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



## schumigirl

*****NOW OPEN****

DEC 15TH 2020*​


When both sides are open there will be 2050 rooms and suites at excellent prices for affordable family vacations.

As of now (Feb 2020) we don't really have a lot of information outside of what is available on the Universal website, for example we have no menu`s from their onsite food options. These should be announced soon. We will update as we get any information along the way. And new pictures will be added when the resort opens next month.














Below artist impression from Google.





*Opening March 17, 2020*

Unwind in an all-new, carefree escape that’s extra-affordable. Inspired by sand, sea and breathtaking sunsets, this retreat has a coastal vibe and comes with all the fun and convenience of staying with Universal—including awesome hotel guest benefits. With plenty of standard rooms and spacious, two-bedroom suites that sleep six, it’s a great spot for families of any size to base their Universal vacation.

A sister hotel, Surfside Inn and Suites, is now open. Both hotels will be part of Universal's Endless Summer Resort, a vibrant and sunny retreat.




*Information & Policies at Dockside Inn and Suites*



*Check-In And Check-Out Times*

Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites check-in at 4 pm, and check-out is at 11 am. You may check out by television, phone, express check-out box available at the front desk or traditional check-out at the front desk.

*Deposit Requirements*

The credit card will be charged within five business days of the booking date, and the deposit is equal to the first night's room rate plus tax. Full cancellation policies apply.
Please note, deposits are forfeited if you check out of the hotel prior to the check-out date.


*Accepted Forms of Payment*

The following major credit cards, as well as money orders and personal, certified and travel agency checks are accepted for deposits*:



American Express®
Diners Club International®
Discover®/NOVUS
Japanese Credit Bureau (JCB)
MasterCard®
Visa®




*Hotel Taxes*


Universal Orlando's Resort™ hotels will include applicable taxes to be collected each night of your stay, and they are included as a percentage of the room charge.
Florida State Sales Tax: 6.5%
Orange County Occupancy Tax: 6%
Total Tax: 12.5%

*Cancellation Policy*


Six days or more prior to stay: full refund
Zero to five days prior to stay :cancellation fee of one night’s room rate, plus tax.
Please note, deposits are forfeited if you check out of the hotel prior to the check-out.


*Hotel Address And Phone Number*

Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites
7125 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32819

*Reservations*

Room Reservations: (888) 273-1311

*Lost And Found*

If you believe you lost your item inside one of our theme parks, click the link(s) listed below.
Universal's Islands of Adventure™: click here
Universal Studios Florida™: click here
Universal's Volcano Bay™: click here




*Parking And Transportation*


*Universal Orlando Transportation*

Shuttle buses connect all of Universal Orlando's hotels to Universal Studios Florida™, Universal’s Islands of Adventure™, Universal’s Volcano Bay™ and Universal CityWalk™

*Walt Disney World® Transportation^*

Transportation to Walt Disney World® can be arranged through the Universal Orlando Vacation Planning Center (fees apply).


*Airport Transportation*

Shuttle service is available for hotel guests arriving at Orlando International Airport through Mears Transportation (fees apply). The departure point from the airport is at the ground transportation area on the lower level. From the hotels, it is at the porte cochère of each hotel. Guests booking vacation packages with Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations™ may inquire about adding round-trip shuttle transportation to their vacation package prior to arrival by calling 1-800-407-4275.


*Rental Car Service*
Car rental is available in the hotel lobby. To make a reservation††, call (407) 503-3156.

*Overnight Guest Parking*
Self parking, $15 plus tax per night, per vehicle.
Rates are subject to change without notice.

*Day Guest Parking*
Self parking, $45 plus tax per day, per vehicle
Rates are subject to change without notice.



*Guests With Disabilities*

All resort hotels at Universal Orlando™ are compliant with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) guidelines in specially equipped guest rooms, and restaurants are wheelchair accessible.

*Accessibility Features:*

Closed-caption television
Closets with rods 48” high
Doors with peepholes 3’ 6” from the floor
Entry doors 36” wide
Roll-in shower stall with adjustable shower head, or combination shower/tub with adjustable shower head, tub seat and hand bar
Smoke detector with light
Toilets with grab bar


*Sight And Hearing Impaired Features:*


All entrances to individual guest rooms include the room number in braille.
Hearing Impaired Kits (that include a TDD relay service) are available from the front desk for use in any guest room
Doorbell with light

*Mobility Scooter Rentals:*

For guests who need to rent a mobility scooter during their stay, we have four preferred vendors allowed to deliver equipment on hotel property.

The preferred vendors are listed below. Please be aware that no other companies are allowed to deliver mobility scooters on hotel property.


Buena Vista Rentals
BP Mobility
Scooter Bug
Apple Scooter



*Hotel Services*

*Extra Person Charge*

An additional charge of $15 per extra adult applies for more than 2 adult guests per room.
Complimentary cribs are available upon request.
Laundry includes a credit and coin-operated washer and dryers.
Enjoy complimentary*** WiFi in each room and most common areas of the hotel, or upgrade to Premium Plus^^^ WiFi for optimal entertainment and business needs.



*Hotel Policies*

*Age Requirements*

You must be 21 years of age, and provide proper identification upon check-in, to book a room at any Universal Orlando™ hotel. There must be at least one person in the reserved room who is 21 years of age or older.

*Modifying Your Reservation*

Modifications to existing reservations are subject to availability at time of change. To retrieve your reservation, click here.

*Pet Policy*

Universal's Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites does not allow pets but if you want to bring your furry friend, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel®, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and Loews Royal Pacific Resort all allow pets for a fee of $100†††.



*Smoking Policy*

All of our hotels are 100% smoke free. Our non-smoking policy applies to all areas of the hotels, with the exception of designated outdoor smoking areas. The cleaning fee for smoking in guest rooms is $250.


*Severe Weather Cancellation Policy*

While an incredible vacation awaits at Universal Orlando Resort™, we can’t make guarantees about the weather. But your travel plans can still be stress free with the “No Questions Asked” cancellation policy. Should you be unable to travel to Orlando due to an active named storm impacting your travel, we’ll help you re-schedule your vacation, or give you a complete refund—no questions asked.



*Extra Information*

*Travel Agents*
Universal Orlando Resort™ has an online resource exclusively for travel professionals. You can find the latest news, access online training, download marketing materials and connect with other sales professionals, all in one centralized place. For more information, visit our Universal Partner Community website.

*Meeting Planners And Groups*
Universal Orlando Resort™ Meetings And Events offers meeting planners a multitude of exciting options. For more information, visit our Universal Orlando Resort™ Meetings And Events website or call (888) 331-9108.
Information and policies are subject to change without notice.


Terms And Conditions





*Theme Park Benefits at Dockside Inn and Suites*










*Early Park Admission* To The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™*

Enjoy Early Park Admission* to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and Universal's Volcano Bay™ one hour before the parks open (valid theme park admission required).












*Fun, Free And Easy Transportation*

Complimentary shuttle buses connect this Value hotel to Universal Studios Florida™, Universal's Islands of Adventure™, Universal's Volcano Bay™ and Universal CityWalk™. It’s just a quick hop between the parks and your hotel.












*More Than Just A Room Key*

Stay with us and get resort-wide charging privileges using your room key card. You can also use your key card for complimentary access† to select live entertainment venues at Universal CityWalk™ for the length of your stay.











*Shopping Made Simple*


Be carefree and carry-free when you shop at select stores in Universal’s theme parks and CityWalk™. We’ll deliver your purchases directly to your hotel, free of charge.


Terms And Conditions






*Rooms & Suites at Dockside Inn and Suites*









*Standard Rooms*

Cool, calm and carefree, rooms here are remarkably charming and incredibly affordable. Sleep up to 4 adults in 2 queen beds.

STARTING FROM
$79.00*
PER NIGHT + TAX, BASED ON A 5-NIGHT STAY
Terms And Conditions
SEE ROOM DETAILS







*2-Bedroom Suites*

Families will feel like they’re at a beach retreat in these spacious, two-bedroom suites that sleep six. There is also a kitchenette area, a cool picnic table for meals and hanging out, and a bathroom with separate bath and vanity areas.

STARTING FROM
$120.00**
PER NIGHT + TAX, BASED ON A 5-NIGHT STAY
Terms And Conditions





*Dining at Dockside Inn and Suites*


*Food Court*

Tasty, convenient and carefree for breakfast, lunch, dinner and every craving in-between. The hotel’s food court offers a great selection of flavorful food for every palate, along with plenty of grab-and-go options.



*Pier 8 Menu*

*https://pier-8-market.constantcontactsites.com/*















*Pool Bar*

*You will never have to go far for your favorite drink. The pool bar features frozen drinks, cocktails, wine and beer.*

*
Menu
*
*https://the-wave-makers-pool-bar.constantcontactsites.com/*




*Coffee Shop*

Stop by the coffee shop in the lobby for a morning boost or afternoon pick-me-up. Enjoy all your favorite coffees, teas and snacks.





*Pizza Delivery*

When hunger strikes, pizza is only a call away. Have fresh-made pies delivered directly to your room. Available during limited hours.







*Lobby Bar*

Cool, calm and so convenient. It’s the perfect place to grab cocktails, hang out and unwind.





*Pools & Activities at Dockside Inn and Suites






Pools and Splash Pad*

Here, it’s always easy to make a splash with two large pools, a children’s play area and sand beaches.












*Poolside Activities*

Stay by the water with hulahoop contests, Bingo, Ping-Pong and more fun family activities. Check with the front desk to find out what’s going on during your stay*.



*Fitness Center*

Stay in your fit zone even on vacation. Hotel guests can enjoy the complimentary state-of-the-art fitness center.


Pictures in the 2nd post.




*Game Room*

Head to the hotel's game room to test your skill on arcade and video games.




*Universal Studios Store™*

You’ll find towels, tees, toys, toiletries and more at the Universal Studios Store™ conveniently located in the hotel lobby.











*Universal Vacation Planning Center*

To help you keep the fun going in the parks, we've got Universal experts in the lobby ready to assist with all of your Universal vacation needs, from purchasing and retrieving tickets to planning your day.


Terms And Conditions


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## schumigirl

*We have some brand new images of the Fitness Centre in Dockside Hotel and many thanks to @sandam1 for the pictures, we really appreciate you taking them and for us using them in this thread *







































































































*Ladies locker room*


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## macraven

Always a delight to add a new hotel to the stickies!


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## SCSabresfan

Looking forward to staying here for one night in May!


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## schumigirl

macraven said:


> Always a delight to add a new hotel to the stickies!



Glad to hear it’s ok


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## schumigirl

SCSabresfan said:


> Looking forward to staying here for one night in May!



Looking forward to hearing your opinion of this new hotel......please come back and let us know how it was......

The lobby looks to be nicer than Endless Summer’s lobby right now......I might try and get over to this one to have a wander around In May.


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## SCSabresfan

schumigirl said:


> Looking forward to hearing your opinion of this new hotel......please come back and let us know how it was......
> 
> The lobby looks to be nicer than Endless Summer’s lobby right now......I might try and get over to this one to have a wander around In May.


I will post a quick review and additional pictures after our trip.


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## macraven

SCSabresfan said:


> I will post a quick review and additional pictures after our trip.


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## mguimond1990

Last time we went to universal we stayed at Cabana Bay. We loved the fact that there was a walking path right to the parks. Is that an option with this new hotel too? I thought I read Universal was constructing a walkway but I don’t see that info anywhere online anymore.


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## schumigirl

mguimond1990 said:


> Last time we went to universal we stayed at Cabana Bay. We loved the fact that there was a walking path right to the parks. Is that an option with this new hotel too? I thought I read Universal was constructing a walkway but I don’t see that info anywhere online anymore.



There already is a path.

You cross the road from Dockside and the path takes you right over the I-4 to the parking garage area. The road you have to cross has a crossing, it looks worse than it is and many folks already use this path.

Check out Google maps and you’ll see the road.


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## Matthew81

Standard room has mini fridge but no microwave so how to warm food?


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## schumigirl

Matthew81 said:


> Standard room has mini fridge but no microwave so how to warm food?



All the hotels have them available to rent


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## Erica_Haley

Universal posted today some new food and drinks that will be available. 
Get a Taste of the New Food and Drinks at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites


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## Erica_Haley

Universal posted today they're delaying the opening to a later date. Everyone with reservations during the closing will be moved to Surfside.


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## DisneyLifePapioNe

I’ve been watching some of the videos out on this place and looked up some rates and deals at this place, this really is a beautiful place and the cost is quite unbelievable especially with the added benefits!

Tipping my hat to Universal!!!

Great stuff!!

$70ish per night.........  ........ for a standard 2 queen, WOW!


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## schumigirl

Looks like you can now make a reservation for July in the hotel.

Always possible this will change, but looking good if you plan to stay at Dockside from July.


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## kdonnel

I had a reservation for July 9th - July 12th.  Universal just moved me to Surfside Inn and Suites as Dockside Inn and Suites will not be open in July.  It looks like the earliest you can make a reservation now is August 1st.  I imagine that date could move based on demand.


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## schumigirl

kdonnel said:


> I had a reservation for July 9th - July 12th.  Universal just moved me to Surfside Inn and Suites as Dockside Inn and Suites will not be open in July.  It looks like the earliest you can make a reservation now is August 1st.  I imagine that date could move based on demand.



Yep, saw that earlier today. 

I am going to change the header, not been around much today. 

Hope you like Surfside instead.


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## myhoney

We just booked Dockside for August 2021!  It will be our first Universal trip!


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## schumigirl

myhoney said:


> We just booked Dockside for August 2021!  It will be our first Universal trip!



Yay!!!

Fabulous news!!! It’s nice to have a trip to look forward to.......


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## DisneyLifePapioNe

myhoney said:


> We just booked Dockside for August 2021!  It will be our first Universal trip!



This place looks to be very very nice!!!!!

Lots of bang for your buck!!!

Have a wonderful time!!


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## Dockside Bayer

myhoney said:


> We just booked Dockside for August 2021!  It will be our first Universal trip!


We will be there in August 2021 as well! We check in in the middle of the month. Thrilled with the look of this hotel, especially the suites.


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## Dockside Bayer

Matthew81 said:


> Standard room has mini fridge but no microwave so how to warm food?


The suites do have a microwave though, right?


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## schumigirl

Looks like it`s available to book now from September 1st......fingers crossed it opens this time.


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## hhoope01

Looks like Dockside has also been closed until Jan 1st along with SF and Aventura.


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## macraven

Adventura closes on  the 21 st


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## jep8821

Dockside is opening Tuesday, December 15!


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## schumigirl

******NOW OPEN******​


PICTURES FROM UNIVERSAL ORLANDO TWITTER









SUNSET LOUNGE........









We`ll update the thread with more details as we get them.


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## ColoradoK

Do the mini-fridges in the suites have a freezer compartment?


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## EveDallas

ColoradoK said:


> Do the mini-fridges in the suites have a freezer compartment?



No, they don't


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## ColoradoK

EveDallas said:


> No, they don't


Thank you SO much!


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## RocketCityMama

We are staying here in June for a week and are very excited about the new resort! We have a 2 bedroom suite, yay for separate rooms and more space.  I hope more people will come post photos and such now that it's open.


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## Starwarsfan2

Got a passholder rate for late March today  by calling.  On the website, it said no passholder rates available at that time.  So, if you are looking to go during spring break, give them a call and you may be able to get it.


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## Calee

We stayed here for 3 nights last week.  My kids liked it better than Royal Pacific lol.  The family suites were amazing.  Of course being so new everything is fresh.  But have 3 beds (and 3 sinks) was life changing after always squeezing into a normal size hotel room 

We liked the food options at the quick service too! It is of course overpriced-but what theme park restaurant isn't.


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## SchmansH

Thanks for posting this! We have a 3 night reservation but I was concerned reading some of the reviews that say it's loud because the walls are thin. Did you notice that? 



Calee said:


> We stayed here for 3 nights last week.  My kids liked it better than Royal Pacific lol.  The family suites were amazing.  Of course being so new everything is fresh.  But have 3 beds (and 3 sinks) was life changing after always squeezing into a normal size hotel room
> 
> We liked the food options at the quick service too! It is of course overpriced-but what theme park restaurant isn't.


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## Calee

SchmansH said:


> Thanks for posting this! We have a 3 night reservation but I was concerned reading some of the reviews that say it's loud because the walls are thin. Did you notice that?


I did not.  I am a very light sleeper and didn't hear anything.  We had a suite and I slept in the smaller room that did not open to the hall, but I didn't hear anything through the walls.


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## Peach026

Starwarsfan2 said:


> Got a passholder rate for late March today  by calling.  On the website, it said no passholder rates available at that time.  So, if you are looking to go during spring break, give them a call and you may be able to get it.


 Do you have a trip report? Would love to hear about your experience!


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## atricks

Looks like surfside will reopen on June 1st (Both sides will be open then.


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## emonade8

Anyone know if the family suites are in a different section than the regular rooms or if they're all just distributed throughout the resort? Going with 6 adults (4 of which are our kids and their boyfriends) and thought a standard for us and a suite for them might be nice. But if we'll be far away from each other I'll just get 2 standards.


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## hokiern

We are going next month and staying in a family suite with five adults - I will give everyone the scoop when we come back


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## schumigirl

hokiern said:


> We are going next month and staying in a family suite with five adults - I will give everyone the scoop when we come back



Look forward to it.


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## StefBar

I wanted to say how impressed I was with the Dockside Resort!  I just returned from a 2 day/3 night stay with my 11 year old son and we both absolutely loved it.  I would compare it to Pop Century, but much much better!!  The rooms are so big with tons of space, modern touches, and hooks to hang lanyards, masks, etc.  Our trip was solely to ride the Velocicoaster during the APH Preview so I wanted to spend as little as possible since this was not a planned trip, and it ended up being our best trip yet.  The food court was fabulous, especially at breakfast.  We had hot breakfast one day, and Krispy Kreme donuts and scones the next day, both from the food court.  With children, I think a food court is so much easier than sit down restaurants.  The mugs were an incredible deal because you could fill your mug with hot drinks or cold drinks from the freestyle machine.  It was $9 the first day then $3 for each additional day.  I believe when we were at Cabana Bay it was a lot more than that and did not include coffee or hot drinks.

A food court tip - I ordered a grilled cheese for my son for $5 which included a cup of fries and a bottled water or milk and then ordered a side of french fries for myself.  The fries were the same size as the ones he got with his grilled cheese and were $4.50 so I ordered the kids grilled cheese meal instead and got an extra sandwich for him, the same size fries and a bottle of water to take to the parks for $0.50 more.

I was worried about transportation to the parks and this was just amazing.  We never waited more than 3 minutes to get on a bus going to or coming from the parks and we were there during the cheer competition with a hotel full of cheer families.

I also requested a room on the first floor and close to the lobby/buses and we were steps away from the food court, the bus to the parks, and one of the pools.   Room was 1124 and it could not have been a better location.  It made it easy to refill our mug because we were so close.

One note, our room did not have a coffee pot if that is important to anyone but it wasn't necessary if you buy a mug.

The pool had no slide but was big and had a sand area and tons of seating.  We loved it!  We can't wait to stay here again.


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## macraven

Thank you for that awesome review!

it will help others when they have to narrow down which resort to book


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## schumigirl

Absolutely agree with mac Stefbar........loved reading your review of the hotel and glad you and your son enjoyed it so much.

Thank you for taking the time to do it, we do appreciate the feedback on the newer hotels.

And hope you enjoyed the coaster too!


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## AJA

I’ll echo what the pp’s have said, Thank You for the review Stefbar! 

We are trying Dockside in January. After staying in the family suits at Cabana as a family with an older teenager I can’t see going back to a standard hotel room for a 4+ day visit. 

As much as we love Cabana (3 trips in a row now) we’re excited for something new.

The family suites with the extra living room, t.v. and bed mean as much to us now as express pass and a short walk used to mean when our daughter was little. Universal really seems to understand this with the emphasis on affordable mini suites for families.


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## RocketCityMama

When you arrive at USO from Dockside, where do you get on/off bus at? Is there a separate check point or do you just join the main one upstairs in City Walk area?


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## DizneyFamof4

Just turned down a great HRH rate and made our reservation at Surfside for October. We are a family of 4, but we are bringing a girlfriend of my oldest DD and we do not feel comfortable having only one sleeping area. It's great that US has these 2 bedroom suites at such a great price. I did some searching and the Surfside food court had some really bad reviews and some posted food photos and I have to agree they looked pretty bad. We are hoping that they get better by October.


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## hokiern

We just got back from a four night stay at Dockside from May 14-May 18 and had a wonderful time!  This post will be partially a review of Dockside and part trip report. We have been to Universal before but had never stayed on property before as we usually stay on site at Disney.   

We flew into MCO and had prior arrangements with Tony Hinds for transport to the hotel.  Our group consisted of myself, hubby, our two twenty-something year old sons, and our youngest son's fiance.  We had a two bed-room suite reserved and the room was ready when we arrived at the hotel around 4 pm. We were given a choice of whether we wanted a first floor room or a higher floor room.  As we did not anticipate being in the room very much, I chose a first floor room because I thought it would be closer to the cafe, the pool, shuttle etc.  The desk clerk said an added advantage was no need for elevator service - although masking rules had loosened up in the parks, the elevators were limited to one traveling party at a time and she said getting up and down on the elevator could be a hassle at peak times.

The hotel lobby was welcoming with a seating area, a check in area, a Starbucks, a gift shop, a luggage handling area, and a customer service area for ticket pick up, reservations, etc.  Our room cards were printed with our individual names on them and later we learned could also serve as a ticket instead of using the paper tickets. We had reserved our trip through a travel agency and got the Wizarding World of Harry Potter package.  We received our lanyards, Harry Potter luggage tags, and welcome letter in a special Harry Potter keepsake box via mail, but had opted to pick up our tickets at the hotel.  I decided to go ahead and get the tickets while we were checking in to make sure we had everything in order, as we also had to pick up our tickets for our breakfasts to the Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks, our Shutterbuttons photo entrance certificate, and some other freebies from the travel agency.  We had also chosen to get the full service dining package for our stay and had to pick up our dining plan cards. 

Our room was 1163 and was very convenient to the workout rooms, the pool, the resort cafe , Coke Freestyle machines, and the shuttle pick up area.  We did not have a car but is also appeared to be very close to the parking area as well.  Apart from a few carpet stains in the hallway, the hotel was immaculate and our room was sparkling clean.  I knew from reading the posts in these forums that we would need to use a key card to turn the lights on in our room.  Upon entrance there was a full sized picnic table immediately to the left with three chairs and a bench.  On the other side of the picnic table was a long counter with a microwave and a small sink; the fridge was under the counter.  The fridge was what I would consider to be a tall dorm fridge rather than a mini fridge. To my surprise there was also a Cuisinart coffee pot and minimal coffee supplies in the drawer immediately underneath it.  Disposable cups for cold and hot beverages were provided, as well as a roll of trash bags.  There were two queen sized beds in the main area with a wall mounted television.  The beds had lighting on either side as well as electrical and USB outlets and there were plenty of hooks to hang lanyards, towels, etc. There was a lot of shelving around the outside edges of the room.

A recessed area held double sinks with shelving underneath for towels.  To the left of the recessed area was the bathroom with a commode and a bath/shower combo.  There were beach-themed toiletry items provided -  small bottles of shampoo and conditioner and individually wrapped bars of soap for the sinks and the shower/bath.  To the right of the recessed area was the door to the private bedroom.  This room was very small, but contained a tiny closet, the queen sized bed, and an ottoman-type stool that could be used as a seat or a foot rest.  There was shelving on either side of the bed, again with electrical outlets, USB outlets, and lighting.  The wall opposite of the headboard also had narrow shelving and more hooks for towels, lanyards, etc. and there was another wall-mounted television.

Because of COVID, we were told upon check in that housekeeping would be very limited.  However, they asked permission to send us a welcome text message and to use this texting platform as a means of communication if we needed anything.  We did request extra towels and pillows as there were two pillows only per bed and no extra pillows or bedding in the room.  There was also one towel set per person.  (I never got in the pool but the kids did and there was towel service provided poolside.)  Other than what we requested via texts, we received no housekeeping services during our stay.  We had to bag our trash and place it outside the door for housekeeping to pick up.  

There was an ironing board and iron provided, as well as a wall-mounted hair dryer.  We didn't use them so I can't comment as to the quality of these items.  One of my sons brought his Ipad but the rest of us only had cell phones.  We used the free internet and did not have any connectivity issues.  I did notice at the end of our stay that the computers in the lobby that were designated for printing boarding passes were not working but the front desk was able to print ours when we were checking out.

Some people have complained about the noise level at Dockside, but I am a light sleeper and did not have any issues.  However, hubby and I had the private room which offered another layer of noise protection.  My youngest son said he was awakened one night by a group of screaming teens stampeding down the hallway but that was the only noise problem we experienced.  

As we had the dining plan and it was not usable at the resort, we only ate once in the hotel cafe and that was for dinner the evening of our arrival.  The cafe reminded me of a college dining hall with different stations.  There was one station for cold sandwiches, another station for hot and pressed sandwiches, a prepared salad area, a pizza and pasta bar, a grill area for burgers, hot dogs, fries, tots, etc., a fried chicken and waffle area with the usual barbecue types of sides, a dessert area, and a couple of different grab and go stations with both refrigerated and non-refrigerated items.  The pizzas were pretty small so we did not try those.  However, between the five of us we had a chicken caesar salad and a cobb salad that were large enough for us to share, the turkey club, a cuban, and a couple of burgers.  Hubby had the onion rings and one of the boys had the fries.  The sandwiches and salads were large and the fries/onion rings were what I would call medium-sized portions.  

We debated whether to have bottled water and soda in the room or whether to get the Coke freestyle resort cups.  Since we were only there for four nights we  opted for the refillable resort cups although I am sure we would have saved a lot of money if I had taken advantage of a Publix run or Amazon delivery.  The refillable mugs cost around $96 for the five of us.  There were two sets of side by side Coke Freestyle machines in the back of the dining area that were accessible 24-7.  There were also two sets of commercial style coffee pots, and options for dispensation of half and half, French vanilla creamer, hot chocolate, and hot water.  Of special note, the coffee pots, hot water dispensers, creamer dispensers, and hot chocolate dispensers were NOT chipped and were usable with any type of cup.  The coffee pots were not in service until 7 am however.  I learned this the hard way as they were set up and ready to brew and I made the mistake of turning one on at 0640.  A passing staff member began yelling at me for doing so.  (I really wasn't trying to cause a problem - I am a night shift RN and am used to the concept of making coffee in commercial machines at the hospital).  I don't think the Starbucks opened until 7:30 so there is no early morning java except for the cuisinart machines in the rooms that run with coffee pods.  Next time I will probably bring my single cup Keurig and avoid the issue entirely lol. 

Hubby and I did not go to the pool and so did not try out the pool bar.  However, our older son went in the evening a couple of times after we returned from the parks.  He mentioned that a Capt Morgans with gingerale was $9.50 and that other mixed drinks were more expensive.  He also said that any masking or social distancing rules for COVID went out the window after about 10 pm.  

Shuttle service to and from the hotel and parks was amazing and one of the very few areas that Universal outdoes Disney.  We never had to wait on a shuttle - even in the morning rush there was a constant flow of incoming shuttles.  

As this review is getting rather long I will stop for now but will add more details later


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## macraven

Thank you for sharing all the details. 
It really helps all the readers when they can’t make a decision on where to stay.

Many hotels to chose from and your report answers questions that some of us haven’t thought of yet.


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## DizneyFamof4

hokiern said:


> We just got back from a four night stay at Dockside from May 14-May 18 and had a wonderful time!  This post will be partially a review of Dockside and part trip report. We have been to Universal before but had never stayed on property before as we usually stay on site at Disney.
> 
> We flew into MCO and had prior arrangements with Tony Hinds for transport to the hotel.  Our group consisted of myself, hubby, our two twenty-something year old sons, and our youngest son's fiance.  We had a two bed-room suite reserved and the room was ready when we arrived at the hotel around 4 pm. We were given a choice of whether we wanted a first floor room or a higher floor room.  As we did not anticipate being in the room very much, I chose a first floor room because I thought it would be closer to the cafe, the pool, shuttle etc.  The desk clerk said an added advantage was no need for elevator service - although masking rules had loosened up in the parks, the elevators were limited to one traveling party at a time and she said getting up and down on the elevator could be a hassle at peak times.
> 
> The hotel lobby was welcoming with a seating area, a check in area, a Starbucks, a gift shop, a luggage handling area, and a customer service area for ticket pick up, reservations, etc.  Our room cards were printed with our individual names on them and later we learned could also serve as a ticket instead of using the paper tickets. We had reserved our trip through a travel agency and got the Wizarding World of Harry Potter package.  We received our lanyards, Harry Potter luggage tags, and welcome letter in a special Harry Potter keepsake box via mail, but had opted to pick up our tickets at the hotel.  I decided to go ahead and get the tickets while we were checking in to make sure we had everything in order, as we also had to pick up our tickets for our breakfasts to the Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks, our Shutterbuttons photo entrance certificate, and some other freebies from the travel agency.  We had also chosen to get the full service dining package for our stay and had to pick up our dining plan cards.
> 
> Our room was 1163 and was very convenient to the workout rooms, the pool, the resort cafe , Coke Freestyle machines, and the shuttle pick up area.  We did not have a car but is also appeared to be very close to the parking area as well.  Apart from a few carpet stains in the hallway, the hotel was immaculate and our room was sparkling clean.  I knew from reading the posts in these forums that we would need to use a key card to turn the lights on in our room.  Upon entrance there was a full sized picnic table immediately to the left with three chairs and a bench.  On the other side of the picnic table was a long counter with a microwave and a small sink; the fridge was under the counter.  The fridge was what I would consider to be a tall dorm fridge rather than a mini fridge. To my surprise there was also a Cuisinart coffee pot and minimal coffee supplies in the drawer immediately underneath it.  Disposable cups for cold and hot beverages were provided, as well as a roll of trash bags.  There were two queen sized beds in the main area with a wall mounted television.  The beds had lighting on either side as well as electrical and USB outlets and there were plenty of hooks to hang lanyards, towels, etc. There was a lot of shelving around the outside edges of the room.
> 
> A recessed area held double sinks with shelving underneath for towels.  To the left of the recessed area was the bathroom with a commode and a bath/shower combo.  There were beach-themed toiletry items provided -  small bottles of shampoo and conditioner and individually wrapped bars of soap for the sinks and the shower/bath.  To the right of the recessed area was the door to the private bedroom.  This room was very small, but contained a tiny closet, the queen sized bed, and an ottoman-type stool that could be used as a seat or a foot rest.  There was shelving on either side of the bed, again with electrical outlets, USB outlets, and lighting.  The wall opposite of the headboard also had narrow shelving and more hooks for towels, lanyards, etc. and there was another wall-mounted television.
> 
> Because of COVID, we were told upon check in that housekeeping would be very limited.  However, they asked permission to send us a welcome text message and to use this texting platform as a means of communication if we needed anything.  We did request extra towels and pillows as there were two pillows only per bed and no extra pillows or bedding in the room.  There was also one towel set per person.  (I never got in the pool but the kids did and there was towel service provided poolside.)  Other than what we requested via texts, we received no housekeeping services during our stay.  We had to bag our trash and place it outside the door for housekeeping to pick up.
> 
> There was an ironing board and iron provided, as well as a wall-mounted hair dryer.  We didn't use them so I can't comment as to the quality of these items.  One of my sons brought his Ipad but the rest of us only had cell phones.  We used the free internet and did not have any connectivity issues.  I did notice at the end of our stay that the computers in the lobby that were designated for printing boarding passes were not working but the front desk was able to print ours when we were checking out.
> 
> Some people have complained about the noise level at Dockside, but I am a light sleeper and did not have any issues.  However, hubby and I had the private room which offered another layer of noise protection.  My youngest son said he was awakened one night by a group of screaming teens stampeding down the hallway but that was the only noise problem we experienced.
> 
> As we had the dining plan and it was not usable at the resort, we only ate once in the hotel cafe and that was for dinner the evening of our arrival.  The cafe reminded me of a college dining hall with different stations.  There was one station for cold sandwiches, another station for hot and pressed sandwiches, a prepared salad area, a pizza and pasta bar, a grill area for burgers, hot dogs, fries, tots, etc., a fried chicken and waffle area with the usual barbecue types of sides, a dessert area, and a couple of different grab and go stations with both refrigerated and non-refrigerated items.  The pizzas were pretty small so we did not try those.  However, between the five of us we had a chicken caesar salad and a cobb salad that were large enough for us to share, the turkey club, a cuban, and a couple of burgers.  Hubby had the onion rings and one of the boys had the fries.  The sandwiches and salads were large and the fries/onion rings were what I would call medium-sized portions.
> 
> We debated whether to have bottled water and soda in the room or whether to get the Coke freestyle resort cups.  Since we were only there for four nights we  opted for the refillable resort cups although I am sure we would have saved a lot of money if I had taken advantage of a Publix run or Amazon delivery.  The refillable mugs cost around $96 for the five of us.  There were two sets of side by side Coke Freestyle machines in the back of the dining area that were accessible 24-7.  There were also two sets of commercial style coffee pots, and options for dispensation of half and half, French vanilla creamer, hot chocolate, and hot water.  Of special note, the coffee pots, hot water dispensers, creamer dispensers, and hot chocolate dispensers were NOT chipped and were usable with any type of cup.  The coffee pots were not in service until 7 am however.  I learned this the hard way as they were set up and ready to brew and I made the mistake of turning one on at 0640.  A passing staff member began yelling at me for doing so.  (I really wasn't trying to cause a problem - I am a night shift RN and am used to the concept of making coffee in commercial machines at the hospital).  I don't think the Starbucks opened until 7:30 so there is no early morning java except for the cuisinart machines in the rooms that run with coffee pods.  Next time I will probably bring my single cup Keurig and avoid the issue entirely lol.
> 
> Hubby and I did not go to the pool and so did not try out the pool bar.  However, our older son went in the evening a couple of times after we returned from the parks.  He mentioned that a Capt Morgans with gingerale was $9.50 and that other mixed drinks were more expensive.  He also said that any masking or social distancing rules for COVID went out the window after about 10 pm.
> 
> Shuttle service to and from the hotel and parks was amazing and one of the very few areas that Universal outdoes Disney.  We never had to wait on a shuttle - even in the morning rush there was a constant flow of incoming shuttles.
> 
> As this review is getting rather long I will stop for now but will add more details later


Thanks for the excellent post We will be staying at the Surfside resort in October, it will be our 4th US resort to stay at. We have been doing WDW for maaaannny years and just over the last few years started adding US. We have found that the resorts, transportation and food courts have been much better at US than at WDW, especially for the price you pay. Now whenever we do a trip that includes both parks, we have decided to stay at a US resort over WDW. This trip we are taking our DD friend, so we are now 5 people and we are getting a 2 room (3 bed) suite for less then a value that only sleeps 4 at WDW. We would have to spend 3+ times more at WDW and still all be in one room  US really knew what they were doing when they built these 2 resorts. 
The $9.50 for a mixed drink is a real good price if you compare it to WDW. I paid $9 just for a beer at the Laguna bar in CSR, their mixed drinks were $11+.


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## christophles




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## yeheyprincex2

will be at Dockside next week.  What time in the am does the shuttle start?  we want to arrive for EE at US, will we be able to rely on the shuttle to get us there before EE?  TIA


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## hokiern

Sorry, just saw this question about the shuttle - it starts one hour before whenever EE is, so no problems.  They even brought in extra shuttles from Mears when the lines were longer to get everyone going quickly


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## hokiern

DizneyFamof4 said:


> Thanks for the excellent post We will be staying at the Surfside resort in October, it will be our 4th US resort to stay at. We have been doing WDW for maaaannny years and just over the last few years started adding US. We have found that the resorts, transportation and food courts have been much better at US than at WDW, especially for the price you pay. Now whenever we do a trip that includes both parks, we have decided to stay at a US resort over WDW. This trip we are taking our DD friend, so we are now 5 people and we are getting a 2 room (3 bed) suite for less then a value that only sleeps 4 at WDW. We would have to spend 3+ times more at WDW and still all be in one room  US really knew what they were doing when they built these 2 resorts.
> The $9.50 for a mixed drink is a real good price if you compare it to WDW. I paid $9 just for a beer at the Laguna bar in CSR, their mixed drinks were $11+.



We have a Disney trip planned at the end of December going into New Year's (yeah, we're crazy but it fit everybody's schedules, lol) and will be staying off property for the first time.  We have a three bedroom condo booked at Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek.  I love being in the "bubble" but the loss of the Magic Express, the pitiful early magic hours, and the loss of the Disney dining plan make the bubble less attractive when I can get so much more space and be so close we can see the pixie dust.  We will be a party of six for a week-long trip and the tickets alone cost more than the condo we rented.  I considered a DVC rental but for a party of six during the holiday season we still came out way ahead with the three bedroom at Bonnet Creek.  Hubby and I are considering a weekend trip for two in October for the 50th anniversary celebration and the Disney Halloween decorations, but if we do we will probably stay off site at one of the Hilton properties.


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## RocketCityMama

Hello! 

We checked into Dockside today, arrived about 12:30 pm. Line was fairly short, they were very efficient and had many tm’s working the desk. I got all checked in and lucked up with our room being ready! So we parked and unloaded and got a 2nd floor room in tower 1. We could have upgraded for a pool view but I declined.

Room is nice, we are in a 2 bedroom suite. I wish they had more than 1 luggage rack for the room. We ended up using the kitchen table bench for the kids suitcases. We aren’t really eating in the room anyway. The mini fridge is a decent size, plenty of room for cold items, no freezer space. Has a tiny coffeemaker and has a microwave.

We ate in the market for a lunch snack. They had some grab n go things, like sandwiches but no labels that I could see. So not sure what that was about. Salads available, fruit cups, yogurt parfaits, poptarts, and some chips and such. 

If you have any questions let me know and I will try to answer. We are here until Saturday before we switch to hard rock


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## RocketCityMama

Oh and forgot every TM we have encountered at Dockside has been phenomenal!


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## Skywalker3

RocketCityMama said:


> Hello!
> 
> We checked into Dockside today, arrived about 12:30 pm. Line was fairly short, they were very efficient and had many tm’s working the desk. I got all checked in and lucked up with our room being ready! So we parked and unloaded and got a 2nd floor room in tower 1. We could have upgraded for a pool view but I declined.
> 
> Room is nice, we are in a 2 bedroom suite. I wish they had more than 1 luggage rack for the room. We ended up using the kitchen table bench for the kids suitcases. We aren’t really eating in the room anyway. The mini fridge is a decent size, plenty of room for cold items, no freezer space. Has a tiny coffeemaker and has a microwave.
> 
> We ate in the market for a lunch snack. They had some grab n go things, like sandwiches but no labels that I could see. So not sure what that was about. Salads available, fruit cups, yogurt parfaits, poptarts, and some chips and such.
> 
> If you have any questions let me know and I will try to answer. We are here until Saturday before we switch to hard rock



Thanks to all the posters for the great info. we're considering adding a night here before our switch to RP, and maybe afterward too. 
I was wondering if you had any issues checking into HRH after leaving the first hotel? like did you need to stop at the first desk and make you were checked out, before they let you check into HRH/get the express passes, etc???/ we have always spent the first night nearby, like Holiday Inn, Fairfield, then checked into a Universal hotel, never moved from one Universal to another. And we hope to be at RP as early as possible to get the express passes active. 
Thanks, and thanks again for the info


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## macraven

Check out I believe is 11:00
I check out earlier as need to get to the airport 

I always ask for a print out of my room charges which only takes a few minutes

I, on occasions, had charges in my account which were an error
I find it much easier to have my account corrected while still at the hotel.

Another reason I check out at the desk is they can notify housekeeping the room ls vacant.

House keeping can start preparing that  room for another guest.
I leave at 7:30 am.
No need to have to them wait until 11:00 before they can enter that room


Since you are moving to another onsite hotel, I’m sure there will be no issue for you to check in early.
Your room might not be ready but you will get a text and room number when it is available for you.


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## Lori74

Will our park tickets automatically get put on our room keys or do we need to do something to make that happen? Can you check in virtually? Thank you, this is the first time we're staying on property and very excited!


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## macraven

Tickets are separate from hotel keys


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## RocketCityMama

Skywalker3 said:


> Thanks to all the posters for the great info. we're considering adding a night here before our switch to RP, and maybe afterward too.
> I was wondering if you had any issues checking into HRH after leaving the first hotel? like did you need to stop at the first desk and make you were checked out, before they let you check into HRH/get the express passes, etc???/ we have always spent the first night nearby, like Holiday Inn, Fairfield, then checked into a Universal hotel, never moved from one Universal to another. And we hope to be at RP as early as possible to get the express passes active.
> Thanks, and thanks again for the info


No issues at all. We checked out of Dockside around 10 - headed over to HRH and was checked in and in our room by 11 am.  Easy peasy!


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## RocketCityMama

I already posted a quick review and just wanted to add to it. We stayed at Dockside for 4 nights, pretty good for a value hotel- loved having the 2 bedroom suite. It was clean, the tm’s were friendly and the food court decent. Downsides were once we texted for towels/toilet paper early afternoon (1pm) then left around 4, came back at 1 am after meetup and had no towels or toilet paper. Second text, about 15 mins later they finally brought it. The other issue is at the park close- buses are behind. The rest of the time they were great but could not keep up with the amt of people at closing. Also housekeeping is noisy, the vibrations come thru the walls/floors when vacuuming. The doors slamming off and on. Thankfully we did not have noisy neighbors.  

All that being said, it was still a great hotel, would stay there again just being more prepared on certain aspects of it.  Oh and noted that the bedside shelves are TINY - like not even as wide as a standard water bottle in length. It barely fit my husbands cpap machine.


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## Genie-In-Training

Very excited for my trip in December. Staying at Dockside. Are there any stores or restaurants next door or across the street from the hotel? I know there are grocery delivery services, but I was curious if there was anything within easy walking distance of the resort. Thanks for the help.


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## schumigirl

Genie-In-Training said:


> Very excited for my trip in December. Staying at Dockside. Are there any stores or restaurants next door or across the street from the hotel? I know there are grocery delivery services, but I was curious if there was anything within easy walking distance of the resort. Thanks for the help.



There’s a Walgreens across the road from Endless Summer that’s a short walk, it’s not huge but it will have most things you’d look for, and plenty of food options close by.

Bring up Google maps and look around that, I find it excellent for having a nosy around areas.


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## Genie-In-Training

schumigirl said:


> There’s a Walgreens across the road from Endless Summer that’s a short walk, it’s not huge but it will have most things you’d look for, and plenty of food options close by.
> 
> Bring up Google maps and look around that, I find it excellent for having a nosy around areas.


Thanks so much.


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## wdwrule

Can you buy a case of bottled water at the gift shop or food court area?  I'm used to doing so at Pop Century and didn't know if this resort offered it as well.


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## SCSabresfan

Is there a ticket desk on site? We purchased annual passes (paid in full) but we were not planning on going to the park to activate them until after we check out of Dockside and move to RPR. We have APH rates for Dockside. Will we have to run to the park before we check out of Dockside to activate our AP's?


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## Makmak

SCSabresfan said:


> Is there a ticket desk on site? We purchased annual passes (paid in full) but we were not planning on going to the park to activate them until after we check out of Dockside and move to RPR. We have APH rates for Dockside. Will we have to run to the park before we check out of Dockside to activate our AP's?


They have a ticket desk in the lobby. We booked a cabana at volcano bay there. We have had annual passes printed at the ticket desk pre-pandemic, but maybe someone else can comment if they had theirs activated recently there (since so much is constantly changing!)


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## wdwrule

Does this resort offer mobile check-in?  If so do we receive an email the day prior?


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## wdwrule

wdwrule said:


> Does this resort offer mobile check-in?  If so do we receive an email the day prior?


I just called and a TM told me that mobile check in is randomly selected and also depends on how you book your room. She said this goes for any of their resorts. She did say if you were selected, you’d receive an email the day prior.


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## Tygerlilly

Is there a credit card hold on your card at check in? If so, how much? I know disney is $100 for the stay. I can't seem to find out if Dockside has one as well.


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## rainyvegandisney

Does anyone know if the lines at the Starbucks get bad, or can I plan to rely on it for breakfast?


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## wdwrule

Tygerlilly said:


> Is there a credit card hold on your card at check in? If so, how much? I know disney is $100 for the stay. I can't seem to find out if Dockside has one as well.


I don’t think we had a hold recently, however we were only there one night. Probably best to call them and ask to be sure.


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## wdwrule

rainyvegandisney said:


> Does anyone know if the lines at the Starbucks get bad, or can I plan to rely on it for breakfast?


We were there recently but only for one night. The next morning I do remember seeing quite a long line at Starbucks. This would’ve been a Sunday morning around 7:30 or so.


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## Tink3815

How are the shuttles from the hotel to City Walk


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## wdwrule

Tink3815 said:


> How are the shuttles from the hotel to City Walk


We were there for a night a few weeks ago and we found the bus to Citywalk decent. We rode it around 6pm I think… shortly after we arrived to Dockside. We waited maybe 10/15 minutes for the next bus and were the last ones to be let on. They pack everyone in, including standing. Then we stopped at Surfside and let a few people off (and a few people on). I’m assuming the buses are always shared between Dockside and Surfside. After that it was only a few minutes to Citywalk.

I was pleasantly surprised that right at park closing, there was no line for the bus (I’m used to humongous lines at Disney park closings). We walked right on to a half full bus. From what I’ve heard, they do a pretty good job of having continuous buses to and from the parks at UO.


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## Tink3815

Want to do just a 2 queen room. Is pool view worth the upgrade?
Thanks


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## kbelle8995

We are staying at Dockside for the first time in few weeks.  I'm kinda looking forward to this


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## DizneyFamof4

We will be checking in to Surfside on Wednesday and are very excited. But I have a question in regards to parking there. A friend will be driving us to the resort and will be staying with us for only the first night, so we will only be parking a vehicle for 1 of the 5 days. How do we only get billed for 1 day(not 5) of parking? Do you use your room key to get in and out of the resort parking lot, do you get a parking ticket? Not sure how it works.


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## sam5disney

Just got back from Surfside & had a great stay. Love the family suites - family of 4 but so nice to have a separate bedroom from the teens! Buses are amazing - so many more than Disney, usually one waiting for you even at park closing w/ no lines, drop-off & pick-up from Surfside first which was also great. And for anyone wondering, gate w/ direct access to I-Drive by foot open 7am-7pm so after than just cut through the parking garage and there's an exit on the far side of the garage & Twistee Treats ice cream is right there to the left along w/ Subway, DQ, Waffle House in addition to KFC & Walgreen's right across the street. There's also a crosswalk at the far side of the parking garage to get across I-Drive if you don't want to brave the walkway at the main intersection by Walgreens. All in all, would stay here again when we come back as we upgraded to APs although we will also do at least one night at Hard Rock, hopefully w/ AP discount to get 2 days of express pass. Will say, this time of year is great time to go, Sat was busy but during the week, waits weren't bad at all. Any questions let me know


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## wdwrule

sam5disney said:


> Just got back from Surfside & had a great stay. Love the family suites - family of 4 but so nice to have a separate bedroom from the teens! Buses are amazing - so many more than Disney, usually one waiting for you even at park closing w/ no lines, drop-off & pick-up from Surfside first which was also great. And for anyone wondering, gate w/ direct access to I-Drive by foot open 7am-7pm so after than just cut through the parking garage and there's an exit on the far side of the garage & Twistee Treats ice cream is right there to the left along w/ Subway, DQ, Waffle House in addition to KFC & Walgreen's right across the street. There's also a crosswalk at the far side of the parking garage to get across I-Drive if you don't want to brave the walkway at the main intersection by Walgreens. All in all, would stay here again when we come back as we upgraded to APs although we will also do at least one night at Hard Rock, hopefully w/ AP discount to get 2 days of express pass. Will say, this time of year is great time to go, Sat was busy but during the week, waits weren't bad at all. Any questions let me know


When we stayed a night at Dockside we were floored too that there was zero wait for a bus at park closing unlike Disney!!


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## sam5disney

DizneyFamof4 said:


> We will be checking in to Surfside on Wednesday and are very excited. But I have a question in regards to parking there. A friend will be driving us to the resort and will be staying with us for only the first night, so we will only be parking a vehicle for 1 of the 5 days. How do we only get billed for 1 day(not 5) of parking? Do you use your room key to get in and out of the resort parking lot, do you get a parking ticket? Not sure how it works.


Get in/out w/ room key - they asked us at check-in if we had a car & how many nights & charged our credit card right then. Room was already paid for. Assume your room key is only activated for the number of days you have the car but not sure on that part. Front desk if very helpful so would just ask at check-in.


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## buckeev

OK Ladies-n-Ghouls…Flights are booked, car reserved….Taking #1 Son to HHN for an “non-budgeted-for” Orlando trip 26th-29th…just the two of us- no “Evil Step Sisters!”…..Seriously contemplating 1 or 2 nights at either Dockside or Surfside. We’re kinda spoiled with the HRH & RPR perks- especially the EZ walking distance and boat proximity…and of course…Express. (Might do 1 night at one of them to double down on the EPS.) Actually, not even sure what my question is here!!!   Well, which Resort? (No wrong answer, I know.)!  Oh yeah…I may have mentioned this a while back, but the MAIN reason he wants to go is for the HHN PIZZA FRIES!!!  (World’s most expensive Pizza Fries!!!)  Also…anybody else crazy enough to battle the “final week” crowds? 
(I’m also gonna post this on the World Famous SAN Thread.


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## Flossbolna

We stayed at Dockside in September and really liked it for what it is: a very well done budget hotel. One thing that we appreciated very much: the food court was open (just pizza and grab and go) until one hour after the end of HHN. So 3 am some nights.


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## Rachel77

I'm so excited for our trip this January - and for finally getting back to Universal - I haven't been in 15 years!  Question on the transportation.  We won't be coming in until late and have a 9PM reservation at CityWalk.  I read the shuttle bus only runs until 2 hours after park close - does that mean CityWalk too with the hours?  Looking at the date (January 7), it looks like the parks are only open until 7PM, but Citywalk is open until midnight.  I'm not sure if it would be better for us to drive over - or will the shuttles still be running after our dinner - or the walk not that bad to do from Citywalk to Dockside?


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## Grumpy Nenny

Rachel77, I don't know about the bus schedule after the parks close and how it pertains to CityWalk but I can tell you that walking from CityWalk to Dockside is not an option. CityWalk is on the other side of I4 from Dockside. I would call the guest contact center to find out if the bus would be running until CityWalk closes.


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## DoryGirl1963

Busses run until a couple hours after City Walk closes


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## Kristin0713

I just read a review that said Dockside is so much more crowded than Surfside.  Wondering if we should have chosen Surfside. I'm guessing this will only be a problem in the morning when we all want Starbucks...but should i look into switching?? We're going mid-December.


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## LaDonna

Stayed back in September and just booked another week for Presidents week coming up. Since no Ap rates for that week -yet?- we had planned to stay offsite to save even more money but my mother-in-law decided she wanted to come with us and she loves the ease of just hopping on the bus and going back to the room when she wants to
(I love the layout better than Cabana bay but will miss the lazy river there)
I just remember when we first got in our room I thought oh what a yucky view at the top of the parking garage and then later that night it was much better


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## mich7088

We are staying here next month!  Looking forward to it...


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## Tink3815

Does this resort have a toasters in the public areas of the food courts that can be used by anyone to make toast? I see the suites have microwaves, do they also have toasters?

Thanks


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## Artax

Anyone know if the 2 br suites have a coffee maker and if so what type? Wondering what type of coffee to bring or if we need to bring our travel coffee maker.


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## Kristin0713

Artax said:


> Anyone know if the 2 br suites have a coffee maker and if so what type? Wondering what type of coffee to bring or if we need to bring our travel coffee maker.


There was a very small coffee maker, maybe one cup at a time. I think they had complementary single serve coffee pods. I just went to Starbucks everyday.


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## schumigirl

We have some images of the Fitness Centre in the 2nd post of this thread. 

Again, thanks to @sandam1 for them


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## cristen72

Is there any type of refillable mug at Dockside?


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## SCSabresfan

cristen72 said:


> Is there any type of refillable mug at Dockside?


Yes there is. I don't remember how much it costs but there is a discount for multiple day purchases.
It is smaller than the freestyle cups you can purchase in the parks, but the park version will not work at the hotel and vise versa.


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## mommajen08

Just got back from a 5 night stay at Dockside. The only other Universal Resort experience I've had was at Cabana Bay 6 years ago.  Was pleasantly surprised with Dockside. Even as the most affordable Universal option, it does not disappoint!  For reference, we had 4 days of park tickets and are a family of 4 with 14 and 18 year old daughters.  The regular room was perfect for us as we spent most of our time at the park.

We arrived at Dockside at 9:30 am on a Saturday.  Perfect time to check in as there was almost no one in the lobby.  As expected, our room was not ready, so we checked our bags and went to have brunch before hanging at the pool.  We were told not to expect our room until 4, but received a text at noon that our room was ready. Was thankful for early access to our room as it gave us time to refresh before heading over to Disney Springs ($25 each way via Uber).

The buses were plentiful our entire stay, but at the hotel and at CityWalk.  We really didn't have any issues "sharing" the buses with Surfside.  Our buses to CityWalk were always empty when we got on, so there must have been separate buses to the parks from each resort.  Heading back to the resort, the buses do stop at Surfside first, but it only takes a minute to cross the street over to Dockside.

The pools were fantastic.  We used the pool at Tower 1 all week.  Despite it being a 10/10 spring break crowd level, the pool never felt crowded.  We were always able to get chairs for our entire family.  It did get crazier later in the week as a cheer competition was starting up, but was never uncomfortably crowded.  

Dining was very similar to Cabana Bay.  From what I can remember, the set up and options were similar.  There's something for everyone.  And again, never had trouble finding a place to sit to eat.  The only downside is the organization of the food lines.  It could be hard to tell where you needed to wait for certain items.  And could take a while to get everything you wanted if each member of the family wanted something different.  But even that is still manageable.  The only thing that bothered me about dining was how loud the area was.  Everything seemed to echo.  The decor is very soothing, but the  noise level created a more stressful atmosphere.

Our only challenge all week was the cleaning of our rooms.  Two days in a row we came back to no clean towels, no empty trash and unmade beds.  Normally this wouldn't bother me, but we were told to expect  service daily.  We did call to report this and it was handled right away both times, so I can say management definitely is working to keep customers happy.

All in all, I highly recommend Dockside if you are looking for an affordable option and don't mind not having express passes.  If you don't plan to spend a ton of time at the hotel, this is a great option that still offers Universal's great bus service and early park admission.


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## surfcruiser

Great post, thank you. We're going week after next for the first time. Coffee is available with the refillable mugs? Not having a coffee maker in the room, this suddenly becomes important lol.


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## JoyW

This info may be elsewhere in this thread, but I didn’t see it, so wanted to share. We are at Dockside now, and they have a length of stay option for the refillable resort mugs for $19.99. Everything I had seen said there wasn’t that option here, so  it may be a fairly recent change. Hope this helps someone! Joy


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## sah95

JoyW said:


> This info may be elsewhere in this thread, but I didn’t see it, so wanted to share. We are at Dockside now, and they have a length of stay option for the refillable resort mugs for $19.99. Everything I had seen said there wasn’t that option here, so  it may be a fairly recent change. Hope this helps someone! Joy


Thank you so much for this information!  I hope it will still be this way in Feb 2023.


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