Dockside Inn and Suites Thread..... FAQ and more.....

[dez1978]

We will be staying here for the 1st time for the June OI meetup. Taking my kids and husband for the 1st time. We plan to get there late Thursday night, sleep in Friday, maybe swim a bit and hit the meetup. Does anyone know if the buses are still running after the meetup since this isn't really walkable?

 

[oakleycat]

We will be staying here for the 1st time for the June OI meetup. Taking my kids and husband for the 1st time. We plan to get there late Thursday night, sleep in Friday, maybe swim a bit and hit the meetup. Does anyone know if the buses are still running after the meetup since this isn't really walkable?

They should be, we took the busses back to Dockside both nights after the December meetup.

 

[Canadian Harmony]

We're going in July/August for three days before moving on to AKL.

I take it there is a shuttle bus (or 5) to take us to the park(s) each day? I've google mapped it, and it seems it drops us off and then there's a bit of stroll through City Walk to get to park gates? Is that correct?

 

[saskdw]

We're going in July/August for three days before moving on to AKL.

I take it there is a shuttle bus (or 5) to take us to the park(s) each day? I've google mapped it, and it seems it drops us off and then there's a bit of stroll through City Walk to get to park gates? Is that correct?

Yes.
The buses come very frequently at Universal. You won't have to wait long.
You go through security at the City Walk entrance and then there is no more security checks after that.

 

[hpsalb]

We will be staying here for the 1st time for the June OI meetup. Taking my kids and husband for the 1st time. We plan to get there late Thursday night, sleep in Friday, maybe swim a bit and hit the meetup. Does anyone know if the buses are still running after the meetup since this isn't really walkable?

I was worried about this but the buses ran following the February meetup and we were able to catch one back to Dockside without much wait. The official meetup email that goes out just before the event should also have details about transportation. I think it ran until 2am?

 

[Mom3girls]

We are here at Dockside for a long weekend by the pool. It is gorgeous!! So glad I didn’t change our reservations to another hotel in order to use the pool hopping option. We just got down to the big pool at 9am and the sun has finally come over tower 2 building. Tons of chairs and umbrellas around the pool. LOVE the sandy beach side with the walk into pool

 

[mamapenguin]

How is the shampoo and conditioner? For comparison: I’m fine with RPR’s, Sapphire’s and Aventura’s. I just don’t like to waste space packing stuff if I don’t need it.

 

[tony67]

So unless I can get an AP rate at Aventura I am planning to stay here for a few nights and work from the hotel so I can go to HHN a few more days - hard to beat the price and it looks like a great value.

One disadvantage is I cant just have the short walk to Citi walk in the middle of the day for lunch and if I do head over have to go through security and all that at the hub.

I know they have very good pizza at Aventura - fresh dough and a pizza oven - is it the same set up here?
I assume it is, but I have also had the pizza at Aventura after HHN from the late night menu and its an "instant" pizza and terrible - ill never buy that again.

It does look like the food if decent at the food court, but just wanted to know about the pizza.

 

[titojackson84]

So unless I can get an AP rate at Aventura I am planning to stay here for a few nights and work from the hotel so I can go to HHN a few more days - hard to beat the price and it looks like a great value.

One disadvantage is I cant just have the short walk to Citi walk in the middle of the day for lunch and if I do head over have to go through security and all that at the hub.

I know they have very good pizza at Aventura - fresh dough and a pizza oven - is it the same set up here?
I assume it is, but I have also had the pizza at Aventura after HHN from the late night menu and its an "instant" pizza and terrible - ill never buy that again.

It does look like the food if decent at the food court, but just wanted to know about the pizza.

I’m staying at surf side next month because it’s $200 cheaper than aventura and about $250+ cheaper than cabana bay. I wasn’t impressed with Aventura when I stayed there and like the idea of having a Walgreens and some offsite restaurants across the street.

 

[wdwrule]

So unless I can get an AP rate at Aventura I am planning to stay here for a few nights and work from the hotel so I can go to HHN a few more days - hard to beat the price and it looks like a great value.

One disadvantage is I cant just have the short walk to Citi walk in the middle of the day for lunch and if I do head over have to go through security and all that at the hub.

I know they have very good pizza at Aventura - fresh dough and a pizza oven - is it the same set up here?
I assume it is, but I have also had the pizza at Aventura after HHN from the late night menu and its an "instant" pizza and terrible - ill never buy that again.

It does look like the food if decent at the food court, but just wanted to know about the pizza.

We also enjoy the pizza at Aventura. Red oven pizza however is my favorite on property from their stone lined oven. We did have pizza 2 years ago at Dockside’s food court and we thought it was good. Not as good as Aventura in our opinion as I believe Dockside’s is more mass produced. I wouldn’t call it terrible though. It was just your basic pizza, but not “from frozen” tasting.

 

[tony67]

I’m staying at surf side next month because it’s $200 cheaper than aventura and about $250+ cheaper than cabana bay. I wasn’t impressed with Aventura when I stayed there and like the idea of having a Walgreens and some offsite restaurants across the street.

Yeah Aventura is not for everyone - its like a basic Marriott - but you can walk to Sapphire which is a big bonus IMO

Have access to Walgreens etc is a plus - and also a chance to try stuff off property that I am usually too lazy to do

We also enjoy the pizza at Aventura. Red oven pizza however is my favorite on property from their stone lined oven. We did have pizza 2 years ago at Dockside’s food court and we thought it was good. Not as good as Aventura in our opinion as I believe Dockside’s is more mass produced. I wouldn’t call it terrible though. It was just your basic pizza, but not “from frozen” tasting.

Thanks - sort of what I expected

 

[mamapenguin]

I ordered the kid’s pepperoni pizza in May and I thought it was very good.

 

[tony67]

I ordered the kid’s pepperoni pizza in May and I thought it was very good.

thanks - for a kids pizza it looks not too bad - far better than the late night HHN pizza at the hotels

 

[mamapenguin]

thanks - for a kids pizza it looks not too bad - far better than the late night HHN pizza at the hotels

It was $7.50.

 

[luvsvacations]

I am looking at Surfside. My niece is a limited walker, we will have her wheelchair but trying to decide what room view would be most convenient to pool and busses. Short walks are fine. I am looking at 2 bedroom pool view or water view. Thanks

 

[tony67]

So just had a stay at Dockside for a few nights and then switched to Aventura.

Honestly I wish I had stayed at Dockside the entire time - its around 30-40 cheaper every day.
The rooms are very clean and the showers are much nicer than the tub showers in Aventura.

I was a solo traveler so I am sure that makes a difference - more than two people in a standard room might be pushing it.

The food court is OK - the pizza is a premade shell heated in one of the conveyer belt machines. Most of the food is like that so nothing great - but not bad.

Bar looked good.

I like that they still give you individual soap\shampoo etc and not just the large mounted bottles - those are a bit iffy in my experience - I refuse to use them.

I thought the big disadvantage would be not being able to walk to citywalk - but the buses at dockside were amazing.
There was always a bus waiting at the hotel and the hub - they seemed to go constantly.
Many times I was waiting on a bus for Aventura, but there was a bus for dockside waiting and as soon as it left the next one was there. They are really making sure those buses are not an issue - also it no longer shares with surfside. Surfside looked to be less consistent - probably more like Aventura - which not bad can be tiresome after a long day.

Bottom line - I stay at a lot of hotels that are a lot more expensive and are not as good as Dockside - I was expecting the worst and was very pleasantly surprised.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Stayed last night. Rooms clean, buses very efficient and a much closer walk than the Surfside bus stop. Shower nice & roomy.

They have the sink & entry lights controlled by putting your key card in a slot on the wall. You must leave the card in for the lights to stay on. I texted to ask how to operate the lights without the key card, they said there was no other way. What a terrible system. I can't be the only one who would leave my room card there. If I was there another night, I would request an extra key card just to jam in there. Frankly they should have one in all the rooms. Surfside does not have this asinine feature.

 

[tony67]

Stayed last night. Rooms clean, buses very efficient and a much closer walk than the Surfside bus stop. Shower nice & roomy.

They have the sink & entry lights controlled by putting your key card in a slot on the wall. You must leave the card in for the lights to stay on. I texted to ask how to operate the lights without the key card, they said there was no other way. What a terrible system. I can't be the only one who would leave my room card there. If I was there another night, I would request an extra key card just to jam in there. Frankly they should have one in all the rooms. Surfside does not have this asinine feature.

Yeah that is very common in Europe as an energy saving method. I think we will see more and more of this.
Turns off the AC as well I think.

I think you can use any keycard - I also keep some old ones in my bag for just that reason.

I also always set two room keys even if I don't need them - I like to have an extra on on me just in case.

Other than that Dockside is my go to - especially now that Strongwater disappointed me the last few times and the pizza at Aventrua is not what it used to be.

Also - those buses are amazing - I don think I ever had to wait.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Energy saving is all well and good until you are the only one in the room with no extra room cards... at the very least it should be on a timer, even 5min after pulling the key out would be acceptable.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

This would not be an issue for us, it's not like I need my card while in the room for anything else and there really is no reason to leave the lights on when we leave. Also, not sure why I would be in the room and not have my card? Everyone in our family has their own. That is also why hotels are clamping down on AC's, people have a tendency to leave everything on when on vacation.

We have stayed at Surfside twice and really love the double bedroom and especially a