A guest who stayed at Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort during Hurricane Milton is suing the hotel's operators, claiming a bathroom door that would not open left her unable to reach the toilet, forcing her to attempt using the bathtub instead — a decision she says ended in a fall and serious bodily injuries, with resulting losses that are permanent and continuing.
According to a lawsuit detailed by WDW News Today, Ann Banda was staying at the Universal Orlando resort hotel as a business invitee on October 10, 2024, the same stretch of days when Hurricane Milton bore down on Central Florida. Her room's toilet, the suit alleges, was located in a separate enclosed area from the bathtub, and the door leading to it was locked or otherwise stuck, making it inaccessible.
Storm Closures Compounded the Problem, Suit Claims
Banda's complaint alleges that hurricane-related closures around the resort limited her ability to find a working bathroom elsewhere during her stay. With the storm bearing down, Universal Orlando had announced that Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Universal CityWalk would close at 2 p.m. on October 9, 2024, and remain shut the following day, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The same report noted that Universal's hotels, including Cabana Bay, were reported to remain operational even as the theme parks went dark.
Unable to use the toilet, Banda says she attempted to use the bathtub instead and fell in or about the tub as a result. The lawsuit states she sustained serious bodily injuries from the fall, and that the resulting losses are permanent and continuing in nature, per the filing described by the outlet.
Negligence Claim Targets Both Universal and Loews
Banda is suing Universal Orlando Resort and Loews Hotels for negligence, arguing the companies should have ensured the toilet was accessible and usable before assigning her the room in the first place. The suit accuses both the resort operator and Loews Hotels of negligence tied specifically to the inaccessible toilet. She is seeking $50,000 in damages, according to the same report.
Neither Universal Orlando Resort nor Loews Hotels has issued a public response addressed in the available reporting, and the case's broader legal trajectory remains to be seen.
Not the Only Bathroom-Related Suit Against Universal
Banda's case isn't the only bathroom-related injury claim Universal Orlando has faced recently. A separate lawsuit, filed on September 24, 2025, on behalf of plaintiff Joshua De La Cruz, alleges he slipped and fell due to excessive water on the floor of a bathroom at Universal's Volcano Bay water park, as reported by Inside the Magic. That complaint claims De La Cruz was diagnosed with a significant brain bleed after hitting his head, and it demands $50,000,000 from Universal Orlando Resort — a figure far beyond what Banda is seeking in her own filing.
The two cases are unrelated beyond their shared setting at Universal Orlando properties, and nothing in the available record establishes a broader pattern connecting them. Each lawsuit will presumably proceed on its own set of allegations and evidence as it moves through the courts.
