Cabana Bay - Walk to Sapphire for Water Taxi

sjtucker

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jan 7, 2014
Is it possible to walk from Cabana Bay to Sapphire to take a water taxi? Is that any faster than either walking directly to CityWalk or taking the bus/shuttle from Cabana Bay?

Thanks in advance!
 
Yes you can walk from Cbay to Sfalls to use the water taxi

But it would be faster to use the Cbay busses to get to the parks

Busses let out at the end of city walk
Short walk to the parks from there

Water taxis are good unless you have to wait for one to dock

There is a signal light in the canal after the rpr dock
If the light is red, then that boat will wait for any other boat to pass in a specific stretch of the canal


Sometimes walking can beat the boats if leaving from rpr
Same can be said for Sfalls
 
I sometimes took the boat back to SF from the parks and walked to CBBR. I used the direct route that had been suggested to me on here, which was to go out the front door of SF, down the driveway to the light and across to CB, but be aware there is no crosswalk at that light so you would need to be careful. The official walking route between the 2 resorts is longer. I always took the bus to the parks though.
 


I sometimes took the boat back to SF from the parks and walked to CBBR. I used the direct route that had been suggested to me on here, which was to go out the front door of SF, down the driveway to the light and across to CB, but be aware there is no crosswalk at that light so you would need to be careful. The official walking route between the 2 resorts is longer. I always took the bus to the parks though.

This is exactly what we did on our last trip - mainly to save the trip through City Walk on the way back to the hotel (in my mind, I know that it isn't a long walk to the buses, but it's hard to convince my feet of that).

How often does the buses leave from the hotel?

We've found that there is usually a bus waiting at the bus stop or one there with 5 minutes or so. First thing in the morning, there may be two or three of them at any one time. The rest of the day you might have to wait a few minutes for the bus to fill up before it leaves, but I've never had a long wait (and I'm sitting down so I don't mind as much). If you are used to Disney's bus service, UO has them beat hands down!
 
The buses from CB are great! I don't think I waited more than 5-10 minutes on either end. The only drawback to using the buses is they drop you off where the day guests, and you, go through security. And you have to walk through City Walk to get to the park entrances. It's just under half a mile according to my Map My Fitness to get to the park entrance. YMMV.

At SF, security is done at he boat docks and you get off the boat much closer to the parks.
 
I am SO tempted to start posting replies that CB just sucks! The discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida residents are just disappearing for this resort!
 


I am SO tempted to start posting replies that CB just sucks! The discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida residents are just disappearing for this resort!

Once Volcano Bay opens, it may evaporate altogether.
 
I am SO tempted to start posting replies that CB just sucks! The discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida residents are just disappearing for this resort!

Cbay is very popular with many families

I have the same situation of finding discounts and codes not available for my trips at times too but I don't do negative comments to others that are in a fact finding search for which hotel would be best for their family.

We all are seeing less ap rate availability

The hotels are filling up without discounts

Another hotel is in the plans as more peeps are interested in an UO vacation

The deluxe hotels do not have the discounts they did three years ago

The smsm general public discount has been good for longer stays
Depends on the number of days and dates you will be staying onsite

The smsm dates and rates are on the website

I booked my two week stay for October as that time period has a 35% discount for 7 night and up, bookings
 
I am SO tempted to start posting replies that CB just sucks! The discounts for Annual Passholders and Florida residents are just disappearing for this resort!
LOL... secret is out. We go to Orlando every year, often twice, and we do split stays. I love trying out new resorts. Yet for the last 3 Universal trips it's been Cabana Bay for us. It just hits all of our must haves. :)
 
So just to clarify, it is completely allowed for Cabana Bay guests to walk over to Sapphire Falls and use the Water Taxi? We were tempted a few times on our October trip, but I didn't know for sure and the last thing I wanted was to look like I was trying to sneak on or something. So we didn't bother.
 
The buses from CB are great! I don't think I waited more than 5-10 minutes on either end. The only drawback to using the buses is they drop you off where the day guests, and you, go through security. And you have to walk through City Walk to get to the park entrances. It's just under half a mile according to my Map My Fitness to get to the park entrance. YMMV.

Thanks for this information!

I understand the walk from CB to City Walk (arriving at Margaritaville, so very close to IofA) is approximately one mile. My kids and I enjoy walking, so it seems to me that it will be much more pleasant and not much less timely for us to just walk the mile than to wait even a few minutes for a bus, ride over to the City Walk parking garage area, and then still have to walk half a mile anyway. Am I missing something?

ETA: Just for additional background, we will be making our first trip to Universal and staying at CB during a very busy period. I have no actual experience but just trying to plan ahead based on what I have read online.
 
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I have done all three; 1. walked CBay to IOA, 2. Cbay bus to CW and 3. Cbay to SF for the water taxi. All three were surprisingly close in total time (30 min. hotel to park gate).

1. This might feel fast because you are not queuing, but moving. The security check is quick and friendly. But lets face it, that is another mile on your feet on a vacation of mostly walking. And it will take more than 12 minutes to walk because the path winds a bit and your Cbay room might be far from the path entrance.

2. The bus there for a reason, it is very easy to use. They leave when they are full, or every 5-10 minutes. Yes, you have to walk through the parking garage and CW, but there are moving sidewalks to speed it up (or stop walking and ride along).

3. You still walk to SFalls, you still get a security check before boarding, you still navigate around CW. The ride is like a relaxing cruise with better views than the bus.
 
So just to clarify, it is completely allowed for Cabana Bay guests to walk over to Sapphire Falls and use the Water Taxi? We were tempted a few times on our October trip, but I didn't know for sure and the last thing I wanted was to look like I was trying to sneak on or something. So we didn't bother.

Anyone can use the water taxis

There are many peeps that go to the deluxe hotels for dinner or drinks
Park guests, locals and resort guests use the water taxis

No questions are asked if you are a hotel guest at the dock unless it is midnight and a special event time period

I stay onsite during hhn
Signs are up at city walk boat dock stating room keys are required to use water taxis once it is midnight
 
I have done all three; 1. walked CBay to IOA, 2. Cbay bus to CW and 3. Cbay to SF for the water taxi. All three were surprisingly close in total time (30 min. hotel to park gate).

1. This might feel fast because you are not queuing, but moving. The security check is quick and friendly. But lets face it, that is another mile on your feet on a vacation of mostly walking. And it will take more than 12 minutes to walk because the path winds a bit and your Cbay room might be far from the path entrance.

2. The bus there for a reason, it is very easy to use. They leave when they are full, or every 5-10 minutes. Yes, you have to walk through the parking garage and CW, but there are moving sidewalks to speed it up (or stop walking and ride along).

3. You still walk to SFalls, you still get a security check before boarding, you still navigate around CW. The ride is like a relaxing cruise with better views than the bus.

Nice summary. Thank you!
 
Anyone can use the water taxis

There are many peeps that go to the deluxe hotels for dinner or drinks
Park guests, locals and resort guests use the water taxis

No questions are asked if you are a hotel guest at the dock unless it is midnight and a special event time period

I stay onsite during hhn
Signs are up at city walk boat dock stating room keys are required to use water taxis once it is midnight
Thank you! I had remembered reading something about the keys but didn't recall what it was and didn't want to risk it not being ok.
I'd love to take the boat back after a park day. The walk is lovely in the morning..but not as lovely when hot and exhausted !
 
We took the boat back to SF one afternoon after spending the morning in the parks. I enjoyed the boat ride and while crossing at the light was not my most favorite thing, I would do it again. My 3 cohorts were not so happy about the street crossing, so we opted to take the bus back from the park.

Time wise, the wait for the boat to leave from the dock was longer than any wait I had on a shuttle bus. We were also at the far end of the Continental wing, which is as far away as you can get from the walk over. Perhaps if we were staying closer to the garden path, they would've been more likely to take the boat.
 
Anyone can use the water taxis

There are many peeps that go to the deluxe hotels for dinner or drinks
Park guests, locals and resort guests use the water taxis

No questions are asked if you are a hotel guest at the dock unless it is midnight and a special event time period

I stay onsite during hhn
Signs are up at city walk boat dock stating room keys are required to use water taxis once it is midnight

what if I am a cabana bay guest boarding the sapphire falls boat?
 
You have to walk from Cbay to the Sfalls boat dock
Water taxis are open to the onsite hotel guests and park guests.

Many day parkers go to the hotels for food or drink and use the water taxis at city walk

Last boat out from City Walk is 2:00 am
If you leave the hotel after 2 and miss the boat, you use the walking paths.
 

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