A night at Universal Orlando Resort turned into something very different for guests this week.
Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort has been part of Universal Orlando since 2014, when it opened as the destination’s fourth onsite hotel. Its colorful, mid-century design was built around the look of classic Florida beach resorts from the 1950s and 1960s.
The hotel has since expanded to 2,200 rooms. Guests have access to two pool areas, a lazy river, a waterslide, Galaxy Bowl, restaurants, bars, and complimentary buses to Universal Orlando’s theme parks and CityWalk.
Cabana Bay also has a dedicated walking path to Universal Volcano Bay, making it one of the closest Universal hotels to the water park. During Halloween Horror Nights, its late-night transportation also makes it a convenient base for event guests.
That familiar resort routine was disrupted this week as police activity unfolded around the property.
Police Activity Spreads Across Cabana Bay
Multiple police vehicles were seen outside Cabana Bay on Friday night, September 11, according to a guest who shared a photo and account of the scene on Reddit.
The guest said officers were “in the lobby interviewing folks, walking the grounds and inspecting some rooms” in the Thunderbird building from approximately 8 p.m. until midnight.
They also claimed crime scene investigators later arrived and established “a whole set up.” The image posted with the account appeared to show several law enforcement vehicles parked outside the Universal Orlando hotel.
The reason for the response remains unclear. No confirmed explanation for the police presence had been publicly released at the time of publication, and claims circulating online about what may have happened remain unverified.
The situation appeared to continue into Saturday. Another Reddit user claimed their wife and other guests were briefly prevented from leaving the property.
“Police and security had the resort on lockdown,” the commenter wrote.
Asked whether the restrictions were still in effect, the same user replied, “No, it was only for a brief moment.”
Not everyone in the thread agreed that the property had entered a lockdown. Another commenter disputed that description, while other guests said the hotel appeared to be operating normally despite the police presence.
One person who arrived Friday said they had noticed officers but did not know why they were there. Asked how things looked Saturday, the guest described it as a “normal average day.”
There are also indications that officers may have been at Cabana Bay before Friday night.
A separate guest said their family returned from Halloween Horror Nights late Thursday and encountered police questioning people at the hotel. According to that account, officers asked where the family had been earlier in the evening before moving on.
The same discussion included a claim that police activity had continued for three days. That timeline has not been independently confirmed.
Cabana Bay Has Seen Police Responses Before
The latest incident is not the first time law enforcement has been called to Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort.
In August 2024, Orlando police responded after reports of a trespasser allegedly threatening guests and Team Members near a pool. The man had reportedly already been told to leave another Universal property earlier that day.
He was ultimately arrested and charged with resisting without violence and assault on a law enforcement officer, according to a report published by Orlando Theme Park Zone.
Another police response followed in February 2025 after Universal Security reported a disturbance involving a woman who allegedly attempted to flee when security approached her.
Officers later located the woman near a vehicle and documented signs of alcohol impairment. The incident also involved two children and two adult men, including one man police described as extremely intoxicated while being trespassed from Universal property.
Cabana Bay also drew attention in December 2022 following reports of multiple altercations around its pool area.
One reported confrontation resulted in the pool and lazy river closing early, while another allegedly left a hotel security guard with a broken nose.
Have you ever experienced a similar incident at Universal?
