All New CABANA BAY BEACH RESORT Thread..........

[larissawbb]

Who is my best option for delivering groceries to Cabana Bay?

Thanks!!

If you have Amazon Prime, you can get groceries ( including alcohol) from Amazon and Whole Foods in two hours. You will get a text when they are close to meet them in the lobby.

 

[Meldev]

It’s not quite the Osbourne lights (RIP boo hoo) but U does a great job with Xmas decorations & the parade is special.

Miss Osbourne Lights too! But this will be our first holiday visit to Universal. Are the hotels done up for the holidays? The person I spoke to on the phone from reservations said the parks are certainly but couldn't commit to the hotels. IF so, does CBBR do anything extra special? Character meets or anything?
We've only ever done the poolside exterior entry. We like walking right now...but debating on requesting Americana or Continental next time, anyone prefer that side by far?

TIA!

 

[Polyonmymind]

If you have Amazon Prime, you can get groceries ( including alcohol) from Amazon and Whole Foods in two hours. You will get a text when they are close to meet them in the lobby.

Thank you!

 

[Zombie]

Will the sofabed fit two older teen boys, really adult sized? If not, can an air mattress fit with the bed

Definitely wouldn’t be a very comfortable fit for two, Presumably adult-sized teens. This is more of a “love seat” two seater sofa - about double bed width to give you an idea of its size and length.

In terms of the depth and comfort of the actual mattress - even for one adult-sized person - it is foam and just a few inches thick. And it is a sofa bed - not a mattress. Don’t think of it as a “bed”. It’s quite firm. And if they are used to a thicker or softer/plush mattress, it’s likely going to be a little uncomfortable if you’re there for more than a couple nights. If these are young men with a bit of weight to them too, I suspect they might find them uncomfortable as well as there really isn’t much paddinG. I’d suggest being prepared with an extra blanket(s) to place on the bed for additional padding and/or a heating blanket or pad to ease the hardness on the back if it’s not smaller children you intend to have in the bed. They’re likely who would be most comfortable there. Though teens are sure to enjoy having their own space with access to their own tv and the kitchenette. They will have to enter the bedroom area if they need the bathroom during the night.

As to where you’d put an air mattress - it’s goi g to be tight. You’d likely either have to put it over by the entry door/kitchenette area or pile your suitcases on shelving or on the stands elsewhere and place the twin-sized mattress in the closet and then sticking out between the bed closest to the far wall. It MIGHT fit there. And both spaces it will have to be twin size and will leave little space to move around while set up for sleeping.

We had actually considered getting a double air mattress to put on top the pull out sofa on our second trip to CBBR as it was found to be so hard the first visit. But we ultimately made do. Apparently it wasn’t as bad in the second suite we were in the second year. Don’t know. Or there was just a better idea of what to expect and expectations adjusted.

If you have two older teens, it might be best to see if you could do connecting standard rooms. You might actually find it’s more space and more comfortable for everyone.

God luck. Hope it works out for you and you Ultimately enjoy it as much as we did.

 

[Zombie]

Are the hotels done up for the holidays? The person I spoke to on the phone from reservations said the parks are certainly but couldn't commit to the hotels. IF so, does CBBR do anything extra special? Character meets or anything?
We've only ever done the poolside exterior entry. We like walking right now...but debating on requesting Americana or Continental next time, anyone prefer that side by far?

We’ve stayed at CBBR twice in early December. It’s lobby is done up for Christmas. There’s a large aluminum, whiteish Christmas tree that’s quite pretty and unique. It looks like something from the 50s/60s that my grandparents might’ve had. There’s some other decorations around and it generally feels Christmas-y.

I noticed the holiday resort mugs were out and Starbucks has its holiday themed drinks available. There was lots of Grinch merchandise and Christmas ornaments for a lot of universal franchises in the store. I feel Ike I heard some era-style Christmas music too (think Beach Boys Christmas album).

I heard there were character visits in the lobby. But wasn’t around when they were there and not sure if they were holiday related.

We walked across to Sapphire Falls several times to catch the boat to the parks. They also had an immersively large tree and wreaths on display. There was a huge ginger bread village with a train going around it too. It wasn’t Disney level impressive but it was still a lot of fun to look at. It was neat in that they worked at it bit by bit so we stopped by each day to see which building the Pastry chefs had decorated that day and how. It was fun to see. They posted the times there that the chefs were supposed to be there doing it and one day we did go to specifically watch but they never showed up. We asked at the front desk but they didn’t seem to know anything about it or who to call. So that was disappointing.

But I’d assume the other hotels are decorated too. It’s not crazy. But it’s a nice atmosphere.

The parks arentr overly decorated either - beyond Grinch land, and a little at the entranceways, the big tree near Jimmy Kimmel, and some in both sides of Harry Potter. But the holiday offerings are a lot of fun and very worthwhile. Definitely try to see the Macy’s parade, the Grinch whole stole Christmas musical and Mannheim Steamroller. We really loved both our holiday trips.

Enjoy!

And we’ve stayed courtyard poolside family suites both times and really enjoy it. I’m not sure we’d ever stay over In The towers now.

 

[billlaurie]

Thanks Zombie for the very helpful info!

 

[Meldev]

We’ve stayed at CBBR twice in early December. lobby is done up for Christmas. There’s a large aluminum, whiteish Christmas tree that’s quite pretty and unique. It looks like something from the 50s/60s that my grandparents might’ve had. There’s some other decorations around and it generally feels Christmas-y....,

And we’ve stayed courtyard poolside family suites both times and really enjoy it. I’m not sure we’d ever stay over In The towers now.

Thank you! This is great info!
We’ve stayed at Thunderbird and Castaway so far, poolside both times, maybe we’ll just do the same again. We like the convenience to the walking trail.

 

[billlaurie]

How much are the tubes for the lazy river and what size are they? Debating on whether to order from Amazon. TIA!

 

[Zombie]

Thank you! This is great info!
We’ve stayed at Thunderbird and Castaway so far, poolside both times, maybe we’ll just do the same again. We like the convenience to the walking trail.

Depending on how long you're planning on staying, we had a couple earlier nights in where we got some seasonal hot drinks at Starbucks and went over by the fire pits. We had also done a small grocery run and picked up some eggnog and a couple seasonal goodies at the store and watched some of the Christmas movies on the TV in our room. It actually was a lot of fun to just slow down and do that on vacation. It made it feel special.

We fit in some time to do some of the 'free' Disney Christmas stuff too. We went over and did the Christmas Tree Trail at Disney Springs one day and then another parked at the TTC and then resort hopped all day to look at the Christmas decorations and gingerbread displays just using the Disney transportation. We did the resorts on the monorail and then took the boat to Wilderness Lodge and then the bus to HS and the boat over to the BW (and then I think we took the bus to MK and then the ferry back TTC). Anyway, it was a nice Christmas day too even though we were doing at USO vacation that time. We also went and did Santa's Winter Summerland mini putt one afternoon.

And, if you weren't aware there's a Grinch breakfast at IOA that's supposed to be quite good. The Grinch in the musical presentation was fantastic. And we had actually contacted the USO chef regarding the breakfast's ability to accommodate allegeries/dining restrictions and we were pretty happy with the list of options they were able to accommodate. We felt it was a little pricey, though. But after seeing the Grinch musical last year -- we'd consider going if we do a December USO in the future as he seemed quite fun and it did sound like they could accommodate a diet reasonably well. But it's definitely a splurge activity on a splurge holiday.

Getting warm butter beer in Harry Potter is a bit of a treat too (especially if it's cold). We weren't that impressed with their Christmastime holiday light projection show on the castle, though. It was our least favorite of the holiday offerings.

The street performers have holiday adjustments for the holidays too. We caught the Blues Brothers show and it was fun. But there's adjustments to the Harry Potter shows and we didn't see either of them. MORE FOR ANOTHER TIME!

There's lots of little ways to adjust the time in the parks and at the hotel/resort to make it special and your own. You could try calling CBBR directly (likely closer to the holiday) and they might be able to tell you any special plans for activities. Same with the other hotels -- depending on how old your kids are. I think there's some craft and gingerbread/cookie decorating type activities if you're there in the week or so right around the holidays.

But if you're staying in one of the suites, there's definitely enough space that you could pick up some craft kits and/or cookie decorating kits from elsewhere and/or bring them with you and have a family Christmas night in one night too. Honestly, as cheesy (and maybe as silly) as it is to have a Christmas movie night while on a vacation in Orlando, there was something really fun and really special that stands out about having those nights in both years to watch those movies together in the hotel while on holiday (similarly with the Winter Summerland Mini Putt, if you've never done that one before. It was a whole lot of fun to do in the weeks leading up to Christmas for our family. Really unique).

Have a great trip!

 

[Meldev]

Depending on how long you're planning on staying, we had a couple earlier nights in where we got some seasonal hot drinks at Starbucks and went over by the fire pits. We had also done a small grocery run and picked up some eggnog and a couple seasonal goodies at the store and watched some of the Christmas movies on the TV in our room. It actually was a lot of fun to just slow down and do that on vacation. It made it feel special.

We fit in some time to do some of the 'free' Disney Christmas stuff too. We went over and did the Christmas Tree Trail at Disney Springs one day and then another parked at the TTC and then resort hopped all day to look at the Christmas decorations and gingerbread displays just using the Disney transportation. We did the resorts on the monorail and then took the boat to Wilderness Lodge and then the bus to HS and the boat over to the BW (and then I think we took the bus to MK and then the ferry back TTC). Anyway, it was a nice Christmas day too even though we were doing at USO vacation that time. We also went and did Santa's Winter Summerland mini putt one afternoon.

And, if you weren't aware there's a Grinch breakfast at IOA that's supposed to be quite good. The Grinch in the musical presentation was fantastic. And we had actually contacted the USO chef regarding the breakfast's ability to accommodate allegeries/dining restrictions and we were pretty happy with the list of options they were able to accommodate. We felt it was a little pricey, though. But after seeing the Grinch musical last year -- we'd consider going if we do a December USO in the future as he seemed quite fun and it did sound like they could accommodate a diet reasonably well. But it's definitely a splurge activity on a splurge holiday.

Getting warm butter beer in Harry Potter is a bit of a treat too (especially if it's cold). We weren't that impressed with their Christmastime holiday light projection show on the castle, though. It was our least favorite of the holiday offerings.

The street performers have holiday adjustments for the holidays too. We caught the Blues Brothers show and it was fun. But there's adjustments to the Harry Potter shows and we didn't see either of them. MORE FOR ANOTHER TIME!

There's lots of little ways to adjust the time in the parks and at the hotel/resort to make it special and your own. You could try calling CBBR directly (likely closer to the holiday) and they might be able to tell you any special plans for activities. Same with the other hotels -- depending on how old your kids are. I think there's some craft and gingerbread/cookie decorating type activities if you're there in the week or so right around the holidays.

But if you're staying in one of the suites, there's definitely enough space that you could pick up some craft kits and/or cookie decorating kits from elsewhere and/or bring them with you and have a family Christmas night in one night too. Honestly, as cheesy (and maybe as silly) as it is to have a Christmas movie night while on a vacation in Orlando, there was something really fun and really special that stands out about having those nights in both years to watch those movies together in the hotel while on holiday (similarly with the Winter Summerland Mini Putt, if you've never done that one before. It was a whole lot of fun to do in the weeks leading up to Christmas for our family. Really unique).

Have a great trip!

We love mini-golf, we plan to do the courses at CityWalk again, and maybe now we'll try to work in Winter Summerland! We're hoping to get away to do the Disney Springs tree trail as well -- my big debate is shelling out the $$ for a day at DHS. I'm so excited to get to Galaxy's Edge, but should I do it now, or wait until next summer to visit Disneyland again and have both rides available (this dilemma is on my mind now as I mull over the DHS tix, so hard to spend so much on one day when we have Premier passes at Universal).
Considering the Grinch breakfast as well -- as with anything, you multiply by six and it becomes so pricey. But meeting the Grinch is definitely a top objective of this upcoming trip.
The in house Starbucks is one of the biggest selling points of CBBR for my teenagers! They love it, they love the autonomy they have there as well. We allow them to go to Starbucks on their own while we're at the resort. Not something they get to do much at home.

Thanks again! Looking forward to this trip!

 

[Zombie]

We love mini-golf, we plan to do the courses at CityWalk again, and maybe now we'll try to work in Winter Summerland! We're hoping to get away to do the Disney Springs tree trail as well -- my big debate is shelling out the $$ for a day at DHS. I'm so excited to get to Galaxy's Edge, but should I do it now, or wait until next summer to visit Disneyland again and have both rides available (this dilemma is on my mind now as I mull over the DHS tix, so hard to spend so much on one day when we have Premier passes at Universal).
Considering the Grinch breakfast as well -- as with anything, you multiply by six and it becomes so pricey. But meeting the Grinch is definitely a top objective of this upcoming trip.
The in house Starbucks is one of the biggest selling points of CBBR for my teenagers! They love it, they love the autonomy they have there as well. We allow them to go to Starbucks on their own while we're at the resort. Not something they get to do much at home.

Thanks again! Looking forward to this trip!

With the caveat that all families approach how they attack parks differently and all families have different budgets and different interests and priorities -- I'd vote to hold off on DHS. I'm not sure when you're going in December. But Between the opening of RotR and just Christmas holiday week, it's likely going to be pretty jammed in terms of getting value for your dollar and true experience. Beyond that -- you'll also be spending the entrance price and then (if you can actually manage to get the reservations) doing the Droid Depot and/or Savi's is going to cost you another $100 and/or $200 each person who participates and then if you decide to go into Oga's the drinks too. Basically a lot of cash for an attraction that's still going to be there in the summer if you're already planning a trip to DL.

Our family aren't command and conquer types with the parks and we don't spend all day at the parks. And we like the kind of leisurely pace of USO/IOA. So we found with their Christmas offerings we really easily filled our holiday. We actually didn't get to do and see everything -- and we've had two December trips to USO/IOA now. So I'm pretty sure unless you're really go-go-go type family you'll be able to just enjoy a leisurely time taking in all the holiday offerings and all the usual main attractions too. If you really do need some extra Christmas decorations or the Disney fix -- we definitely found the cheap or almost free ways to do it. There's other stuff around the city too that's not Disney.

Have you stayed CBBR before? Our family thought the arcade was pretty well done. Your teens might like it. And the retro bowling alley (which included a sit-down restaurant with a staff and chef that was really accommodating about dietary restrictions and allegories if you have any) was a lot of fun too and had some decorations in it. The gym is massive and pretty impressive if your teens are into that as well.

And, you don't necessarily have to do the Grinch Breakfast to meet the Grinch. He does do Meet and Greets out in Whoville during the day. So do several of the Who's. They're wandering about and singing carols and will stop and chat. Whoville -- as the land is decorated as for the holidays -- is really the most Christmas-y of IOA and all of Universal for the holidays.

The Grinch Breakfast offerings was a standard buffet-style breakfast with waffles, pancakes, bacon, ham, eggs, sausage, fruit, hash browns, some pastries, etc., if I remember correctly. Nothing particularly spectacular for the price they charge. The price is reflective of it being a 'special holiday' character meal. But we have heard good things. And, again, when we contacted Universal's diet/allergy department about that character breakfast they had their chef contact us and they were able to accommodate with some pretty decent offerings. It's just kind of expensive for the food. You have to do the usual Orlando holiday thing and think of it as paying for the 'experience'.

 

[girlbomb]

Hello, fellow travelers! Does anybody know what the operating hours of the lazy river are? Thanks!

 

[nono]

Just dreaming....but, humor me, please. What is the best price you've ever seen for a 2 BR suite at CBBR?

 

[Meldev]

With the caveat that all families approach how they attack parks differently and all families have different budgets and different interests and priorities -- I'd vote to hold off on DHS. I'm not sure when you're going in December. But Between the opening of RotR and just Christmas holiday week, it's likely going to be pretty jammed in terms of getting value for your dollar and true experience. Beyond that -- you'll also be spending the entrance price and then (if you can actually manage to get the reservations) doing the Droid Depot and/or Savi's is going to cost you another $100 and/or $200 each person who participates and then if you decide to go into Oga's the drinks too. Basically a lot of cash for an attraction that's still going to be there in the summer if you're already planning a trip to DL.

Our family aren't command and conquer types with the parks and we don't spend all day at the parks. And we like the kind of leisurely pace of USO/IOA. So we found with their Christmas offerings we really easily filled our holiday. We actually didn't get to do and see everything -- and we've had two December trips to USO/IOA now. So I'm pretty sure unless you're really go-go-go type family you'll be able to just enjoy a leisurely time taking in all the holiday offerings and all the usual main attractions too. If you really do need some extra Christmas decorations or the Disney fix -- we definitely found the cheap or almost free ways to do it. There's other stuff around the city too that's not Disney.

Have you stayed CBBR before? Our family thought the arcade was pretty well done. Your teens might like it. And the retro bowling alley (which included a sit-down restaurant with a staff and chef that was really accommodating about dietary restrictions and allegories if you have any) was a lot of fun too and had some decorations in it. The gym is massive and pretty impressive if your teens are into that as well.

And, you don't necessarily have to do the Grinch Breakfast to meet the Grinch. He does do Meet and Greets out in Whoville during the day. So do several of the Who's. They're wandering about and singing carols and will stop and chat. Whoville -- as the land is decorated as for the holidays -- is really the most Christmas-y of IOA and all of Universal for the holidays.

The Grinch Breakfast offerings was a standard buffet-style breakfast with waffles, pancakes, bacon, ham, eggs, sausage, fruit, hash browns, some pastries, etc., if I remember correctly. Nothing particularly spectacular for the price they charge. The price is reflective of it being a 'special holiday' character meal. But we have heard good things. And, again, when we contacted Universal's diet/allergy department about that character breakfast they had their chef contact us and they were able to accommodate with some pretty decent offerings. It's just kind of expensive for the food. You have to do the usual Orlando holiday thing and think of it as paying for the 'experience'.

Actually we're going just before Thanksgiving. In time for holiday decor to be up everywhere, but not the Christmastime craziness. I'm leaning toward holding off on DHS (as much as that pains me, it is my very favorite WDW park), only SR will be open yet, which is fine, because we love all the attractions there, but if we go to DL in summer we'll get to experience both. We are not park warriors by any means....we enjoy riding, but also just hanging out. That's why we love our Premier APs - we can chill at the resort until afternoon and then head over when the express passes kick in. We have stayed at CBBR twice now (Spring, Summer), that's why I was wondering how "festive" it gets at holiday time.

Thank you so much for all the info!!

 

[mevelandry]

New Canana Bay Resort refillable mugs for HHN. Same mug, three sides. I saw black lids and purple lids.

View attachment 432995

Does anybody know how they work? (Same as Disney?)
Thanks in advance!

 

[Dis_Fan]

How much are the tubes for the lazy river and what size are they? Debating on whether to order from Amazon. TIA!

There are different sizes of tubes. I am not sure about exact pricing but not unreasonable. And you keep the tubes. There are no rentals.

The Tube Shack will inflate (and deflate at the end of your trip) your tubes, whether you get them there or bring your own. Five Below has had some nice tubes that pack well and work great if you have one nearby.

Hello, fellow travelers! Does anybody know what the operating hours of the lazy river are? Thanks!

Pretty confident, based on my September trip, that the Lazy River followed pool hours. There was a day I went down (about 8pm) and told it was closed. No reason was given, although I did not ask.

 

[tinkerone]

Does anybody know how they work? (Same as Disney?)
Thanks in advance!

Yes, they work exactly the same as Disney. The thing I love about Universal though is they have the Coke Freestyle machines so loads of choices. They have a refill station out by the pool as well which always came in handy.
I found this article that you may find of interest....

Cabana Bay Beach Resort Refillable Mugs - TRIPS TIPS and TEES

Cabana Bay Beach Resort is one of Universal Orlando’s moderately priced resort hotels. This retro-beach themed resort is a super fun place to stay. And as you might expect, this awesome theme can be found on the Cabana Bay refillable mug! The resort’s main dining area is the Bayliner Diner – A...

tripstipsandtees.com

 

[Polyonmymind]

Are the in room coffee makers K-Cups or those disc shaped pods?

Thanks!

 

[mevelandry]

Yes, they work exactly the same as Disney. The thing I love about Universal though is they have the Coke Freestyle machines so loads of choices. They have a refill station out by the pool as well which always came in handy.
I found this article that you may find of interest....

Cabana Bay Beach Resort Refillable Mugs - TRIPS TIPS and TEES

Cabana Bay Beach Resort is one of Universal Orlando’s moderately priced resort hotels. This retro-beach themed resort is a super fun place to stay. And as you might expect, this awesome theme can be found on the Cabana Bay refillable mug! The resort’s main dining area is the Bayliner Diner – A...

tripstipsandtees.com

Thank you!

 

[damo]

Just dreaming....but, humor me, please. What is the best price you've ever seen for a 2 BR suite at CBBR?

I see one for $289 AP rate for mid December.