We have rented a cabana many times. We like to arrive about 20 minutes before early entry to get near the front of the line. After the ticket gate, you usually have to show your room key to get EE. Then you will probably see signs for cabana check-in. For the past couple of years it has been to the right and then in an area to the right of the path after a short walk. It will be well-signed. You check-in and then wait for your escort to take you to your cabana. That's why I like to be near the front of the line, it can get backed up a bit, but they do process people fairly quickly.
We are a family of four so I take all our family's stuff and check-in by myself. I then take all the stuff to the cabana and since we didn't know which cabana we got, we arranged to meet up at the wave pool. While I was taking care of the cabana, my husband and kids would get SEVERAL rides on the aqua coaster with no wait. This is huge because it's the most popular ride in the park and the lines pop up fast after EE.
EE is only 30 minutes and the cabana can take up most of that time, which seems a waste. We have also just plopped our things down on a lounger and gone straight to Krakatau together and done the cabana check-in after EE. We have a backpack that locks- secured to a lounger for valuables.
