I'm currently planning a trip for next year during HHN. I've historically stopped at WDW for the whole trip (day tripping to USF) and then the last couple of trips I've done split WDW/Universal stays.
WDW has lost a bit of the shine for me so I am planning to stop the full trip at USF with a couple of day trips to WDW.
I've only ever stopped at Dockside and have no complaints and have enjoyed my stay (especially for the price!). However, on this trip, given the money I'll be saving by not stopping at WDW, I can in theory spend a bit more on the USF hotel. So my question is - would stopping at Cabana Bay be worth the additional cost or would that be better kept as spending money when I am there?
From an amenities standpoint, I'd put Cabana Bay a couple notches above Dockside and Surfside. (Though my personal experience so far is only with Surfside) The walkway to Volcano Bay is a big plus if you'll be visiting.
If you're talking about a standard room, they're pretty much identical between Surfside/Dockside and Cabana.
Where they differ is with the family suites. If that's the kind of room that you'll be staying in, it will really depend on the makeup of your group. One thing Surfside/Dockside have going for them is that you get three queen beds in the family suite. So more people can sleep in a "real bed" vs a pullout sofa at Cabana if you need more than 2 beds.
And personally, I think I like the bathroom layout in Cabana's suites better. At Surf/Dock the suites just have one regular bathroom like most hotels, toilet and shower together in a room, sink outside them. At Cabana, the "compartmentalized" bathroom has a sink area open to the bedroom, and then the toilet and the shower in two separate rooms with doors. So getting ready in the morning, if one person is using the toilet, they're not blocking someone else from using the shower. (The shower room also has a second smaller sink, so that's a bonus)
For my personal situation, it's just myself and my bf. The extra living room space is nice to have at Cabana, but the three beds setup (with one in a separate room) is overkill at Surf/Dock.
And now for one more suggestion. As you're doing your pricing calculations, price it out for one person to get a Seasonal AP rather than whatever multi-day ticket you'd get. You may find that it's not a whole lot more, and it will open up Passholder discounts to you. We've found that the AP rate for a Family Suite at Cabana Bay is almost the same as a standard view room across the street at Sapphire Falls. That boat to the parks from Sapphire is a huge plus, especially if you're going for Horror Nights. After walking around the parks until 1 or 2am, it's nice to just hop on the boat and go back to the hotel rather than walk through CityWalk and all the way out the the bus stops by the parking garages.
-Rob
