CABANA BAY BEACH RESORT Thread..........

[geksr]

Can you book a suite with a connecting standard room?

 

[plumsiren]

Anyone arriving on 2/15 or 16? We'll have a bunch of drinks to leave behind, lots of individual bottles of water and maybe other stuff, if anyone is interested!

 

[weather_lady]

also and I may be thinking of another hotel, but wasn’t the exterior entry closer to the dedicated walking path to the parks and the interior entry rooms are on the lazy river side area

Yes, you're right about the rooms and their proximity to the Garden Walk, etc.

FYI -- apologies if someone already linked to this -- here's a walking video that takes you from the front entrance of Cabana Bay to the Garden Walk (and then on, all the way to Citywalk and beyond, to where the Garden Walk terminates at Portofino Bay). As you'll see, walking from the entrance to the beginning of the Garden Walk takes about 3 minutes, although that obviously doesn't include the time it would take you to reach it from a more far-flung room. In any event, it's a nice way to see what things look like from the ground, rather than just on a map. FWIW, the path that juts off from the Garden Walk toward Sapphire Falls (if you were going to catch a boat from there to CityWalk) appears around the 5:35 mark, I believe.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I'm a total Universal newbie and we're planning a trip for June 2022 (originally scheduled for June 2020). We've had to scale back our plans for a number of reasons, and switched from Royal Pacific to CBBR. There are two of us doing research for this trip, and we have come to conflicting ideas about the best way to get to the theme parks from CBBR.

It sounds to me like the buses are the quickest and most convenient, but my planning partner is concerned that the buses drop us off at the main security check point and it will take a long time to get through security. She thinks it would be better for us to walk over to Sapphire Falls and take the water taxi and says it will drop us off in a better location, so we will actually be saving time if we go that route, even though the actual transit time is longer.

So if I'm understanding things correctly, we would take the walkway over to the garden walk and then there's a path that leads down to the water taxis, right? And that walk would be about 5ish minutes or so? And when it comes to the security checkpoint issues, does it really make a significant difference? Same with the drop off location - are we significantly better off with the water taxi vs the buses?

I'm trying to find some concrete data on this but I haven't been able to find anything that directly compares from CBBR to either of the parks front gates for specific timing of each.

TIA!

 

[wdwrule]

I'm a total Universal newbie and we're planning a trip for June 2022 (originally scheduled for June 2020). We've had to scale back our plans for a number of reasons, and switched from Royal Pacific to CBBR. There are two of us doing research for this trip, and we have come to conflicting ideas about the best way to get to the theme parks from CBBR.

It sounds to me like the buses are the quickest and most convenient, but my planning partner is concerned that the buses drop us off at the main security check point and it will take a long time to get through security. She thinks it would be better for us to walk over to Sapphire Falls and take the water taxi and says it will drop us off in a better location, so we will actually be saving time if we go that route, even though the actual transit time is longer.

So if I'm understanding things correctly, we would take the walkway over to the garden walk and then there's a path that leads down to the water taxis, right? And that walk would be about 5ish minutes or so? And when it comes to the security checkpoint issues, does it really make a significant difference? Same with the drop off location - are we significantly better off with the water taxi vs the buses?

I'm trying to find some concrete data on this but I haven't been able to find anything that directly compares from CBBR to either of the parks front gates for specific timing of each.

TIA!

We always like to avoid the main security checkpoint although if you arrive at an off time, it is quick and painless. We did this once when staying one night at Dockside and it wasn’t bad arriving later in the day. The bus system is incredible though and very efficient. We picked up a bus at park closing to go back to Dockside with zero wait.

All of the other resorts are walkable to the parks. When we stayed at CBBR, I believe we averaged 15-20 minutes each way walking. We don’t mind though, even with being on our feet the entire day but everyone’s situation/preference is different. Someone might be able to chime in about the water taxi at SF… we rarely use them. My guess is the more efficient way to get to the parks from CBBR would be to possibly walk all the way (if looking to avoid main security hub), but if looking for a more relaxing method, then water taxi would be the way to go.

 

[lisam70]

I'm a total Universal newbie and we're planning a trip for June 2022 (originally scheduled for June 2020). We've had to scale back our plans for a number of reasons, and switched from Royal Pacific to CBBR. There are two of us doing research for this trip, and we have come to conflicting ideas about the best way to get to the theme parks from CBBR.

It sounds to me like the buses are the quickest and most convenient, but my planning partner is concerned that the buses drop us off at the main security check point and it will take a long time to get through security. She thinks it would be better for us to walk over to Sapphire Falls and take the water taxi and says it will drop us off in a better location, so we will actually be saving time if we go that route, even though the actual transit time is longer.

So if I'm understanding things correctly, we would take the walkway over to the garden walk and then there's a path that leads down to the water taxis, right? And that walk would be about 5ish minutes or so? And when it comes to the security checkpoint issues, does it really make a significant difference? Same with the drop off location - are we significantly better off with the water taxi vs the buses?

I'm trying to find some concrete data on this but I haven't been able to find anything that directly compares from CBBR to either of the parks front gates for specific timing of each.

TIA!

Honestly it could be quicker, or not depending on crowds and time of day. The buses drop you off just outside of city walk and you will have to go thru the main security there which takes longer than the security before boarding the boats And you will be closer to IOA. But you will have little to no wait for a bus they run almost constantly whereas if you just miss the boat you have to wait awhile for it to comeback. The boat dock is closer to US. We also found long lines for the boat in the evening sometimes waiting for 3 or more trips.
So yes security is quicker at SF but take into account how long it takes to cross the street and walk thru the hotel and down to the boat dock And how long you have to wait for a boat. I don’t think it’s enough of a difference to stress about. Try both ways and see what your preference is the boat ride is lovely.

 

[plumsiren]

For anyone who's there now, is there daily housekeeping service? What's the pool situation?

 

[holyrita]

Stayed at Cabana Bay for one night this weekend and boy am I glad it was only one night. Room was old, worn and very dirty.

 

[youngdeb12]

Stayed at Cabana Bay for one night this weekend and boy am I glad it was only one night. Room was old, worn and very dirty.

May I ask what type of room you stayed in?

 

[holyrita]

May I ask what type of room you stayed in?

I stayed in a standard room on the first floor of building 5 (the Americana). I received a survey after my stay which I responded to honestly and received a reply from a Cabana Bay representative that said "I apologize for the state of our rooms we are actually in the process of renovations."

 

[weather_lady]

I'm sorry you ended up with a room that was overdue for a refurb, @holyrita. If they know it's so bad they readily apologize for the state of their rooms, I feel like they should have offered you something to make up for it.

I've looked online, but didn't find any threads that were tracking the current renovations. I did see a video review of the rooms, filmed in September 2021, from someone in the Thunderbird building who'd gotten a refreshed room with new carpet and fresh paint on the walls.

Does anybody know what the status is, or which buildings are "done" yet? It looks like the refreshed rooms are fairly easy to spot, as the carpet has been changed from a green-and-blue wave/scribble design to a large-scaled, subtle circular pattern in variegated blues.

 

[mamamelody2]

Does anyone know what current pool hours are? Also will they be somewhat longer in March?

 

[sandam1]

Does anybody know what the status is, or which buildings are "done" yet?

I know that when we were there mid-November, they were working on rooms at the far (Volcano Bay) end of the 6th floor on the Continental Building. You could actually see the furniture pushed up against the window from the pool area. I thought it was odd as I hadn't heard anything about a CB refurb.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I stayed there Super Bowl weekend and reserved Prefferred pool view family suite and got a really bad room on 2 floor . I was only there for one night so did not want to return to check in and stand in long line again… BE SURE TO USE online check in before arriving for the quicker line !
I could tell the renovations were scattered from those window views.
The bus drop off for the Universal Theme Park security/ is also under construction…
I love CBBR but only if I get a savvy rate and only for Prefferred Pool View Family Suite…

 

[mamamelody2]

I stayed there Super Bowl weekend and reserved Prefferred pool view family suite and got a really bad room on 2 floor . I was only there for one night so did not want to return to check in and stand in long line again… BE SURE TO USE online check in before arriving for the quicker line !
I could tell the renovations were scattered from those window views.
The bus drop off for the Universal Theme Park security/ is also under construction…
I love CBBR but only if I get a savvy rate and only for Prefferred Pool View Family Suite…

Did you have an interior or exterior entry room? And what made it really bad?

 

[mrsgthatsme]

Is there any way to request a refurbished room or certain categories more likely to be refurbished? Feeling a little nervous about some of the negative reviews of the non-refurbished rooms. Thanks!

 

[weather_lady]

Is there any way to request a refurbished room or certain categories more likely to be refurbished? Feeling a little nervous about some of the negative reviews of the non-refurbished rooms. Thanks!

We requested one during the online/mobile checkin process a week ago (this is only offered if you booked directly through Universal, via an email link sent the day before arrival), and got a lovely, freshly-refurbed room (interior entry family suite) on the 3rd floor of the Americana building. I don't know if we got a refurbed one because of our request or if it was just luck, but it never hurts to ask.

 

[mrsgthatsme]

Do the Standard rooms at CB have interior or exterior entries? We were considering a Family Suite ($40 more per night for our stay) but only exterior suites are available and they looked a little dark to me without a window in the bedroom. Do the standard rooms have a window in the bedroom? Would you pay $40/night more for a exterior family suite for a family of 4? Thanks!

 

[DoryGirl1963]

Standard rooms are all interior entry & as such, would have the window in the bedroom. We prefer the exterior entry family suites with the window in the living area because I like it very dark to sleep.

 

[Westerner]

Exterior family suites have no window in BR but are quite well lit with 8 up/down wallmounted bedside lights. I prefer BR away from outside wall, its quieter.