After our 6 days at Disney World, we packed up our bags and took the Magic Express to the airport. No, we weren’t headed home. We were picking up a rental car for the second leg of our trip where we would enjoy 2 days at Universal Studios and 1 day at the Kennedy Space Center. We first drove to our second hotel of the trip, Universal Studios Sapphire Falls Resort.
I’m about to type some blasphemy, so prepare yourself… We enjoyed the Sapphire Falls Resort MUCH MORE than Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Not only was it less expensive, but everything seemed much newer and they were kind enough to send up some complimentary chocolate strawberries and champagne because it was our honeymoon. Best of all, the shower was HOT. After a week of lukewarm showers at the Caribbean Beach Resort, the first thing we did after looking around the room was hop into a blissful, steaming hot shower. It was heavenly.
The actual room was very nice and we liked our view overlooking the pool. Everything about this room felt very fresh and light. I don’t think I realized how dim our room was at CBR, until I started writing this review. We ordered room service, enjoyed the poolside service, and ate at a bunch of the restaurants around this hotel. We loved them all, especially Amatista Cookhouse – I still think about the delicious pizza we had there.
They definitely wooed us with their amenities. They know they are not Disney and even though this is considered their more “moderate” hotel, they treated us like they really cared if we came back and I deeply appreciate that.
But now I am going to say something stupid… they aren’t Disney. Even with how much better this hotel was, even with how inexpensive it was, and how much we enjoyed everything they did to care for us, we are still going to book a Disney hotel our next vacation. I know this is something other Disney fans understand. There is just nothing like staying on-property when you go to Disney World. You aren’t there for the hotel, and the convenience and perks that come with the on-property price tag make it worth it.
With that said, this hotel was a 5/5 and I wouldn’t rule out another trip where we split our time between Disney and Universal again, especially when Super Nintendo World opens at the park. We would definitely come stay at this resort again if we plan multiple days at Universal Studios.
