Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is the value-tier hotel inside Universal Orlando Resort, built around a playful 1950s-and-60s beach-motel theme complete with mid-century color blocks, a 10-lane bowling alley called Galaxy Bowl, and two large pools with a lazy river and waterslide. It opened in 2014 with 1,800 rooms and expanded in 2017 with two additional towers, bringing the total to roughly 2,200 rooms split between standard rooms and family suites with kitchenettes.
The draw here is Universal’s on-site perks at a fraction of the cost of the deluxe hotels. Families get Early Park Admission and a genuine walk (about 20-30 minutes) to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and CityWalk, plus free shuttle buses, without paying Loews-deluxe rates. It’s the pick for guests who want to be on Universal property and get the early-entry perk, but don’t need Universal Express Pass included.
Stats at a Glance
- Resort: Universal Orlando Resort
- Location: Orlando, Florida, across from Volcano Bay
- Opened: 2014 (expanded 2017)
- Rooms: Roughly 2,200 rooms, incl. family suites with kitchenettes
- Price tier: Value (roughly $144-$239 per night, seasonal)
- Park transport: 20-30 min walk or free shuttle bus; no water taxi
- Perks: Early Park Admission; no complimentary Express Pass
- Theme: 1950s-60s retro Florida beach motel
Rooms, Theming and Dining
Cabana Bay leans hard into its mid-century motel concept, with bold geometric patterns, a lobby that looks lifted from a 1960s road-trip postcard, and room categories ranging from standard rooms (sleep up to 4) to family suites with a kitchenette and separate sleeping areas (sleep up to 6). On-site dining is casual and centered on the 600-seat Bayliner Diner food court, Starbucks, a milkshake counter, and the Galaxy Bowl bowling alley, which doubles as a full-service restaurant and bar in the evenings.
Recreation is a real selling point for families: the Atomic Courtyard pool has a zero-entry beach edge, a 100-foot waterslide, and a dive tower, while a second pool area adds a lazy river. Both are usable across a full day trip back from the parks, which most of the deluxe hotels can’t match on scale.
Getting to the Parks and Perks
Cabana Bay does not have water taxi access like the deluxe Loews hotels, so getting to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay means either a 20-30 minute walk or a complimentary shuttle bus. That’s a real tradeoff to plan around, especially with young kids or in Florida summer heat, but it still keeps guests on-property for Early Park Admission, which grants up to an hour of early entry to select attractions before public park opening (and now covers Universal Epic Universe as well).
The key perk Cabana Bay does not include is Universal Express Pass, which is reserved for guests at Universal’s Premier and deluxe-tier hotels. If skipping ride lines matters more to your group than saving money, that’s the tradeoff to weigh before booking.
Who Should Stay Here
Cabana Bay suits budget-conscious families and groups who want Universal’s Early Park Admission and a walkable (or shuttle-served) hotel without paying for the top-tier resorts. The bowling alley, arcade, and pool complex make it a good fit for multi-generational trips or families with kids who want resort downtime built into the schedule. Travelers who prioritize Express Pass or a water-taxi commute should look at Universal’s deluxe hotels instead.
Explore more: More Where to Stay guides, Universal Studios Florida guide, Islands of Adventure guide, Volcano Bay guide.
Cabana Bay Beach Resort FAQs
Does staying at Cabana Bay Beach Resort include Universal Express Pass?
No. Cabana Bay guests get Early Park Admission (up to an hour before regular park opening at select attractions), but complimentary Universal Express Pass is reserved for Universal’s Premier and deluxe on-site hotels.
How do you get from Cabana Bay to the Universal parks?
There’s no water taxi at Cabana Bay. Guests walk roughly 20-30 minutes to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and CityWalk, or use the resort’s complimentary shuttle buses.
Is Cabana Bay Beach Resort worth the price?
For a value-tier hotel (roughly $144-$239 a night in typical seasons), it’s one of the better deals on Universal property: real theming, a big pool complex with a lazy river, a bowling alley, and Early Park Admission, without the walking-distance-to-everything premium of the deluxe resorts.
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Photo: cvorobek / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.