Cabana Bay vs. Dockside Inn & Suites: Which Universal Orlando Hotel Is Better?

If you’re planning a Universal Orlando vacation and trying to decide between Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites, I’ve stayed at both. They’re both value-oriented Universal resorts, but they offer very different experiences. Here’s my honest comparison of the rooms, pools, food, transportation, location, atmosphere, and overall experience to help you decide which one fits your trip.

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026

Both Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Endless Summer Dockside Inn and Suites have family suites for you to book. Each of these can sleep up to six people with plenty of room. But which one is right for you? Which resort has everything you are looking for?

Today we are going to find out. Today we are going to compare Cabana Bay vs Dockside Inn family suites. Are they the same? Is one better than the other? You are just going to have to continue reading to find out.

Quick Answer: Cabana Bay or Dockside?

Choose Cabana Bay if: you care more about resort amenities, pools, walking access, and having more to do at the resort.

Choose Dockside if: saving money and having a separate bedroom area in the family suite are your biggest priorities.

My choice: Cabana Bay.

	Cabana Bay	Dockside
Resort Category	Prime Value	Value
Theme	1950s/60s retro	Coastal/ New England
Suites	Yes ⭐⭐⭐	Yes ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Separate bedrooms	❌	✅
Kitchenette	Yes	Yes
Pool Slides	Yes	No
Lazy River	Yes	No
Volcano Bay Access	Walking	Bus
Universal Parks Transportation	Garden Walk / Bus	Bus Only
Best for	Families wanting more resort amenities	Families prioritizing price

Rooms

Below, we are going to compare the two different rooms, and let me tell you, the rooms couldn’t be any more different from each other. However, that is in a good way. Both have their pros and cons. It just depends on which one is the right fit for you. Is a table important? How about a different sitting area to relax and watch TV? Separate bedrooms for mom and dad? Pool slides? After reviewing what both resorts have to offer, I am sure you will be picking the right resort for your Universal Orlando vacation.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Cabana Bay’s family suite has two queen size beds and a pull out sofa bed. While the sofa bed isn’t the most comfortable. You can still get a good night’s rest and be recharged for another fun day in the parks. The queen beds are very comfortable. They are on the firm side, but that is how I personally like them.

These rooms easily sleep 6. There is also plenty of room for you and your family to get ready for bed, a full day at the theme parks, or an afternoon by the pool. Plus, you have plenty of space for all your clothing.

The bathroom area of the room is also a decent size. You have one sink in the middle and another in the shower area. There is also a separate area for the toilet. You won’t have to worry about someone taking their time in the shower while you have to use the bathroom.

The water pressure was perfect in the sinks and the shower. The temperature, was very easy to control. You will easily be able to find your “Goldilocks” zone.

The only issue I had was with the small room the toilet was in. It was hard to open and close the door since the space was so small. I definitely smashed my toes a couple of times opening or closing that door.

At night, the seating area doubles as a bed room. The rest of the time, you and the family can kick back and relax while watching the newest DreamWorks movie. All you need is to pop some popcorn in the microwave and chill.

Yup, the family suites at Cabana Bay come with a microwave, but that’s not all. There is also a mini fridge along with a sink. While the space isn’t that big. It offers plenty of space for a quick breakfast before you head on over to CityWalk.

For the price of a family suite at Cabana Bay, you really cannot ask for more. The starting price for a family suite is $170 during the low season and $330 during peak season. That’s not a bad price for six people to stay at a Universal Orlando Resort. Plus, you get all the perks along with your stay.

Perks include early access to Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios, pool hopping, and bus transportation to CityWalk. Oh, and how could we forget the early park access includes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Endless Summer Dockside

Endless Summer Dockside family suite comes with two separate sleeping areas. One is right when you walk in and has two queen beds. The other is a separate bedroom with a door that has another queen bed.

All the beds were very comfortable but on the firmer side of things. There were also plenty of outlets around the beds to charge whatever you wanted. Both areas also had a TV. When it comes to the sleeping areas, Dockside has Cabana Bay beat. If you are a family of two adults and three or four children. You just can’t beat having a separate, private area away from the kids.

The “kitchen” area is a decent size too. Here you will find your mini fridge, microwave, and sink. There is also a coffee pot for your standard hotel coffee. It would have been nice to see a Keurig coffee maker. At least that way the coffee would be halfway decent.

The nice thing about the kitchen area is the table. This table seats four. It was really nice to have a dedicated table to sit down at and eat.

Sadly, there is no separate area for the toilet and shower. Both are in the same room. It makes for a little more of a challenge when getting ready or coming back from the parks. However, the one area has two sinks and a large mirror.

The family suites at Endless Summer Dockside can run you anywhere between $120 a night during the low season and $260 a night during peak season. I just don’t know if you can find a better price than that for a family of six. Plus, you are staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel, and that comes with its own set of perks.

Not only do you get free bus transportation to CityWalk. You can use the pool at Endless Summer Dockside and across the street at Surfside. Plus, you get early access to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Depending on which theme park is open an hour early. All you need to do is show your room key.

The Resorts

Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Overall, Cabana Bay Beach Resort is an amazing resort. They have one of the best pools out of all the Universal Orlando Resorts. How many resorts at this price range can you find that have a lazy river? Not many, and definitely not at Walt Disney World.

Cabana Bay has two pool areas to choose from. One has the lazy river, the other has an amazing slide. If you are staying in the family suite, you will be closer to the pool with the slide.

You could easily spend one of your resort days exploring everything Cabana Bay has to offer. Not only will you find plenty to do outside. You will find some amazing offerings inside too.

Galaxy Bowl (extra charge) is the bowling alley at the resort. Could you think of another resort that has its own bowling alley? I haven’t found one in the past six years that I have been doing this. It makes for a great escape from the Florida heat or even that famous Florida sun shower.

Jack Lananne fitness Studio is by far the best gym at any Universal Orlando Resort. Anything you could want to do while on vacation, they have. Treadmills, weight machines, and even some barbells, can be found here. If you are looking to keep your gym streak going. Cabana Bay’s Jack Lananne Fitness Studio has you covered.

The food court at Cabana Bay is also one of the best. You will find plenty of options to choose from for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can even just grab a premade sandwich or sushi if you don’t feel like waiting in line.

Endless Summer Dockside

Dockside is the one of the newer Universal Resorts opening in December of 2020. Everything here is nice and clean. You can find two pools to enjoy. While they are nothing special, they are pretty huge.

Around the pool, you can find plenty of seating. Plus, you can find the Wave Maker’s Pool Bar and Oasis Beach Bar. These are great places to grab a drink.

Endless Summer Dockside also has a gym. Its on the small side, but it does have enough equipment to get a decent workout in while you are on vacation. It just might take you a little longer if there are a couple of people inside.

Pier 8 Market is Dockside’s food court. It almost feels like this was an afterthought. It is rather small when you consider how many rooms are at this resort. The food, too, I found to be rather lacking, and don’t get me started on how long you will have to wait to get chicken and waffles.

Getting to the theme parks

Endless Summer Dockside

Chances are that if you are staying at Endless Summer Dockside, you are planning on visiting Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Epic Universe, or Volcano Bay. Well, you are in luck since Dockside has its own buses to take you to them.

Sadly, that is the only transportation to the parks other than driving your own vehicle. If you drive and are not a Universal Orlando annual passholder, it will cost you. Parking at CityWalk is $35 a day. However, if you go after 6pm, it is free. You are better off just taking the bus and saving that money for something in the parks.

You could also walk, which is NOT recommended. However, the walk will take you about a half hour, and there is not much shade. Just keep in mind. If you walk, you will probably see 3 or 4 buses pass you that you could have been on.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Cabana Bay offers the same transportation options that Endless Summer Dockside has. However, since Sapphire Falls Resort is right across the street, you could also take a boat. You just have to walk to it. And let’s not forget Cabana Bay has its own small entrance to Volcano Bay.

I found that walking is a little quicker than taking the bus. The start of the Garden Walk is right near the family suites. The bus pickup is located by the lobby.

From Cabana Bay it takes about 20 minutes to walk to CityWalk. The entire way is nice and shaded. Plus, it is a pretty peaceful and relaxing walk. Plus, like we stated above, you could walk over to Sapphire Falls and hop on a boat with little effort. Let me tell you, the boat ride from Sapphire Falls to CityWalk is its own cool little ride.

So which is better

When it comes to determining which resort is better. There are a couple of things you need to figure out. Are you more interested in saving money? Does resort activities play a roll?

Do you want to walk to the parks, or is taking a bus good enough? Is a private sleeping area for mom and dad important? Do you really need a table to sit at?

These are all important questions, and they all play an important role when it comes to choosing Cabana Bay or Dockside. For me, it will always be Cabana Bay. While the room isn’t as nice and it costs a little more.

The fact I can easily walk to the CityWalk. Have a lazy river to relax in. Pool hop to the other Universal Orlando Resort pools. They are all major wins for me. Plus, Cabana Bay has the better food court.

	Cabana Bay		Endless Summer Dockside
Room	⭐⭐⭐		⭐⭐⭐⭐ ✅
Pool	Slides and Lazy River✅		Huge Pool
Gym	Best ✅		Okay
Food Court	More Seating ✅		Slow Service
Transportation	Walking + Bus ✅		Bus
Cost	Pricey but worth it		Best Value ✅

Which one should you choose?

Choose Cabana Bay if…

• You want a larger resort with more amenities
• You want the option of walking to Volcano Bay or the Theme Parks
• You want more pool options
• You like the retro theme
• You want a resort that feels more like part of the vacation

Choose Dockside if…

• Price is your biggest concern
• You prefer a quieter/coastal atmosphere
• You’re mainly using the hotel as a place to sleep between park days

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For me, the choice is easy. Which one do you think is the better option for your family? Does the cost play a major role in which one you pick? Let us know in the comments below.

Neither one the right fit? Why don’t you check out one of Universal’s newest value hotels Stella Nova, right across the street from Universal Epic Universe. Sapphire Falls is a great moderately priced Universal hotel that offers both boat transportation and Buses to Citywalk and the theme parks. If you are looking to be the coolest family back home, a stay at the Hard Rock Hotel is a must.

Have you stayed at any of the Universal Orlando Resorts? How many have you visited? We can’t wait to hear from you.

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