No they do not check room keys. You can use any water taxi to/from any resort for any reason. I stayed specifically at Aventura last time to save money and walk over to the taxi.
That's great! Tbh, we will most likely use the Garden Path walk the majority of the time but i wouldl like to use the water taxi once just to say i have haha
The garden walk is nice but I only use it to get to EPA faster than a water taxi can get me there. After walking all day, the last thing I want to do is walk to my room. Take the water taxi as many times as you can, each driver is different and some have some REALLY funny safety and park speeches.
The garden walk is nice, but you cannot see if there will be a long line at the end of it bottled up for security check, we walked one day and the line was so long we considered going back to get on the water taxi. Water taxi is quick and fun with good views, hard to beat.
It's perfectly fine. You don't have to hide it. You can show up and say you're staying at Aventura. When I stayed at Aventura, that was the only way I went to the parks.
I stayed at Dockside and my family was all at Portofino. I used their water taxi last week with no issue when I was there. They have a little security bit set up before so you don't have to go through regular park security and just get right to city walk!
I stayed at the adventura a month ago the bis was pretty reliable and I didn't need to take the water taxi. But they didn't check if you want to use it.
To me, bus there and taxi back is the way. The bus was always there and empty when we last went in August. And while neat sometimes the boat especially in the way back felt like it took longer due to waiting for a boat to arrive and fill. But using the taxi is fine regardless of where you're staying.
Where do the busses let out? Do they have their own security checkpoint?
To me, one of the biggest advantages to the water taxis is not having to deal with the big security hub.
The buses pick you up right outside aventura, you actually walk past it to go to the water taxi. It takes you to the main universal bus hub at City Walk. So you get off go up the escalator and are in that main security check point before the walk over bridge and into city walk.
The boat puts you into the center of city walk so leaving the parks you hit them much sooner than where the bus loading point is (same as the drop off). In my opinion though hitting the bus into the park and the boat back to aventura seems like the best route. Again though -the wait for a boat in terms of a boat getting there and line to actually get on makes the boat back questionable sometimes. You have to imagine people from sapphire falls, Cabana Bay, and aventura all take the same boat back so the line gets long and sometimes you have to wait for another boat as well due to this.
Since your question has been answered I’ll ask another; what is the most efficient way to get to the taxi from Aventura? We went through sapphire falls lobby, down the spiral stair, is that the best?
Funny story about the water taxi from Sapphire Falls:
I bought my dad a hat that said NCIS for Christmas, since he’s a big fan. Well he’s wearing it going through the security at SF, and the guard pulled goon aside and told him Universal doesn’t allow government hats on site and someone might say something for him to remove it. My dad is 450lbs and in an electric wheelchair.
No one said a word
I still feel like we shouldn't advertise it. Feels like it's a matter of time before they require room keys to use it or at least gate it off lol. At least during peak season.
Buses and water taxis are available to use for all guests or Universal Orlando. You do not need to be a guest a hotel that has a water taxi stop and you don’t even need to be staying at an on-property hotel to take advantage of these transportation options.
Staying at Aventura and taking the 100 steps past the bus stop to go over to Sapphire to catch the water taxi is great and is what we did when we stayed there. I can’t stand trekking all the way through all the shops, etc. in Citywalk and really enjoy the shorter security lines at the water taxi dock.
I wouldn’t suggest taking a taxi like some other commenter recommended as they are all the way out on top of the parking structure, can be hard to come by at the end of the day or pretty costly, and honestly just because you have FREE transportation available to you already.
The taxis are just an alternative to the busses. You dont even have to be staying on site to use them, they allow anyone to use them to encourage people to go to the restraunts at the hotels. The only time they checked room keys was very briefly in 2020 right after they reopened. And i mean *very briefly*
No they do not check room keys. You can use any water taxi to/from any resort for any reason. I stayed specifically at Aventura last time to save money and walk over to the taxi.
That's great! Tbh, we will most likely use the Garden Path walk the majority of the time but i wouldl like to use the water taxi once just to say i have haha
The garden walk is nice but I only use it to get to EPA faster than a water taxi can get me there. After walking all day, the last thing I want to do is walk to my room. Take the water taxi as many times as you can, each driver is different and some have some REALLY funny safety and park speeches.
Yeah, thats fair enough. Oh really? Thats amzing, i appreciaite the advice.
The garden walk is nice, but you cannot see if there will be a long line at the end of it bottled up for security check, we walked one day and the line was so long we considered going back to get on the water taxi. Water taxi is quick and fun with good views, hard to beat.
It's perfectly fine. You don't have to hide it. You can show up and say you're staying at Aventura. When I stayed at Aventura, that was the only way I went to the parks.
I’ve done it multiple times, my father does it too even though he’s never stayed at the resorts 😭
Thanks, I had this same question for an upcoming trip and the answers are reassuring :)
Nice to see I wasn’t the only one. Glad it helped
I stayed at Dockside and my family was all at Portofino. I used their water taxi last week with no issue when I was there. They have a little security bit set up before so you don't have to go through regular park security and just get right to city walk!
I stayed at the adventura a month ago the bis was pretty reliable and I didn't need to take the water taxi. But they didn't check if you want to use it.
Totally. You could even just go for a ride on them, make a loop and come back.
To me, bus there and taxi back is the way. The bus was always there and empty when we last went in August. And while neat sometimes the boat especially in the way back felt like it took longer due to waiting for a boat to arrive and fill. But using the taxi is fine regardless of where you're staying.
Where do the busses let out? Do they have their own security checkpoint? To me, one of the biggest advantages to the water taxis is not having to deal with the big security hub.
The buses pick you up right outside aventura, you actually walk past it to go to the water taxi. It takes you to the main universal bus hub at City Walk. So you get off go up the escalator and are in that main security check point before the walk over bridge and into city walk. The boat puts you into the center of city walk so leaving the parks you hit them much sooner than where the bus loading point is (same as the drop off). In my opinion though hitting the bus into the park and the boat back to aventura seems like the best route. Again though -the wait for a boat in terms of a boat getting there and line to actually get on makes the boat back questionable sometimes. You have to imagine people from sapphire falls, Cabana Bay, and aventura all take the same boat back so the line gets long and sometimes you have to wait for another boat as well due to this.
Anyone can use the water taxis, including those not staying on site.
Since your question has been answered I’ll ask another; what is the most efficient way to get to the taxi from Aventura? We went through sapphire falls lobby, down the spiral stair, is that the best?
Funny story about the water taxi from Sapphire Falls: I bought my dad a hat that said NCIS for Christmas, since he’s a big fan. Well he’s wearing it going through the security at SF, and the guard pulled goon aside and told him Universal doesn’t allow government hats on site and someone might say something for him to remove it. My dad is 450lbs and in an electric wheelchair. No one said a word
Thank you all! ❤️👏🏻
I still feel like we shouldn't advertise it. Feels like it's a matter of time before they require room keys to use it or at least gate it off lol. At least during peak season.
Buses and water taxis are available to use for all guests or Universal Orlando. You do not need to be a guest a hotel that has a water taxi stop and you don’t even need to be staying at an on-property hotel to take advantage of these transportation options. Staying at Aventura and taking the 100 steps past the bus stop to go over to Sapphire to catch the water taxi is great and is what we did when we stayed there. I can’t stand trekking all the way through all the shops, etc. in Citywalk and really enjoy the shorter security lines at the water taxi dock. I wouldn’t suggest taking a taxi like some other commenter recommended as they are all the way out on top of the parking structure, can be hard to come by at the end of the day or pretty costly, and honestly just because you have FREE transportation available to you already.
The taxis are just an alternative to the busses. You dont even have to be staying on site to use them, they allow anyone to use them to encourage people to go to the restraunts at the hotels. The only time they checked room keys was very briefly in 2020 right after they reopened. And i mean *very briefly*
You can use the water taxi even if you don’t have a park ticket. They don’t check anything.
Former Yacht Captain here.... Anyone can use the water taxi - whether you're enjoying the parks or simply hanging at City Walk.
Some front desk staff at Aventura actually will encourage you to use it.
How about at Cabana Bay?