We were supposed to stay there on our first trip in September 2002, but it was being fixed up so we got bumped to the Polynesian. Anyways, 2015 my mom booked us there because we figured we'd give it a try. We moved to Port Orleans French Quarter 3 days later. Breakfast was always hectic, and the front desk had trouble with my moms requests or plans or whatever she had gotten set straight on the phone earlier. The pool was nice, and so was the gift shop but it wasn't Disney Magical as usual
We stayed at CBR for a few nights in January of 2015. It was great. Before you get too caught up in the "disappointed" reviews, know this: many (possibly all?) rooms have now been nicely renovated and there is nothing to worry about. I did some research before going, and found out which buildings had been renovated up to that point. Based on other reviews I read, we chose to stay in the "Aruba" section, and were very happy with that choice. When you do your online check-in, you may request which section you want at that time. There's actually a multiple-choice question and you just click the one you prefer. That is not a guarantee, but it makes your request known. Our preference was granted, and the rooms were brand new and really nice. We also requested a room near the bus stop, which it definitely was. We figured it was more important to get to the bus stop quickly than to the food court quickly. Plus, avoid all the food court crowds and noise. (Your priorities may vary!) Aruba was not the closest nor the furthest "island" from the central area with the food court/restaurant/main pool. If anybody of average health tells you it's a "long walk" from Aruba, I don't know what to tell you. It's not. We are in our 40's with minor back issues and it was always a nice little walk. We figured we could use a little exercise with all the extra eating! Which brings me to the food court: it's not huge, but it reminds me more of a mall food court - where you have different cuisines at different stations, with typically made-to-order food, and some grab-n-go sections. I don't know why everyone complains about this food court. Nothing was bad, it's convenient, and not terribly overpriced. I actually particularly enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich with some kind of sweet relish/slaw on it that was fantastic. (I got a similar sandwich one day for lunch at Whispering Canyon Cafe, and did not think it was as good as the one from the food court.) Shutters, the restaurant, was also better than expected. I read a lot of "mediocre" reviews, so maybe my expectations were low. We were very happy with everything we ordered. (They are only open for dinner, btw.) The server was an absolute sweetheart and the banana cocktail was fab-u-lous! ...which brings me to Banana Cabana, the pool bar. Very friendly bartenders, we had some nice conversations, and typically ended our nights there. I liked that relaxed atmosphere better than some of the indoor bars at other resorts. For perspective, we have also stayed at 2 other moderate resorts: the Coronado and POR. We like them all for different reasons, but we agree we had the most fun time at the Caribbean Beach Resort, and that is why we chose to book it again for our upcoming trip in just 2 days. (I seriously can't wait to get another one of those pulled pork sandwiches!) Should anything be different this time, we'll post an update or another review. The only downsides for us, I will agree with other reviewers, would be the bus system and also the odd check-in procedure. You have to go to a completely separate building, not exactly that close to the actual resort, in order to just check-in and do nothing else. Whereas, with most hotels you would do this in the lobby. Since it was our first time there, we didn't realize we could have walked from there (but that actually IS kind of a long, meandering walk) and so we waited for the in-resort bus to take us from the check-in building to our building area. On the night we left, we kind of forgot about that part LOL. We made a reservation at Shutters for the last night, thinking that would make it easier to get the Magic Express, rather than trying to rush back from a park or other resort. When we were almost done with dinner, we realized we had to get back to that other building (quickly) to get the Magic Express. Our waitress explained how to walk there, but it was not a direct route and we could have easily gone the wrong way LOL. And the buses to the parks...there can be a decent wait, and many stops before you leave the resort. Once we waited a very long time to go from one of the parks back to the resort. The reason that is not bothering me for our upcoming trip is we are driving up, so no buses, no worries about the other check-in building (in fact hoping we will get the morning text with our room number and can skip that building altogether - that would be awesome.) But honestly, I think if we were flying (and therefore subject to the bus) and assuming all pricing for other moderates were comparable, we'd stay at one of the other resorts for that reason alone. (We like to try all different ones anyway.) When we drive up, CBR is the way to go. Recommended without hesitation.
We've staying at CBR four times over the years and it never disappoints! The tranquil atmosphere is so nice after a busy day in the parks and despite traveling at busier times, we've always felt like the resort was quiet (Old Port Royale and feature pool excluded). My kids adore the pool and the food court with all its options. They also love to shop in the gift shop and walk around listening to the steel drum music piped in around the walking trails. Many people complain about its size, but we've never found it to be a big problem even when we've booked standard roooms.
We have stayed here 3 times and never had any complaints. From the staff at check in to check out, house keeping and wait staff everything has been just fine. I like this resort because I like to get up in the morning and walk and the walk around the lagoon is a great way to start my day while at Disney. Each cluster of buildings has their own pool, if you don't want to use the one at the Town Square. I look forward to my next stay.
I have stayed here prior to refurbishment, this time I was able to request Jamaica building during online check in. I loved the theming, tropical planting and quiet relaxing feel of the resort from caribbean music to hammocks on beaches. The room refurb decor is very nice and the sliding doors and new queen beds were fabulous but a little more color in the room would have been a bit nicer. The morning walk over the bridges for coffee and breakfast using refillable mugs was a nice start to the day. The beach and quiet pool were always quiet and peaceful. Room was kept very clean. Only thing I don't like about moderate resorts is the small bathrooms and baths but this is the same at all moderate resorts in WDW. Food court had plenty of choices and the food was good standard, portion sizes and I liked the boxes and bags to take it as carry out back to room if desired. We had no issues with out magic bands and enjoyed fp+ using the iPhone app, however parks were busier than I anticipated for this time of year. Buses were good at getting to parks quickly, but there are many stops at this resort which need to be figured into time planning when heading for reservations. I would prefer to stay at other deluxe resorts, but given choice between longer stays and moderates and shorter at deluxe I will take moderate for the amount of time we actually spend in the room. I would not hesitate to stay here again, however I like to try new resorts and next year will be trying Coronado springs.
We enjoyed our stay here, but it did not come without issues. When we checked in at the Custom House, the agent who waited on us seemed unsure of what she was doing, stepping away from the counter a couple of times before returning and giving us a map of the property, and our packet. She did not speak very good English either. We checked in at 2:00 and the room was not ready, so she assured us we would receive a text when it was ready and wrote down the village and room # on our map. We walked over to the food court to get lunch and wait for the room. It took several trips around the court and a lot of question asking to figure out the meal plan, what exactly you get and what size, etc., as there are some exclusions. Also the menus change on an overhead board so you have to stand there and wait for the screen to change to see the whole menu. As it turns out, the agent wrote the wrong room # down on our map, and the correct room was cleaned and ready but housekeeping neglected to let the office know the room was ready. We wasted 2 hours waiting to get in our room. Finally a manager came and apologized for the whole mess. Then I was left to worry that our luggage would appear in the wrong room, so I went all the way back to the Custom House to inquire about it. There, Timmy came over to help and went above and beyond his duty. He personally found our luggage at Bell Services and arranged for Elvis to give me a ride, with our family's luggage right to our door. Other than this initial fiasco, we liked the resort.
In short, the resort is nice with rooms that of a cheap "Motel 6" standard. Long description below. The wife and I absolutely love the Disney parks. This was not our first time to the parks. We have been several times including our honeymoon. Our recent trip was to celebrate our sons 4th birthday. A disney travel agent actually recommended the Caribbean Beach resort because of the Disney Dining Plan that was included. We also liked the idea of the splash pad area for our toddler. Our only request was a king size bed and a refrigerator so we could keep milk. The travel agent assured our request and booked our 7 night stay. First let me tell you this resort is huge. Plan on walking. There is no way around that. There is an "internal" bus that will take you to and from locations within the resort if you don't mind the wait. The walking did not bother us as we are very active and somewhat younger adults. The resort has an "islands" theme. The grounds outer themed decor was actually very nicely kept. The walks to and from the main pool/splash pad/food court area were pleasant because of the beautiful scenery. This resort has plenty of things to do for entertainment or enjoyment away from the parks. Our travel agent failed to give us an option as to which "island" we would like to stay. The only option we were offered was "standard" room or "pirate themed" room. We opted for standard as we did not plan on spending a lot of time in the room itself anyway. Upon arrival we were told we would be staying at the "Barbados" area of the resort. Building 13 to be exact. We had an tough time communicating with the staff member at check in due to a language barrier. We eventually were given a room number and sent on our way. We had many questions but due to the language barrier we decided to wait and ask someone else at a later date. Already planning the first day of our trip, we walked to our room with our luggage in tow. All happy faces until we opened the door. The first thing we noticed was mildew odor. From the doorway we could see all the filth. The green carpet was blackened to an extent that would show on the bottoms of your sock feet. The wall edge of the flooring could not have been vacuumed, ever. The first thing that came to mind after seeing this room was yuk. My wife immediately checked the beds for bed bugs. We did not find any. However the underneath side of the mattresses was nothing short of disgusting. Hair, food particles, things of unknown origin stuck like glue with dirt attached. No way was we staying in this room. It did have the refrigerator but we also asked for a king bed. This room had 2 queens. We loaded everything back into our vehicle and drove back to the main office. After explaining our concerns to now a different lady at the check in counter. She explained that she would have to go ask what she could do for us. When she returned from a room located behind the check in desk. She then informed us that there was nothing that could be done due to 100 percent occupancy. Basically the place was full so there were no other rooms available. She also blamed the bed configuration on our travel agent. So now, 980 miles from home, we were stuck. We could live with the bed arrangement however the smell and filth was enough to make us ill. With blank faces we returned to our room in disappointment. The room was very small. When taking a shower the tub would not drain quick enough and you found yourself standing in a tub full of water. The tub/shower had signs of mildew so we would not let our son take a bath but rather a shower. The windows were cloudy enough you could draw of them. Luckily for us we had brought some blankets as we slept on top of the bedding provided. Walking around the resort we noticed building 12 was completely vacant. All the blinds were raised, lights on, dressers pulled out away from the walls. Not sure what that was about. We also noticed the building to the right of the food court seemed to be ideally located and from the outside looked very clean. Unable to confirm that as we were unable to see inside the actual rooms. We did enjoy the food court as well as the pools. However we were unable to take our child to the splash pad area as it was closed for renovation? Another thing that our travel agent failed to mention. The atmosphere of this resort is very calm. Not to overly populated. Which was a nice break from the crowded parks. This resort does have potential to be great. Even with the super small rooms. But not until they do some room renovations and thereafter keep them clean. Expectedly, our son loved the parks. We have already planned a returned trip in two years. Needless to say, we will definitely not be staying at this resort.
My husband, my 4 year old daughter and I stayed at the Disney Caribbean Beach Resort for 11 days last summer. We stayed in the Jamaica building in a ground floor suite. We loved our stay there. We found the hotel room to be spacious, and clean. It had a good size fridge to store our food and drinks. It also had a small breakfast table with 3 chairs that we used if we ate breakfast in room, etc. The grounds and gardens were beautiful and we loved our walk to the main building and main pool area. We were really close to the bus terminal too, but we rented a car so we didn't take the buses too much. All the staff there were really friendly and helpful too. As I said, we loved our stay there and would absolutely recommend staying there. The cafeteria, at the Caribbean resort, actually had better food than the Polynesian resort, to tell you the truth. When we go back to Disney World, the only reason why we wouldn't stay at the Caribbean Beach resort again would only be because we want to try out the other resorts for fun. But we definitely did love this one.
Having stayed at a deluxe and value on our previous 2 trips to WDW, we decided to go moderate this time around and opted for the Caribbean Beach Resort as they were the only resort that had a King bed available on short notice.Customs House Check-in: Super easy, got our room within 10 minutes of arriving. The downside was then having to wait 20 minutes for the internal bus (more on buses later)Rooms: We stayed in Jamaica building 46. As stated above, we had a King room and the bed was fairly comfortable, not too hard or too soft. The room itself felt dated and in need of an upgrade. AC was through an in-wall (just under the window) unit versus central AC. Port Royale (dining and shopping): We only did the food court 2X for breakfast and 1X for lunch. The food is nothing more than theme park quality you'd find in any of the WDW parks. Not terrible but nothing to write home about either. We opted for simple fair like bagels/muffins for breakfast and I tried the Jerk Chicken for lunch which was pretty dry. The shopping has a good cross section of products and we purchased quite a bit here. Very nice staff.Transportation: This is perhaps one of the biggest downsides of this resort. CBR was the first moderate resort and it's my understanding it is the largest with multiple bus stops throughout the resort, basically one stop for each section i.e. Jamaica, Aruba, Trinidad, etc and one stop at the Customs House. Internal buses arrive approximately every 20 minutes and it seemed like we waited just about 20 minutes every time. Note that there was only 1 internal bus running at a given time. Not sure if this is normal but since the resort was at 100% occupancy, I'm assuming that one bus is standard. This made it a bit challenging to get to the Customs house and back to our room...cost us about 40 minutes of waiting in total. As for the resort buses, more challenges. On our Epcot day, we saw multiple buses arrive for each park, including Downtown Disney, before the Epcot bus arrived. Part of this we learned is that once a bus is full, it departs and since we were one of the last bus stops, there were likely a few buses that departed to Epcot before they got to us.Other amenities: We didn't utilize any of the pools though we did walk by them a couple of times. Very nice and well themed...a great looking pool for families. The resort itself looks nice with a large lake/lagoon and beaches centrally located. Overall: It is highly unlikely we would stay here again. I can honestly say that I had a much more enjoyable experience at Pop Century and while I might not stay there again, I'd choose it over CBR. Should we ever return to WDW, we will likely try another moderate resort like Port Orleans (Riverside or French Quarter). CBR was not terrible but failed to meet my expectations for a quality Disney resort.
We stayed at the CBR in one of the pirate themed rooms. It was quite a hike from our room to the main pool and food court, but it wasn't too bad since you pass several beaches. We thought the rooms were really small which is the worst thing about the resort. However these moderate rooms are almost 100 more square foot that a value resort room! The food court had a neat ambiance and offered many choices, we like their offerings. The pool was really great for kids and adults and offered a slide. Overall it was a near experience but not enough magic to lure us back. We want to try another moderate resort.
The Caribbean Beach Resort was a huge disappointment. The Resort itself is lovely with colorful buildings, sandy beaches and a pretty lagoon. If you could spend your entire day outside and never go into the rooms or use the food court you'd have a great time. The room that we had smelled moldy, very outdated decor, a poorly functioning television, a sticking door and improperly fitted drapes plus creaking beds.The food at the food court was dismal and that is maybe to high praise for it. Our first morning at the hotel we used the food court for breakfast and ended up feeding the trash can instead of ourselves.This Resort is in need of serious updates and a total overhaul of the food court. You'd have a better value for your money by staying at one of the new "value" resorts. We checked out Art of Animation on this trip. They served real food on real plates with silverware as opposed to the paper plates and Styrofoam cups found at Caribbean Beach. The food at Art of Animation was hot and tasted great, it wasn't lukewarm and flavorless like what we found at our resort. The Caribbean beach could learn a few lessons from Disney's new line of Value resorts.
As a frequent Disney visitor I have stayed at on Disney property many times. Having stayed here a few years ago I found it to be quite a large resort which felt very spread out and took a while to get around. The theme of the resort is well done and the rooms were spacious and well decorated. The pool area is large and a must do for children of all ages.
Stayed there for a college trip with 8 of my friends from college. Food court was great and had plenty of options. room was very clean and well kept. bags were all delivered right on time. The main pool was very well themed and even though we were in college had a blast on the water slide. Transportation: There was only one instance on one day (out of 8) where we waited for 45+ min for a magic kingdom bus. Other then that, buses were quick and only made stops at the one hotel then right to the park. Cons: I didn't like the actual size of the resort. depending on where your room was, it was a hike to get to the food court, bus stops, main pool, and lobby. I expect a lot of walking at WDW but some times nice when you get back to the room to have things really close and rest the feet some.
My family and I stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort in 2011 and were very impressed with the overall experience. The pool area is very well laid out and comfortable for all ages. We were very impressed with the staff having poolside activities for the families and how much fun we had. There is a small bar for refreshments within walking distance to the pool gates. When we went into the main area of the resort for lunch and shopping, we expected it to be a simple basic chow line and a small little gift shop. We were pleasantly surprised to see how wrong we really were. It is very spacious, open, and comfortable for all ages. The rooms themselves weren't bad but I can't say they were perfect. I wasn't a fan of the beds only being double sized at the time. They were way too small for full grown adults who are used to king sized beds (I know, a little spoiled). The kids (who were 7 and 13 at the time) weren't too uncomfortable but I know they would have preferred a little more room. My biggest complaint about the entire resort is the transportation system in place. Unfortunately, the only way to or from Caribbean Beach is by the bus system. They are very inconsistent with their schedule and a 30 to 45 minute wait was not uncommon. I do think that the entire transportation system needs a major overhaul and that monorail expansion should be seriously considered. All in all, Caribbean Beach Resort is a very nice, comfortable resort for a family with younger kids and is worth the money.
Me and my family went to Walt Disney World in August of 2012 ...the last week. i have to say this was a great time to go the weather was perfect! We got the free dining package and were more than satisfied, we received a fast food meal a beautiful table service meal and the choice of 1 of many snack options per day, which also included the free refillable mug. We of course stayed at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort which was ideal and i know that many people comment on how walking is such an issue but believe me it isn't and i'm not the most in shape person on earth! We stayed in building 43 of Jamaica which was across the lake from Old Port Royale. We were so happy to enter our room which had been cleaned and was neat and not dirty at all. We found not one problem with the room and we were convienently a 1 minute walk from the bus stop which is awesome as the bus takes you to every park. The grounds of this resort were lushly landscaped and filled with little surprises like exotic flowers and beautiful colors. We made our way across the island to go to Old Port Royale for breakfast and when we arrived at centertown we were greeted by many disney cast members who were happy to answer any questions. There are 5 food stations at CBR and also the sit down restaurant shutters. You can also order pizza to your room from bluerunners. The food at CBR is very good for a moderate resort and i wouldnt want to go anywhere else. Caribbean Beach has also plenty recreation options such as a marina and jogging trail an arcade a large gift shop and plenty more! All in all if your planning on going to a moderate resort Caribbean Beach is definetely my pick!
This is my least favorite Disney resort on property, and I stay here only when every other moderate is booked up. I've been here twice in ten years and the experience has been identical: too spread out, too isolated from the foodcourt, and everything is dependent on busses. If you like solitude and don't mind waiting around for busses to shuttle you to the food court building, you'll probably like CBR. This is a beautiful and quiet as well as lusciously landscaped resort. It has a nice pool, and employees are super friendly and genuinely seem to like working here. Its best for those folks who need only a room to hang out and spend the entire rest of their time at the parks, Otherwise, you are entirely dependent on bus transportation even for breakfast. Only the two closest buildings (and the two across from the pool) are really close enough to walk to anything. One warning -- if you pick a pirate-themed room here, you will be in the absolutely furthest and most remote buildings on the entire resort grounds. If you have a car you will find yourself driving everywhere. If you don't have a car and are reliant on bus transportation it will test your patience to the absolutely limit. As a usual guest at French Quarter, I can also state that it has the least reliable and what seems like the longest waits for busses to the resorts and DTD of any of the resorts I have stayed it. Busses seem to come every 30-35 minutes instead of the 15-20 minutes at POFQ and RIV. Best for those who want a quiet, solitary getaway and aren't in need of food court or other amenities. Not a resort I recommend to anyone.
We stayed here on 2/19-2/26/13. The resort was super clean. It rained one day and the staff was outside drying off the pool seats, benches, and tops of trash cans. The main pool was gorgeous! We did online check in so there wasn't a hassle! They even checked our luggage and stored our carry ons until we were ready to leave. The staff was super friendly, and housekeeping was great! I do agree with the long walk to Old Port Royale, but I made sure we had a room near the main pool! Bus service was less than stellar, but I hate public transpotation to begin with! We didn't get a rental car so I was stuck with busing! I do agree with the person who posted a ton of stops within the resort before you leave for Disney etc... Not the end of the world though! We had some great quick service meals in Old Port Royale, and some fabulous fine dining inside Disney and Epcot etc... The rooms were cute, and quite adequate! Overall I would recommend this resort to my best friends and family!!! Great time had by all!
I would never expect this of a Motel 6 not a disney hotel! We had two rooms and both were filthy! Two beds the sheets were not cleaned and the rollaway bed had food in it, we returned two of them! The size of the room was tiny and should not accomidate nore then 2 people per room!! They pack you in like sardeens! The restaraunt was a nightmare, long long lines in a cafateria setting and no seats!! You wait in line for your food in the food court and by the time you cash out there is no tables your food is cold!! Any by the was the food quality is discusting!! Its all about numbers with Disney Quanity not quality! Also the bus system is a nightmare by the time the bus gets there ( Which by the way could take 40 mins) its full and they make you stand even the children have to stand!! There are no seats!! My children are 6 and 7 and had nothing to hold onto!! SHAME ON YOU DISNEY!!!! SHAME!! How is that legal not to have seats especially for children! It was a 30 min ride in the bus!!! My children were crying of exhauston! I am not happy with Disney at this point!! Never stay on property!!! There is no point!! Just maddness!!!
We have been very fortunate to be able to visit Disney on many different occasions. We decided to try Caribbean Beach. We have stayed at all levels of Disney hotels on property. We were just not that impressed with this hotel. We really expected it to be bigger but, it was not much bigger than a Value resort. It was clean and our check in was easy and very quick. The decor was nice and we had a room close to the pool. We would stay here again but, we would try to make different reservations just because we were not that impressed.
Not happy with the Caribbean Beach Resort.. Me, my husband and our kids (ages 4 and 2) just stayed there for a week and were so unhappy. We chose to pay the extra money for a "newly renovated" pirate themed room since it sounded fun for our kids but when we got here we realized the pirate rooms are all in the village of Trinidad South which is the furthest from the food court, main pool, and check in area. An employee of the resort told us that Caribbean Beach made these rooms to lure people into booking because nobody wanted to stay in those far villages of the resort.. Nice huh? The buses are very very slow.. They run every 20 to 30 minutes and its about a 15 minute walk to the food court if you decide to go that route.. There are no elevators either so at 11 or 12 at night you'll be carrying ur sleeping kids and a heavy stroller up a couple flights of stairs.. The food isn't very good and the way to windows are in the room make it so that a lot of light can come in through the plastic blinds since the curtains don't completely cover so if you like sleeping in darkness when the sun is rising don't stay here... I'd say its a good resort if u are right in the food court area.. Last year we stayed at the value resort All Star Movies and wish we would've stayed there again.. I don't recommend this resort for families with small children....
Caribbean Beach is a great resort. The pool is amazing and the hotel does a good job of keeping a theme. But the distance between the main areas (lobby, theme pool, food stores, etc.) is INSANE! The busses are very slow and take a long time to find the bus with the park you want to go to I don't recommend this resort to families with small children.
This resort is very much as has been advertised. The grounds and buildings are lovely. Although there are a large number guests (we were there at Christmastime), CBR was quiet. The facilities at Old Port Royale are very nice and the counter service restaurant we used there was adequate. The guest rooms are nice enough. Of our eight mornings at CBR we had poor bus service on two occasions. If you are staying here, don't worry about your village assignment affecting your bus service it really doesn't matter where you stay. We stayed in building 12 and the walk to Old Port Royale was not a problem.
I love CBR Because of beautiful rooms and shops and dinning looks great! That's why we are going to stay for Dec 2010!
My wife and I just returned from Carribean Beach which was our second time there. First time was nice since we had a room close to the food court. This time I called a month before our arrival to request a room close to the food court since my wife is now disabled and has to use a wheelchair. The lady I talked with said they will make a note and do everything they could to accommadate us. If you haven't guess yet, we were given a room the furtherest away. My wife couldn't reach the food court since a steep bridge is in the way. I had to walk to the food court then call her to tell her the choices of food. Our meals had to be eaten in the room. She never seen the food court. Could have taken a resort bus but the walk to the bus stop was almost as far as the food court,then would have stopped at every section before getting to the food court. We decided next time we will stay at Port Orleans since we also stayed there before and everything is closer. The housekeeping is very nice so can't complain. They did a good job. Food was good except most of the sandwiches were made with some kind of hard bread that was dry and hard to chew. In the food court each day the workers will block the aisle to do some kind of dance which means you can't get from one end to the other till they finish. The resort is very attractive but unless you are young and healthy maybe you should try another resort. Alot of people have to rent a scooter from an outside business to get around.
For a WDW moderate ,i think the place is brilliant . The main pool is geat if you have kids and if you dont the private pools are large and nornally quiet. The food court is large and should have something fo everyone tastes . We have stayed there 3 times and have never had a bad experience . The location is great as well as ist not far from DTD
I can't wait to stay in CBR because it's my favorite Moderate resort. and For Christmas I can't wait to see those christmas lights. That's why I love CBR!
My boyfriend and I went to stay there recently in December, and we took advantage of the online check in that got our rooms ready as soon as we arrived around 9:30 am. The first room we were in was a joke. Our drawer knobs kept coming off and the bathroom door didn't lock. We had an adjoining room door in the room and every time we'd come back to the room, the lock was in a different place. I finally called around midnight after the cable shut off to ask for a different room and didn't get switched until about 4pm the next day. The next room was nice and it was in the building next to the old room, which was the building RIGHT next to the food court and shops so it was a fabulous location. I do like this resort a lot, even though our first room wasn't that great. The hammocks are a great relaxer from walking at night as well!
CBR is my favorite Resort! The CBR has cool refreshing place to relax in the pool and Food courts and Shops are very good too! I love it! For my birthday on January 14, 2010! We will stay in CBR! This is will be awesome birthday! We Can't wait to stay in CBR for my Birthday
My boyfriend and I stayed here from 9/30-10/5/09. We took advantage of online check-in before arriving at the resort. Our packet was ready for us when we arrived. We had requested a room in buildings 44, 45, or 51. We were surprised to hear that we have been upgraded to a "preferred room" in Trinidad North instead. In a few minutes, we were out the door and waiting for the Internal Shuttle (which was probably our longest bus wait of the trip...about 30 minutes). Our room had the Finding Nemo theme. Everything was cute and tropical themed. The bathrooms are a little tight, but we were expecting that. Other than that, the room was great. Mousekeeping took good care of us. The Food Court could definitely get busy but the food was fairly decent. The best part of the resort is the pool area. There is much more night activity here than other resorts I have stayed at. The cabana bar provided great drinks from nice CMs. Only down side here is, there were unsupervised kids in the hot tubs. The location definitely makes or breaks your stay here. We were lucky with the room upgrade and convenient bus stops. CBR is not a bad resort, but it may not be for everyone. This is more geared towards families so I think we'll be looking elsewhere next time.
Just got back from 7 day trip Sept.28, 2009. Positively the worst i have been too yet. It started with check in, inexperienced cm's and rude management. Two rooms require two separate resevations, making it a complete hassel for dining and room charges. Rooms were not kept up, and very poor housekeeping.Food court is way too small, never ever go for breakfast, 6 different lines to wait for, and no where to eat inside. If your a family, you wont eat together, at least not warm food. The only good things were the banana cabana (great cm's here), pool, and the grounds, even though they were power washing the buildings every morning at 9 am. Overall, it's not worth the crappy service, can get that anywhere and pay alot less. I even sent email to guest services, three weeks later, still no response. CBR needs to have an overall attitude adjustment.
Positive: the resort was beautiful Negative: well first we got there at night and it took them a long time to check us in (and they were not very nice Cast Members). So, we finally got to our room, and we were really tired and ready to relax, but we couldn't because the room smelled like SMOKE! So then we had to call the front desk and ask them for a room change (which took forever!) So we had to sit in that smoke-smelling room for over an hour. Then they changed it and we thought that our vacation was going to be great from then on out! The new room was also disgusting but at least it didn't smell like smoke - this time, it smelled like diapers! The rooms here are no better than a Motel. Now, for the WALK. If you want to go eat or go to the main building for something such as drinks or something for the "convenience" store - YOU ARE IN FOR A HIKE - Put on your running shoes! The main building is VERY far from the rooms. There were many children and babies in the pools, and the pool water was not clear - it was YELLOW! What does that tell you? Also, it was very loud at night. So, when you decide that you want to stay here - DON'T!!!!!!
I'm from the UK, and have stayed at CBR ini 1995, 2000 & 2005. We have also stayed at Grand Floridian, Contemporary & Pop Century (so we have a variety of experiences) and have visted for meals etc most other resorts. I know that some poeple have scored CBR low because of its size and the walk envolved, but even if you are in the FURTHEST room from Port Royal, its only teh same walk as from the entrance of Epcot to Test Track (measured on Google Earth) The rooms are great, and compared to Pop Century, are massive! The layout is really great, with extra island pools, so if you want a quick dip, you don't have to go to the main pool. The spread out buildings make it less opressive than Pop Century or All Stars. Of course its not as nice asGF or Contemp, but then, its no where near the same price. All our rooms have been clean and tidy, and housekeeping has always been excellent. We've had a king size bed once, (which was fab) and two queens the other times, which are still MASSIVE. Its got GREAT themeing, and its own pirate and CBR merchandise, which is fun too. The food court is good, and is the same generic food items as you find in most other mod/budget WDW hotels. Boat hire is a plus, that you don't get at many other hotels. and personally we think teh short walks to food court or bus stops are fun and make the resort a bit more of an adventure, all teh little paths, make going anywhere an adventure for kids, especially if you are opposite food court and go over the island! All in all, for a moderate resort I think its the best, and next year are going back instead of going to GF (weighing up cost vs facilities, CBR won in our planning!)
My gf & I stayed here for our 3 year anniversary. The requests that I made, prior to us arriving, were taken care of. In addition, they put us on a nice 1st floor corner room looking out over the water. The resort itself was very nicely laid out, it really made you feel as though you were at a tropical paradise. Disney does go above & beyond to really make you feel like you're at that particular themed resort. There was about a less than 5 minute walk to the closest bus stop which wasn't bad. There was about a 10 minute walk (give or take) to the food court. It was good b/c we were kind of isolated from the main pool & that crowd but it took longer to get to the main courtyard. All in all, I'd stay here agin.
My husband and I just got back from a wonderful trip to WDW. The stay at the CBR was the best one yet. From getting the room I requested to the service, it was just incredible. We never waited longer than 5 minutes for a bus. In fact, there were transportation workers at the stops checking for bus times and ridership. Everything was clean and they were repainting all the railings, posts, benches, etc. I love that they have 7 different bus stops and 7 different pools! The food was also much better than when here in March. That was true for the entire WDW area. Will be going back in 2010 and will not stay anywhere else.
We stayed at the CBR twice, once June 2007 and again June 2009. Both times we enjoyed the grounds and pools. Both the main pool and the smaller pools were very well maintained. Although the main pool was busy but that is to be expected in June! The food court had many options for food and even my picky 9 year old found something he liked. The down side was the room wasn't as clean as I remembered from our first trip. My only other complaint is not necessarily Carribean Beach related but the bus system was less than efficient.
My wife and I stayed here on our honeymoon in Nov 2008. While we didn't think the room was anything special, the grounds are magnificent. It is a large place but with the connecting bridge, nothing was more than a 10 minute walk. All the tree and flowers were amazing, and the pool was very nice. I do believe that if we get back down to WDW, we would stay there again.
We stayed at Caribbean Beach in 2003 and 2006 with a large group of around 15 people. Many of the buildings have courtyard areas with picnic tables and benches which is a nice place to gather if you have a large group. We loved the Caribbean setting, white sand beaches, tropical birds, beautiful grounds and music. We stayed in Jamaica and loved the walk across the island every day to the Old Port Royale. The bus service was always excellent and is not shared by any other resorts. The rooms are nice enough - queen beds would be a big improvement over full-size beds. The bed size is my only cricism of this resort. This year we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside because we needed a trundle bed to accomodate our family of 5. I think I now have a preference for Riverside due to the boat trip to Downtown Disney and the beauty of the grounds. Alligator Bayou is cool and shady. But, have very fond memories of Caribbean Beach. Our first trip was to Yacht Club. We enjoyed it very much but the moderates are a better value. I wouldn't pay to stay at a deluxe again.
Our family stayed at Caribbean Beach for 10 days in 2005. We really enjoyed it there. We thought the food selections were o.k. Shutters was amazing. I see that they have changed their menu though. There are a couple of things they need to change. The public areas were not as clean as they should have been. The rooms were nice, but I wish all the Moderate resorts would have 2 Queen beds instead of the double beds. The pools were great and the fact that security came around quite often was nicer. The people that thought they did not have to abide by the rules found out they were wrong.
We had the opportunity to stay at the CBR in 2003 it was the first time we took the kids to Disney . Previously my husband and I stayed in a deluxe resort. We were not prepared for the walks to the food court or the bus stop. The resort is very large my son lost his card to get into the parks and I had to get another one at the front desk to get to the front desk you have to get a bus and walk across a street to get to the front desk. It is a beautiful resort but it is big !!!!
The first hotel I stayed at was the Caribbean Beach. I was only in second grade, and loved it as a kid. I'm sure at the age, it really wouldn't have mattered where I stayed -- to some extent, that remains true. But, when I went back with my family 7 years ago -- I had a good time as well. We loved the food court, and the layout of the resort offers diversity. If you want privacy, you can find it at your island's pool. Or if you want to have a drink and socialize, the main area's pool/bar is the spot to go. As stated, the main con of the resort are the many bus stops. While the size can be an advantage if you want privacy. I think the next time I go, I'll try somewhere new because I like trying new things. But I would definitely recommend it to moms and dads who are bringing the kiddies! Great value for your money. (As far as Disney resorts go) -Dumbo
First of all, this resort felt more like I was staying at a cheap motel than a disney resort. The magic was definately missing. I love how each individual set of buildings has a pool, as well as there being a pool located at the food court pavilion. The shortcoming is the fact that the only hot tubs are located at the pavilion. One of them didn't work at the time, and that was two months after they finished remodeling the pool area. Each set of buildings should have there own hot tub. To me it only makes sense. Also we had some issues with some individual Disney employees. One lady at the front desk was extremely rude and seemed extremely put out by the questions we had. On top of that, she was either poorly trained or lied to us to keep from having to do anything. The jury is still out on that one. Also our housekeeper was extremely adamant about having us sign off that we didn't require cleaning. This was after the five minutes she spent knocking on the door each day while we were asleep. Disney really needs to institute do no disturb signs here. The rest of the staff went out of their way to make sure all our needs were met, which is what I am used to when I visit Disney. As many people have said there are too many stops for the bus service. They really should split it up and have a bus route for each two or three "islands". The food court is great for what it is. It is nice having a sit down restaurant in the pavilion, but they could really do with another, especially for the size of the resort. If you have the meal plan you can fill up your in room fridge with snacks and sandwiches to keep you from having to make extra trips to eat each day. Overall the stay wasn't horrible, it was Disney. But of all the times I have been to Disney, this is the only time I have had issues with my stay.
i stayed here with my teenage daughter, sister, and teenage niece in 2004 for 4 days. it was very relaxed and i loved the atmosphere. the room itself was set up well for four and very clean, bright. i have not been back since they've added the new poc themed rooms. the bus situation is much the same as when you stay in the boardwalk are resorts...to many stops so it takes you a lot longer to get around than it would from other resorts. for a moderate resort it was quiet, great for winding down and maybe honeymooners, older adults, but still beach fun for those with kids or teens. the pool is great for anyone but particularly who loved the poc movies [pirate fort theme to main pool]. personally i liked port orleans french quarter a little better (stayed with same group of people), but that again was mainly due to transportation issues.
After 9 visits to WDW, with only one visit spent at Port Orleans due to Caribbean Beach being closed for refurbishment of the OPR facility, we are confirmed fans of Caribbean Beach. We love the theme of the resort, the food court and shopping, and the convenience of bus stops to all rooms. Martinique Building 26 is our favorite and we would probably reschedule our visit if necessary, just to be able to get a room there.
I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach 6 times (also stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and Coronado Springs). I absolutely love this resort and I look forward to staying there every bit as much as I enjoying seeing the parks. The tropical atmosphere is the best with all the palm trees and steel drum music playing throughout the resort. Everything is very clean and the service in the rooms, shops, and food court is second to none. The food court has a great variety of food and is a very relaxing place to eat. The pools are nice, though I've never even used the main pool because I prefer the quieter, less crowded area pools for a quick swim. I love staying in Aruba or Jamaica so that I can make the trip over the bridge to the food court every morning. I grew up with my entire family loving this place, and just this year I went to Disney with my girlfriend for the first time and she immediately fell in love as well. While I'd love to try a Deluxe resort, I just don't think it gets any better for the money than CBR.
I have stayed at this resort 4 times with family and my fiancee and all of us have had a magical stay each and everytime. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed, the staff are friendly, helpful and always go out of their way to make sure you have a magical stay. Out of the 4 times we have stayed here we have never had an issue with wait times for buses. We usually vacation in August and have never waited more than 15mins. During our trip 2 weeks ago a bus turned up within 5 mins every time which was fantastic. The only bus issue we had was going from Animal Kingdom to Polynesian we waited 45 mins and no buses and the same thing happened when trying to get from Saratoga Springs to the studios. I was quite shocked at how poor the bus service was at these deluxe and DVC resorts. The room was always clean and the mousekeeper made wonderful towel animals for us everyday. Every morning we saw people cleaning the quiet pools and a team cleaning the main pool and scrubbing down the sun loungers. The walkways were cleaned everyday with pressure washers and the landscaping continuously tended to. Most of this cleaning happened at 6 in the morning (breakfast time for us) and so was not intrusive to guests. The food court was pleasant however people left their empty trays and containers all over the table and walked away even though there are plenty of bins and recycling facilities, (it's laziness like this which really annoys me). That being said as soon as guests leave a table a member of staff is straight over to clean it and deal with any remains. After experiencing some of the other resorts at WDW I have to say that CBR will always be my home away from home and a visit to the world will not be the same with out staying here.
We have stayed at CB for years since our son was a child who is now grown and we still love it. The lush tropical atmosphere plays into the whole magic of Disney in taking you away to another place. While I agree with many of the other ratings that it can be quit a walk if you are staying across the bridge but it is great exercise especially on a cool crisp September morning and gets you ready for the day. There is also a 1.4 mile walkway around the lake for walkers and runners. You could have a jog to Old Port Royale have your breakfast and have a jog back. The food court is satisfactory after all it is a food court not a 4 star restaurant, good choices for all ages and picky eaters including the health concerned. I do miss a the old pool it had more fun things for kids but the remodeled one is very nice. The staff has always been pleasant and very accommodating to our needs. I remember one year when our son was little that our room attendant who we called Princess Olivia made him a different and very elaborate towel animal every day and we lined them up together all that week. Through the years CB has always done little things like that and even upgraded us for free one year when our room wasn't ready when we arrived so we didn't have to wait. I think they do try their best to give every guest and enjoyable stay and the price is reasonable. Our rooms have always been very clean and odor free, no mystery stains on beds, linens or carpets. I am sure we will enjoy many more stays at CB in fact my husband and I are going in 2 weeks for our anniversary first time doing "Disney without the kids"
We stayed at CBR every year for years. We learned to upgrade to a preferred room. We always requested Martinique Building. It is closest to the food court and convenient for bussing to the parks. Worth every penny. We did have some service issues the last time we stayed. Overall we enjoyed the feeling of leaving Disney for an island "resort" without leaving Disney property.
since we had a car, we didn't mind being at the far end of trinidad south. IT WAS WONDERFUL. if you have a car and don't mind a quick jaunt up to old port royale when you need something, ask to be here. the view was spectacular,mornign, noon or night, but the highlight was every morning when i went out my door, all you could see was the creek, the mist hovering over the creek, the wildlife waking up, and you could hear the sounds of all the animals, it was fantastic. it just felt like the start of a beautiful day in nature. it made me feel like i was far away from civilization, even though civilization was one minute away by car. the room was fine, nothing special, but the setting is beyond words. the pools are great, old port royale is very nice, boats right there, i never stayed moderate before, always deluxe, really not much difference, at least nothing that i cared about. i would go back here in a heartbeat.
The only Mod I`ve stayed at until this year, and wouldn`t hesitate to do so again. I`ve stayed at CBR in 1993, 2001, 2007 and 2008. First, it`s a Mod. You won`t get deluxe rooms or facilities, but it certainly surpassed our expectations. Helpful CMs at check in, lush, beautiful landscaping, well kept and maintained buildings and very adequate rooms. The rooms always seem to be on a continual maintainence cycle - they do get heavily used and this is one of WDWs biggest resorts - we`ve had a brand new one and an old one. The difference is clear, but with 2048 of them there are bound to be well used rooms somewhere. Thr Resort is big - one of the biggest - and so rooms further away obviously need more walking to reach with no car. Same for any large resort. If it bothers you avoid Trinidad South. Some like the seclusion, some don`t. Old Port Royale has a good choice of quick meals with long opening times. Grab and Go was open early and very handy for breakfast on the run. Pools were fine, with plenty of extras available on the lake. Location is good - next door virtually to DHS, a straight run to DAK and right behind Epcot. MK was a little further. Bus service can be slow at peek times, more an issue with WDWT than the resort itself. You get what you pay for, but at the CBR we think you get a litle more. And lots of Disney magic. This year we are at POR with friends, at their suggestion, but we would return to the CBR with no hesitation.
Absolutely a great resort. we were there last sept. for our honeymoon and loved it. The quietness of the place, the private pools, and especially the outdoor bar. The room was preferred and was looking at the lighthouse, great! The island in the middle was really cool, makes for great photo ops, as well as just some private time, nobody ever there. Never waited for buses more than 20 minutes. Way better than a value, but not a POLY. Well worth the money. Room was clean and had much space. The walk to Port Royal is but five minutes, and thats taking a stroll. Only had a a late night pizza there, so i cant talk about the food, but foodcourt had many offerings. We will be back in 5 days! This time with 3 kids, but i expect it to be the same and cant wait!
i stayed here for a week several years back just after they refurbed the pool area. i should indicate that the cheerleading championships were going on so i had to contend with a 1000 neurotics with body dysmorphic disorder during my stay, but i'll try to not to let it influence my report. first, i like to soak...in the hot tub. well despite a recent refurb of the pool area, the tub holds maybe 3-4 people...seriously. the resort is one of the largest at 2000 plus rooms. design flaw anyone? i never even sniffed the chlorine. the food is substandard in my opinion. the food court is not ample for me as i like to have a nice breakfast or buffet at least. i will say that shutters or whatever it was called then is decent a nice place to have dinner. the size of the resort is not to be underestimated. ive heard other complaints about long walks at other resorts, but this resort is amongst the worst. the theming is tip top. i felt comfortable and the tropical feel of the decor was very pleasant and relaxing. the staff were friendly and i dont recall any trouble with the room itself (no different than other moderates in that regard) in summary i wouldnt stay there again unless it meant i couldnt stay at disney at all.
I have been to the Caribbean Beach Resort about 10 times; I love it. I first booked there because of the economical price, but would always come back because I loved everything about it. I love the layout of the grounds, the 1.5 mile promenade. It is not only beautiful to look at but so peaceful to walk. I love the main pool, especially now that it has been refurbished but I love that each island has it's own pool as well. I love Port Royal - the colors, the up beat tempo of the music, the food choices and Shutters fine dining restaurant. The rooms are average, nothing spectacular, but I have nothing to complain about. I have not encountered a bad experience in all the years I have stayed there. Yes the bus situation is not ideal, I have always rented a car from the airport, so that eliminated any of those frustations. I would and will stay at the Caribbean again and would recommend it to anyone.
my wife and i stayed here for our honeymoon last october and it was better than i expected. i thought it was themed very well. the pool was kept exceptionally clean. check-in was quick. i've read stories online about how horrible it is to check in there but we experienced no issues. we always had these towel animals on our bed when we returned at night. i hear they do that all over the disney resorts so its nice to see its consistant. even though you could not go into the large lake in the middle of the resort, the white sand beaches and hammocks strung between the trees were a nice touch. we stayed in trinidad north so our walk to port royale was not bad. i think the only thing i would say was a disappointment was we could not get into the full service dining area but that was also because we did not get there until after 8pm the one night. overall our experience was great and very memorable and will definately want to stay there again
I have stayed at this resort 6+ times. We love everything about it. The food court and shops are great. I only wish they stayed open until midnight for our after park snacks. I love all the color and music! You just get happy walking in there. Tehy even pulled us in to do limbo! I dont go to the pool much but they are nice and clean. We usually drive down so I like parking lot view cause its cheaper and faster to walk to the bus station. Yes sometimes the lines to get the bus home at night are longer but thats just what happens when you stay at a cheaper and larger resort. so be prepared for it. Great facilities all around and close to the other shopping areas. ill definately be back.
We have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, Grand Floridian,Contemporry Tower, Contemporary Garden wing, Polyneisan, Port Orleans French Quarter and the Yacht & Beach Club(during hurricane Charlie - by the way). The Caribben Beach was te first moderate hotel we stayed at when our children were little tots. They are now 16 & 18 yrs. I only mention that becase since they have grown our choice of hotel has changed, and yours will too as your children grow. Financially, the Caribbean Beach is a decent place to stay IF YOU ARE FORTUNATE TO GET A ROOM CLOSE TO PORT ROYAL AND THE FOOD COURT. I say this because the first two times we stayed there we had such a room and it was a very nice stay. The hotel provided these mugs you could purchase that allowed you to get unlimited refills of beverages. That was very nice since our room was just a short walk away. It was a lovely routine for one of us to walk to the food court in the morning for our coffee, and at night for juices of soft drinks. The rooms are all nice and clean, and the atmosphere is generally quiet. The pool is just right for little ones. The Food Court is better than at Port Orleans. The food just seems fresher and there seems to be more of a variety. The atmosphere in the food court is bright and cheery and the children loved it. The music in the background is always peppy lending to a general happy atmosphere.....all near Port Royal. The problem we encountered the third time we stayed there was that our arrival time was later than the usual morning arrival we had experienced in the past. This led to our room not being ready when we checked in and the room location I had requested was not provided or us. Now, I know that Disney "tries" to accommodate your requests, however, BE WARNED.....THE LATER YOU ARRIVE THE LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO GET YOUR ROOM REQUEST GRANTED, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE REQUESTING A ROOM NEAR PORT ROYALE. Obviously, most people with small children want these rooms due to their convienence. Anyway...the down side of Caribbean Beach is that if you get a room across the lagoon - well, boy, prepare yourself for a hike! First of all, gone were our coffee and beverage refills. By the time you get back to your room your coffee is cold and you've drunk your drink. Next, depending on the weather, it is certainly no fun taking that hike to the pool in your bathing suit if your are freezing by the time you get back to the room. So - all in all, THE CARIBBEAN BEACH IS A NICE MODERATE PLACE TO STAY PROVIDED YOU GET A ROOM CLOSE TO PORT ROYALE.....KNOW WHAT - STAY AT PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER INSTEAD. MUCH BETTER LAYOUT FOR THE SAME PRICE (BUT THAT'S ANOTHER REVIEW". CATCH YOU LATER I'M SURE.
The first trip my husband and I ever took together (12 years ago - wow, time flies!) was to Disney World. We were 18 and 24 years old and stayed at the CBR. It was a great stay and we really enjoyed it. The rooms were clean and BIG! We were on the main floor and just steps from one of the smaller pools. We enjoyed walking the pathways (around the lake) in the mornings/evenings and with our rental car, it was a very quick drive to the other resorts and parks. We ate only a few times at the resort, but they had a pretty good selection of food items. I would recommend staying there - to anyone! We now usually stay at either the Yacht Club or Wilderness Lodge but with this economy, I would not hesitate to stay at the CBR again!
The Caribbean beach was the first on property resort I had ever stayed at. It truly gives you the caribbean feel and I love the layout. The Old Port Royale is so well themed and has a magical quality to it that it's hard to put into words. The rooms are well situated to let you stay close to the resort center or secluded. Truly a gem!!
I stayed thier last year and had a very good time. My room was not ready when I arrived, however within the hour I was in the room. I had a preferred room looking over the pool in the Barbados units. The room was clean and CM where very friendly. It was a 5 min walk to Old Port Royale where I had breakfast every morning. The breakfast selections where adaquate since I am not a big breakfast person. All my other meals where eaten else where so I can't comment on lunch and dinner. After breakfast I went to the bus stop outside Old Port Royale and usally was on the bus with in 10 to 15 mins. The only down size is catching the bus back to the resort after and event like Illuminations or MVMCP, the buses where way overcrowed and Barbados was the last bus stop. Over all I would stay here again.
We have stayed at Coronado, Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Caribbean. We continue to return to the Caribbean Resort. The grounds are beautiful and quiet. We love the courtyards with the tables and chairs and bright umbrellas. The new main pool area is wonderful and the kiddie pirate area is great. The only reason I did not give it a 10 is because I think the food court is inadequate with few choices for a resort that large. We will be there again in December. Janine
We stayed in here January 2009. It was our first stay in a "moderate" level resort, and we just wanted to see what it would be like. We would NOT stay here again. What we LIKED: (1) Looking around from the outside, the resort is clean, well-maintained, and beautiful to look at. (2) Coming back from the parks, the building we happened to be in (Aruba) was one of the first stops the buses made, which was convenient. What we DISLIKED: (1) If you're not staying in a building closest to the main building with the check-in services or food court, then you have a LONG walk ahead of you, or a LONG wait for the resort buses to roll around to your particular stop. (2) The rooms weren't much better in terms of quality than your average Hotel 6. Beds were way too small. Bathroom was ridiculously small and cramped. We had to have various items in the room replaced by the staff, such as the tv remote and the iron. Floor was dirty, tile work around the bathroom and sink areas were dirty and cracked. (3) Food court offerings for meals were meager and inadequate. CMs working in those various stations were rude and unhelpful. (4) Location. It's basically on the outskirts of the entire Disney World Resort property. Long drives to the main parks, or waits for the buses just to take you there. Coming from regular stays in "deluxe" resorts to a stay in this "moderate" one is like night/day. We would NOT stay in a moderate again unless we absolutely had to. Very disappointing.
I first stayed here for my honeymoon in 99 . This by far the best Moderate in my opinion. The themeing is beautiful .The layout is nice. I have to say that there are some areas just too far spaced. I love the island walk,the nature all over. the food coutrt is nice .. I would like to see some changes but good. The main pool is awesome, not to mention the nice "island" pools . This has been and will continue to be our resort of choice. You can't go wrong with any Disney resort, but this one stands out .
We have stayed at the Caribbean Beach 3 times and are going back in Sept. The resort is very large, but so quiet and beautiful. We love the food court and the gift shop and all the quiet pools.
The resort is amazing visually. The problem I had with it was that the resort food court was too small to take care of a HUGE resort like this. Unless you have a room close to the food court, pack a lunch just for the hike there. Also, the bus set up blows! They pick up at each island which fills up the buses fast. After eating at Old Port Royal you go outside to catch a buses to a park. By this time the bus has made several stops and is three quarters full! Bigger food court and more buses!!!
we just got back from our stay at CBR from 7/15/09 to 7/22/09. i will say this is the first moderate resort i have stayed at and before we have stayed at value resorts. the last value resort was so noisey with teenagers at night, well not here. didnt hear a sound all night. no more value resorts for me. we will be staying at CBR. it was great to have a nice pool with slides for my 6yr old son. he had a blast. everything was nice and clean, even our room was ready at 11am when we arrived. we had planned on going to the pool and waiting for the room but it was a nice susprise to get right in. it can be a bit of a walk to the main pool or the food court but there is interresort bus if you need it. overall it was a great experiance. and i will be staying there again.
My girfriend and I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort twice. It has a nice laid back feel and the grounds are pretty nice. I wouldn't recommend it for couples with young children or those traveling with older individuals because the place is huge and can be quite a walk to the food court, gift shop, etc. (Old Port Royale) The food court is pretty normal with a lot of options and the gift shop is great! You can find plenty of souvenirs and things to bring back to your room. The bus rides to EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney are nice and short, while a ride to the Magic Kingdom is probably 10-15 minutes. The staff has always been courteous and pleasant. Nothing at all to complain about. I've enjoyed my stays here and look forward to going back.
I love Caribbean Beach! Because the rooms are awesome and shops and food courts looks awesome! And I can't wait to stay in the Caribbean Beach for my Birthday on January 14, 2010!
Our stay was 13 days in August 2007. Would definitely do it again if choosing a moderate resort. The room was typical of the other moderates, but clean and quiet. Our housekeeper entertained the teenagers everyday with new towel animals and left small trinkets as well. Transportation (middle of August) was never a problem and we didn't have to wait too long for a bus to arrive. The grounds are very well appointed and made for several nice photo opportunities. The food court was so-so and the pool at the time was in dire need of refurbishing (but has since been done). We stayed at the Riverside resort in '08 and the entire family regretted the decision and preferred Caribbean Beach.
I stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort for a wedding. It was a beautiful resort, but that might be the only nice thing I have to say about it. We waited for a bus over 45 mins more than once, it just never came. It would have been easier to digest had they came and been full. Our air conditioning didn't work, but the resort was full so they couldn't move us. Also, our bath drain didn't flow properly and the tub would fill with water. There were about 40 rooms that weekend taken at this resort by our friends and family and unfortunately, quite a few people has issues...
It's a nice resort for a decent price. The rooms were about average size but love the food court and pool.
My Mom and I just returned from a great stay at CBR (9/13/08-9/20/08). It was our first time staying on-site. We thought our room was wonderful~mousekeeping did a great job (we did tip daily:) and we even received a cute towel animal mid-week. The resort itself is beautiful. We stayed in Barbados. The only "problems" we encountered were: A missing tv remote (promptly brought by mousekeeping) A noisy fridge~which we just turned off at night (it kept drinks cold while we were at the parks all day) Some confusion with check out/magic express~we received someone else's luggage tags/check out info. (This was taken care of PRONTO at the custom house) Honestly, and maybe we are just not that picky, these slight issues certainly didn't put a damper on our stay :) I am a smoker (I know..boooooo) and our room was in close proximity to a very lovely "designated smoking area". The resort is large~however we were pleased to discover mid-week that we were about a 5 minute scenic walk to Port Royale/Main Pool. We didn't utilize the main pool (although it was REALLY nice!) but did enjoy the quiet pool in our area after a long day at the parks. Bus service was incredible. We never waited more than 10-15 minutes for any bus, and my 63 yr old Mom was offered a seat on a crowed bus EVERY TIME. We were amazed at the courtesy of our fellow bus riders. Buses were crowed leaving the park at night~but they were showing up quickly, sometimes even before the previous bus left! All in all, it was a once in a lifetime, wonderfully memorable, Mom/Daughter trip to WDW :)
Just got back froma week at CBR and after reading some of these reviews, I did worry about what I had done! I had a good time, we stayed at Aruba, the buses were plentiful and never waited more than 15-20 minutes, the rooms were clean, maids cleaned the room every day, the pools were nice, the food was standard Disney food, having stayed at Wilderness Lodge I could not see any real difference in quality. It is a huge resort, maybe too big for children to be there as some of the rooms are a long distance from the food court but I had a good time and wish people would write honest reviews. 8/10 for me and would visit again.
i have stayed here a few times, but only becuase it was all that was avaible. great pool, but the food wasnt great and i thought it was boring but it was clean and stuff. i prefer por
Stayed 4 days at CBR in a double room. Room was a fair size. Very clean. Didn't stay that far away from main pool. Amenities were nice for a moderate hotel. Except for lack of concierge level service and full room service you wouldn't notice it was a moderate resort. Surrounding resort beach areas really nice. Would stay again.
When I booked my trip I wasnt made aware that the main pool was closed as well as the jacuzzi.When I arrived I asked where it was and was quite disappointed. I like Port Orleans Riverside so much better.
My hubby and I just returned from a 3 day conference and stayed at the CBR. It was our first stay. The room was plenty big, the King bed comfortable, and everything was nice and clean. The only problem we had was the internet connection. We had paid up front for it and yet every time we tried to get on, we couldn't. We had to call down to the desk and was put thru to someone who was very good about getting us up and running. We had a corner room and it was more than spacious. We loved the tropical look. It IS a bit of a walk from Aruba to the food court, but the weather was good so it was a nice walk. If it was raining, NO way would I walk it. I like the souvenier cup and we took advantage of it with our drinks. The food was fine and the pizza was really good. I put the privacy sign out one day so I could rest and read and the staff hung a bag of fresh towels and soaps on the door. The only really Gross thing that happened was also kind of funny...or unexpected. Aruba was being repainted while we were there and the painters were outside of my door "taking a break". I assume they were drinking sodas because all of a sudden they started having a belching contest. First one belched, then another. It caught me off guard and I started laughing...then it got old. All I could think of was "For Pete sake, crown a winner and stop!!" I would definitely stay here again.
We arrived at Caribbean Beach resort on December 20th and stayed through the 23rd. After a tiring road trip I wanted to take a nap before the Very Merry Christmas Party that night. When I turned back the covers on the bed, it looked like someone had smoked in it. The bed had ashes on the sheets and a few stains. YUCK! I called Mousekeeping, and she came promptly. However, when I answered the door, she burst into the room and yelled "I CHANGED THIS BED MYSELF IT'S FINE!!) I calmly showed her the sheets. She then tore off the bedding and threw it onto our belongings. She didn't know if what we had may be fragile or not. Then after she made up the bed she said sacastically "Do you find this satisfactory?) I told her yes and with that she whipped around and left. The next day I asked her for extra towels and told her not to come into our room to clean while we were visting. I'm not giving a high rating because of the service and we were dissappointed in the food court. I thought staying in a moderate resort would be for plush and comfortable. However, next time we visit Disney we will stay in the Pop Century Resort as we have before.
I regret that I can't withdraw my previous review where I gave it a 8. I just got back from that can only be described as the resort from h^^l. We arrive at 3:30, and the room isn't ready yet... There solution is to give us a handicapped room (well I'm sorry but I don't want to sleep on the floor or have a bathroom with no door... I called and they said okay, we'll put you in another room... they said someone would be right over with the new keys to the new room... 1 hour later I call and am told the keys are on the way... 2 hours I call again and now they say Oh, I'm sorry the runner never came to pick up the keys... I end up driving back to pick them up, then go to the "new" room to find that it has a card in the room from Mickey to some family named Benson (my name isn't Benson) and find that the room smells like a smoky bar on a Friday night... I again call and explain that my daughter has breathing problems and can't sleep in a smoked up room... Their solution was to send some over with a can of air freshner to cover up the smell of smoke with fake floral scent... Again I ask for a new room.. I finally get one that is reasonable at 7:30... Their solution for wasting 4 hours of my trip that I would normally bill to a client for 1250 /hour... they knock 25 dollars off the bill... Now, don't think it got any better from this point on... it seems when I dialed the front desk I wasn't actually getting anyone at the hotel I was getting a calling center somewhere else... I know this because when I called at 2 in the morning to ask where I could find some antacid they told me to go to the front desk.... when I go there they explain they have nothing and that It would be faster for me to just drive to a all night gas station myself... So if you want a hotel where you will never be able to speak to anyone that actually works there by phone (a call center in India I guess) then by all means pick this dump.
This was my second time staying at this resort, and I've got to say, WOW, it's gone way down hill! My mom and son and I arrived at WDW a day earlier than expected and stayed at the All Star Movies...by the end of the week, we were wishing that we'd stayed there! First, our luggage got lost between the two hotels (we were told that we're not allowed to take luggage on the Disney buses,,,understandable, but then they need to have a better system of getting bags from one resort to the other), then when we finally got to our room, it was pretty dirty, with a big stain of something on the floor. Then I went to put some water in the fridge and found that whoever had been in our room before had left a sandwich and salad of some kind in the fridge..couldn't tell what kind of sandwich due to all the MOULD on it!!! Then we came back from the park one day and the Mousekeeper had left an opened bag of garbage on the table...had to then throw away all of our open food...I called the desk to inform them that I wasn't really happy, she put me on hold for over 20 minutes! After that, I guess that our Mousekeeper was "spoken to" about my complaint because every day after that we arrived back at the resort and our room hadn't been done...looked like she just "forgot" about our room for the rest of the stay...and on the last day, when we were waiting for the Magical Express bus to take us back to the airport with my 4 year old son sitting on the bench with me, a couple of cast members from the bell services standing talking about her "a%$**($" of an ex husband who was taking her to court to try and get her kids taken away from her....not such appropriate comments for a 4 year old to overhear! I will NEVER NEVER stay at this resort again...being Disney, I'm sure it can do much better! Luckily this wasn't my first trip to WDW and I've had other great experiences to offset this one!
If you get good weather, this is very tropical, beautiful, and vibrant. Dull weather and it looks like a Ft. Lauderdale condo development. The staff is particularly friendly here and organizes great kid activities. Martinique is centrally-located and has the best facilities. It is worth the cost upping. The many pools are all clean and adequate, though the main pool is by far the best. The food court is very troublesome. This is one of the largest Disney resorts but has one of the smallest food courts. Expect to wait at least 20 minutes for meals during the regular season and upwards of 45 in the peaks. However, where else in Disney can you wear your bikini and go barefoot to get your soda refill? Bang for you buck like all the moderates. The marina activities - I reccommend paddleboats but broke a foot with the surrey bikes - can be expensive, but some are cheap and good on resort days. Carribbean Beach is a fantastic choice if you plan on spending more than one day at your resort as there is always something to do from getting a weave or fake tattoo to having a picnic out on Cayman Isle.
Excellent resort. We went 5/28-6/4/2007. We stayed at Barbados. We chose the bottom floor since there were no elevators. the kids loved th pool. Resort did not seem as large as I had been told. Our room was a 1 min walk to bus stop. Barbados stop was the last on route so we had little time waiting to get to parks, but a longer drive back from the parks. Would definetly stay here again.
Stayed in Building 25 near food court and main pool (worth the extra money if you have kids) my 7 y/o son loved the pool. only reason we are not staying ther in feb 08 is the main pool will be closed, so we are going to stay at a delux. but after that will go back. if you stay in anything other than a perfered room you are far from rest, main pool and food court , but they have a bus to bring you around the complex. room was a good size.
We stayed at Caribbean Beach the week of 6/18/07. It was great. Check in ran smoothly, the staff was super friendly and prompt and my room was very clean. We have absolutely no complaints-ok maybe one. We checked in at 6/19 @ 12:15 am so check in was a breeze. Only a few customers were there with us. Our luggage was already in the room for us. We had a ride to our room from the front desk within 10 minutes. The woman who checked us in was very friendly and imformative. She gave us a packet with information about all the parks and dinning. She even took the time to explain them to us in detail! Our room was clean. I am very particular and I always look for cleanliness in a Hotel. This place sure has it! The bathroom was spotless and the room smelled clean. Everyday, the maid came and cleaned our room and gave us new towel animals, some with pens. We always had clean towels and she emptied our trash and replenished anything we used up. She even organized our toiletries we had lying around. She sure deserved a nice tip! Dining was a blast. The food was great in the food court. It was a lot better than I expected. There were some good options to choose from. My personal favorite was the pizza! Shutters restaraunt had great food. Give them a try. Remember to make reservations at Disney or it will be a very long time before you are seated. There are busses that run every 10-15 minutes to take you to anywhere in the park. My only quarrel was that we waited almost 45 minutes for a bus to take us to Typhoon Lagoon and Downtown Disney. It seemed like everyone else was happy and got to where they needed to go quickly. (Seems we have bad luck!) I am kind of impatient so next time we will rent a car. The resort was beautiful and looked so tropical. It was definately Caribbean Island Style. We stayed at Aruba! The grounds were clean, the plant life was lush and well kept. We almost imagined we were in the caribbean. It is so beautiful. Plaintains growing on trees, palm trees, mini lizards (not sure of their exact name, but they can be seen running around), all kinds of plantlife. Although we were at a big resort, we found places to be alone in the most beautiful areas. We can't wait to come back. Disney was a blast. Caribbean beach sure lives up to it's name. We will stay here again. We are already planning our Disney trip for 2008!
My family just stayed at Caribbean Beach last month, and for the most part, we were very happy with our stay. We had a first floor corner room in the Barbados section that was very clean and well located. We had wanted to be close to the parking lot since we had a rental car and drove everywhere and they were able to accomodate our unusual request. :) We have stayed here before and knew how big the resort was, so we would alternate walking or driving to Old Port Royale depending on how tired we were or how bad the weather was. It definitely helps to have a car, but it was nice that they offered an internal resort bus as an option too. Our only drawback was that we had booked a room with a king bed and were traveling with an infant who had been inadvertently left off the reservation. When we got to our room, we discovered that it was a disabled-accessible room that came only with a shower. The resort was full so we weren't able to change to another room so we made due, but it is definitely difficult to bathe a 1yr old without a bathtub. I've read many negative reviews of CB lately with complaints of dirty rooms, torn carpeting and bedding, but our room was in perfect condition. We didn't really notice much of anything our of place except for a few more cigarette butts around the trash cans and in some of the courtyard areas since we were there right after the new non-smoking policy went into effect. We still love this resort and it definitely provided features that entertained our toddler when we weren't in the parks. We'll definitely go back to Caribbean Beach on a future trip!
Just got back from the Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR) and was quite happy with my stay. This is the second time in the last six months I have stayed at this resort and both times was pleasantly surprised. It has a lot positive attributes that make it worth the moderate price. The room is quite spacious, bigger than values and bigger than most moderates. (Get a corner room, they have more widows and one less neighbor). The bathtubs have been updated with new walls in the last year or so, which was nice. The foodcourt was adequate and served our purposes just fine. Don't expect anything to fancy or unique just your standard food court. Many people complain about the food quality but I thought the food was fine. Another common complaint has been the cleaniness of the rooms. Both times our room was clean. Sure it could be cleaner but most people will find the room to be clean. The bus system was actually better than expected, we really didn't wait very long for a bus. However, having a car at this resort is a plus. The only complaint I had was with bell services. Both trips I had problems getting help with my bags. For example, the first trip it took more than three hours to get one piece of luggage to my room. This was a transfer from Riverside not magical express. All transfers are done before 3:00pm so there was no reason for the delay. So be sure to pick up your bags when you check-in rather than having them deliver it to your room. On the second trip after I checked-in I walked outside to have someone bring me to my room and they said they had nobody available and I would have to wait. They also informed me that luggage was not allowed on the internal shuttle. So I had to walk with my bag in one hand and my son in the stroller with the other hand in the Hot florida afternoon sun. Of course I was in Trinidad south which is the farthest possible building away from the customs house. The morning I was leaving I called at 8:00am to have someone bring me and my bag to the Magical Express station at 10:30am. I was told that they had nobody available to 11:30am. So I had to walk again back to the customs house with my luggage and kid. I packed deodorant in my backpack and stopped at the foodcourt to "freshen up" because I was sweating so bad. By the way I am not overweight, it was just that humid. So my advice would be to plan for this and call the night before you leave to have someone pick you up. The first trip I had a car it was definitely worth the extra money, especially at this very large resort. The best aspect of this resort is the beaches. They have a playground and have beautiful thick white sand. Actually the beaches here are just as nice as the ones at the Polynesian. My son loved the beach and for half the price of a deluxe it is a great option for those on a budget. The landscaping is very nice as well. I would recommend this hotel for those who want a little nicer environment and bigger room than a value, but don't feel like shelling out the big bucks for a Deluxe. I will definitely go back to this hotel.
It can be overpriced if you pay full rates but if you get a discounted rate it isn't too bad a deal. The pool is better than an offsite pool with enough to keep the kids happy. The rooms are adequate, the only complaint is no microwaves and the possibility of being a long long way from the main area.
My family and I have stayed at this resort for 11 times now, and going back for our 12th visit on March 13th 2007. We love the theme, the music of the islands...the food court is a great place to grab a quick bite. The rooms are excellent, always clean. Mousekeeping is always at your fingertips, anytime we needed somethings "extra" we called and within minutes they were at the door with whatever it was we needed, and they never excepted tips. We always stay at a preferred location room to be close to the food court and main pool and bar. The bus stops are spread out nicely throughout the resort. We all love it and cant wait to go back!
This was our step-up resort from the All-Stars. a supposedly moderate resort. From the time we checked in I was really disappointed. We went as a couple and for weeks ahead we tried to define where we wanted to be situated & what type of room we had. They failed us on all counts. The real back-breaker were the beds. As a couple I didnt expect us to have to sleep in separate beds! 2000 rooms and only ones with King sized beds were ones you had to upgrade to? Come on you\'re taking the mickey! At this point the All Stars offers more than the Caribbean beach. When you complain to the staff you get a \"sorry...\" with no alternatives given to you and a shrug of the shoulders. Pathetic! Unfortunately for Disney I cannot recommend this resort to anyone unless you fancy having a sleepless night, cramped in a small double bed...or pay £140 to upgrade to a King size...which you don\'t have to do in the All Stars. The pool is smaller than the photo\'s of it make out, the bar area at the All Stars is better, the food court is MUCH better!, the staff aren\'t as helpful as the ALL Stars. Can you tell how disappointed we were??! I couldn\'t go back here and I couldnt recommend it. So sorry...we were really looking forward to it ALOT...but it disappointed in all aspects. This IS a moderate resort as far as cost goes...but in standards of service, help, comfort...it fails in all counts and is not as good as the All Stars. I am from the UK and Disney has to understand we pay alot to come here and enjoy ourselves. The expectation is high and to be let down so badly was terrible. Thank god for the staff at the parks, the rides, the overall atmosphere...we will come back but guess where I\'ll go??? Not here.
I was very disappointed with the choice of food in the food court for breakfast. The bread was thin and flabby. There was only one yogurt on offer. I tried to buy some cheese to make a sandwich. None was available in the delli, which is where you might expect to find cheese!!. The only cheese to be had was in the hamburger court and it was processed and sad looking. Even the assistant couldn\'t recommend it. This facility needs to be upgraded. Food quality, choice and price needs to be improved significantly. I would not stay at this resort again.
This is generally a good moderate resort. The building exteriors and landscaping are generally well done. The lake is beautiful, though none of it really felt like a beach. My only complaint with the exteriors are that the garden areas between the building aren't particularly well maintained -- I was glad to have gotten my lake view. I didn't particularly care for the interior decoration. The patterns were a little too primary and loud for me. It seems like Disney always has a hard time with subtlety. However, I had no problems with housekeeping and facilities. I stayed there just before their most recent rennovation, and one tiny 2 inch corner of wallpaper in the bathroom was peeling. I happened to mention this to housekeeping in passing one day, and when I returned to the room it was fixed. During the summer months there's usually a calypso/reggae band that plays near the main pool at night. I didn't really care for this as the sound carries across the lake. I've read complaints about the CBR bus system. However, I found it to be efficient. Having to drive to several bus stops within the resort didn't add more than 10 minutes to each trip, and I can only recall once where people had to wait for a 2nd bus because the 1st one was too full.
My family and I have stayed here twice. The rooms have been always well kept and good sized. I have stayed at other on site resorts and it seems that there is just more busses runing at this one (It must be because of its size). I would recommend getting on the buses on the Old Port Royal side of the lake since they seem to fill up quick and they stop there first. The resort has always been quiet, it seems like we were the only ones there. The only thing that is a pain is the walking at times, but it is not 1/10th the walking that you do at the parks. I will continue to go to this resort when I return.
I have visited CBR twice now. Once in May of 2003 and May of 2004. I have loved this resort. True the building designs and room layout is in the style of an average motel but the grounds are beautiful. When you go to check-in be prepared to stand in line! There are few places in the lobby area to sit down. It took about 45 minutes both times for us to get checked in. If you didn’t rent a car then definitely use the baggage service. The walk to some of the rooms is extremely long. The rooms were clean and comfortable. You can find pictures of the rooms on Disney's website. My girlfriend and I took time out to walk the paths next to the lakes. I recommend this walk just before sunset. You can grab a seat on one of the many benches and watch the sunset in peace. At one point we had a mother duck with about 6 chicks stroll by. The bus stops are easily accessible and we have rarely had to wait more than 15 minutes for a bus. The main pool looked great but a little small. Every time I walked by the pool for a meal it was loaded down with people. Depending on which village you are in (Barbados, Martinique, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad North, and Trinidad South.) you could be walking up to ½ mile to get to Old Port Royale where the food court is. I have not had a bad experience at CBR and will be staying at CBR again 1/8/05 – 1/11/05 and 4/30/05 – 5/7/05.
I found the Carribean Beach resort to be a nice place to stay for the value. The rooms are decent size and the theming is very good. I especially enjoy the carribean music that plays as you walk along the grounds. My favorite part of the resort is the food court. There are many options and the theming is fantastic.
My girlfriend and I went to the Caribbean Beach to celebrate our college graduation and first vacation together. We loved many aspects of our room (quaint little storage shelves beneath the sink, the fact that the two sinks were located outside the bathroom, another themed shelf and upholstered storage bin left plenty of place to store our clothing and then GIFTS!). Our king-size bed was comfortable and clean. The a/c worked well and kept us cool on those steamy August nights. We were very pleased with the room, except one day housekeeping forgot to come and we called at night to no avail. Other than that night, our rooms were meticulously kept with cute details. Although I made reservations for a king-size bed w/ our travel agent, that didn't go through. But the check-in CM didn't make me feel uncomfortable about requesting a king-size bed for two women. My point is that they were fairly gay-friendly. Noone wants to go on vacation and feel unwelcome or as if they're being glared at...and luckily we DIDN'T experience this while at the Caribbean Beach (although our housekeeping lady must have been a little confused when there were two sets of ladies' bathing suits, dresses, and lingerie in different sizes). :o) It really was great to have stayed there, (we stayed at Trinidad North-close to Old Port Royale). The landscaping left a bit to be desired, but other than that it was fantastic. We loved the pool, very quiet and relaxing. Transportation by bus was prompt except for our last day right before our flight--delays because the rain was so awful since a hurricane was coming in about 2 days, we almost missed our flight (nice timing I know). The Ultimate Park Hopper passes Disney guests can get for the length of stay are God's gift to Disney-lovers! Hope you have a great time like we did!
I feel bad writing this review, but we had a horrible experience at Disney’s Caribbean Resort on our honeymoon. That first night we killed a roach in the bathroom. Not the best way to set the mood for the honeymoon. As in a motel, the rooms open to the outside. This is all right, but in our case the rubber seal under the door was missing. When we woke up in the morning, several bugs had crawled into the room. My wife and I both wear glasses. I did not see the bugs, and did not know they were there until I stepped on them with my bear feet. Florida has some big ugly bugs. We were on the ground floor which undoubtedly made the situation worse. Before we left, I swept some bugs out the door. Made sure there were not any living ones running around. Made sure all our clothes were secure within our suitcase. However, there were still a few dead ones that I just left. I expected housekeeping to vacuum them up. When we got back, the bed had been made, but the dead bugs were still lying on the floor. They didn’t even vacuum the dead bugs up. I assumed they would vacuum the room regardless. In about three or four places there were these little lumps under the mattress. In the morning my wife woke with a few bites on her legs. I thought they were mosquito bites from the park. In hindsight, the bites were probably from bed bugs. The box spring on the bed was completely busted. You notice this on a honeymoon. The air-conditioner emitted a strong mildew or mold smell. I woke up in the morning with a painful sinus headache. In situations like this, a caring staff goes a long way. Even with everything that occurred, I felt that the staff just didn’t give a ***n. We had to spend two nights in the bug room because everything was booked. The second night we jammed a large towel under the door to keep anything from crawling in. You shouldn’t have to do something like that at a resort. That is the sort of thing you do in the third world. This experience occurred six years ago. The resort may be in better shape now. At the time, Disney was in the process of renovating the building next to ours. There was a large dumpster between the two buildings. It was filled with beds, furniture and carpeting. Of course the dumpster didn’t exactly help with the overall atmosphere. Personally, I think our building was due to be worked on next, and that's why they let it deteriorate to the condition that it had. They were probably going to gut it in a few days. We were just unlucky enough to be the last ones to stay there. When we got back I wrote a few letters of complaint. They e-mailed an offer for a ten percent discount on our next Disney vacation. It had to be at the Caribbean, within a time period and could not be combined with any other promotions or discounts. I just ignored the offer. The gesture seemed pretty feeble. You couldn’t pay me to stay there again. I'm writing the review now because we are going back to Disney for the first time. My parents and my sister’s family talked us into joining them. Obviously, I still have some pretty strong emotions related to our honeymoon experience. When I think back on what happened, I still get aggravated. However, it is not just the events. My wife and I are both shy, even more so then. I’m also upset with myself for not raising the roof off that place. I should have found the person in charge, drug their **s into that room, and literally rubbed their nose in those bugs. Even if the placed was booked, I should have forced them to find something for us that second night. To anyone who may read this, spend the extra money and stay somewhere better. Stay off-site if you have to.
We stayed here for our Honeymoon a few years back. The service at this hotel was unbelievable, everytime we got back to our rooms our wash cloths where in the shape of a differnet animal... swans... you name it. How's that for fancy. We stayed in Jamacia which was the furthest building from the main building. Felt like we walked forever. Being a huge Disney fan, I think that it lacked Disney themeing. The gift shop was really the only reminder that you where at a Disney resort. Some guest might love this but for us and other families wanting to get smothered in Disney, it lacked.
we love staying here! my sister loves feeding the birds and ducks, and I love going to the main pool with the fun shopping. it is quiet here too!
As you can see from my ratings...my wife and I found this resort to be very excellent in every aspect possible. This is the best resort for honeymooners, or just for people looking for a intimate/quiet place to relax. WARNING...this place is so intimate and relaxing that if you are not careful, you may come home with more than just the "little souvenirs" that you bought from the gift shops! :-)
Excellent resort but the size of this resort cannot be given or expressed through one of those maps. Its a 5 minute walk to anythign WITHIN the resort, like the food court or the bus stop. That and sitting through bus stop after bus stop got old after day 4. On the Plus side, it was very quiet, except for the odd fire engine from RCFD, right down the street. Overall an great experience but a lil too big for me.
My pregnant wife, 3yo, and I loved this resort. We were in Jamaica and our only complaint was the long walk to the theme pool and food court. The buses ran on time and were very prompt. We never had a problem with our room. Everything was clean. Our 3yo loved the theme pool and the kiddie pool as well as the beachfront in Jamaica. Overall we loved this resort and would stay there again....but will probably try a few others.
I've stayed @ the Caribbean Beach Resort @ least 10 times...probably more. It's one of the most intimate resorts @ WDW, and the theming is beautiful. It is also a place that hasn't lost against the stronghold of commericialism that I've noticed w/ many of the other hotels and attractions there in the past few years. Definitely a resort I'd recommend to anyone and will be taking family there for as long as it stands. Just remember to ask for the Martinique or Trinidad North, so you'll be close to the Port Royale!
We have stayed at this resort two years in a row now and always have a great time. This last time we stayed at the Trinidad North complex which was right next to Old Port Royale (the central hub) and it was so nice to just hop next door whenever you wanted to get some food, or pick up your shopping from the parks, or even just to get a soda with the refillable mugs. I loved the theme of the resort, each complex is like a different tropical island and the colors are very fun. It was very nice to walk around the bay and even have fun on the mini-beaches they have surrounding it. Each complex has their own pool but there is also a larger one at Old Port Royale that is more for kids. The only complaint I have is that I wish each pool had a hot tub, but you can't win them all!
My family and I have stayed with Caribbean Beach for 12 separate vacations, sometimes getting as much as 7 rooms for "gatherings." It is a beautifully themed tropical retreat for the body, senses, and mind. It is a real fun place to stay because there is so much to do, from fitness activities, to boating, volleyball, biking, and playing. The promenade around the lake is beautiful and great for working out, and really submerses one into the lush theme. It is conveniently located for short bus rides, and you don't feel separated at this moderate like some of the others--Illuminations can be seen for the most part, as well as SpaceShip Earth from most points of the Resort. You feel very connected, yet so far away from everything else. The Resort is very large too, yet that is a turn on for us as we love to explore and get caught in the mood/theme. We stayed once at Dixie Landings and Walt Disney World DOLPHIN, and they were just not the same. They miss the color and the vibrance that only Caribbean Beach has. (They were both nice, however.) And after CBR full scale renovations, the Resort is better than it has ever been, with new room furnishings, a new foodcourt, new plants/theming, and a "privacy curtain" within the room that helps with early morning shower/cahnging schedules. The new stuff is great. The best island to stay at is ARUBA, you over look the marina and all the color that is Old Port Royale. It is also more quiet on the opposite side of the lake, and you get to walk over the awesome double wooden bridges and traverse through Parrot Cay Island, one of the prettiest areas, especially at night with the mood lighting and exotic sights and sounds. The flora and fauna here are great. Caribbean Beach is a top notch facility so be happy that you are staying there! B/c I'm jealous...
I'm pleased with this resort. Rooms are large. Walking distance from Trinidad North, Martinique, and Barbados is very short and a quick trip. The food court has above average food. The pizza is very good as well. The resort is fairly quiet. Bus transportation was good for the size of the resort. One thing that is a negative in my view is that the sidewalks are winding. I had to go out of the way to get to where I wanted to go unless I wanted to go through the brush. Most of the brush needs trimming because it is starting to creep into the sidewalks.
It's not a perfect resort, but It has alot to offer. The theme is great and the food court has alot to offer. The only down fall is that you have to get a room close or a could be a five mile hike for food and shopping.
The beach area helps create the Carribbean atmosphere that is somewhat dormant throughout the resort. I discovered the Disney Transit to be quite reliable and timley considering the monstrosity of the resort. I urge visitors to take full advantage of the food at the Old Port Royale due to acceptable quality at marginal prices.
Great Resort. The Food Court was okay and the Gift Shop was full of Disney Gifts.
I loved this hotel! Most likely just because it was designed and created by Disney! Anything done by Disney is WONDERFUL!
Great resort for families of 4 or less. The marina is great as is the swimming pool. The food court provides plenty of choices for everybody. The resort is big, which sometimes is a problem when it comes to busing.
Love this place!! Nice CM and nice surroundings!! The place is HUGE!!
The Caribbean Beach Resort, is placed right next to epcot, and Epcots famous "Geosphere" can be seen from certain points in the resort. The Caribbean Beach is split into seperate "islands" , all situated around a lake (although they are not actually islands). The island I stayed on was one called "Martinique". Each island has its own swimming pool, nothing special, just a basic pool (but there is a main swimming pool in the complex, with excellent themeing and a slide). Because of the main pool, the seperate pools tend to be quite quiet, and are ideal for a leisurely swim. The service is excellent, with the room maids doing an excellent job, and the staff are very friendly, and are happy to assist. The facilites are superb, with boats available to hire , on the resorts own lake. There is a central food court in the hotel, where a wide range of food is available, and if you purchase a special mug from the resrts shop, the unlimited refills are available to you from the food court, for your entire stay. The rooms are very spacious, and offer amenities such as a minibar, safe, and hairdryer. The Caribbean Beach is a superb hotel, and I would recommend it to anyone.