Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World is a moderate resort. Select rooms feature a pirate theme that your family is sure to love (costs extra). This resort has a Caribbean theme with 6 villages of resort rooms named after islands in the Caribbean that surround the 45-acre Barefoot Bay Lake. Each village has its own pool and there is a bus that runs between the villages.
Price: $230-$388
Room size: 340 square feet (the largest of all the moderate rooms)
Sleeps: Up to 4 adults plus one child under 3 in a crib in either 2 queen size beds or a few rooms have kings. Additional adult fee is $15 per night per adult (first 2 adults are free)
Room count: 2,112 in 33 colorful 2-story buildings on a lake; select rooms have a pirate theme.
Room Features: 2 queen size beds, two sinks outside the bathroom, armoire with fridge, wall safe, coffee maker, iron and ironing board
Connecting rooms are available.
Room Categories: Standard View, Water View, King Bed, Preferred Room, Pirate Room (Standard View) and Pirate Room (Water View)
Disney pirate rooms are located in the Trinidad South area (the furthest building from Old Port Royale) of the resort. It features 2 beds that look like pirate ships, crates for dressers and even a navigation table. Expect to pay about $25 more per night for this room.
Items to request: Pack ‘n’ Play, bed rails and bed boards are free to request. A roll away bed can be reserved for an extra fee.
Villages: Barbados, Martinique, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad North and Trinidad South. Each village has 6 buildings (except Trinidad North that has 3 buildings) and each building contains 64 guest rooms. There are no elevators in any of the buildings. If you can’t climb the stairs, make sure you request a first floor room.
Preferred Building: Trinidad North or Martinique are close to Old Port Royale
Old Port Royale (also called Centertown): home to Sebastian’s Bistro, Cedertown Market and Banana Cabana. You can also visit the Calypso Trading Post and Straw Market shops, Lobby Concierge, Goombay Games arcade and is located next to the main pool that has a Spanish fort theme.
Calypso Trading Post carries resort specific items, popular Disney souvenirs, sundries, health and beauty items, snacks and more.
Custom House: Home to the front desk, check-in, Bell Services and Lobby Concierge. Guests typically only need to visit the Custom House at check-in and for the Airline Check-In and Magical Express.
Food options: Centertown Market is open from 6 am to midnight. Limited room service from 4 pm to 11:30 pm. Spyglass Grill is located next to the Old Port Royale pool. Or try, Sebastian’s Bistro.
Calypso Straw Market at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is located in Old Port Royale Centertown. Expect to find souvenirs, Disney Plush, Bathing suits, as well as a small food and beverage selection and first aid items. This location also sells Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort merchandise and clothing.
Pools: Old Port Royale is a pirate themed main pool that features 2 slides and water cannons. It also has an adjacent kiddie pool and whirlpool. You can pick up towels by the pool.
Also each of the 6 villages have their own pool. These pools are rarely crowded. You will need to bring towels from your room. You can request more from housekeeping.
Activities: Movie at the pool (select nights); Pool party at 3 pm; Poolside Activities from 1-6 pm; Campfire with marshmallow roast (select nights); Bike and Surrey rentals ($); Guided Fishing Excursions ($); Arcade ($); Nightly Caribbean-style dance party
There is a 1.4-mile path around Barefoot Bay that is perfect for jogging, strolling and bicycling.
There is a white sandy beach available in each village that features lounge chairs and hammocks.
Islands of the Caribbean Pirates Cruise is for kids ages 4-12. It takes place Sunday, Tuesday and Friday from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.
Playground: Located on Caribbean Cay, an island in the middle of the lake. It also has a picnic area close by.
Amenities:
24-hour front desk
atm
check-in and guest service
childcare service
complimentary wifi
daily mousekeeping
designated smoking area
dry cleaning
fridge
gift shop
hair dryers
handicap accessible rooms
ice machine
ironing boards
irons
kiddie waiting area in lobby
laundry facilities
luggage service
Magical Express
mail services
merchandise delivery and pickup
online check-in
outdoor smoking areas
resort airline check-in
safe
wake- up call service
Overnight parking is $19 per night.
Transportation: Bus only and there are 7 stops within the resort. There is also an internal bus stop that stops at all 6 villages as well as the Custom House and Old Port Royale.
Distance from parks:
- Animal Kingdom – 2 miles
- Hollywood Studios – 2 miles
- Epcot – 1 mile
- Magic Kingdom – 6 miles
When you complete the online check-in, you can choose from the following options:
- Aruba Village
- Jamaica Village
- Trinidad North Village
- Ground Floor
- Near Transportation
- Barbados Village
- Martinique Village
- Corner Room
- Second Floor
- Water View
If you have little kids, I would choose a ground floor room. The buildings at Caribbean Beach do not have elevators. I would also choose Trinidad North or Martinique as it is close to Old Port Royale Centertown.
Address: 900 Cayman Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 407-934-3400
Featured Reviews:
This review comes from my reader Sara…
We have stayed at Caribbean Beach twice. The rooms were average, we have stayed at the pirate rooms but it is not worth the extra money. There was enough room for the three of us and the beds are not too bad. The bathrooms are small but they do provide a “dressing area” by the double sinks. Our favorite thing at the resort is the main pool and the island music. My daughter loved the food the best! I also loved the hammocks on the sand! We all liked the food court. It has plenty of choices as well as a sit down restaurant but we never ate there b/c we liked the food court. Don’t forget to buy the $13 mug and you get free refills for the whole trip, saved us a lot! The resort is one of the largest if not the largest so bus stops took a while and based on where you stayed, it could be a long walk to the food court. The resort shuttles came every 20 minutes. We were usually toward the far side of the gates at every park. We plan on staying here next June b/c there is so much to do and we are bringing all 14 of us for my daughter’s 13th birthday.
This featured review comes from my reader Rachel…
When we book this trip, we had never stayed on Disney property. It just looked so beautiful! WE had honeymooned in Cancun, and it reminded me of the tropical feel that we love so much.
When we were looking online at the hotel, we say that they had just opened up the pirate rooms a month or so earlier. HOW FUN! But I was not interested in paying the extra $$ for it. However, to my surprise, upon check in, they upgraded us to a Pirate room! My boys were beyond excited to be sleeping in a pirate ship bed! This was both awesome and bitter sweet, because it meant we were the FARTHEST away from “Center Town”, which is the food court and MAIN pool. The room was typical of any moderate/value. Smaller, but enough room to squeeze in. We had 2 adults and 3 kids, 7, 4, and 12 months, We were able to put a pack in play (thank you Disney) next to the bed closest to the door. Our room was all about the pirate. Even our mini fridge was in an old “barrel” and the carpet looked like “planks” of wood. Very cute. They have a little curtain to separate the sleeping and bathroom area. It was the skeleton head from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, which was very cool, but terrified my 4 year old. So open it stayed!
This hotel is divided into 6 “islands”. Each island area has its own laundry, pool, playground and white sandy beach (no swimming, gators!). This is nice because the walk from our room to center town was 1/2 a mile, which is not a lot, but when you are toting around 3 kids, one of which is 12 months, it got exhausting to walk for some drinks. When we left to head out to center town, we had to be SURE we had everything because no one wanted to hike back. They do have an internal shuttle bus available, but in my opinion, by the time it stops at all 6 stops, I’d rather just walk. The stroll was pretty thought! We would take the path along the beaches to the food court/pool area. Very pretty. Palm trees everywhere!
Centertown was big, fun and full of life! This is where the main pool is located. There are 2 pools there! One is a pirate pool, with a pirate ship that the kids can slide down, and have water sprayed on them. This is also a zero entry pool, perfect for little ones. The other pool was huge. I believe it had 2-3 slides, some hidden waterfalls, and also zero entry.
The gift shop is quite large, spilling out into the food court area. I don’t think there is anything missing from that store!
There is also an arcade there.
The food court is pretty nice for a food court. I believe there were 5-6 bays. There is a bakery, perfect for breakfast (we used our snack credits) that had the BEST GIANT m&m cookies! : ) My boys were wide eyed at those.
They had a good variety of food. The kids meals come in little sand pails which was perfect for the beach there! M favorite was the “beef and blue” sandwich one of the bays had. It is a GIANT roast beef sammy, with caramelized onions and blue cheese! That baby was gianormous! Out of all the hotels, I believe this has the biggest and best food court. There is also a section that has a bunch of pre packed foods like fruit cups, “worms and dirt” yogurt, things like that.
The bus station was a quick trip down the stairs. Since the resort is the LARGEST with over 2000 rooms, there is a bus stop at each “island”. Great for walking distance, not so great for all the pick ups. But they were timely, and we were there at PEAK time, 4th of July! I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they play “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, there is a princess riding with us” every time my daughter walked on with her princess gown!
The most crowded were the trips home from the parks in the evening. Man, they PACK those buses FULL. However, never once did I not have a seat. Every time, some kind soul would give me their seat because I would always be holding a sleeping child. I do not know if those kind souls will ever know how much I TRULY appreciated that! After all, we were at the happiest place on earth!
I loved this resort, and would stay there again. It is not my favorite though. It is just a little TOO big with TOO much walking. It was OK for us, because we are young, but when we go with my parents, we would never stay there. Its just too much for them.
This trip was taken July 4th, 2009
You might also want to check out the Grand Floridian.
Learn more about the Walt Disney World Resorts and contact Destinations in Florida to help you book your perfect resort.
Niki says
■Why did you choose this resort? We chose this resort because it reminded us of our honeymoon in Jamaica. We were last there in May 2013.
■What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? We stayed in a pirate suite, which my then 3 year old loved! I have seen a lot of people complain about the location of these suites on the property, but it was really only a 5 minute walk to the main pool/food area and the grounds were so beautiful we didn’t mind.
■What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one? The main pool is wonderful and the pirate ship water play area for the little ones was a big hit with my son. We also loved the playground on the island. We took our son there several times during our visit, and no one was ever on it. He loved having it all to himself.
■What was the food court like? Any favorite foods? The food court was great. Lots of selections, so everyone in our party was able to eat something that they loved. We especially loved the bacon cheeseburgers and the turkey dinner with mashed potatoes.
■How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time? The resort buses were not bad. It was a bit crowded coming home from the park at the end of the day, but that is to be expected. Every village has its own stop, which is nice.
■Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
We definitely would…and we are in May 2015. I can’t wait to be back in the Carribean!
Sandy says
I chose this resort based on coworkers recommendations. As I do not have small children the walking did not bother us. I stayed with my 13 year old son.
The rooms were pretty big for the two of us. We each had a bed, but I could see if you had 4 people in the room it might be a tight fit. We did have some trouble with the blow dryer, the first day but by the time we came back from the parks on the first night the hair dryer had been replaced. We ran into some trouble with the refrigerator as well, the previous occupants turned up the fridge and froze it solid so the refrigerator went into defrost. Not something we wanted to have happen since we had ordered groceries from Garden grocer and we had milk in the fridge. Several calls and 16 hours later my milk was warm by the time they brought up a new refrigerator. They did replace what we lost due to their issue, but I wasn’t too happy.
My son loved the pools! We went in September which is really hot so a late dip in the pool was so welcome. Most of the pools were quiet (except the main pool) and while we swam I was able to do some laundry. That was so nice to be able to swim, throw a load of laundry in, and not have to sit in the laundry area waiting for it. It was right there next to the pool. A big plus for families.
The food court was really busy mid morning and dinner time. I would suggest eating early or late to avoid the lines and traffic. Our favorite was the mickey waffles. My son loved the bacon too.
We stayed in Barbados so the bus stop was pretty close to our room. The buses did take a while, it’s a big resort so there were times where we waited up to 20 minutes to get on a bus. The bus stop for CBR at the Parks was frustrating. It seemed like it took forever for the bus to come. In the evenings the buses were crazy crowded. The ride back from Magic Kingdom was typically standing room only. Not fun for those with little ones.
Over all I would stay here again, despite our issues. Disney wants you to be comfortable, so if you have a problem, speak up they are pretty good at correcting it. Yes the resort is spread out, food court is cafeteria food at best and the main pool tends to get crowded early in the evening but we had a blast. The grounds were beautiful. You should come to Disney with the expectation that you are going to walk a lot. We didn’t really spend too much of our time at the resort, after all the real fun is in the Parks.
Stacey M. says
My husband and I stayed here before we had kids when we went down for a family reunion. It looked like it had a tropical feel to it so we chose to stay here. The room was decent. The bathroom was very small. The bedspread was a little tropical but that was about it. The lock had broken on our door and we had to wait 2 hours for someone to come fix it. We couldn’t leave the room because we didn’t want anyone to come in and take our stuff. We kept calling and they kept saying that someone was on their way. I was so mad! We had plans which got ruined because we had to wait so long and 2 hours of sitting around the hotel while we were at Disney World made me and my husband very upset. Because of this we will never stay here again!
The food at the hotel was good not great. We had a rental car and I’m so glad we did because anytime we drove by the bus stop there were a TON of people waiting! We did use the laundry room at the hotel and we had to drive to it because the closest one wasn’t very close, but it was still nice to have.
Andrea Fuller says
Why did you choose this resort?
Our family had always wanted to stay on site. We were looking for a room with a little extra space to move around. (we tend to bring alot of luggage.) We wanted to use the Magical Express, since we were flying this time. We usually drive. We were going in December and I thought it would be really funny to have a “beach” vacation in the winter.
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? We are not small people and need extra room. This room was perfect for us. There was a table large enough for all 4 of us to sit and enjoy a snack or meal. There was plenty of floor space for our messy boys to spread out.
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
The boys liked the pools the best. They had finished putitng in the Pirate theme pool and even though we went in December and it was cool, they wanted to go every day.
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
The food court / restaurant was enormous. The selection was some of everything. We ate there for breakfast most mornings. The food was really good.
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
The resort buses were great! How convenient to just get on the bus and not have to “find” your car or worrying about driving. The walk from the bus stop at the resort was a little long at the end of a day, but the buses at the parks were very easy to find and usually very close to the exit.
One night we went to the movie at Ft. Wilderness, watched the light parade and the fireworks from the beach. We wanted to go see the geyser at Wilderness Lodge, So by the time that we got ready to take our bus back to the Caribbean Resort, it was 1am and the last bus was just leaving the Lodge. The bus driver saw us studying the schedule at the stop and he asked us where we were heading. Even though he was going to be off work after his last run to Downtown Disney, he offered to take us to our stop at the Resort. He was so nice in taking the extra time to help us out. The cast at Disney is always so helpful! His title may be Driver but to us that night he was our Hero.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
Yes, We would stay again in a hearbeat. I’d love to see the new pirate rooms. I’d recommend this Resort to anyone. I’m going to try to “collect” and stay at each resort in Disney.
Amy says
We chose this resort because we had budgeted enough to do a moderate resort and we let our boys (6 & 8) pick from the ones in our price range from the pictures online. They thought the Caribbean theme was very cool and I had stayed years ago and remembered liking it, so Caribbean Beach it was.
The rooms were adequately sized, the beds were comfortable and the bathroom/dressing area had plenty of room for us, though the bathroom itself is pretty small. We liked having a mini fridge in the room because it meant we could keep stuff in the room for breakfast and snacks and always have cold drinks without having to use a vending machine or the food court.
The pool area looked awesome but it wasn’t quite warm enough for swimming when we were there at the beginning of March. (We’re from Florida and have thin blood so we need heat before we get in the pool. Tons of other people were in the pool and loving it.)
The food court was big and had lots of options. The pizza my boys got was terrible so I definitely wouldn’t recommend it! My husband and I both got sandwiches that were really good. We ordered pizza in our room one night (our little one had a crash on the playground and didn’t feel like going out to dinner). It was pretty much our only option without having to walk all the way to the food court (it was far!), but I certainly would have walked if I had known how bad the delivery pizza would be. The food court pizza was not a fluke; the pizza everywhere on this resort is apparently awful.
The resort is really pretty and we enjoyed the tropical feel of everything. “Beaches” with hammocks and chairs lined the lake at the center of the resort. The playground area was really nice and the boys enjoyed it while hubby and I relaxed in a hammock at the end of a long day. The resort is VERY spread out, which for us was not a problem (except for the dinner issue mentioned above!), but may be for someone who doesn’t want to do anymore walking after a long day at the parks. We were fairly close to our bus stop which was nice at the end of the day.
The buses ran very efficiently and we didn’t mind the multiple stops around the resort. The buses used different entrances and exits depending on which park they were going to so sometimes we were one of the first stops and sometimes we were one of the last. We were really happy with the bus service.
Overall, we liked the resort. It is not the best place I’ve ever stayed, but it is far from the worst. We would definitely stay again because the positives definitely outweighed the negative.
Pamela says
We chose this resort because we like to try new places each time we stay at WDW. This was the third resort that we have stayed at on property. I thought that the pirate rooms would really appeal to my children 8 & 10 at time of stay.
The resort rooms were they big enough for our family, and the theming was acceptable, but honestly this resort is my least favorite of the three that we have stayed. (Previously had stayed at Port Orleans~French Quarter & Animal Kingdom Lodge.)
The gift shop here was smaller than at POFQ & AKL. This can be both good & bad as you are less likely to spend your souvenir money here that way, but it can make it harder to find some of the items that might be on your wish list. The sit down restaurant here, Shutter’s at Old Port Royale was a very enjoyable meal. We were able to book a table about an hour in advance while we were leaving Epcot. The food court was nice and grabbing a meal was never a problem.
If you stay in a PIRATE THEMED ROOM your stop is the LAST STOP on the bus route at the end of the day. With mostly younger families staying here at this resort, I felt that was one of the worst planning decisions that I have found on bus routes. Children are tired and cranky at the end of the day. In my opinion it would make the ride back to your resort stop much better for the other guests to drop off at this area first. My children sleep well on the bus so it wasn’t too much of an issue for us, but I did see alot of younger more tired kids having a harder time at the end of night.
I probably would not stay at this resort again, but I like to try new resorts each time & this has been my least favorite so far. I didn’t enjoy how spead out it was compared to the two previous places I had stayed & being so far from Old Port Royale where the food court & themed pool are located. I would recommend Shutters for dining again though.
Caitlin says
I chose the Caribbean Beach resort because at the time Disney was having discounts on resort rooms, so I got the moderate room at a 40% discount. We stayed July 22nd to July 28th because my sister’s sweet sixteen was the 26th. It was extremely hot but not very crowded besides the European tour groups.
The resort rooms were beautiful, there was three of us staying in one room with a connecting door to our other two friends in the other room. When you walked in the room there was a small table with chairs, an entertainment center with a flat screen tv, and two queen sized beds with a nightstand in the middle. (I think queen) There was then a vanity area which was my favorite part with a closable curtain and a shelf and safe on the right. The bathroom itself was somewhat small because the toilet and shower were right next to each other, and the sink on the other side of the door. But the shower itself was good sized. We did not get the pirates room but instead the normal décor. The resort is split up into different “islands” and we stayed in Bahamas.
This may sound silly but our favorite thing was having fresh coffee at the resort every morning! My boyfriend would walk up to the food court, which was on the other side of the beautiful lake from us, and fill up our refillable mugs in bring them back to the room while my sister and I got ready, it was the perfect start to the day! The gift shop was decent sized as well, we loved the trading pin board they had behind the desk, and my boyfriend loved playing in the arcade. Also every building has its own pool and then where the main pool is up near the food court they also had two waterslides. The lines were never that long and behind the pools were two hot tubs. Sometimes you had to wait a bit for those, but it’s always worth the wait : )
The food court was set up like a market with different stands to buy different meals. We didn’t eat here very often but the food we had was good. But I liked the buffalo chicken sandwhich best. The resort’s restaurant was right inside the food court is well. Which we didn’t get a chance to eat at, and it all followed the caribbean theme with the bright colors.
Luckily our room was right near the front of the resort, so it was farther away from the food court and gift shop but right across from the busses. The resort bus stops were always very clean and the people keeping track of the bus system were always so nice and helpful! One traded pins with us and told us all about his own pin collection. The buses were never jam packed like a value resort bus and because it is a moderate resort there were less babies and mostly older children. The gates were never that far away either.
YES! I’ve stayed at value resorts before and honestly they were a little too crowded for me. Because more people stay at the value resorts the Caribbean Beach resort is an excellent choice for not that much more money. We are already planning our next trip and considering this fantastic resort again!
Caitlin says
• Why did you choose this resort?
I chose the Caribbean Beach resort because at the time Disney was having discounts on resort rooms, so I got the moderate room at a 40% discount. We stayed July 22nd to July 28th because my sister’s sweet sixteen was the 26th. It was extremely hot but not very crowded besides the European tour groups.
• What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
The resort rooms were beautiful, there was three of us staying in one room with a connecting door to our other two friends in the other room. When you walked in the room there was a small table with chairs, an entertainment center with a flat screen tv, and two queen sized beds with a nightstand in the middle. (I think queen) There was then a vanity area which was my favorite part with a closable curtain and a shelf and safe on the right. The bathroom itself was somewhat small because the toilet and shower were right next to each other, and the sink on the other side of the door. But the shower itself was good sized. We did not get the pirates room but instead the normal décor. The resort is split up into different “islands” and we stayed in Bahamas.
• What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
This may sound silly but our favorite thing was having fresh coffee at the resort every morning! My boyfriend would walk up to the food court, which was on the other side of the beautiful lake from us, and fill up our refillable mugs in bring them back to the room while my sister and I got ready, it was the perfect start to the day! The gift shop was decent sized as well, we loved the trading pin board they had behind the desk, and my boyfriend loved playing in the arcade. Also every building has its own pool and then where the main pool is up near the food court they also had two waterslides. The lines were never that long and behind the pools were two hot tubs. Sometimes you had to wait a bit for those, but it’s always worth the wait : )
• What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
The food court was set up like a market with different stands to buy different meals. We didn’t eat here very often but the food we had was good. But I liked the buffalo chicken sandwhich best. The resort’s restaurant was right inside the food court is well. Which we didn’t get a chance to eat at, and it all followed the caribbean theme with the bright colors.
• How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
Luckily our room was right near the front of the resort, so it was farther away from the food court and gift shop but right across from the busses. The resort bus stops were always very clean and the people keeping track of the bus system were always so nice and helpful! One traded pins with us and told us all about his own pin collection. The buses were never jam packed like a value resort bus and because it is a moderate resort there were less babies and mostly older children. The gates were never that far away either.
• Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
YES! I’ve stayed at value resorts before and honestly they were a little too crowded for me. Because more people stay at the value resorts the Caribbean Beach resort is an excellent choice for not that much more money. We are already planning our next trip and considering this fantastic resort again!
Caitlin says
•Why did you choose this resort?
I chose the Caribbean Beach resort because at the time Disney was having discounts on resort rooms, so I got the moderate room at a 40% discount. We stayed July 22nd to July 28th because my sister’s sweet sixteen was the 26th. It was extremely hot but not very crowded besides the European tour groups.
•What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
The resort rooms were beautiful, there was three of us staying in one room with a connecting door to our other two friends in the other room. When you walked in the room there was a small table with chairs, an entertainment center with a flat screen tv, and two queen sized beds with a nightstand in the middle. (I think queen) There was then a vanity area which was my favorite part with a closable curtain and a shelf and safe on the right. The bathroom itself was somewhat small because the toilet and shower were right next to each other, and the sink on the other side of the door. But the shower itself was good sized. We did not get the pirates room but instead the normal décor. The resort is split up into different “islands” and we stayed in Bahamas.
•What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
This may sound silly but our favorite thing was having fresh coffee at the resort every morning! My boyfriend would walk up to the food court, which was on the other side of the beautiful lake from us, and fill up our refillable mugs in bring them back to the room while my sister and I got ready, it was the perfect start to the day! The gift shop was decent sized as well, we loved the trading pin board they had behind the desk, and my boyfriend loved playing in the arcade. Also every building has its own pool and then where the main pool is up near the food court they also had two waterslides. The lines were never that long and behind the pools were two hot tubs. Sometimes you had to wait a bit for those, but it’s always worth the wait : )
•What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
The food court was set up like a market with different stands to buy different meals. We didn’t eat here very often but the food we had was good. But I liked the buffalo chicken sandwhich best. The resort’s restaurant was right inside the food court is well. Which we didn’t get a chance to eat at, and it all followed the caribbean theme with the bright colors.
•How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
Luckily our room was right near the front of the resort, so it was farther away from the food court and gift shop but right across from the busses. The resort bus stops were always very clean and the people keeping track of the bus system were always so nice and helpful! One traded pins with us and told us all about his own pin collection. The buses were never jam packed like a value resort bus and because it is a moderate resort there were less babies and mostly older children. The gates were never that far away either.
•Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
YES! I’ve stayed at value resorts before and honestly they were a little too crowded for me. Because more people stay at the value resorts the Caribbean Beach resort is an excellent choice for not that much more money. We are already planning our next trip and considering this fantastic resort again!
Caitlin says
Why did you choose this resort?
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
Kim says
We chose the CBR because we wanted a moderate-priced room and like this theming the best. We went here twice – once as a couple before children and once with our two children.
The rooms were big enough for two adults and two small children. The first time we went we had an end room with extra windows which was nice and the second time (with children) we stayed in a Nemo themed room, which our little ones loved. Do note though, that some rooms are extremely close to the fireworks at Epcot. We did not realize how close until the first evening when it sounded like fireworks were going off in the parking lot. Neat to watch, but really prevented our little ones from falling asleep and even woke them up some nights. The fireworks are at 9 p.m., so for older children, this may be a plus.
The rooms were nice. It’s nice having a refrigerator in the room. We only used the quiet pool, but enjoyed it very much.
The food court had lots of options. At the time we visited, the chef was terrific about a family member’s food allergy – very conscientious. The Asian chicken salad was a big hit with our group. The food court could be quite a distance from some rooms though.
Buses were simply OK. Some times quick – some times slow. I think it was purely luck. We seemed to have better luck leaving for the park than coming back. Buses were usually pretty crowded.
We would stay at this resort again, but nowadays it wouldn’t be my first choice simply because it takes longer to have to take a bus everywhere.
We did have problems getting a pack and play in our room, despite a request the day we booked, plus a phone call two days before we arrived. We called the front office and made a request as soon as we arrived at 1 p.m. when it wasn’t in our room, and were shocked when we returned at 6 p.m. to see that it still wasn’t there. It took until 8 30 p.m. (way past bedtime and after finally speaking with a manager) to get there. Might have just been a bad day for staff?
Overall though, a nice family resort.
Brynna says
Why did you choose this resort?
– We chose CBR on our most recent WDW vacation because we are tried-and-true POR fans but just wanted to try something different, and CBR was our next choice.
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
-We were put in a Pirate Room (without the upgrade charge) because we had a Grand Gathering and that’s the only place they could get us all near eachother. They were plenty big (well, a hotel room is a hotel room). I’m glad it was a pirate room though because it made the resort more pleasant when we weren’t thrilled with it overall. It was right next to a bus stop which was new to us, so that was convenient with the kids and all the grandparents in our group, but the view was of the roundabout…so that part wasn’t the greatest. But beggars can’t be choosers, I guess!
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
-The pool was by far the best. The zero entry was a great plus, having little kids and babies!
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
-It felt just like a regular food court to us, nothing particularly special about it. We are used to the POR one and honestly I didn’t like this one as much except the design, making it look like walking outside along the street, that was cool! Always love having a deli sandwich option, and the ham and cheese omelettes were great breakfasts!
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
-We were right next to the bus stop so that was convenient. I was surprised that the bus rides weren’t shorter to DHS and Epcot, being so close, and was a little disappointed in that. But it was better than the consistently long rides from POR! We joked again this trip that we always seem to end up with the resort that has the very last bus stop at every location!! Busses were generally at least half full, but only once or twice did we have an overfilled one or half to wait for the next one.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
-Honestly, probably not. But had we been in more of the central area of the resort we might feel different. Being at the very end, in Trinidad South, looking at the water felt like we were just looking at a canal, which wasn’t very pleasant. I think that was the biggest turnoff, visually. And it was WAY to far to walk with tiny kiddos and elderly family members to the food court on a regular basis (but we would have to wait for what felt like forever to see the resort shuttle come around). It just didn’t feel like a “getaway” as much as POR always has.
Brynna says
Oh and I should add that we were there in early February of this year…we always travel in Jan/Feb. So if that’s any help in gauging anything. :)
Renee says
I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort for many years now. My daughters are cheerleaders so we have booked rooms with their team. The pools are nice but only some of the sections have really nice ones. The rooms are accomodating. Enough room for my family and we love the windows. We end up decorating the window with the cheerleading team colors! I love the bridge that they have over the lake! The walk to the food court isn’t too bad and can wake you up in the morning if need be :) The staff at the food court were great! My daughter really wanted a grilled cheese but it wasn’t on the menu. I politely asked and the cook at the sandwich place was more than happy to make her one! We love to get the reusable cups and refill them every time we are near the food court! We never had a problem with the buses before but the Downtown Disney buses take forever so we make sure we get to the bus stop way before we want to be there. I would never stay at another Disney resort except Caribbean Beach!
Jessica says
We JUST returned from our first disney trip with our children a week and a half ago and we stayed at the Carribean.
■Why did you choose this resort?
My husband and I had stayed at Coronado before and we wanted a little something different. When my 3 year old saw the beach on the picture he want to stay here.
■What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? The rooms were fine. Spacing was okay for out family of 4. (3 year old and 1 year old)
■What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
Our favorite amenity was the zero entry kid pool. My son and daughter loved the fact that they could be in the pool and didn’t have to be held and mom liked not having to get in to hold them. LOL
■What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
The food court had many options. It was the typical food that you would find at quick service through the parks.
■How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time? We were lucky that our bus stop was very close to our room. The longest we waited for a bus was about 20 minutes. The resort has four/five bus stops just in the resort though. It depends on what “island” you were on as to what bus stop you were (1st, 2nd, 3rd….). The buses were never really that crowded. We were even on a bus by ourselves at one point.
■Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
Yes I would stay here again.
Janelle says
Ok, I forgot to answer the questions. I got excited.
I have stayed here multiple times because it looked beachy, tropical, and relaxing. I have stayed here for various reasons. I came here several times as a child and loved and brought my kids here and they loved it too. I also spent half of my honeymoon at the Caribbean Beach.
I don’t think the rooms are as big as other hotels, maybe a tad smaller. But we don’t spend too much time in the rooms. Just sleeping and changing. And I like how the shower is seperate from the mirror and sink.
I liked the pool and the cabanna close to the pool. Riding bikes and boats is also a favorite past time. The resort offers a noce food court with many options. They have great pizza.
I love the little beaches the kids can play on and some of the kids meals come with a pail and shovel.
Each area has its own bus stop. So like other resorts, you can wait up to 15 min for a bus. And it can get quite crowded, but not any different from other hotels.
I always felt like the bus stops at the parks were kind of far, but alot of times they would stop before the bus stop and drop us off.
As I said before I love this resort. It is quiet and relaxing and has a great pool for the kids.
Janelle says
This is my favorite resort. I have probably stayed here over 10 times. I have stayed at quite a few resorts, but when we stay at the Caribbean Beach I actually feel like we are on a tropical vacation. It is spread apart, so it does help to have a room close to Old Port Royal. On my honeymoon we went to the Yacht Club for the first half and came here for the second half. The Yacht CLub had a great location, but it was so noisy, we couldn’t even sleep in. When we got to the Caribbean Beach, it was a breath of fresh air. It was so quiet. It was wonderful.
Karen says
We stayed at Caribbean Beach in July 2009. It was the first time we ever stayed on site. And I have to say, we will NEVER stay off site again! It was such an awesome experience. We weren’t far from one of the smaller pools which we used during the day. Then at night, we would walk over to the big pool for the night. The big pool is fantastic! My girls who were 4 and 2 at the time absolutly loved playing in it. Our room was very nice as well. Staff was helpful and friendly. All around awesome Disney experience and can not wait to get there in April 2012!!!!
Greg M says
My first time at the Caribbean was in April of 1989. At that time, the final villages were still being constructed. We were told by a cast member that they would all be finished by June 1st, because they were already booked. (Also still being finished was the MGM Studios, which opened a week after we left, on May 1st). I was there with my mother, her parents, and her brother’s family. We had a great time, and loved the giant cinnamon buns they had there. We actually had to bring some back with us on the way home the second time I was there, in April of 1991. We would go to the park in the morning, come back to the resort at lunch time, perhaps take a nap, and hang out around on the beach or at the pool for a while. We would then go back to a park (either the same or a different one) in the afternoon.
The next time I was there was my honeymoon, which was also my wife’s first time there. It was a very enjoyable time. From the descriptions above, it sounds like things have changed a bit as far as theming in the 15 years since I last visited CBR. The other times at WDW, I’ve stayed at Music, Animal Kingdom, Riverside, and French Quarter. I didn’t particularly care for Music, but LOVED Animal Kingdom (we had a savannah view room) and French Quarter was very good too.
Kacie says
My family and I just stayed there last week! We loved it! My husband had stayed there many times as a kid but we had never been there as a family. My girls (ages 18 months and almost 4) had a blast exploring the hotel. The playgrounds were great and the theme was carried out really well. My oldest daughter LOVED the main pool. As a matter of fact on the morning we were leaving she asked if we could just stay at the pool and not go to a park! We will for sure be staying there again!
Rhonda says
My kiddos stayed at CB with Grandmother and Aunt. They loved it! Favorite of the Moderates they say! The decor is just what we love…something tropical and fun. They spent a week there and enjoyed the playgrounds and pools especially! Eating at the food court and having pizza delivered was another treat! A little wait for the buses but nothing horrible and the benefits of buses vs paying to park are tremendous! CB is on our list for a “stay there again”! As always we are never disappointed or regret staying onsite!
Angie says
■Why did you choose this resort? Largest of the moderate resorts- we travel with my father-in-law and like to make sure we all have a little room to move around in the morning when getting ready!
■What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? They are great! As our family has grown, it’s still provided enough space for us. When you walk in, between the wall and the first bed, there is enough room to put the pack and play width-wise. Then, between the 2 double beds, there is enough room to add a fold-up cot we bring for our other daughter. That leaves enough room at the foot of the bed for everyone to pass between the entertainment unit and the beds to get to the bathroom area just fine. There is a curtain divider between the main ‘bedroom’ and the sink/vanity area so that someone could be shaving or brushing teeth and not have every other member of the group staring at them the whole time. Bathroom is okay in size- tub is a large size, and that’s great for my 2 bath-loving kiddos!
■What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one? The individual ‘villages’ have their own pools and laundry rooms, which are nice so that you don’t have to go all the way to the main building to get these amenities. Most of the rooms are truly not that far from transportation, so I don’t think there’s really a ‘bad’ location within each village, either. My favorite amenity would be the laundry being so close to our room instead of having to walk all over the place. However, my DD6’s favorite amenity is having a pool close to the room- works out great, I take her to put a load of laundry in, hit the pool, head back to swap the laundry, hit the showers, then go back to collect the laundry before bed!
■What was the food court like? Any favorite foods? Festive! We must have stopped by at just the right time this last trip- we entered around 1-2 in the afternoon and some of the Cast Members had a limbo stick out and were handing out leiis once you went under the limbo stick. I limbo’d while pushing our stroller… It was great fun, and just helps set the atmosphere that much more. The building, the colors- very fitting to what you might expect in the Caribbean. Favorite foods- I’m a pizza lover, and I love the pizza because they don’t slack on the amount of sauce they use. My 6 year old likes the kid’s chicken nugget bucket because she gets a bucket and shovel to take home with her to remember our fun all year long!
■How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time? Bus stop was clean and orderly-always. We have stayed at this resort 3 times out of 5 trips in the last 4 years. The walk to the gates of the actual parks are not horrible, very average amongst all the resorts really- I don’t think that one bus really gets closer to the gate than another, and if it does, it probably is only closer by 2-3 bus lengths- and that’s not a big deal! The buses were always clean and air conditioned (AMEN!). Walk to the bus stop was not bad- and with all of the foilage and nature to check out on the brief walk to the bus stop, you don’t notice the walk anyway!
■Would you stay at this resort again? Absolutely we would stay at this resort again! We have always enjoyed our stays here, the atmosphere, the colors, and the overall calm and relaxing setting. We would DEFINITELY go back and highly recommend this resort!
Amber says
Why did you choose this resort?
The first time we stayed there (August 2009), we actually picked it based on the recommendation from the staff member when I called to make reservations. We liked it so much that we stayed there again in February 2010.
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
Our first visit, we stayed in a regular room. It was nice, certainly big enough for my family of three and mousekeeping was great!
During our second visit, we were upgraded to a pirate themed room, which connected to my parent’s room next door. It was great and our daughter loved that she could ride pirate ships (beds) in two rooms. We LOVED the pirate themed room… the mini fridge even looked like a wooden barrel and the carpet looked like wooden planks. It was lots of fun! :)
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
We love Old Port Royal and the pools are a lot of fun. The zero entry pool was especially good for our daughter’s first visit (she was only 2), and we enjoyed the pirate show they do at the main pool.
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
We think the food court has good selections and we like most of the choices they have available. I believe there are 4 or 5 bays, plus the Table service restaurant (which we haven’t tried yet).
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
Because CBR is a larger resort, it can take some time to get to the parks due to all of the various stops around the resort… it was actually the main reason that a friend convinced us to try POFQ for our most recent trip, three weeks ago. Although we decided to go ahead and stay at French Quarter most recently, we likely won’t go back there… We prefer CBR heads and tails over French Quarter!!!
We have always been fortunate to stay close to the bus stop (just a walk around the building) to the bus stop, but because of all of the stops, it does seem to take a little longer to get to the parks. The buses don’t seem any more crowded to us than those of the other resorts.
We do like that CBR has an internal shuttle, so if you are too far away from Old Port Royale, then you can hop on the shuttle.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
YES!!! We will definitely stay at CBR again! It is a great fit for our family! :)
Heidi Lippy Sprinkle says
• Why did you choose this resort?
Caribbean Beach was chosen after a great deal of research and trial and error. I am a 20 plus visitor to the parks so I have stayed in almost every resort. I love the layout and the seclusion of CB; the shared spaces are wide open; the grounds are large enough to temper the frantic pace of a Disney vacation; the lake is just lovely to walk around day or night; no “island” is too far from the main buildings; the location allows for the needs of families with small children and books the spaces accordingly.
• What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
Each time we stayed there we found our rooms to be fabulous. How nice does the room have to be? We hadn’t planned on spending very much time in them. We were fortunate enough to draw corner rooms lakeside one time and a courtyard room another. Both locations were quiet and kid friendly. Our family, two adults, a toddle and an infant, fit into the room without any struggle or feeling of squeeze. The couple we traveled with had the adjoining room and felt the same. They were always very clean and the staff went overboard making the little ones feel at home and appreciated. Each day we’d come back to our daughters’ toys set up into a different activity and we all thought that was such a great touch. The first day out we returned to our oldest’s little friends hanging in anticipation onto the blinds just where we would see them when we came in from the park. She was so excited she grabbed them all and sat and told them what she had done that day!
• What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
The grounds are lovely and super well kept. The lake is the center point around which all of the “islands” are clustered. We woke in the morning to a refreshing walk to the main area for breakfast. One morning we even ate by the pool closest to our “island.” The food choices were super and the service was fast. I do not recall ever feeling rushed OR hampered by the staff or wait times.
• What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
We ate our breakfasts as a counter meal on the meal plan and made sure we ate well so we could stretch our dining plan. We loved the fruit and oatmeal. Every station we tried was enjoyable. One morning the eggs were dry and I went to mention it to the staff and they immediately took my plate and allowed me to jump the line and get a new plate…and they were just right this time. Love the free coffee refills with the onetime purchase cup too…
• How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
I thought that would be cumbersome because we traveled with strollers each time. But reality was they were very convenient and totally hassle free. We usually boarded at the back wider doors and the drivers were very courteous as we loaded all of our gear to and from each day. We saw the same frequency of buses for each park and never waited more than 15 minutes at a stop. I also thought the drivers very helpful as I watched many first timers ask questions of a bus not going to their destination. Though they didn’t waste much time they politely explained which bus was needed. As for the crowds, we were very seldom in big crowds because we planned our day to avoid the heavier travel times. The one time we moved parks during “rush” hour we stood comfortably until seats were available. I had no problem holding a nursing baby and a toddler as hubby carted the stroller on and off.
• Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
I would most definitely stay at Caribbean Beach again. I am not a fan of several of the higher bracket resorts and the ones I do enjoy can be visited for dinner or other activities. The resort is a beautiful relaxing destination in its self and one could spend several days just relaxing on the beach or strolling around the lake. I would recommend this resort if families have anyone with them who will NOT be spending each day in the park and want somewhere relaxing and lovely to spend their time.
Nancy says
Why did we choose this resort?
My parents booked the resort. They took our whole family (my siblings and their children) 12 of us total. We went the week after Christmas 2010. It was not as busy as I was expecting for being that week.
What were the rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
The rooms were large enough for a family of 4. We had three rooms in a rool. The rooms have double sinks separate from the shower area, so it is easier for people to get ready at the same time. There was a refrigerator in the room. The rooms were adequate for the time we spent there, which was mainly to sleep.
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
The amenities of the resort were nice. It was cooler than normal when we were there so did not use the pool until the last day of our stay. We were busy with the park so did not use the paddle boats or bikes that could be rented to go around the resort. There were playgrounds, beaches, and hammocks, and it was very beautiful, scenic, and relaxing. The food court was very nice, and we went their each morning for breakfast and most evenings before bed for a snack. It was cooler so the hot chocolate machine was popular. We usually used our snack credits for breakfast. The food court had a good selectio to pick from. There were healthy choices to pick from. We also bought the $14 mugs for free refills. We had pizza at the food court one day. Other wise the other meals were at the parks.
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
We had a short walk to the bus stop. The buses were comfortable and rides did not take very long. The waits were not usually more than 15 minutes between bueses. It was much more convenient staying on the grounds and taking the bus than staying somewhere else and having to park.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason
I would definitely stay at this resort again. It very much felt like we were in the Caribbean even though with the cool weather it didn’t feel like it.
Stay was December 2010.
Emily says
■Why did you choose this resort?
We had done All Stars Movies and wanted to upgrade to moderate hotel. We also wanted to try a pirate room for our 7 year old boy.
■What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
They were big enough for our family of us with three kids 7,4, and 1. My kids loved the pirate room.
■What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
We loved the pirate pool. We spent our last morning playing in the pools. We also enjoyed one of the smaller pools by our room late one night, had it almost all to our selves.
■What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
We didn’t eat at the food court much. Only had a pizza one night if I remember right. It was a cheap meal for our family of five and the kids ate it good.
■How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
It was a huge improvement over buses at All Stars Movies…we basically walked down the stairs and a few feet and were at the bus stop. We didn’t have to wait very long any mornings. The walk to the gates wasn’t far at all. The buses weren’t ever too crowded, we always had our double jogging stroller and didn’t have any problems having room for it.
■Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason
Yes I would love to stay at this resort again, the only reason I wouldn’t is if we go just our family of 5 again, because sadly they won’t let us stay there once our baby turns 3…which is my biggest complaint with Disney is they don’t have more options for families with more than 2 kids:(
tammyl328 says
Why did you choose this resort? we stayed here when Disney was doing their buy 4 days get 3 free, and this was the only moderate hotel we had not stayed at before.
What were the resort rooms like? the rooms were okay..nothing exciting. would have loved to stay in the pirate theme room, though
Were they big enough for your family? we were a family of four at the time and the room was fine for us. we really only were in there to sleep since there is so much to do at the hotel
Did you find them to be acceptable? they were acceptable
What were the amenities of the resort like? loved the pool and the pirate ship water area.
What was your favorite one? the pirate ship!!!
What was the food court like? my kids loved the sandbucket meal. it was perfect for the beach
Any favorite foods? only did the quick service…nothing to different from anywhere else at the parks/resorts
How were the resort buses? they were fine. just alot of stops from our area to get out of the resort to disney
What was your walk to the bus stop like? not to bad
How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? enough shade so the sun was not burning you while you waited
How far was the walk to the gates? it felt like a far walk to the gates if i remember correctly
How crowded were the buses at any given time? they were not to bad, we did go during a slower time of year
Would you stay at this resort again? no, and not because we did not love it. we now are a family of 5, and the last time we visited disney we rented a house with a pool for less than the price of 1 room per night at the CBR. We did love CBR very much though. My son was 2 when we stayed at CBR, our next trip when we rented the house was a 1 1/2 later and all he complained about was how he missed the hotel with the beach = ) it was definitely a big hit with him! out of the moderate resorts, it is my favorite. I loved the beach and how you could see the fireworks for Epcot. I would definitely recommend this hotel for anyone looking to stay on property. the only drawback is there are not any elevators, which was a pain with the stroller.
Eileen says
This is the only resort hotel I have stayed at. My sister usually books the trip, and she loves this one. I have to agree that it is pretty awesome. I love the large trees around the area that provide plenty of shade (if desired) in the wonderful Florida heat. I also really enjoyed the variety of pools available, as well as the activities that are provided on site by the wonderful disney staff. :)
The walk to the food court just to refill drinks, was a bit of a pain, but if you have enough people to take turns, than it didn’t seem to happen that often. However, the food that I’ve had there has been very good.
We have always had a car during our trips, allowing us the freedom to go when and where we want, on our schedule. However, on those occasions that no one wants to drive or battle any traffic, the bus system has been amazing. there are plenty of stops throughout the resort, with minimal wait time. Generally the buses weren’t crowded until the end of the night when the parks close. However, a little patience and the crowds do thin as Disney has mastered the art of moving people efficiently! :)
The rooms seemed to be a “typical” hotel room size. It is usually 2 adults and a pre-teen/teenager that stay. I do like that there is a separate dressing area by the double sinks. It’s also fun to return to your room at the end of the night to see how the staff have “arranged” the toys for the day.
I would definitely stay here again. Love it! In fact planning on a trip again in the fall.
adelia hall says
We just returned from our first trip to Disney. We stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort for 7 nights. We chose this resort because my hubby did not want to stay at a Value resort and we liked the looks of this resort. We did have a pirate room. When I made reservations, I was told the only rooms available were pirate-themed. This was fine with me because I liked the rooms online. When we arrived, the staff and check-in was great. Our room was smaller than I expected but I figure Disney knows you will not be spending a lot of time there. The pirate theme was very cool! Loved it! Even the shower had a pirate ship in the wall! We were in Trinidad South so we were the last stop on the bus route but that really wasn’t a big deal. We got used to it. When we wanted to go to the food court or pirate pool, we just drove over. It was quicker than waiting for a bus or walking. The food was really yummy. We ate at Shutters the first night and it was delicious! I enjoyed the variety of the Food Court. The staff was always helpful. One weird thing was we had to have 3 different mini-fridges. The first 2 didn’t work. After callong the last time the Cast member was a little short with me about making sure it was plugged in. It was! But after our nice housekeeping staff member brought us the 3rd one, we had no more problems! If\when we return to Disney, we want to stay at another resort. Caribbean was great but just want to try another place! It was the best vacation ever!
Anne says
Why did we choose this resort?
We waited too long to book our trip through Expedia, and the prices for the Animal Kingdom Lodge went up. We knew we didn’t want to stay at a value resort for our seven day vacation, and based on reviews and pictures CBR seemed nice. It had a refridgerator in-room, and fit into our vacation budget.
What were the rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
The rooms were not stellar. They were brightly decorated, but they were large enough for our family of 4. Our daughters shared a bed, and we had two sinks to help expedite getting ready in the morning. There was ample storage space for us to leave our clothing and belongings without feeling like we were crawling all over our stuff. The beds were OK, but, again, we weren’t at WDW to hang out in our room, but to enjoy the parks and the scenery.
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
The amenities of the resort were very nice. Each area had their own private pool, plus a theme pool in Center Town. There were paddle boat rentals, and bikes that could be rented to go around the resort. There were playgrounds, beaches, and hammocks, and it was very beautiful, scenic, and relaxing. Our favorite amenity was the theme pool. It was beautiful, and vibrant, and huge so even when it was crowded, there was still plenty of room to play. The food court was very nice, and we enjoyed the food. We did not enjoy our meal at the resort restaurant, Shutters, but we did enjoy the food areas in the food court. The cast members were always helpful and cheerful no matter what time of day we came in.
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
The resort buses were very nice, and air conditioned. We didn’t have to wait more than 15 minutes for the bus we needed. The bus stops are not too far from the rooms, or from Center Town, so it was never more than a 5 or 10-minute walk. From the bus to the gates, it was no further than walking from a parked car. At the end of the day, the buses were crowded. Our trips to the park, we were sometimes the only ones on the bus, but at the end of the day when everyone else is going back to the resort, it was usually standing room only, but they run the buses far more frequently at the end of the day, too, to avoid the wait.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason
I would most definitely stay at this resort again. It very much felt like we were in the Caribbean, and our kids wanted to swim in the theme pool more than going to the parks. It was nice to see Illuminations at night, and we felt safe, and truly relaxed while were there. I cannot wait to go again.
Tracy says
* Why did you choose this resort? We chose this resort for our second trip to Disney with our family mainly for the pirate room and pool theme. Our first trip catered a lot to our little princess, this time it was time to indulge our little pirate. We got one of the pirate rooms and all of us loved it! The kids thought it was great to sleep in the beds like ships, my husband and I enjoyed the other touches like dressers looking like crates and the refrigerator looking like a barrel. We also chose it because we were looking for the tropical feel while in Florida.
* What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? Our room was very comfortable for our family of 4. (Kids aged 4.5 and 6 at the time.) Mousekeeping did a nice job each day and even left some towel animals to surprise us! Due to being in the pirate themed room, we were the building farthest away from the main pool and food court, but we enjoyed the stroll along the lake to get there. The kids loved looking for those little lizards along the way and it was always a very peaceful walk.
* What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one? We enjoyed the main pool and kiddie pool immensely. It was probably our favorite part of the resort. The kids loved the slides, dumping water bucket and zero entry, while we loved the overall appearance and supply of life jackets that were at the main pool. The beaches at each island were fun and the kids enjoyed playing on the playground closest to our room. We also liked having a smaller quiet pool at each island. We would hop right in there when we were too tired to walk to the main pool. There are no life jackets at these pools but we were able to enjoy it nonetheless.
* What was the food court like? Any favorite foods? The food court was very nice and we found the meals to be fairly large portion wise and never left hungry. The kids meals in the sand buckets were a fun touch. One night while we were eating, the staff entertained us with some dancing and island music. It was a fun place to eat! I will tell you that we are not the most adventurous eaters in our family, so we didn’t venture too far out of our comfort zone. Nobody starved though, so picky eaters will find something they will eat!
* How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time? We thought the bus service was very good on our trip. We were there during a less crowded time of year, but never waited long for a bus and always found a seat. Our room was fairly close to a stop and we liked that the stops were covered and provided some shade in the heat of the day. I didn’t think the walk from the bus stop to the gates was unreasonable at any park.
* Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason. We would love to stay at the CBR again! We are staying elsewhere on our next trip, but not because we didn’t love it, but we feel like there are so many options to try that we should try them all. (Might take us a really long time to accomplish that though!)
Kelli says
Why did you choose this resort?
We were on our honeymoon and we were headed on a Disney cruise after the park. The Caribbean theming went along with the cruise and it was a nice property without being overly expensive.
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
I thought our room was very nice, and plenty big for just the two of us. It was kept very clean by housekeeping. The balcony of our outdoor cooridor faced the lagoon between the property and ECPOT, so we could step outside and see the fireworks at night.
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
We mostly ate at the resort for breakfast at Shutters. I love a proper breakfast and the bacon, eggs, and pancakes did not disappoint!
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
We had a bus stop fairly close to our room and we seemed to get closer to the gates when dropped off, at least compared to my previous stay at All-Star Sports. When we were picked up from the Orlando Airport, many resorts had long lines for buses, but we walked right up to the Caribbean Beach bus and were on our way!
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
I would definitely stay there again. It’s not super fancy, but it was a very clean and comfortable stay. I think the bus situation was much better than staying at the value resorts. Also, the front desk staff was very helpful, as a friend of mine (an Orlando native) dropped off a wedding gift for us and they had it delivered to our room promptly.
Hilary says
■Why did you choose this resort?
We wanted a a moderate-level resort, and we loved the Caribbean theme. My husband and I were married in Jamaica, so the steel drums and swaying palms made us happy.
■What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
The rooms were a really great size. I think that the rooms, decor, and placement were pretty comparable to a Holiday Inn with external corridors. The room was clean, open, and really nice. I think that the price was acceptable for the room.
■What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
Every morning, we walked across the cay to the main house. That lovely morning walk energized us, and we saw beautiful flowers and birds on our way to breakfast.
■What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
We usually only ate breakfast here – our other meals were in the parks or at Deluxe resorts. The food court was clean, open, and well-stocked. The food was pretty tasty, honestly. I think it was fairly priced, always served hot, and the cooks were really nice. My daughter and I got hooked on the Mickey Waffles. In fact, when Maddie counts down to our next trip, it’s always “how many days till Mickey Waffles, mommy?”
■How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
This is my biggest – if only – complaint about this resort. Because of its size, buses were often full. And also, there were times where we’d wait and wait and wait for the bus we needed. Compared to a deluxe resort, this is where the biggest difference was to me – the travel time. Easily, it was an hour each way to any one of the parks.
■Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
Absolutely! However, if I do stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort, I will certainly rent a car. It would reduce travel time between parks considerably.
Laurie Freeman says
My husband and I stayed at the Carribean Beach in October for the first time and absolutely loved it. We had a large room with a king sized bed. It was very quiet and clean. Our bus stop was very close to our room and the main building with the food court was just one building over. The food at the food court was good. The grounds were beautiful. We loved the hammocks and enjoyed walking around together. The pools were very nice. We would definately stay there again. It was worth splurging the extra money and staying there.
Katie B says
We stayed at this resort in August 2009. We stayed in a pirate theme room and had a connecting room with my in-laws. The rooms were a decent size. Bigger than Pop Century, the only value resort we have stayed in. The rooms come with a small refigerator which was nice for breakfast and water bottles. My kids loved the pool. My 2 youngest kids were 6 and 4. They loved the play area for younger kids. The area had small slides and fountains. Lots of things to play with. The resort is very large. We had a long walk to the pool and dining area. There are buses that stop at each island, so our walk to the bus wasn’t too bad. We went in August so the buses were crowded. We would stay at Caribbean Beach Resort again. We prefer smaller resorts such as Port Orleans French Quater though.
Melissa says
We chose this resort when I was pregnant with my first ( and only) child in Dec 08.
It looked so relaxing, yet exciting online. We want to try to stay at each resort at some point in our lives
For 2 adults, the rooms were perfect! We had a king size bed and plenty of room for both of us and all of our belongings! The rooms were very clean and mouse keeping did a wonderful job of keeping the room looking wonderful
Although this resort is a little bigger than some others,it does offer an internal bus if you so desire. I loved the pool and food court area.
The music always had me in a cheery mood and the friendly faces made me feel like I was truly at the happiest place on earth.
The food court had more selections than some other moderates and the prices were decent. I do think I may have gotten a mild case of food poisoning from a BLT I ate from the food court. The CM’s were so kind and generously added 2 extra meals to our dining plan and also gave us some free snacks!
The buses were frequent and although we were at one of the last stops, we always managed to squeeze on. We were fairly close to the bus stop so getting there was easy. The bus stops were well kept and spacious enough to accommodate plenty of people. I felt it was easy to get from the bus to the parks and the gates were never too far to walk, being that I was pregnant, I never felt like the walk was not doable.
The buses would tend to be a little more crowded early in the morning and in the evening, however given the size of the resort there was always another bus very close behind!
I would absolutely stay at this resort again! I can’t wait for my 2 yr old to enjoy the pool there. The grounds are beautiful and the music still rings in my ears!
Michelle says
Why did you choose this resort?
We visited during spring break 2011, myself and 2 boys 12 and 16. We chose this resort because of the price and the closeness to the parks and bus system.
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
My boys are a little older and so we decided to choose regular rooms instead of paying the extra money for the pirate themed room. The room was an average size and there was room for us but still felt a little small. However, with us at theme parks all day for the 3 days we were there, it was perfect size for just basically using it as a downtime place for sleep.
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
The food court had several different choices and a bakery. We did not eat at the sit down restaurant because there was plenty to choose from the food court. The best investment was the mug because you were able to get free refills for your entire visit!
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
The resort bus was only a short walk across the parking lot away. We were staying in section barbados. They ran every 15 minutes and the best part is there were no parking fees to paid. You could use the bus for every possible thing to do at Disney. The bus also dropped you off right at the gates of WDW so no need at the end of the night to wait in long lines for the monorail or boat ride back. The buses were the most crowded in the morning on the way to the theme parks at the opening time of each.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
I would absolutely stay at this resort again if most of my time was spent at the parks, otherwise i would probably upgrade to a little bit larger room with more than 4 people or if I planned to spend a considerable more amount of time in the room. It was a great room with great food services and pools and the bus system was terrific as of April 2011.
Michelle says
Our family stayed the the CBR 3 years ago. My sister gave us the rooms as our Christmas gift that year. What a gift, huh??? We loved this resort. The kids had such a great time at the pools and the cafeteria was great and was not too high at all. The room we had was right in front of the beach and had a nice little hammock there to relax in. The grounds, of course, were beautiful and we loved the convenience of being able to catch the buses to the parks and back. The only downside to this was the room had 2 beds for 4 people and our kids are not so small anymore so it was a bit tight. Other than that, we really have no complaints.
Constance says
We stayed at CBR twice – the first time in Pirate room. Definitely loved the Pirate rooms! Loved the rooms, pool, food court, & running around the beautiful lake in the mornings. We loved CBR! :)
Jessica Plautz says
Why did you choose this resort? It was in our price range and seemed a little nicer from pictures than the value resorts. The pool area looked a lot nicer than some of the other moderate resorts. And it looked like something my kids would enjoy.
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? The rooms were clean, acceptable, but very standard. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but I also wasn’t disappointed, we spent very little time in our room anyways and it was enough room for my family to comfortably sleep & relax when needed.
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods? We really liked the table service, it was nice to be able to sit down & relax instead of waiting in line at a counter.
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time? I had no problems with the crowds on the busses however the walk to and from a bus stop was quite tiring, especially after a entire day of walking at the parks. The busses came quickly though, which was really nice.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason. Absolutely! But chances are we wont, simply because we dont get to Disney often and like to try new resorts each time. IF I had to though I would glady stay again. We had no complaints with this resort and had a magical time!
Kristin says
Why did you choose this resort?
We went to Disney with our friends’ kids and chose this hotel because we thought it looked fun.
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
The rooms were nice and had lots of space. We had 2 double beds and still had enough room for our pack n play. They were acceptable :)
■What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
We did not spend a lot of time around the resort however the pool near our room was very nice and clean. Plus it’s always nice that there are more than one pool at the resorts so there is not so many people at them.
■How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
The busses have always ran smoothly when we have been there. This trip we had even taken the bus from the airport, which was so much nicer than getting a taxi. As for the walks to the stops and gates, well it’s Disney you have to expect to walk a little :) I think the factor of the busses being crowded depends on the time of year you go.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason
We actually would not stay at this resort again. Not that there was anything wrong, we have just fallen in love with Port Orleans Riverside. We feel so at home there. We are leaving in August and are staying there for the 4th time. Carribean beach is a great hotel if you like that kind of thing.
Trip was taken may of 2007
Kelly B says
■Why did you choose this resort? My goal is to try every resort with and without kids. Since it was just DH and I we thought this would be romantic.
■What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? The room was totally acceptable, average, and plenty big for us. We had a king bed with one of the smaller pools right below our door.
■What was the food court like? Any favorite foods? I thought the food court was lacking selection and we chose to eat at a different resort. No favorites here!
■How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time? We didn’t have to walk too far to our bus stop BUT it’s a huge waste of time to ride the bus through the entire resort just to get out to parks. Once getting to the parks it’s not too bad. Just like any other resort drop-off.
■Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason. We would not stay here again. The kids will never see Caribbean Beach Resort. I couldn’t stand not having a car to drive ourselves. We were so far from the food court/main building we had to ride the bus there too. This resort is to spread out.
Lynne says
We stayed at Caribbean Beach in 2009. It was pretty and relaxing. We had a pool to ourselves since we were waaaay at the end of the resort. I loved laying in the hammock while the kids played at the playground in the sand. The rooms were a bit bigger than the Pop and it comes with the mini fridge which was perfect for keeping snacks and breakfast items for our stay. We payed extra for the Pirate Room and supposedly got a preferred room. This preferred room was at the end of the resort, nowhere close to the main foodcourt/pool area. It was a loooooong walk there. I would not pay for the pirate room/preferred room again at this resort. The kiddie-pirate-ship-splash-pad-area is awesome! Our kids LOVED it. Definately set aside a day to just enjoy the pools at this resort. We also enjoyed the food at the food court. They serve kids meals in a sand bucket and they have yummy breakfasts. There are a lot of healthy options too in the snack area. Since this is the largest moderate resort, we did have to wait a little longer on buses.
We’ve since stayed at Port Orleans and, for the money, it was so much better. If you stay on Disney property and have little ones, be sure to travel to Carribean Beach for the splash pad!
Liz says
■Why did you choose this resort? We chose this resort because of the pirate themed rooms and the overall beach theme of the hotel.
■What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? We stayed in a pirate room and the theme was awesome. The beds were full size which we prefer queen beds and even with full size beds the room seemed small. I wouldn’t recommend them for small children because my son was 8 months and got hurt a lot on the wood beds.
■What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one? The main pool was awesome and it has the best waterslide of all the moderate resorts.
■What was the food court like? Any favorite foods? The food court was okay but just really busy all the time.
■How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time? The resort buses were okay. I didn’t like that the resort was so big that you had to take a bus to food court. The walk to the gates seemed pretty far away and at peek times they were very crowded.
■Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
I would have to say no because of the full size beds and because the resort was too large for my taste.
Jess L. says
We stayed at the Caribbean in October of 2009 and had a blast. The pool was by far my girls’ favorite out of all the Disney resorts we have stayed at. They were 4 and 5 at the time. The rooms were more spacous than the value resorts. We had a refrigerator included in our room, free of charge. We enjoyed walking around the lake. The views were fantastic. The food was delicious at the food court and the restaurant. The beverage mugs were definately worth the money. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Kelly says
Why did you choose this resort?
We were on our honeymoon. We wanted to experience the Disney fun but still get a beachy experience and feel.
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable?
The rooms were average, and typical. It was just the 2 of us so it was plenty big. Now that we have kids, looking back, it really isn’t much bigger if noticeably at all compared to All Star Movies, where we’ve stayed the past 2 times we went to WDW with kids. The rooms were acceptable. I remember them being clean and well kept, but this was also in 2004.
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one?
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods?
I really like that there is a table service restaurant in the resort so that gave us options when we didn’t feel like battling the crowds at the counter service. I also really liked the atmosphere.
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time?
I hated how spread out everything was. We stayed in Trinidad and I remember the walk from Old Port Royale (the clubhouse) back to our room took a good 20 minutes…which is fine if you want to go on a romantic moonlit stroll & sit on the hammocks along the way, but not so great when you’re tired from the park. The resort is so spread out that I remember it having its own bus to shuttle guests from OPR to the various buildings. The parks to resort bus was pretty sucky. The buses were scarce. I still remember seeing numerous buses for all of the other resorts go by several times before ours would come. Of course, that was in 2004 so that could all be different now.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason.
I would, but it wouldn’t be my first choice. I really enjoyed the theme but the flaws of the resort really is a shame. Flaws such as how spread out things are and how small the rooms are considering the price difference from the Value resorts.