The endless summer hotels are really a good VALUE, rather than cheap, which is what I look for when traveling (but the value of the express pass resorts are so good too)
I've stayed at Dockside twice now and really enjoyed it both times. The suite is really nice for larger parties and it has a nice little dining area. The food was great (breakfast quesadillas for the win😋). The pool was nicer than I expected for a value resort, with a white sand beach area to dig your toes into and chill. My only nitpick is that the blankets are a little thinner than I would like, and no boat taxi (but I'm spoiled from Aventura, the busses are fine😁). All in all, would definitely recommend staying here over off-site hotels. Clean, comfortable, great staff, really good food.
Breakfast quesadillas?? We want invited for breakfast next time! We were shocked with how much we liked the pools! They are really nice! Especially for the money Endless Summer is super nice!
My wife and I decided to stay at Dockside the week of Dec 15th - 20th. Over all we really enjoyed the hotel. It wasn't too crowded, and I requested a room as high up and far from the elevator as possible, so we didn't have a problem with noise. My only minor con was the busses to the parks. As Dockside is a large hotel, they really pack the busses. At one point, they had 2 busses behind the one we were on, but they still held our buss until it was completely packed. I'm not sure if this is unique to Dockside, but out next trip I think I'm going to choose one of the smaller hotels. (Surfside or Aventura probably) The rooms were nice and clean, the pool was great (it was 80 degrees on Dec 18th), and as usual, the team members were wonderful. Dockside is worth a stay.
Universal definitely tries and keep people moving on the transportations side! We are glad you had a nice stay! What was your favorite part? Have you stayed at Aventura before?
@fudge_factor I'd have to say our favorite thing about Dock Side Inn was the on-site perks you get for staying at a Universal property. The transportation and early admission makes the small premium you pay worth it. We haven't stayed at Aventura yet, but from the videos we've seen on it, the hotel seems to be right up our ally. We're hoping to go back in September. Gotta build that leave back up.
Dockside is definitely the go to when needing a budget friendly trip. We may end up staying here even more when epic comes along. Another point if you don't have your vehicle and you want to visit other parks such as Seaworld the trolley pickup is right outside dockside/surfside. For about $2 each way and 10 minutes, you're at Seaworld.
Endless summer being close to Epic might make it a great hotel for epic universe. That's a great point about seaworld! We didn't know that! We just took and uber and it cost way more than 2 dollars lol
@fudge_factor definitely try the trolley next time if you happen to need to go from dockside to seaworld. It was easier than I thought it would be, they drop you off right beside the front gate at the park.
Your best comment was about skipping the Bus from the Airport to the onsite hotel. Please note: If you have small children, the Loews Royal Pacific Resort is the best for getting to and back from the park. Also - no one ever comments that early access is meaningless since nothing is really open till 9am....let alone if you have kids. - Keep up the great videos.
RP is great for walking to islands! You think epa is meaningless? We totally get epa being a bit meh without kids because its all bigger rides at islands
We definitely want to stay at Dockside next. We've stayed at Surfside and loved it. Funny you mentioned the shower, I clearly remember saying the Surfside shower was the best hotel shower I've ever experienced...such a surprise for a value resort. I think both of these places will become a lot more desirable with Epic opening.
100% agree. Their proximity to epic with the price and perks are going to make endless summer quite desirable! Where else have you stayed at universal?
OI meetup dec, first time trying dockside, was surprising pleased (usually stay at Aventura, have been to portifino bay), pro tip more rooms=more guests so longer Starbucks lineup, i really liked the food court, the pool, spacious room for pricing, never waited more than 2 mins for a shuttle bus to park. if i had to find a downside, no water taxi (again 9 min shuttle bus trip) and the mattress wasn't bad but not as nice as adventura. great pricing for official resort esp if not in room a lot. Room thin walls, i have been kept up more by party drunk 30 year olds at adventura, so your mileage may vary
Absolutely, positively agree with you! If you are just looking for a place to crash and you spend most your day in the park, dockside is a great option!
We only stayed one night here last week and then we went to Royal Pacific. I wish I would have booked all of our nights at Dockside! I will definitely be staying here again. Great video! We didn't get to check much out since we were only there one day.
The breakfast looks so good! I’d love to stay at one of the value resorts sometime. The only problem I have with them is not having a walking path to the parks. There’s nothing I love more in the morning than to have a nice quiet stroll to city walk before all the fun begins! I am excited to stay at Aventura in May 😃
I like the information about dockside! I’m a surfside girlie (love the smaller hotel, less walking, less people). They definitely seem pretty much a horse a piece when comparing the two value resorts. I have to agree as well Aub, I loooove those scramble bowls! I had one almost every morning my last trip, and I just got the kids version for $7 and it was more than enough food, and you get a milk or juice included!
That’s a great tip! The kid portions at universal seem to be the way to go sometimes! Still plenty of food and it saves some money! When are you going to be a Universal next?
@ I’ll be going back first week of December 2025! So excited to get to go to Epic this next trip! Till then I’ll be living vicariously through you guys 😁
We have Rosen plaza and surfside booked for our next trip a week in each, and we don’t know if it’s the right choice…. Contemplating changing to dock or surf for the whole 2weeks?…. 🤷🏼♂️🙏🏽🏴🇺🇸
I just turned on this video. Two things: 1) I think you said that dockside & surfside are close to each other. But, if possible, is either closer to the park than the other & if so, estimated time closer? 2) besides the universal website, is there any website you recommend to use when looking up info on universal studios. One of the main things I’m wondering (it kinda effects dockside) which is better: express passes or single riders. Truying to find which rides include the passes vs single riders. Ps: if Ben offered you $1 to jump in the pool, does he jump in as well?
Great question! They are basically across the street from each other! So they are pretty much the same. If you want to walk, we've done it and timed it, it will take a little over 20 minutes to walk to the CityWalk security hub. Buses will be your best bet for transportaiton to/from the parks if you are staying at Dockside or Surfside Per your question regarding single riders vs express pass. The only ride that does not accept express pass is Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike at Islands of Adventure. Orlando Informer has a great breakdown of which rides have single rider queues. Here's the link: orlandoinformer.com/universal/single-riders-lines/ Express pass will ensure a shorter wait. Sometimes single rider is faster than standby, sometimes not, and sometimes the single rider lines might not even be available. Sorry for the lengthy response!
I normally stay at aventura hotel, but I was price checking this morning and the cost exploded..like 100 dollars more a night. So I'm definitely booking a dockside or surfside (leaning surfside) for my next hhn stay. Do you all have any idea why the prices are so high.
Prices have definitely gone up recently! We've seen and heard that quite a bit recently! It's likely because right now its the busy season, but it could also be because of epic universe. Hard to say for certain. We experienced the same thing. We booked our HHN trip around this time last year and it has gotten significantly more expensive comparatively
The problem I have with dockide is how paper thin the walls are. The last time I stayed there, I barely got any sleep and I was getting up early for epa. I'd rather spend a little extra and stay at cabana bay
Great question! They got rid of the delivery to the front of the parks! Delivery to your hotel room is still an option as long as you have about 24 hours remaining on your stay so that Universal has time to get it to you!
@FudgeFactor We have Dockside and it is Massive!! But It was for only a Day and they provided an AP discount which was SUPER affordable. We had a small issue when we arrived and the staff resolved within minutes!! The Transportation was great and quick!! Loved all the options of shopping, Food, and the checking in took less than 15 min but it was very busy but efficient. Great Video and Nice Jersey!!
The endless summer hotels are really a good VALUE, rather than cheap, which is what I look for when traveling (but the value of the express pass resorts are so good too)
That's a great way to put it! What's the value for your dollar!
I stay at Dockside every year for HHN. I've stayed at Surfside a couple of times, but Dockside is my favorite!
It’s a great hotel! We’ve become big fans! Any other onsite hotels you’ve enjoyed???
I've stayed at Dockside twice now and really enjoyed it both times. The suite is really nice for larger parties and it has a nice little dining area. The food was great (breakfast quesadillas for the win😋). The pool was nicer than I expected for a value resort, with a white sand beach area to dig your toes into and chill. My only nitpick is that the blankets are a little thinner than I would like, and no boat taxi (but I'm spoiled from Aventura, the busses are fine😁). All in all, would definitely recommend staying here over off-site hotels. Clean, comfortable, great staff, really good food.
Breakfast quesadillas?? We want invited for breakfast next time! We were shocked with how much we liked the pools! They are really nice! Especially for the money Endless Summer is super nice!
Yup, a steak breakfast quesadilla❤ It's only about $12 and easily shareable. Crap, now I'm hungry just thinking about it😂
I bet!! 😋
My wife and I decided to stay at Dockside the week of Dec 15th - 20th. Over all we really enjoyed the hotel. It wasn't too crowded, and I requested a room as high up and far from the elevator as possible, so we didn't have a problem with noise. My only minor con was the busses to the parks. As Dockside is a large hotel, they really pack the busses. At one point, they had 2 busses behind the one we were on, but they still held our buss until it was completely packed. I'm not sure if this is unique to Dockside, but out next trip I think I'm going to choose one of the smaller hotels. (Surfside or Aventura probably) The rooms were nice and clean, the pool was great (it was 80 degrees on Dec 18th), and as usual, the team members were wonderful. Dockside is worth a stay.
Universal definitely tries and keep people moving on the transportations side! We are glad you had a nice stay! What was your favorite part? Have you stayed at Aventura before?
@fudge_factor I'd have to say our favorite thing about Dock Side Inn was the on-site perks you get for staying at a Universal property. The transportation and early admission makes the small premium you pay worth it. We haven't stayed at Aventura yet, but from the videos we've seen on it, the hotel seems to be right up our ally. We're hoping to go back in September. Gotta build that leave back up.
Totally get that! Leave gets sucked up real quick when you are having fun at a theme park!
9:59 That was a brilliant transition there, so seamless!
haha it was kind of fun to edit. We don't include a lot of those during our normal videos. We might have to plan more of them in!
@ nice, hope to see more
🙏🙏thank you for watching!
Aub! Those sunglasses looked so good on you! This was very informative! Great job!
Awww thank you! 😎 when the heck will we see you at the Uni Orlando parks?!
I been . There five times i love it
Is it your favorite hotel on property??
Everytime I go I stay at Dockside. It is the best. Their 2 room suites are 10/10
Gahh we are going to have to try that next time!!
Dockside is definitely the go to when needing a budget friendly trip. We may end up staying here even more when epic comes along.
Another point if you don't have your vehicle and you want to visit other parks such as Seaworld the trolley pickup is right outside dockside/surfside. For about $2 each way and 10 minutes, you're at Seaworld.
Endless summer being close to Epic might make it a great hotel for epic universe. That's a great point about seaworld! We didn't know that! We just took and uber and it cost way more than 2 dollars lol
@fudge_factor definitely try the trolley next time if you happen to need to go from dockside to seaworld. It was easier than I thought it would be, they drop you off right beside the front gate at the park.
That’s great to know!
Love your red nails. We stayed at Dockside. Great for the money. Cool jersey also.
Gahh thank you so much!! The jersey was from the Five and Dime in Studios!
What did you think about Dockside?
Awesome review. Thank you. I need to consider that for tge next time we go.
Thank you for watching!! When are you headed back??
I'm in ohio in the middle of a horrendous snowstorm. I'd love to be at dockside
We heard Ohio was supposed to get some snow!❄️ is it bad?
This notification just woke me haha Great thing to wake up to tho❤
Well if you just woke up that means you're not on the beach!
@ Sadly no I have to work weekends now.
Booo!
Your best comment was about skipping the Bus from the Airport to the onsite hotel. Please note: If you have small children, the Loews Royal Pacific Resort is the best for getting to and back from the park. Also - no one ever comments that early access is meaningless since nothing is really open till 9am....let alone if you have kids. - Keep up the great videos.
RP is great for walking to islands! You think epa is meaningless?
We totally get epa being a bit meh without kids because its all bigger rides at islands
We definitely want to stay at Dockside next. We've stayed at Surfside and loved it. Funny you mentioned the shower, I clearly remember saying the Surfside shower was the best hotel shower I've ever experienced...such a surprise for a value resort. I think both of these places will become a lot more desirable with Epic opening.
100% agree. Their proximity to epic with the price and perks are going to make endless summer quite desirable!
Where else have you stayed at universal?
@fudge_factor Cabana Bay, really liked it there too.
We love cabana bay! We were just talking the other day how much we miss it!
OI meetup dec, first time trying dockside, was surprising pleased (usually stay at Aventura, have been to portifino bay), pro tip more rooms=more guests so longer Starbucks lineup, i really liked the food court, the pool, spacious room for pricing, never waited more than 2 mins for a shuttle bus to park. if i had to find a downside, no water taxi (again 9 min shuttle bus trip) and the mattress wasn't bad but not as nice as adventura. great pricing for official resort esp if not in room a lot. Room thin walls, i have been kept up more by party drunk 30 year olds at adventura, so your mileage may vary
haha drunk 30 year olds at aventura 🤣. Was starbucks fast? That water taxi is super nice when you have it! Would you stay there again?
Stayed there for my birthday and during hhn last year as a staycation. 10/10 recommend if you need somewhere to stay and transport to the parks.
Not to mention the food is a good mix of your basics and beyond that
Absolutely, positively agree with you! If you are just looking for a place to crash and you spend most your day in the park, dockside is a great option!
We only stayed one night here last week and then we went to Royal Pacific. I wish I would have booked all of our nights at Dockside! I will definitely be staying here again.
Great video! We didn't get to check much out since we were only there one day.
How was getting express pass from RP though?
@@fudge_factorthe express passes were definitely great!
When do you get to go back?
@@fudge_factor hopefully May! Or maybe August.
Fingers crossed for may!!
The breakfast looks so good! I’d love to stay at one of the value resorts sometime. The only problem I have with them is not having a walking path to the parks. There’s nothing I love more in the morning than to have a nice quiet stroll to city walk before all the fun begins! I am excited to stay at Aventura in May 😃
You’re going to love it!! Counting down the days yet?
@ absolutely! I have 4 countdowns going lol
That’s a lot!! A lot of adventures planned!
@ that’s only for Universal lol
Hahah it feels like we are that way also! 🤣😅
Love the video and the review! Does the Pier 8 have a microwave that you can use for “outside food” like the Cabana Bay Diner does?
Yes it does!
Thank you for watching! It means a lot to us!
I like the information about dockside! I’m a surfside girlie (love the smaller hotel, less walking, less people). They definitely seem pretty much a horse a piece when comparing the two value resorts. I have to agree as well Aub, I loooove those scramble bowls! I had one almost every morning my last trip, and I just got the kids version for $7 and it was more than enough food, and you get a milk or juice included!
That’s a great tip! The kid portions at universal seem to be the way to go sometimes! Still plenty of food and it saves some money! When are you going to be a Universal next?
@ I’ll be going back first week of December 2025! So excited to get to go to Epic this next trip! Till then I’ll be living vicariously through you guys 😁
Plenty of adventures to come in 2025!!
10:33 cool girl alert!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
🙌🏻🙌🏻
We have Rosen plaza and surfside booked for our next trip a week in each, and we don’t know if it’s the right choice…. Contemplating changing to dock or surf for the whole 2weeks?…. 🤷🏼♂️🙏🏽🏴🇺🇸
It’s hard not to recommend staying on site. There’s just so many perks to it! But it might cost a little more money so that’s a hard decision
I just turned on this video. Two things: 1) I think you said that dockside & surfside are close to each other. But, if possible, is either closer to the park than the other & if so, estimated time closer? 2) besides the universal website, is there any website you recommend to use when looking up info on universal studios. One of the main things I’m wondering (it kinda effects dockside) which is better: express passes or single riders. Truying to find which rides include the passes vs single riders.
Ps: if Ben offered you $1 to jump in the pool, does he jump in as well?
Great question! They are basically across the street from each other! So they are pretty much the same. If you want to walk, we've done it and timed it, it will take a little over 20 minutes to walk to the CityWalk security hub. Buses will be your best bet for transportaiton to/from the parks if you are staying at Dockside or Surfside
Per your question regarding single riders vs express pass. The only ride that does not accept express pass is Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike at Islands of Adventure.
Orlando Informer has a great breakdown of which rides have single rider queues. Here's the link: orlandoinformer.com/universal/single-riders-lines/
Express pass will ensure a shorter wait. Sometimes single rider is faster than standby, sometimes not, and sometimes the single rider lines might not even be available.
Sorry for the lengthy response!
I normally stay at aventura hotel, but I was price checking this morning and the cost exploded..like 100 dollars more a night. So I'm definitely booking a dockside or surfside (leaning surfside) for my next hhn stay. Do you all have any idea why the prices are so high.
Prices have definitely gone up recently! We've seen and heard that quite a bit recently! It's likely because right now its the busy season, but it could also be because of epic universe. Hard to say for certain. We experienced the same thing. We booked our HHN trip around this time last year and it has gotten significantly more expensive comparatively
@@fudge_factor i wondering if I should just book at the end of January and not play the hold out game.
We just talked with someone who found a great deal at Costco! If you have a Costco membership it might be worth looking there!
The problem I have with dockide is how paper thin the walls are. The last time I stayed there, I barely got any sleep and I was getting up early for epa. I'd rather spend a little extra and stay at cabana bay
That's a fair assessment! Cabana Bay is super nice! We really enjoy Cabana Bay as well....that malt shop is 🔥
@@fudge_factor I've never been to the malt shop there. What is the best flavor?
We love the banana pudding!
I thought they got rid of room delivery???
Great question! They got rid of the delivery to the front of the parks! Delivery to your hotel room is still an option as long as you have about 24 hours remaining on your stay so that Universal has time to get it to you!
@FudgeFactor We have Dockside and it is Massive!! But It was for only a Day and they provided an AP discount which was SUPER affordable. We had a small issue when we arrived and the staff resolved within minutes!! The Transportation was great and quick!! Loved all the options of shopping, Food, and the checking in took less than 15 min but it was very busy but efficient. Great Video and Nice Jersey!!
We are glad you had a great experience! Where did you go to after staying at dockside for the night?
@fudge_factor That was our Royal Carribean 7 night on Wonder of the Seas.
Oooo very fun! How was that?