Am I crazy to consider Cabana Bay vs Caribbean Beach?

[Racheldb]

OK, I cannot believe I am even asking this. I have booked the Caribbean Beach for Dec 18-26th...the price is causing me some hesitation. We are hoping for a discount to be announced for this time period, but I am not holding my breath. I have been searching for some more price friendly options and am considering off site. This is so unlike me as I love the Disney bubble, but money is a consideration. I stumbled upon Cabana Bay at Universal. The family suites would be a perfect situation for us. I have a teenage boy and girl...they will not sleep in the same bed together. Has anyone else stayed at a Universal Hotel and travelled to the parks at Disney? Am I crazy for considering this? We will have our car with us. The price difference is significant!

 

[MomOTwins]

OK, I cannot believe I am even asking this. I have booked the Caribbean Beach for Dec 18-26th...the price is causing me some hesitation. We are hoping for a discount to be announced for this time period, but I am not holding my breath. I have been searching for some more price friendly options and am considering off site. This is so unlike me as I love the Disney bubble, but money is a consideration. I stumbled upon Cabana Bay at Universal. The family suites would be a perfect situation for us. I have a teenage boy and girl...they will not sleep in the same bed together. Has anyone else stayed at a Universal Hotel and travelled to the parks at Disney? Am I crazy for considering this? We will have our car with us. The price difference is significant!

I might do it if you were splitting your stay between Universal and Disney, but if you are really just going to Disney and want to save on cost, I would choose somewhere closer--Swan/Dolphin or if that is too pricey, one of the other "Good neighbor" hotels, which are not any further away from the Disney Parks than many Disney resorts, and will give you early park access benefits.'

I just feel like the longer drive to/from Cabana bay every day would get real old, particularly if you are going to take any midday breaks.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

OK, I cannot believe I am even asking this. I have booked the Caribbean Beach for Dec 18-26th...the price is causing me some hesitation. We are hoping for a discount to be announced for this time period, but I am not holding my breath. I have been searching for some more price friendly options and am considering off site. This is so unlike me as I love the Disney bubble, but money is a consideration. I stumbled upon Cabana Bay at Universal. The family suites would be a perfect situation for us. I have a teenage boy and girl...they will not sleep in the same bed together. Has anyone else stayed at a Universal Hotel and travelled to the parks at Disney? Am I crazy for considering this? We will have our car with us. The price difference is significant!

I think it is fine as long as you have considered the price of parking at the Disney parks in your significant price difference and any benefit of being onsite during what is traditionally a very busy time. But, I think it will also be difficult to predict what that week might look like this year due to both the 50th anniversary having kicked off but still a pandemic at this point.

The other benefits of staying onsite at Disney have been reduced so greatly that it makes sense to look offsite.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Not crazy at all. We really like the US resorts and have picked them over WDW a few times. Look what you get at Cabana Bay, A bigger pool with a lazy river, Starbucks in the lobby, a gym, a bowling alley. We liked their CS food better as well. Also, like you mentioned a suite vs a basic room. The drive is very short, I think it's only a 15-20 minute drive to MK.

 

[Racheldb]

This is why I am struggling. I love staying onsite at WDW, but the benefits of staying there have been greatly reduced. My kids are older, so the necessity to take mid day breaks is not there. I have been looking at cost differences, including parking fees, and it is still coming out cheaper to stay at Cabana Bay. I am hoping Disney will release some discounts, but these holiday prices in December to stay at a Disney resort are too much. We would get so much more for the $ elsewhere...I somehow feel like I am cheating on WDW

 

[smallworldnh]

We stayed at Cabana Bay a few years ago and too an Uber over to Disney twice during our stay. The pickup at our hotel was prompt but waiting for one after the parks closed was a longer wait. I don't remember the cost, but it wasn't very expensive either. I would do it again. Cabana Bay was awesome and the hotel was an upgrade from our usual stays at the All Stars with a much better price! I would do it again in a heartbeat, especially now!

 

[Ninja Mom]

I have stayed at Cabana Bay multiple times, including in a Family Suite, and I highly recommend it over CBR. I've staryed at CBR 3 times.

It's easy to take a Lyft to anywhere on Disney property so transportation is taken care of if someone in your family wishes to stay at the parks and others wish to leave. . The amenities at Cabana Bay are convenient and top notch, exceeding what you'd find at CBR., especially for kids that are the age of your children.

When I stayed in the family suite I took my 17 year old son and his 3 best friends. They loved it there. They went bowling, hit the pool, and very much enjoyed the food in the food court. I kept snacks and lunchmeat in the room as well as breakfast items and cookies and that was perfect for their manly man appetites. They got the refillable mugs and it was an easy walk to get to the fountains in the food court, much more so than at CBR.

They way I worked the transportation to the parks was that we all did rope drop in the car and my husband and I left to go back to the resort at around 12:30 or 1pm. If anyone wanted to stay they could stay and could make their way over to our dinner spot using Disney transportation or a Lyft. A few times they opted to skip dinner at WDW and head back to Cabana Bay, which saved us some money on Disney table service dining. Once or twice, toward the end of the trip when they were getting tired they left mid day with us and then went back out with us at night.

My point to all that is transportation is not a problem.

Right now the customer service is much better at Cabana Bay versus a Disney resort. I have found that when I call housekeeping, I always get connected to someone who will take care of my problem in a timely manner. The rooms at Cabana Bay have been spotless every time I have stayed there. The housekeeping staff is professional and capable, which I have not found in the past at Disney resorts. It's like Disney is slipping and the staff at Cabana Bay is still trying their best.

The boys absolutely loved staying at Cabana Bay, much more so than when we stayed at the Boardwalk Inn at Club Level. I was surprised by this and when I asked why they said that Cabana Bay had more for them to do and more spots for them to hang out and chill, oh, and they really liked the food better at the food court. I think the ice cream machine won their hearts over as they all have what I call "an Ice Cream Fang" as opposed to a sweet tooth.

So It's definitely do-able. I recommend that you check out a road map and have the navigation system be able to reroute you if traffic on I4 is bad. We use Waze and it has never steered us wrong at WDW.

~NM

 

[georgina]

I would look at some of the time share places closer to Disney. There is a ton of them, and they may have free parking. You may be able to get something through Expedia that would have more beds, full kitchen, closer than Cabana Bay (which I love as a Universal fan). I stayed at Grande Villas once and drove to both Disney and Universal (took Palm Parkway) from there.

 

[Racheldb]

I have been looking at VRBO and other time share places as well. The Universal options are still coming out a good bit cheaper. I have been shocked at the prices I'm getting at Universal for 2 bedroom suites!

 

[Sue M]

I think the Universal resorts are light years above WDW in each category.
Having said this, no- I wouldn’t stay at Universal while going to WDW. I agree with you, WDW resort prices are stupid these days and sure wouldn’t pay rack rate.
I‘d look at the Disney Springs resort area. Mousesavers has a few hotels there on their list of preferred hotels and have links with discount codes for them.
One time we stayed at The Doubletree Suites with a great discount code from them that included free breakfast! We had a huge 1 bedroom.
Also sign up for the Mousesavers newsletter. They have special discounts not published on the web site.
Sometimes their discounts include free parking. The DS hotels also have park shuttles that run continuously every 30 min.

 

[Racheldb]

I think the Universal resorts are light years above WDW in each category.
Having said this, no- I wouldn’t stay at Universal while going to WDW. I agree with you, WDW resort prices are stupid these days and sure wouldn’t pay rack rate.
I‘d look at the Disney Springs resort area. Mousesavers has a few hotels there on their list of preferred hotels and have links with discount codes for them.
One time we stayed at The Doubletree Suites with a great discount code from them that included free breakfast! We had a huge 1 bedroom.
Also sign up for the Mousesavers newsletter. They have special discounts not published on the web site.
Sometimes their discounts include free parking. The DS hotels also have park shuttles that run continuously every 30 min.

I will look at Disney Springs resort area a little more. I have looked somewhat. We are wanting a room that provides 3 beds in some fashion (could be 2 beds plus sofa bed). Once I start looking at villas or 2 bedroom suites, prices really go up. That is why Cabana Bay is looking so appealing. They are meeting my bed requirement and the prices are so much more reasonable! I am booked currently at CBR for 5 nights with 2 day tickets for $3340. I can book Cabana Bay (2 queen beds, 1 sofa bed) for $2100. Quite a difference. So far, Disney Springs options have not panned out...

 

[DizneyFamof4]

We have a WDW-5/US-3 trip in October and we chose to stay at the new Endless summer Surfside resort in their 2 bedroom that has 3 real beds and the price is the same as a WDW value resort. And unlike greedy WDW, any US resort gets you early entry into the parks, and it's 1 hour not a measly 30 minutes and you do not have to pay the outrageous deluxe prices to get that Just 5 years ago I would have posted a totally different post, saying how WDW onsite is soooo much better etc. Those days are gone.

 

[Cheburashka]

It's worth considering if you'll have a car when you're there. Without a car, I think the hassle factor would probably outweigh the benefits.

 

[Sue M]

I will look at Disney Springs resort area a little more. I have looked somewhat. We are wanting a room that provides 3 beds in some fashion (could be 2 beds plus sofa bed). Once I start looking at villas or 2 bedroom suites, prices really go up. That is why Cabana Bay is looking so appealing. They are meeting my bed requirement and the prices are so much more reasonable! I am booked currently at CBR for 5 nights with 2 day tickets for $3340. I can book Cabana Bay (2 queen beds, 1 sofa bed) for $2100. Quite a difference. So far, Disney Springs options have not panned out...

Did you look at the Doubletree? They are all suites. Cabana Bay is a great option. I just prefer to stay closer.

 

[BrotherCraig]

Will be doing a split stay - Disney CBR and Universal with Cabana Bay and Royal Pacific - in a few months. Those 6 person family suites look great and I don't blame you for looking at those at all. We booked one for our last night at Universal and was actually thinking of cancelling our RP and going with Cabana for the four nights at Universal. Price is good. Look at Caribe Royale. They have great suites at a great price and is near Disney. We loved our stay there. Awesome pool as well.

 

[HopperFan]

This is why I am struggling. I love staying onsite at WDW, but the benefits of staying there have been greatly reduced. My kids are older, so the necessity to take mid day breaks is not there. I have been looking at cost differences, including parking fees, and it is still coming out cheaper to stay at Cabana Bay. I am hoping Disney will release some discounts, but these holiday prices in December to stay at a Disney resort are too much. We would get so much more for the $ elsewhere...I somehow feel like I am cheating on WDW

Have read nothing but rave reviews for Cabana and it is on our radar for upcoming trip. We stayed right by Disney Springs (Marriott World) a couple weeks ago for a week and we did a reverse driving to Universal for two of our days. It's an easy drive, we actually used backroads.

You are not cheating WDW, I mean they have taken away virtually any perks to the hotels and drove the price up. Why not try something new and have more space and more amenities? Your teens will love it! And if you do ... and have time I would look at Volcano Bay - all of the water heated. My DS went in December and said it was one of his best Orlando days ever. You would be right next door.

 

[denman007]

What perks are gone from staying onsite?

 

[shawthorne44]

What perks are gone from staying onsite?

Easier to say what is left.

For the rest of the year, there is Magical Express, but not after that. Even then, I believe they don't do luggage anymore.
You get a discount on the Magic Band, rather than free.
Sometime in the future, you'll be able to get in a half hour early, but not now.
If Deluxe, and at some date in the future, they will add a couple of deluxe only evenings every week.

You still get free parking at the parks, but since they charge for it at the resort, that is mostly a wash.
No FPP, so no benefit there.
Seems like Park Reservations are the same for everyone not off-site AP holders, so only a benefit to AP holders.

 

[Turksmom]

Easier to say what is left.

For the rest of the year, there is Magical Express, but not after that. Even then, I believe they don't do luggage anymore.
You get a discount on the Magic Band, rather than free.
Sometime in the future, you'll be able to get in a half hour early, but not now.
If Deluxe, and at some date in the future, they will add a couple of deluxe only evenings every week.

You still get free parking at the parks, but since they charge for it at the resort, that is mostly a wash.
No FPP, so no benefit there.
Seems like Park Reservations are the same for everyone not off-site AP holders, so only a benefit to AP holders.

If you're an offsite AP, you're worse off than an offsite 4 day ticket holder, as you're limited to three advance reservations.

 

[Nabas]

This is why I am struggling. I love staying onsite at WDW, but the benefits of staying there have been greatly reduced. My kids are older, so the necessity to take mid day breaks is not there. I have been looking at cost differences, including parking fees, and it is still coming out cheaper to stay at Cabana Bay. I am hoping Disney will release some discounts, but these holiday prices in December to stay at a Disney resort are too much. We would get so much more for the $ elsewhere...I somehow feel like I am cheating on WDW

With you having your own car and Disney charging for parking, that cancels one of the reasons to stay onsite.

Have you considered renting a house?