How can I get groceries and alcohol for Universal's Cabana Bay Resort?

[danlb_2000]

I'm going to detail out the differences between Universal and The Disney Way for you guys who just don't get it:

1. Disney answers the phones in a professional and happy manner and make me feel welcome and excited. I called Universal 7 times. Twice did they even answer with "Universal Studios." The other 5 it was either "Yeah?" or "Sup." or "What." or some variation thereof.
2. When I make reservations at Disney they talk about how good the food is or how much fun I'm going to have OR they actually personalize my plans by noticing I have a 5 year old girl and asking if she'd be celebrating or want anything special or notice its our anniversary etc. At Universal I made two dining reservations. Both were mishandled and lost. On one the guy actually said "When you want to eat? I said "Are all times available?" He said "Nah, You got 11:00 - 3:00." I said "3 will be fine." He said "You sure don't be calling back later with another time..." I said "3 is fine for me." He said "We got after 3 too." I said "You told me 11 to 3 were the times." He said "I didn't feel like opening more reservation pages and wasting my time if you were good with that....you still good, don't waste my time." At the end of the call he hung up and never took my name or anything. I had to call back.
3. I tried to make a package. They told me they couldn't answer any questions about hotels, that I'd have to call the hotel directly. I ended up buying AP's and asked what conveniences came with them. They sighed and said I got a discount on some stuff. I said "Is that all? "No, you can't come in the summertime either, it's blacked out." Since when does Disney black out dates for an AP? Since when do I have to pull teeth at Disney for AP info?!
4. They ALL told me September is their busiest month and I'd HAVE to have an Express Pass or I'd get maybe 2 rides in a day. I have read up on this and have yet to have anyone recommend an express pass..... of which you pay for and is tiered - unlike Disney!
5. When I finalized my purchase the lady said "You sure? Once I hit this button you will be charged a high premium for anything you want to change unless you write us a letter petitioning to be able to add to your package and spend more...at our discretion."" WELL, thanks for the Magical feels there Universal.
6. "How do I get there from airport?" "I dunno....."
7. And the final straw is the fact that not all hotels are uniformly treated and the poor people at Cabana Bay are denied grocery and pizza delivery services.

So does anyone see a pattern here? It contrasts totally with how Disney operates. Oh no doubt Disney is a business but Universal charges for everything has very limited customer service and rudely badger you into paying for more.

Again, I am sorry you had a bad experience but this is definitely no indicative of their normal level of service. You can find similar horror stories to this about Disney. No customer service is perfect.

 

[rangerbob]

I want to touch on your point #3 that you talk about annual passes. Disney does black out summer days depending on the annual pass type that you purchase. Universal does do the same thing with 3 different levels of passes. https://www.universalorlando.com/Theme-Park-Tickets/Annual-Passes.aspx If you look at Disney's annual passes they are much more complicated https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passes/.

As for grocery stores in the area: Publix up on Kirkman and Conroy. Whole Food on Turkey Lake Road, a little further down on Turkey Lake is Walmart Supercenter. Down on SandLake Road there is a Trader Joes. I guess if Loews hotels is no longer accepting grocery delivery I guess they don't want to be responsible for it and getting cold stuff in a fridge somewhere. I'm wondering if they were sued because somebody got sick and they blamed it on them since they had the food in their possession before they even touched it. You need to remember the hotels may say Universal on them but they are owned by Loews Hotels. Disney hotels are exactly that owned and operated by Disney.

 

[JT3000]

It should be a good one.

Why not?? It will be fun to see what comes up on the trip report good or bad.

Sure, I'm always up for some good creative writing. We're off to a bit of a rough start, but this can still be salvaged.

Aren't you an obnoxious little creature.

Enjoy your trip! And remember to...

 

[lazyboy97o]

It really does seem like you'd be better off canceling your reservation. You've already written off Universal Orlando Resort and there is no point in making yourself miserable.

 

[Skip]

I'm also going to call "bull" on your purported phone call. That type of behavior sounds like grounds for termination - if it was really as bad as you're outlining, you ought to file a complaint. But I truly don't believe it happened as you say it did... these things are done in call centers and people around him would've heard the language/tone.

 

[englanddg]

Doesn't sound at all like my experience with Universal. When I was booking my package, making my payments, making dining reservations and buying blue man tickets they were chatty and friendly. They didn't try to upsell me (more than could be expected) and when they did (for example, talking about the changes to the Dining Plan) they were informative and not pushy in any way.

I can say the same for Disney Travel Company (the package booking) and Disney Cruise Line, however I cannot say the same for the ADR line. That's been rather inconsistent (something I've only seen this year).

Hope things get better for you!

 

[sublimesting]

OK One more example from today. I got a generic email from "Guest Relations" with the subject line saying "Info". I almost deleted it but decided to risk it and open it. Apparently our Cinematic Spectacular Reservations were cancelled. So I called Universal. They opened up my confirmation number and said "It's cancelled tonight because of rain." I said "No this is for September." He said "Oh, that's why, we don't take reservations for the Cinematic Spectacular in September or October due to Halloween Horror Nights." I say "Oh, well OK but I want to keep all my other dining reservations then and just get a refund on the Cinematic Spectacular." He says "Um, you actually have no reservations."

Now come on! I booked this months ago, had to call back weeks later to schedule a precise date and time. And now I get a generic email saying its cancelled and should never have been booked in the first place.....and all 4 of my dining reservations have been cancelled!!!

At least he was pleasant but you people saying Universal is on par with Disney and have nothing but outstanding service...... um.....

 

[PinnySmart]

I'm going to detail out the differences between Universal and The Disney Way for you guys who just don't get it:

1. Disney answers the phones in a professional and happy manner and make me feel welcome and excited. I called Universal 7 times. Twice did they even answer with "Universal Studios." The other 5 it was either "Yeah?" or "Sup." or "What." or some variation thereof.
2. When I make reservations at Disney they talk about how good the food is or how much fun I'm going to have OR they actually personalize my plans by noticing I have a 5 year old girl and asking if she'd be celebrating or want anything special or notice its our anniversary etc. At Universal I made two dining reservations. Both were mishandled and lost. On one the guy actually said "When you want to eat? I said "Are all times available?" He said "Nah, You got 11:00 - 3:00." I said "3 will be fine." He said "You sure don't be calling back later with another time..." I said "3 is fine for me." He said "We got after 3 too." I said "You told me 11 to 3 were the times." He said "I didn't feel like opening more reservation pages and wasting my time if you were good with that....you still good, don't waste my time." At the end of the call he hung up and never took my name or anything. I had to call back.
3. I tried to make a package. They told me they couldn't answer any questions about hotels, that I'd have to call the hotel directly. I ended up buying AP's and asked what conveniences came with them. They sighed and said I got a discount on some stuff. I said "Is that all? "No, you can't come in the summertime either, it's blacked out." Since when does Disney black out dates for an AP? Since when do I have to pull teeth at Disney for AP info?!
4. They ALL told me September is their busiest month and I'd HAVE to have an Express Pass or I'd get maybe 2 rides in a day. I have read up on this and have yet to have anyone recommend an express pass..... of which you pay for and is tiered - unlike Disney!
5. When I finalized my purchase the lady said "You sure? Once I hit this button you will be charged a high premium for anything you want to change unless you write us a letter petitioning to be able to add to your package and spend more...at our discretion."" WELL, thanks for the Magical feels there Universal.
6. "How do I get there from airport?" "I dunno....."
7. And the final straw is the fact that not all hotels are uniformly treated and the poor people at Cabana Bay are denied grocery and pizza delivery services.

So does anyone see a pattern here? It contrasts totally with how Disney operates. Oh no doubt Disney is a business but Universal charges for everything has very limited customer service and rudely badger you into paying for more.

If you want Disney service then you should call Disney. What a waste of time complaining to us here.

 

[TubaGeek]

 

[lazyboy97o]

OK One more example from today. I got a generic email from "Guest Relations" with the subject line saying "Info". I almost deleted it but decided to risk it and open it. Apparently our Cinematic Spectacular Reservations were cancelled. So I called Universal. They opened up my confirmation number and said "It's cancelled tonight because of rain." I said "No this is for September." He said "Oh, that's why, we don't take reservations for the Cinematic Spectacular in September or October due to Halloween Horror Nights." I say "Oh, well OK but I want to keep all my other dining reservations then and just get a refund on the Cinematic Spectacular." He says "Um, you actually have no reservations."

Now come on! I booked this months ago, had to call back weeks later to schedule a precise date and time. And now I get a generic email saying its cancelled and should never have been booked in the first place.....and all 4 of my dining reservations have been cancelled!!!

At least he was pleasant but you people saying Universal is on par with Disney and have nothing but outstanding service...... um.....

Seriously, it is time you just cancel and go to Walt Disney World.

 

[BrianV]

OK One more example from today. I got a generic email from "Guest Relations" with the subject line saying "Info". I almost deleted it but decided to risk it and open it. Apparently our Cinematic Spectacular Reservations were cancelled. So I called Universal. They opened up my confirmation number and said "It's cancelled tonight because of rain." I said "No this is for September." He said "Oh, that's why, we don't take reservations for the Cinematic Spectacular in September or October due to Halloween Horror Nights." I say "Oh, well OK but I want to keep all my other dining reservations then and just get a refund on the Cinematic Spectacular." He says "Um, you actually have no reservations."

Now come on! I booked this months ago, had to call back weeks later to schedule a precise date and time. And now I get a generic email saying its cancelled and should never have been booked in the first place.....and all 4 of my dining reservations have been cancelled!!!

At least he was pleasant but you people saying Universal is on par with Disney and have nothing but outstanding service...... um.....

Unlike disney, you don't need dining reservations. Pretty much walk in anywhere you want. Three trips now, fourth in a few weeks and we have never made a dining reservation. Walked in for cinematic specaqcular dining. Walked in for three broomsticks. Walked into Mythos. Walked in to finnegans. Ditto to all the hotel restaurants, breakfast, lunch and dinner and bar. On Friday and Saturday night the city walk restaurants can get crowds after say 7 pm.

I strongly urge you to cancel your trip and go to wdw. I don't think universal is right for you. Universal better if you want to just go to places the day of, and change your mind mid way. Freestyle touring, if you will. If you like preplanning rides and meals, wdw is way better. Knowing that you have to eat at a given restaurant at a given time, and if you no show, $40 down the tube.

I think you are in for a letdown when you find you don't need to preplanning anything if you are a planner by nature.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I'm going to detail out the differences between Universal and The Disney Way for you guys who just don't get it:

1. Disney answers the phones in a professional and happy manner and make me feel welcome and excited. I called Universal 7 times. Twice did they even answer with "Universal Studios." The other 5 it was either "Yeah?" or "Sup." or "What." or some variation thereof.
2. When I make reservations at Disney they talk about how good the food is or how much fun I'm going to have OR they actually personalize my plans by noticing I have a 5 year old girl and asking if she'd be celebrating or want anything special or notice its our anniversary etc. At Universal I made two dining reservations. Both were mishandled and lost. On one the guy actually said "When you want to eat? I said "Are all times available?" He said "Nah, You got 11:00 - 3:00." I said "3 will be fine." He said "You sure don't be calling back later with another time..." I said "3 is fine for me." He said "We got after 3 too." I said "You told me 11 to 3 were the times." He said "I didn't feel like opening more reservation pages and wasting my time if you were good with that....you still good, don't waste my time." At the end of the call he hung up and never took my name or anything. I had to call back.

Thank you for the laugh this morning. I would make sure you are actually calling the Universal Orlando Resort and confirm you really have a reservation. In over a decade of on-site stays and calls to the resort, I've never had anyone that was less than ultra-professional. But you must have terrible luck. Terrible, terrible luck.

 

[fosse76]

I'm going to detail out the differences between Universal and The Disney Way for you guys who just don't get it:

1. Disney answers the phones in a professional and happy manner and make me feel welcome and excited. I called Universal 7 times. Twice did they even answer with "Universal Studios." The other 5 it was either "Yeah?" or "Sup." or "What." or some variation thereof.
2. When I make reservations at Disney they talk about how good the food is or how much fun I'm going to have OR they actually personalize my plans by noticing I have a 5 year old girl and asking if she'd be celebrating or want anything special or notice its our anniversary etc. At Universal I made two dining reservations. Both were mishandled and lost. On one the guy actually said "When you want to eat? I said "Are all times available?" He said "Nah, You got 11:00 - 3:00." I said "3 will be fine." He said "You sure don't be calling back later with another time..." I said "3 is fine for me." He said "We got after 3 too." I said "You told me 11 to 3 were the times." He said "I didn't feel like opening more reservation pages and wasting my time if you were good with that....you still good, don't waste my time." At the end of the call he hung up and never took my name or anything. I had to call back.
3. I tried to make a package. They told me they couldn't answer any questions about hotels, that I'd have to call the hotel directly. I ended up buying AP's and asked what conveniences came with them. They sighed and said I got a discount on some stuff. I said "Is that all? "No, you can't come in the summertime either, it's blacked out." Since when does Disney black out dates for an AP? Since when do I have to pull teeth at Disney for AP info?!
4. They ALL told me September is their busiest month and I'd HAVE to have an Express Pass or I'd get maybe 2 rides in a day. I have read up on this and have yet to have anyone recommend an express pass..... of which you pay for and is tiered - unlike Disney!
5. When I finalized my purchase the lady said "You sure? Once I hit this button you will be charged a high premium for anything you want to change unless you write us a letter petitioning to be able to add to your package and spend more...at our discretion."" WELL, thanks for the Magical feels there Universal.
6. "How do I get there from airport?" "I dunno....."
7. And the final straw is the fact that not all hotels are uniformly treated and the poor people at Cabana Bay are denied grocery and pizza delivery services.

So does anyone see a pattern here? It contrasts totally with how Disney operates. Oh no doubt Disney is a business but Universal charges for everything has very limited customer service and rudely badger you into paying for more.

Sorry, I don't believe any of that ever happened. Can I believe they lost your reservation? Sure. The conversation itself? Nope. Not buying it. Do I believe they were dismissive about the Annual Pass discounts? I might be convinced they were a little vague with the benefits, but I don't believe anything else you've reported. You never identified what questions about the hotels you had, which may have been too specific for a general call agent to answer (and which highlights Disney's one-size-fits-all approach to hotels). I might be able to buy into the hard-sell tactics for express passes in September, though I doubt they mentioned that it was the busiest month. Nothing else you've said is remotely believable.

 

[BrianV]

Sorry, I don't believe any of that ever happened. Can I believe they lost your reservation? Sure. The conversation itself? Nope. Not buying it. Do I believe they were dismissive about the Annual Pass discounts? I might be convinced they were a little vague with the benefits, but I don't believe anything else you've reported. You never identified what questions about the hotels you had, which may have been too specific for a general call agent to answer (and which highlights Disney's one-size-fits-all approach to hotels). I might be able to buy into the hard-sell tactics for express passes in September, though I doubt they mentioned that it was the busiest month. Nothing else you've said is remotely believable.

You don't think they said the OP would only be able to get on two rides all day in September?!? Shame on you! . September is well known as the um...busiest month at the theme parks.

The OP is correct that the price is tiered "unlike disney", because disney does not offer this service. (Which by the way is free at three of their four hotels.)

Anyone confirm if the grocery place does or doesn't deliver to universal? Their website is unclear but it does say they deliver to all orlando hotels other than swan and dolphin at Walt disney world. Maybe they've stopped at universal too, but haven't updated the website.

 

[danlb_2000]

You don't think they said the OP would only be able to get on two rides all day in September?!? Shame on you! . September is well known as the um...busiest month at the theme parks.

The OP is correct that the price is tiered "unlike disney", because disney does not offer this service. (Which by the way is free at three of their four hotels.)

Anyone confirm if the grocery place does or doesn't deliver to universal? Their website is unclear but it does say they deliver to all orlando hotels other than swan and dolphin at Walt disney world. Maybe they've stopped at universal too, but haven't updated the website.

I contacted them and this was the response...

"Unfortunately we do not deliver to Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort or the Hard Rock resort."

 

[Hockeyman]

I'm going to detail out the differences between Universal and The Disney Way for you guys who just don't get it:

1. Disney answers the phones in a professional and happy manner and make me feel welcome and excited. I called Universal 7 times. Twice did they even answer with "Universal Studios." The other 5 it was either "Yeah?" or "Sup." or "What." or some variation thereof.
2. When I make reservations at Disney they talk about how good the food is or how much fun I'm going to have OR they actually personalize my plans by noticing I have a 5 year old girl and asking if she'd be celebrating or want anything special or notice its our anniversary etc. At Universal I made two dining reservations. Both were mishandled and lost. On one the guy actually said "When you want to eat? I said "Are all times available?" He said "Nah, You got 11:00 - 3:00." I said "3 will be fine." He said "You sure don't be calling back later with another time..." I said "3 is fine for me." He said "We got after 3 too." I said "You told me 11 to 3 were the times." He said "I didn't feel like opening more reservation pages and wasting my time if you were good with that....you still good, don't waste my time." At the end of the call he hung up and never took my name or anything. I had to call back.
3. I tried to make a package. They told me they couldn't answer any questions about hotels, that I'd have to call the hotel directly. I ended up buying AP's and asked what conveniences came with them. They sighed and said I got a discount on some stuff. I said "Is that all? "No, you can't come in the summertime either, it's blacked out." Since when does Disney black out dates for an AP? Since when do I have to pull teeth at Disney for AP info?!
4. They ALL told me September is their busiest month and I'd HAVE to have an Express Pass or I'd get maybe 2 rides in a day. I have read up on this and have yet to have anyone recommend an express pass..... of which you pay for and is tiered - unlike Disney!
5. When I finalized my purchase the lady said "You sure? Once I hit this button you will be charged a high premium for anything you want to change unless you write us a letter petitioning to be able to add to your package and spend more...at our discretion."" WELL, thanks for the Magical feels there Universal.
6. "How do I get there from airport?" "I dunno....."
7. And the final straw is the fact that not all hotels are uniformly treated and the poor people at Cabana Bay are denied grocery and pizza delivery services.

So does anyone see a pattern here? It contrasts totally with how Disney operates. Oh no doubt Disney is a business but Universal charges for everything has very limited customer service and rudely badger you into paying for more.

my 2 cents

#1 and 2 I have called Universal hundreds of times starting as far back as 1998 until present and never once have had anyone talk like "SUP bro" and have never been rudely badgered into buying more than I need. I have pleasant conversations with both Disney Cast Members and Universal Team Members on the phone and sure sometimes some are more chatty than others but have never had a bad experience on either side.

Since obviously you wont be taking Universal Magical Express to your universal onsite hotel im going out on a limb to guess you will be renting a car. Therefore driving less than 2 miles away to Walmart really shouldn't be all that much of a big deal to get your groceries

#3 Now you just come across as uneducated about what parks and passed have what perks and blackout dates, I cant believe you really want to compare the perks the AP holders get at Uni vs WDW. WDW keeps slashing perks and taking away discounts and that is a fact. The AP info is pretty easy to find on Universal' web site

#4 Disney would never do something like tier their Fastpass plus or make you pay. So those who pay to stay onsite and get a jump start on making FP+ versus those who don't pay a premium to stay onsite are just an imagination

 

[s8film40]

I have actually heard a lot of discussion amongst Disney hotel management regarding potentially limiting or not allowing grocery deliveries, or possibly creating a program similar to the new/current scooter program. This would give Disney a share of the profit as it does with the scooters and would also limit their liability with groceries. I have seen many times where they have replaced groceries even when it wasn't Disney's fault.

It would seem actually Universal is a little ahead of the game, but I have no doubt that Disney will catch up.

 

[sublimesting]

my 2 cents

#1 and 2 I have called Universal hundreds of times starting as far back as 1998 until present and never once have had anyone talk like "SUP bro" and have never been rudely badgered into buying more than I need. I have pleasant conversations with both Disney Cast Members and Universal Team Members on the phone and sure sometimes some are more chatty than others but have never had a bad experience on either side.

Since obviously you wont be taking Universal Magical Express to your universal onsite hotel im going out on a limb to guess you will be renting a car. Therefore driving less than 2 miles away to Walmart really shouldn't be all that much of a big deal to get your groceries

#3 Now you just come across as uneducated about what parks and passed have what perks and blackout dates, I cant believe you really want to compare the perks the AP holders get at Uni vs WDW. WDW keeps slashing perks and taking away discounts and that is a fact. The AP info is pretty easy to find on Universal' web site

#4 Disney would never do something like tier their Fastpass plus or make you pay. So those who pay to stay onsite and get a jump start on making FP+ versus those who don't pay a premium to stay onsite are just an imagination

 

[sublimesting]

How nice for you BUT (and my last two calls were courteous and helpful) I have had several that were very unprofessional. Sorry if you don't believe that but its obvious that Universal doesn't have the years of experience or training in this field that Disney does.

Universal does not offer airport transfer to Cabana Bay unless you have an AP. I bought the AP, however and am using their shuttle or driver or whatever it is. So no I am not renting a car. That is what my original question was.

Sorry an AP should not have a blackout date. It's an Annual Pass. I'm not uneducated because I am comparing the perks of WDW to Universal. Why are you so taken aback that I would compare them. That was my whole premise. Uni doesn't compare to WDW, whether WDW has recently slashed perks or not. WDW is still ahead in perks and service.

You guys are ridiculous actually. Obvious Uni fanboys, and yes I love WDW and will give Uni a chance and I'm sure the rides are great. However, so far they are totally lacking in customer service. And glad to see I'm NOT lying about garden grocer deliveries now am I? But you all were so SURE that I was. I have spoken to quite a few people who have gone to Uni recently and all of then have said how much the Express Pass was pushed down their throats by everyone there.

The difference between their business models is Disney's is coated in fairy dust and a pleasant customer experience where they want you to feel welcome. Universal is obviously a business that wants your money.

 

[BrianV]

How nice for you BUT (and my last two calls were courteous and helpful) I have had several that were very unprofessional. Sorry if you don't believe that but its obvious that Universal doesn't have the years of experience or training in this field that Disney does.

Universal does not offer airport transfer to Cabana Bay unless you have an AP. I bought the AP, however and am using their shuttle or driver or whatever it is. So no I am not renting a car. That is what my original question was.

Sorry an AP should not have a blackout date. It's an Annual Pass. I'm not uneducated because I am comparing the perks of WDW to Universal. Why are you so taken aback that I would compare them. That was my whole premise. Uni doesn't compare to WDW, whether WDW has recently slashed perks or not. WDW is still ahead in perks and service.

You guys are ridiculous actually. Obvious Uni fanboys, and yes I love WDW and will give Uni a chance and I'm sure the rides are great. However, so far they are totally lacking in customer service. And glad to see I'm NOT lying about garden grocer deliveries now am I? But you all were so SURE that I was. I have spoken to quite a few people who have gone to Uni recently and all of then have said how much the Express Pass was pushed down their throats by everyone there.

The difference between their business models is Disney's is coated in fairy dust and a pleasant customer experience where they want you to feel welcome. Universal is obviously a business that wants your money.

I reiterate, you should skip as you are prepared to be unhappy. There is no way you will have fun as you are prepared to be miserable. If you are unhappy with the customer experience so far, you will not find that it improves...the people I deal with on the phone are consistently as professional as those at the resort. I find it on par if not better than disney world, but that's just me. We tend to go to wdw or universal every other year. Universals model is "we are in second place so we have to do everything we can to make you happy". And it shows everywhere. Disney's model is "we know you'll come no matter what we do." 90% of the time they are able to keep that hidden! Just below the surface.

As far as APs, I guess you are only comparing the discounted universal passes to the full priced disney ones. Apples and oranges. Either compare the discount to discount ones...both have blackout dates...or the full price to full price...where neither have blckout dates. Otherwise it would be like comparing Cabana Bay resot with the Polynesian village and complaining that universal is inferior. (But please do compare rpr with Polynesian resort as they are on par in most ways, except price.)