Universal’s Aventura Hotel: Distance from the parks

Aventura Hotel: A sleek and streamlined resort experience

• Aventura: Rooms
• Aventura: Public spaces
• Aventura: Pool area
• Aventura: Dining & lounges
  • Urban Pantry
  • Bar 17 Bistro
  • Bar Ventura
  • Bar Sol
• Aventura: Distance from the parks

This page includes information, photo tours, and an HD video of the transportation between Aventura Hotel, Universal CityWalk, and the Universal Orlando theme parks (Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure). This page also includes information on how Aventura guests can access Volcano Bay, Universal’s water theme park, and the shuttle service that takes them to SeaWorld and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park.

Transportation options to CityWalk, Universal Studios Florida, and Islands of Adventure

Since Aventura Hotel sits in the prime value category of on-site hotels, it’s not connected to CityWalk and the other on-site resorts via the waterway that many guests have become very familiar with. Instead, given’s Aventura’s location, visitors have the option to take a shuttle or walk.

These are the transportation options given prime value guests:

• Dedicated shuttle: Universal operates shuttles that run continuously between the hotel and the general guest drop-off area near the Universal parking garages, as seen on the OI Google map. The shuttles are ADA compatible, and they operate from one hour before Early Park Admission starts until 2:00 am every single day. There is one pick-up point at Aventura, near the lobby, and the trip itself is only about five minutes. In general, the system works well, with a new bus arriving about every 15 minutes. However, do be aware that, when leaving Universal to go back to Aventura, the line can get long at peak time (typically, when both theme parks are closing).
• Garden Walkway: this approximately-one-and-a-half-mile walkway brings you from Aventura, past Sapphire Falls Resort, and then on to the Garden Walkway, which ultimately deposits you to the side entrance of CityWalk, near Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. The Garden Bridge and Walkway connects these points and offers an enjoyable alternative to the shuttle. We estimate the walk to take between 20 and 25 minutes.
• While the walkway is very enjoyable, we overall still recommend using the shuttle most times of the day because of the shorter time the trip takes and the frequency of the shuttle pick-ups. However, do keep in mind that the bus drops off guests at the parking rotunda, requiring you to go through the central security checkpoint (often busy) and enter through the front of CityWalk. The Garden Walkway, on the other hand, brings you through the on-site hotel security checkpoint next to Margaritaville (which virtually never has a line) and allows you to enter CityWalk very close to Islands of Adventure. Also, as we mentioned above, during peak shuttle-use periods like park closing time, the 25-minute walk can conceivably be shorter than waiting in the built-up line for the shuttles.

Transportation to Volcano Bay

Unlike most of the other on-site hotels, guests at Aventura won’t have to take a shuttle to get to Volcano Bay – they have a private entrance all their own, located near the pool area (ironically enough!). Think of it as a way to counter-balance the bus ride that Aventura guests have to take to get to CityWalk and the theme parks – an even faster and more convenient version of the other resorts’ water taxis.

Please note that each guest must have her own room key on her in order to access this exclusive Volcano Bay entrance.

Transportation to SeaWorld and Aquatica

Universal’s hotels provide complimentary scheduled shuttle transportation, called the Connector Shuttle, to SeaWorld and Aquatica (SeaWorld’s water park). We emphasize scheduled because it is very important to understand that the bus does not run continuously; rather, in general, it picks up and drops off once in the morning and once in the evening.

IMPORTANT: the Connector Shuttle does not pick up Aventura guests at Aventura Hotel. Instead, guests need to first take the hotel shuttle to the general guest drop-off area near Universal’s parking garages, just as if they were going to the theme parks. It is here that visitors will then need to find the Connector Shuttle, which will then take them on to their ultimate destination. Be sure you include both legs of the trip when figuring out your timing.