Growing up in a large family, theme park visits were a BIG deal for me and my siblings. Theme parks were (and are) the ultimate vacation destination. My family would save for months — sometimes years — for these trips so that we could maximize our stay at a theme park resort. Staying close to the parks felt so special to us, almost like the hotel was our new home, even if it was for just a few days. It meant more time for thrills for us kids, and a resort experience for my parents.
One of the consistent challenges of our vacation planning was finding a resort that could — both comfortably and affordably — accommodate our family of six in one room, while also offering us unique theme park benefits. Those options were limited and few and far between.
Until now.
This challenge is no more for families today with our newest hotel Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites. This hotel (and its sister property, Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites) is the perfect value option for families of all sizes and comes packed with benefits for everyone. Having already stayed at Surfside Inn and Suites, I can personally tell you the Endless Summer Resort product exceeded all my family’s expectations. The quality of the food, rooms, service, and amenities were impressive and made our staycation so enjoyable.
Here’s everything you need to know about Dockside Inn and Suites:
Spacious Rooms
Dockside Inn and Suites has two towers painted with colors reminiscent of a sunset. These towers will be equipped with over 2,000 rooms, with over half of those rooms being spacious 2-Bedroom Suites that can accommodate up to six people, meaning families on a budget can pay for one suite for the whole family.
Let’s deep-dive into those suites a bit more. The 2-Bedroom Suite is honestly a game-changer; they mean families like the one I grew up in don’t have to buy multiple rooms to accomodate the whole crew.
There’s privacy between the bedrooms, a sizable kitchenette area with a mini-fridge, microwave, and coffee maker, a perfect picnic table for meals and hanging out, and a bathroom with separate bath and vanity areas so multiple people can get ready at once. These suites also feature three queen-sized beds, two TVs, and free WiFi. Sign me up for all of this.
The Price is Right
While the size is pretty incredible, here comes one of the best parts about this hotel — the price. During our value season, rates begin as low as $79 per night for Standard Rooms and $120 per night for the 2-Bedroom suites based on a four-night stay. My question for you is: how can you beat that? And I haven’t even mentioned…
The Theme Park Benefits
By staying at Dockside Inn and Suites, you have access to so many great perks throughout Universal Orlando…Early Park Admission (you’ll feel like you have the park practically to yourself!); complimentary transportation (five minute ride from my hotel to everything the Universal Orlando theme parks have to offer? I’m in!); and a room key that does so much more than open doors (purchases throughout the destination, complimentary club-to-club access in CityWalk, and a future keepsake from your vacation). Check out all the details here.
All-American Dining
When I am on a vacation at a theme park resort, convenience during my hotel stay is a big factor for my family and me. In order to maximize our time at the parks, we need a hotel that has food and drink options for the entire family at a reasonable price. Dockside Inn and Suites strikes the perfect balance for this need.
Pier 8 Market is the casual dining food court and market that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Pier 8 Market menu is super affordable, with most dishes priced under $12 (see what I mean by “reasonable price”?)! The hotel has an amazing lobby bar, the Sunset Lounge, that serves specialty cocktails and has its own craft beer, and a large pool bar, the Oasis Beach Bar.
The Vibes – Kick Back and Relax
- TWO Pools
- Universal Studios Store
- Universal Orlando Vacation Planning Center
- Fitness Center
- Car Rental Desk
- Game Room
- Self-service guest laundry
This hotel was designed by the same creative minds that brought you everything you love about our theme parks, giving you an immersive experience only available at our destination. It’s exactly what my large family was looking for when I was growing up and now it’s here!
So, when will you be checking in with us? Let us know in the comments.
85 Comments
Checking in on January 3!! Cannot wait!!
Hey Tami! We’re so excited to see you soon!
December 30th
Hey Billi! We were so welcome for your visit! Come back soon
Man this’s absolutely fantastic! It’s a very nice hotel, pretty decent price too. Pity am so far away in Pennsylvania, but who knows, I might visit sooner than I expected.
Me and my daughter are checking in May 30th 2022. We are so excited!
We check in January 1st…so excited!!!!
Checking in January 16th and we can’t wait!
Not booked yet, but as a mother of four (six total in our family) and a travel advisor who often works with larger families, I want to express my sincere thanks to Universal for thinking about larger families on a budget! We’re planning to come in June and I have already booked a few clients in the 2 bedroom suites at Endless Summer!
Coming in May for mine and my husband’s 9th wedding anniversary so excited!!!
We can’t wait to see you, Susan!
August 2021 for us. We can’t wait!
My family and I were all booked for April 2020 and then COVID hit, we were so disappointed, but we plan to book again for either 2021 or a little later, we absolutely love universal and can’t wait to return, hope to see you soon.
Should be staying at Dockside now, but obviously due to the Pandemic that got cancelled, so we’ve rebooked for Nov2021, for which we are super excited about, hopefully we’ll see you then Universal
Checking in on January 26th!! Its going to be a combo trip for my Birthday and a first trip for a friend from work. 🙂
As a family of 5, we love Surfside. The larger room makes the stay so much more comfortable!
Planning on a trip with our 2 grandchildren the second week of March . Maybe even the younger 2 .
We’re so glad to hear that! We can’t wait to see you again soon! 💙
is there transportation to all of the theme parks ?
Mal podemos esperar para te ver!
Nice property and it sounds like you really listened to what families want and need for space/amenities when they visit.
Agreed, looks like they nailed it.
We’ll see you guys the 17th of Dec. My family and I are super excited!
Yay! See you all then!
We are checking in opening day!
We look forward to your visit!
I really am looking forward to coming in spring!
We cannot wait for your visit!!
We are staying Dec 26-20, with our family of 5 adults. SO looking forward to it in spite of this crazy world we live in right now. Great way to escape. Is it too late to start working on my abs for the pool time? 🙂
We will see you soon!
The new hotels will be great for our next visit, as we will appreciate the extra space, all though we will miss the boat rides back and forth from the parks!!
Coming over to stay in august for my 50th can’t wait . Love it in Florida
Hi Mark! We look forward to celebrating with you!
My daughter and I stayed at Surfside in September, and we absolutely loved it. The rooms were beautiful and it was so nice to have the restaurant downstairs. The food was really good on top of it all! The hotel is beautifully decorated and it made me happy just being there. The shuttle to and from the park was wonderful! We will be trying Dockside next time we come.
We went on a Disney World & Universal Orlando vacation, but I didn’t feel relaxed till we got to Universal. Disney World required MUCH more planning (making reservations for restaurants in DISNEY parks SIX MONTHS IN ADVANCE!!! !!!) than a trip we made to Europe in 2019.
We can’t wait to return to Universal Orlando & its excellent hotels after we get the Covid vaccine, and someday I will experience Horror Nights, even if I do so alone an an old man!
My wife and I have declared Universal Studios Theme Park our annual vacation getaway. We’ll be arriving at Dockside in February 2021. So excited!
We cannot wait to welcome both of you back!
Looking to come to Florida Jan 18 to 23. Family of 6. My husband is a First Responder. Are you offering any specials.?
Hi Tracey, Miki here! At this time we do not have a First Responder discount directly through us. Our current discounts can be found on our website here: https://bit.ly/389S9sZ
Hi, is there a separate line for on-site guests at the Citywalk Hub and Park entrances in early admission? Because there might be already a line for regular guests who are early and saving their places and we don’t want to get stuck in that same line. If there is no separate line for on-site guests, can we go straight to the staff, skip the line and ask to be let in? If it’s at capacity, is there a separate line for on-site guests to get in? Also, regular park opening is 8am, early admission is 7am, what time does the shuttle arrive at the hotel? I tried to get information via the phone but the person who answered was in a hurry and did not answer my questions or gave a conflicting answer from what I read. Thank you.
Hey there Angie!
Early Park Admission would be available to those Guests staying at our Universal Orlando Hotels, and we recommend having your valid room key shown upon arrival. If we reach capacity, our Universal Orlando Hotel Guests will be assisted on a priority basis, and we recommend checking our Capacity Hotline at 407-817-8317 for the most updated info! The shuttle service would begin 1 hour before Early Park Admission. Keep in mind that this is all of our current information and subject to change. Feel free to reach back out with any other questions on any of our forms of communication here! https://bit.ly/2KORRj1
My second ever trip to USO. First was last year and didn’t get to stay at a resort. Checking in March 6th. I feel grateful that you have lower cost options that make vacationing VERY long distance possible.
I am confused about terms and conditions listed on the page with “more than a room key” and shopping perks (being able to have purchases sent to a room or charge purchases to a room). It says limited to 4 nights stay minimum. But other friends of mine say it doesn’t matter how long you’re staying, the room key perks are still valid.
Hey there Sara! Happy to have you back! That is referring to the current room rates on the website as those perks apply to all Guests staying! Be sure to check out more info on Package Pickup here! https://bit.ly/3bGKOUX
Hello!
My friend and I are so excited for our visit, arriving 2/10/21!! We will be arriving around noon time and I see your check in isn’t until 4. Is there an early check in where we can just leave our bags with the front counter until the room is ready? Thanks so much!
Hi Lora! If you arrive prior to 4PM, the Front Desk can hold your luggage and issue temporary room keys, so you can begin enjoying the amenities prior to your room being ready! Have a blast!
Just booked my family for April 2021. This is our first trip to Universal Studios and a surprise trip for our 9 year old granddaughter!!!!!
That’s such a wonderful surprise! We can’t wait to see all of you!
Hi Laura! Guests are not allowed to bring drinks to the pool at the Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites. We apologize for any inconvenience.
We are coming in April 2021 for our granddaughter’s 11th birthday. We are very excited and hope to enjoy all of the amenities at the hotel and park.
Hi Cindy! We look forward to your visit!
Our vacation is booked for 5/3/21-5/13/21. Our flights arrive at 10am, will we be able to check in early (12ish), or are we able to drop our luggage off until the 4pm check in time?
Hi Jenny! You would be able to store your luggage at the Front Desk until your room is ready. If a room is available, they would be able to assist with checking you in early, but there is no guarantee. Hope this helps.
We’re counting down the days until April 1 when our family Universal vacation begins! (No fooling!) The resort looks amazing and we can’t wait to leave the chill here in Michigan for the Orlando sunshine!
We look forward to your visit!
Will be here in two weeks for my son’s 9th birthday party! I am o happy that I am staying here! We are so exicted!
I took the kids on their first ever trip to USO & stayed at Surfside in November 2020. We got the Family Suite & absolutely loved it! We had an amazing time!
My husband & I will be at Dockside for a week in 11 days and getting the suite again. I loved all the space. It’s just perfect.
See you soon!
Hiiiiiiii
Me and my crew (grown kids, my sister and the grandkids (4) will be checking in 4/27/2021. Can’t wait to get there. This hotel is a life (money) saver. the parks are expensive but we are saving so much on the two suites we have book. the hotel looks kid friendly, I know my grands are going to love it.
See ya soon.
Can’t wait to have you!
June 6th!! Family of 6 Rolling through! I am a Teacher too…would be cool to get some teacher deals maybe one day :):)
Hi there! Can anyone tell me if the mini fridges have a small freezer area? Thanks! 🙂
Hey Amy! The mini fridges do not have a freezer unfortunately.
Hi there! I will be staying for 4 nights in the Surfside Inn. Do you receive Amazon packages for your guests? If so, does it have any charges?
Hi Juan! Yes, you can get Amazon packages delivered to Endless Summer Surfside Inn and Suites. They would be delivered to the Front Office. You would need to pick them up there and there would be a $5 fee per package, subject to change.
I was wondering i will be staying in august and if i buy merchandise in the theme parks will they be delivered to my room and how does that work? Thank you.
Hi Hector! You would be able to have your merchandise packages delivered to your Universal hotel room!
Im excited. I will be staying here in August for my birthday and the hotel looks beautiful!
Hi Danielle! We are so excited to see you next month!
Is there any sort of complimentary breakfast included when staying at the resort?
Hi Amy! None of our on site hotels offer a complimentary breakfast, my apologies for any disappointment!
Hello! We are excited to spend Christmas at Universal´s Endless Resort! We have our hotel/tickets booked.
Now I just wonder how i can make Christmas a memorable experience for my two kids (17, 11) and Husband.
We are very excited as we had to pospone vacations for two years due the pandemic situation. But now we are ready to spend a magnificent family time!
Any tips or suggestions are welcome!
Hi Tatyana! We haven’t announced all of our Holiday offerings for 2021 yet. We recommend keeping an eye on our website for future updates here: https://bit.ly/3f3O3GX
Do they have any hotel that is animal friendly.
Hi Jackeline! While the Endless Summer Resort does not allow pets, our Premier Hotels (The Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, The Loews Royal Pacific Resort, and the Hard Rock Hotel) do allow pets! You can find all of our Universal hotel information online here: https://bit.ly/3xJcXCa
We’re booked at Dockside this September! We’re excited, but this is our first time in Orlando, and I am nervous that we won’t know what to do! I have so many questions: Does hotel offer shuttle to/from airport? Does everyone staying at this resort get to enter the park an hour early, or do you have to pay extra?
Hi Connie! We would recommend reaching out to our Guest Services Team at 407-224-4233 for assistance with your questions.
Hi guys! I will be staying for 7 nights in the Dockside Inn. Do you receive Apple and Amazon packages for your guests? If so, does it have any charges?
Hi we are a family with 3 rooms booked for sept 9th 2022 for 2; nights. We have never stayed at a universal hotel before so it will be a new experience , what can we expect on arrival? Is there charges to park car with disabled tag on the car ?
Hi Christine! We’re thrilled to hear you’ll be joining us! Upon arrival, you can pre-register at the hotel any time after 7AM on the date of your check-in. At that time, you would receive room keys to access Early Park Admission, you can store your luggage at the bell stand, and head out to enjoy the parks! The hotel Front Desk will text you when your room is ready. Parking fees would apply. At Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn & Suites, overnight parking is $15 plus tax per vehicle per night, subject to change.
We’re headed there soon! Should we pack pool towels or they are provided?
Hey Cindy! Universal’s Endless Summer Dockside Inn & Suites will have towels available at the pool.
Hi Ryan! Guests can have packages shipped from and received to their Universal Orlando Resort Hotel! Please ship item to the hotels address with attn: Guest name and date of arrival. Guests can leave their belongings at the bell stand and use the front desk safe to store any valuables.
Hi, we are so excited to be staying at the Endless dockside. Our flight arrives at 5:43a. I am guessing we will be at the hotel at around 7a. Any chance of early checkin? Thank you!
Hi Sha. We’re excited to host you on your vacation! You can pre-register for your reservation as early as 6am; however, check in won’t begin until 4pm. You’ll receive a text message when your room is ready!
Hola, nos vamos a hospedar del 24 al 30 de enero queria saber si puedo enviar compras de amazo para la fecha que vamos a estar alojados y si me los reciben en recepción. Muchas Gracias
Hi Mariano! Yes, Guests can receive mail throughout their stay. If you intend to receive mail during your stay with us, please be sure to include the resort’s mailing address, along with your name and arrival day for your reservation. Please note there may be a fee per package that will apply to all packages that are received through the Luggage Storage desk. The hotel cannot accept groceries or any other perishables that are mailed to the resort.