Questions about CBR

[CBB]

After much debate, we finally changed our reservation from CSR to CBR (11/30-12/8) partly because of Pop Warners. We booked a standard room. I wanted to request for Trinidad 31, or Aruba 51 or Jamaica 45 to be closer to the main pool, but was told that standard rooms are located at Trinidad South only. Those buildings I requested were considered as preferred. Is that true? If that is the case, does anyone know how much more a preferred room costs? I love the little pirate zero entry kiddie pool. Which building should I request to be closer to the pirate pool? I understand the most rooms have 2 standard beds whereas CSR has queen beds. I would love to have a king bed room. DD5 usually sleeps with us when we are traveling. DS 2 still sleeps in a crib. A king bed will gives us more room for a portable crib. How hard is it to get a king sized bed room? I think it costs $25 extra per day, but if it's going to decrease my chance of getting a nice view, I probably won't do it. How do I request a portable crib? Is there enough room for a portable crib?
TIA!

[KatMark]

Originally Posted by CBB

After much debate, we finally changed our reservation from CSR to CBR (11/30-12/8) partly because of Pop Warners. We booked a standard room. I wanted to request for Trinidad 31, or Aruba 51 or Jamaica 45 to be closer to the main pool, but was told that standard rooms are located at Trinidad South only. Those buildings I requested were considered as preferred. Is that true? If that is the case, does anyone know how much more a preferred room costs? I love the little pirate zero entry kiddie pool. Which building should I request to be closer to the pirate pool? I understand the most rooms have 2 standard beds whereas CSR has queen beds. I would love to have a king bed room. DD5 usually sleeps with us when we are traveling. DS 2 still sleeps in a crib. A king bed will gives us more room for a portable crib. How hard is it to get a king sized bed room? I think it costs $25 extra per day, but if it's going to decrease my chance of getting a nice view, I probably won't do it. How do I request a portable crib? Is there enough room for a portable crib?
TIA!

I can't answer about what rooms are closest to the main pool, but I do know that "standard rooms" are not located in Trinidad South only. In fact, Trinidad South is where the pirate rooms are located and they cost more. All rooms at the CBR have standard beds. A King room also costs extra ($25 more a night over a standard two beds). If you go to allearsnet you will see that the maximum occupancy for a King Bed is 2 people.

[safetymom]

If you want a room closer to the main pool and food court you would need to pay for a preferred room. You can't purchase a king bed room and a preferred room.

Jamaica and Aruba are not preferred buildings costing extra. If you don't want to pay for preferred I would request those locations. You might want to take a look at the CBR FAQ. Link is in my signature. You will love CBR.

[CBB]

I thought the CM was mistaken. He sounded really annoyed when I asked him again whether he was sure that all standard rooms are located in Trinidad South. I figured I would find out the truth here. Can someone tell me where that pirate kiddie pool is located at? Can I request a standard room in Trinidad 31, or Aruba 51 or Jamaica 45 or are these preferred building?

Thanks!

[safetymom]

Trinidad North is a preferred location costing extra. The other locations are not preferred. The kiddie pool is located near the food court. It is between Trinidad North and Martinique.

[CBB]

Thanks so much for the info! I'm going to request Aruba 51 or Jamaica 45. Do you know how long it takes to walk to food court and the kiddie pool? Is there a bridge to walk across the Caribbean Cay?

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by CBB

I thought the CM was mistaken. He sounded really annoyed when I asked him again whether he was sure that all standard rooms are located in Trinidad South. I figured I would find out the truth here. Can someone tell me where that pirate kiddie pool is located at? Can I request a standard room in Trinidad 31, or Aruba 51 or Jamaica 45 or are these preferred building?

Thanks!

Wow. Add that to the unfortunately long list of very very WRONG information given by Disney call center cast members.

The Trinidad South village is comprised 100% of Pirate themed rooms. This means that NONE of the 384 rooms in Trinidad South is a standard room ... not one standard room in Trinidad South.

The Trinidad North village is comprised 100% of preferred location rooms. This means that none of the 192 rooms in Trinidad North is a standard room ... not one standard room in Trinidad North. This means that a request for Trinidad North 31 would be pretty meaningless, since it is 100% a preferred location building.

Three of the six buildings of Martinique are preferred location, and three are standard. The Martinique preferred location buildings are 24, 25 and 26 (and the standard ones are 21, 22 and 23).

Barbados, Aruba and Jamaica have NO PREFERRED LOCATION ROOMS. All villages have some water view rooms, and all villages have some king-size bed rooms, but Aruba, Jamaica and Barbados have NO preferred location rooms. In other words, you are free to request Jamaica 45 and Aruba 51. While you're at it, request Martinique 22, as well ... it's almost exactly the same walking distance from Old Port Royale as the Aruba 51/Jamaica 45.

The kiddie pool is located in the main pool complex, which is located in the Old Port Royale complex.

As you've already learned, you aren't eligible to book a king-size bed room because occupancy of that room is limited to no more than 2 people who haven't yet reached their 3rd birthday, plus one child under 3. If there are thw 2 of you plus your 5 year old and 2 year old, you're over the limit.

[CBB]

Originally Posted by CleveRocks

Wow. Add that to the unfortunately long list of very very WRONG information given by Disney call center cast members.

The Trinidad South village is comprised 100% of Pirate themed rooms. This means that NONE of the 384 rooms in Trinidad South is a standard room ... not one standard room in Trinidad South.

The Trinidad North village is comprised 100% of preferred location rooms. This means that none of the 192 rooms in Trinidad North is a standard room ... not one standard room in Trinidad North. This means that a request for Trinidad North 31 would be pretty meaningless, since it is 100% a preferred location building.

Three of the six buildings of Martinique are preferred location, and three are standard. The Martinique preferred location buildings are 24, 25 and 26 (and the standard ones are 21, 22 and 23).

Barbados, Aruba and Jamaica have NO PREFERRED LOCATION ROOMS. All villages have some water view rooms, and all villages have some king-size bed rooms, but Aruba, Jamaica and Barbados have NO preferred location rooms. In other words, you are free to request Jamaica 45 and Aruba 51. While you're at it, request Martinique 22, as well ... it's almost exactly the same walking distance from Old Port Royale as the Aruba 51/Jamaica 45.

The kiddie pool is located in the main pool complex, which is located in the Old Port Royale complex.

As you've already learned, you aren't eligible to book a king-size bed room because occupancy of that room is limited to no more than 2 people who haven't yet reached their 3rd birthday, plus one child under 3. If there are thw 2 of you plus your 5 year old and 2 year old, you're over the limit.

Great information! Thanks so much! That CM was so clueless. I didn't know that the limit for a king-sized bed room is only 2. I thought we could have DD sleep with us which is what she prefers when we are traveling and get a portable crib for DS. When we stayed at POFQ 3 years ago, we were in a king sized bed room, but DD was only 2 at that time. What do you mean by none of the rooms at Trinadad South is standard - are they preferred or just cost more because of the pirate theme? I will definitely add Martinique 22 to my request list.

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by CBB

Great information! Thanks so much! That CM was so clueless. I didn't know that the limit for a king-sized bed room is only 2. I thought we could have DD sleep with us which is what she prefers when we are traveling and get a portable crib for DS. When we stayed at POFQ 3 years ago, we were in a king sized bed room, but DD was only 2 at that time. What do you mean by none of the rooms at Trinadad South is standard - are they preferred or just cost more because of the pirate theme? I will definitely add Martinique 22 to my request list.

Pirate themed room is a separate booking category that costs $25 extra per night. That means that there are no rooms in Trinidad South that are "standard" rooms ... they are all in the booking category "Pirate room." Guests book that room category and pay extra per night for the Pirate theming, which is very extensive, and we all know that no one can carry out a good theme better than Disney.

At CBR, "preferred location" has a very specific meaning ... it means being in one of the 6 buildings closest to Old Port Royale. Those 6 buildings are Trinidad North 31, Trinidad North 32, Trinidad North 33, Martinique 24, Martinique 25 and Martinique 26. Therefore, no rooms in Trinidad South are preferred location rooms.

In fact, Trinidad South is the village that is the very farthest from OPR ... in other words, Trinidad South is pretty much the exact oppposite of "preferred location."

And about the king-size bed rooms ... Disney is very very strict about the occupancy limit on those rooms. Because they know you have a 5 year old with you ("you" meaning 2 adults), they simply will not allow you to book that room; it makes no difference to Disney if you assure them that she will sleep in the king-size bed with you.

[LovetheMouse12302]

We just got back from CBR and stayed in Aruba 52 and the walk to Old Port Royale seemed very short but the walk to the bus stop on the other hand seemed endless, (we had a waterview room).

[MICKFan]

I've stayed at CBR twice and loved it both times.....staying again Nov. 29 - Dec, 5. First time I was in Jamaica 44 and just a short walk to OPR (a nice walk, I might add). Second time was in a preferred room Trinidad North 31. Both times was a courtyard view (smoker's area.....and I'm not a smoker!) But, better than a parking lot view!! Glad I booked another preferred room this time.....the friend I am bringing (her first time to Disney) is recovering from a broken leg!! So, we will have to take the whole experience SLOW!! The preferred room will help.....

[Dizfan4life]

We are staying at CBR next October and in the past we have always requested a Martinque preferred room and have always gotten Martinque. Does anyone know if I were to request those same buildings (Jamaica 45 or Aruba 51) what my chances would be that I get those specific buildings? I have heard in the past that they can't guarantee those two buildings and you could get booked in any non-preferred building. I also heard the walk over the bridge to Old Port Royale is beautiful so that is mainly why I was wanting either of those two buildings.

[KellyNY]

I always request Aruba or Jamaica, same buildings you asked about. They are NOT prefered buildings/rooms. However I do not think you can ask for them during booking. Since they are regular rooms, if they available will be known only at check in.
if they are not available, ask them to check late check out rooms. They did it for us after I refused to go to the worst location possible. We had to wait for room to be cleaned like about 1 1/2 hour, but it was ok, we went to eat meanwhile.
The walk from those buildings is like 3 min to main pool/food court.
Pirate rooms are in the farest part of resort. Other rooms have Finding Nemo theme and just updated.
Get prefered room if possible(you can do it during booking or upgrade during check in). Prefered rooms are close to pool area/food court.

[Missytara]

Actually Pop Warner will be showing up the weekend you leave..... they don't start arriving until late on the 5th or early on the 6th.....

I stayed there one year and was in Aruba; once I got the lay of the land, it was easy to get over to the food court. Also, it is really cool, because on the foot path leading over to the food court, there are speakers hidden in the bushes. They softly play Disney Xmas music, but it has a caribbean beat. Their decorations are also beautiful....

[CleveRocks]

At any WDW resort, there are bookable room categories. That is, there are room categories that are guaranteed by specifically reserving them and paying for that level of room.

Room types that are NOT bookable categories (that is, room types that can't be specifically reserved) are by request only. And, of course, a request is just a request and can't be guaranteed.

At CBR, there are 6 bookable room categories: standard, preferred location, water view, king-size bed, Pirate standard, and Pirate water view. You can book, pay for and guarantee ONLY one of the above.

A standard room may have a view of a courtyard, "gardens," or a parking area. You can request one or the other, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to book/guarantee one of them.

A water view room may have a view of Barefoot Bay (the lake) or it may have a view of your village's quiet pool. You can request one or the other, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to book/guarantee one of them. If you book a water view room, you must accept the reality that it may be a pool view or it may be a lake view. If one or the other would be totally unacceptable, then you should NOT book a water view room, since the type of water (lake or pool) is just a request.

The six preferred location buildings have some standard views (some courtyard, some gardens, some parking area), some water views (some lake, some pool), and some king-size bed rooms. If you book a preferred location room, there is NO WAY to guarantee that your preferred location room also have, for example, a water view. But there will be some people who get pixie dust sprinkled on them and will end up with a preferred location room with a water view. There may also be some people who booked a king-size bed room and the only ones left available happen to be in a preferred location building.

If you are just dying for a water view room with a king-size bed, the reality is that there is NO WAY TO GUARANTEE IT. You will be forced to choose which one is the more important to you, the king or the water view. Whichever one is more important, book that type of room, and then request the other. As long as you keep in mind that BOTH can't be guaranteed, you'll be happy with whatever you get.