinking of renting a cabana for our May/early June visit and I have some questions first.

If we dont rent one, is it possible to get seating or loungers if we arrive at opening? Can we leave our towels there to save them? I just think we might need some shade and a place to sit and rest.

Does the price quoted on the website change? Should we wait til we get there and ask about one? Will it be cheaper on the day of? Right now it quotes $149 for the standard cabana. Is it worth it for that much? I think I would jump on one for $99 but not sure about about $149.

Thanks for any info!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

If you don't rent a cabana, there are lots of chairs on the beach by the wave pool. Some have very large umbrellas, some don't. These pics should give you an idea:

They are all "out in the open", so to speak, and available on a first come, first served basis. If you put your stuff on the loungers to "save" them, I am guessing they would be fine but I suppose you also run the risk of people moving your things when you are not there (though I sure hope no guests would actually be rude enough to do so). If you arrive at park opening, you should have no problem securing a couple of loungers under an umbrella .

I don't think the prices on the website change. Cabanas, to my knowledge, are priced by the "season". There may or may not be any left available on the date of your visit when you arrive, so if you want one, I would secure it in advance.

The "worth" of a cabana is very subjective. I think they are very much worth the cost, even at $149 (note we paid $89 each during our August visits ... $99 less 10% for our passholder discount .... and only $30 for our Christmas Eve Day visit thanks to a special passmember promotion).

The cabanas come stocked 12 Dasani waters (let's say they are worth $3 each), so that's $36 in inclusions right there. I think we had 8 towels provided each time, so that's $16 in towel rentals. Then there is a large locker included.....so that's another $10. So off the bat, there's $52 in "worth". For another $100, you get exclusive use of a reserved private space in an area restricted to cabana guests only with a full fridge and ceiling fan. For me personally, it was definitely worth it. We liked having a space we could change in rather than use the public change rooms/rest rooms. We liked having a place to enjoy a private siesta during the heat of the day. We liked having a place we can take food back to (not from the Banana Beach Buffet....that's not allowed....but from the Waterstone Grill). We loved having access to cold drinks all day long, whenever we needed to rehydrate.

So it really depends on what you are looking for. But we, personally, loved the cabanas and thought they were a very reasonable deal.

 

[kkmcan]

Thanks so much for your responses and photos. I think its just a bit more than I wanted to pay so we will probably skip it.

 

[Missy29]

We rented a cabana last May and I thought is was worth it, like the pp said you get water, towels, locker and a ceiling fan. We has a nice view of the wave pool and it was nice and private. It was a little out of the way but still nice to have a private area to go back to. We went on a Monday and there were plenty of chair available if we didn't rent one. I believe we paid $99, I would not pay more but that's just me.

 

[nickie]

Gina, which cabana is the one you are describing? Thinking about renting the Aquatica Orlando Standard Cabana for $59 for my trip next Sunday. Since it says it includes 12 bottled waters, does that mean it also includes a fridge?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina, which cabana is the one you are describing? Thinking about renting the Aquatica Orlando Standard Cabana for $59 for my trip next Sunday. Since it says it includes 12 bottled waters, does that mean it also includes a fridge?

The standard cabana (ie, the cheapest one ) is the one we have rented each time. It most definitely includes a fridge (and the 12 bottles of Dasani water), and its located right in side the cabana .

 

[momtoaaliyah]

We just rented one for the second week in May for $69, I don't think I'd pay much more than that, but for this price I thought it was a great deal. We would have rented a locker and bought drinks while there so the actual cost of the cabana is probably less than $50 for us.

My reasons for reserving it was because I really like to spend a full day at parks if possible, and it is our last full day in Orlando - I didn't want to leave early in order to get out of the heat. I also have a hubby that doesn't have a long shelf life in the sun so to guarantee his comfort (and happiness) the $69 is well spent.

I would not pay peak prices for it though.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We just rented one for the second week in May for $69, I don't think I'd pay much more than that, but for this price I thought it was a great deal. We would have rented a locker and bought drinks while there so the actual cost of the cabana is probably less than $50 for us.

My reasons for reserving it was because I really like to spend a full day at parks if possible, and it is our last full day in Orlando - I didn't want to leave early in order to get out of the heat. I also have a hubby that doesn't have a long shelf life in the sun so to guarantee his comfort (and happiness) the $69 is well spent.

I would not pay peak prices for it though.

We were just the opposite. We thought the cabanas at Aquatica were an EXCELLENT value.

In addition to the private space in a staffed and separate area of the park, and the blissful opportunity to get out of the sun or take cover during rain showers, you get your locker rental, 8 towel rentals, 12 bottles of water, and 20% off your purchases at the gift shops, including photos.

When compared with their Disney counterparts (some of which don't even have canvas sides), they are a steal.....even at their highest price point.

We have paid $89, $79, and $30 for our cabana rentals (in that order). We think they were definitely worth it at those prices!

 

[mjohnson96]

I also agree they were worth the price. It made it super easy to have the baby take a nap while the older kids played. We ended up opening and closing the park because we had it. Otherwise I would have gone home much earlier.

I would rent one again for our next trip.