Caribbean Beach Resort FAQ Part 3

[pistachio]

That's good to know- I will be requesting Martinique Bldg 22. Thank you!

Btw, I received the Passporters today. They're great and the $1.00 books are expanded for 2008. I'm sorry I forgot who provided the tip but thank you!

 

[mollyhan]

I booked the pirate themed room for February...does anyone have pictures of these rooms yet???????????

 

[DisneyBride'03]

I booked the pirate themed room for February...does anyone have pictures of these rooms yet???????????

Congrats!!! I believe the only thing that is available at this point are the artist renderings!!

I am sure safetymom will have them posted when they are available
DD11 and I have one booked for March

 

[mikkiwikki]

I was happy to meet Safetymom today. The work she does for this site is way above and beyond...

Unfortunately, Disney has taken the low road as far as night hours for the entire pool complex are concerned.

The new pool is surrounded by wrought iron style fencing. At 10 pm, when the lifeguards go off duty, the gates are locked. No access to anything, including bathrooms.

This should encourage a letter writing campaign, as it appears that as they rehab the rest of the pool complexes, they intend to lock them all up after 10 pm

I for one am encouraged that Disney is taking steps to prevent people from using the pools late and disturbing other guests. Ill be sure to send a letter thanking them for their consideration and ensuring a restful vacation filled with nighttime restful sleep.

 

[kat_balou]

We just got back from our week stay at CBR! They opened the pirate pool Wed. at 10:00 a.m. however it rained that day and they shut it down right when we got back from our afternoon break. We were able to enjoy it Thurs. and Fri though. It is awesome and my ds loved it. Be prepared though that the sun reflecting on everything is almost blinding. My dh and I both had to wear sunglasses the whole time we were in the pool.

Our first day at check in was somewhat disappointing. I kept telling myself not to be disappointed if I didn't get the bldg. I requested. I requested Martinque but got Trinidad North instead. I have mobility issues and was hoping for one of the closest bldgs. to the food court. I did pay for a preferred room and got bldg. 33 which is the farthest "preferred" bldg. from OPR. We had a parking lot view which again was disappointing. I know, I know I got what I paid for and have no right to complain. We arrived around noon but our room wasn't ready until 4:00 p.m. That did peeve me because I feel if they say check in is at 3:00 then a room should be ready. We were up that day at 4:30 a.m. to catch an early flight so we were wiped out.

Some positives were the resort is very pretty and relaxing, mousekeeping did a great job, and even though we were farther than I hoped from the food court, we were just steps away from the quiet pool. We also had a cast member do a very nice thing for my son this morning during our last hour before we left the resort. We were in OPR and ds set down his refillable mug and lost it. We asked a cast member if by chance there was a lost and found; we had put our son's name on the bottom of the cup. She so very nicely just gave him a replacement mug. Ds was so happy and it was such a nice way to end our vacation!

We had a rental car but did take the bus on our two MK days and they were quite prompt. One day the wait was only a couple minutes both ways and the other day not more than 5-10 min.

 

[Minniekins]

We just got back from our week stay at CBR! They opened the pirate pool Wed. at 10:00 a.m. however it rained that day and they shut it down right when we got back from our afternoon break. We were able to enjoy it Thurs. and Fri though. It is awesome and my ds loved it. Be prepared though that the sun reflecting on everything is almost blinding. My dh and I both had to wear sunglasses the whole time we were in the pool.

Our first day at check in was somewhat disappointing. I kept telling myself not to be disappointed if I didn't get the bldg. I requested. I requested Martinque but got Trinidad North instead. I have mobility issues and was hoping for one of the closest bldgs. to the food court. I did pay for a preferred room and got bldg. 33 which is the farthest "preferred" bldg. from OPR. We had a parking lot view which again was disappointing. I know, I know I got what I paid for and have no right to complain. We arrived around noon but our room wasn't ready until 4:00 p.m. That did peeve me because I feel if they say check in is at 3:00 then a room should be ready. We were up that day at 4:30 a.m. to catch an early flight so we were wiped out.

Some positives were the resort is very pretty and relaxing, mousekeeping did a great job, and even though we were farther than I hoped from the food court, we were just steps away from the quiet pool. We also had a cast member do a very nice thing for my son this morning during our last hour before we left the resort. We were in OPR and ds set down his refillable mug and lost it. We asked a cast member if by chance there was a lost and found; we had put our son's name on the bottom of the cup. She so very nicely just gave him a replacement mug. Ds was so happy and it was such a nice way to end our vacation!

We had a rental car but did take the bus on our two MK days and they were quite prompt. One day the wait was only a couple minutes both ways and the other day not more than 5-10 min.

First, I'm glad that you had a good trip and also love the new pool! It is a really nice resort and very pretty! Nice CM to replace the mug for DS and it does add a nice finishing touch to a great time!

But, I do think you had a right to complain about room location! You really didn't get what you paid for, I don't think. You paid extra for preferred to have a room close to OPR, particularly for mobility issues and they certainly didn't accomodate you on that and I find it hard to believe they couldn't find something closer at all to help you out here, being you did have particular needs. Plus, 3:00 check in should be ready by the lastest at that time, though sometimes they are earlier, but at least at the time they advertise. Plus, if a room is preferred, how is a parking lot view a preferred? The farthest building from OPR with a parking lot view doesn't sound preferred to me. Plus, you could get a room like that without being preferred. Idk, I think you had every right to complain and if if was me I'd be not very happy about it! Sometimes they just don't seem to make a very good effort to be very accomodating. We love the resort and have always stayed there but sometimes it seems things have gone downhill a bit.

I also have some (knee) issues. Last year we requested a room close to the bus stop and they said, oh okay, and switched us when we got there. I didn't care about view or close to OPR, can always take the bus there. Anyway, the room was very definitely not close to the bus stop, but in the very back building furthest from the bus. So, we requested to be moved the next day (a pain) and again the room was furthest from the bus stop, though closer to the front. I wasn't happy and again called to switch room again which I hate doing. Anyway, finally they got us a room at I think it was Trinidad south, right next to the bus stop so that was great and I thanked them, but not sure why it was so hard to find something close to the bus stop in the first place.

Sorry to go off your topic, sort of, but think you do have right to complain and you didn't get what you paid for as you did pay for preferred!

At any rate, glad you had a good trip!!

 

[CleveRocks]

But, I do think you had a right to complain about room location! You really didn't get what you paid for, I don't think. You paid extra for preferred to have a room close to OPR, particularly for mobility issues and they certainly didn't accomodate you on that and I find it hard to believe they couldn't find something closer at all to help you out here, being you did have particular needs.



Plus, if a room is preferred, how is a parking lot view a preferred? The farthest building from OPR with a parking lot view doesn't sound preferred to me. Plus, you could get a room like that without being preferred. Idk, I think you had every right to complain and if if was me I'd be not very happy about it!



Sorry to go off your topic, sort of, but think you do have right to complain and you didn't get what you paid for as you did pay for preferred!

Well ... kat_balou really had the right way of thinking about it ... she knows that she DID get what she paid for, it's just that she didn't get her requests met.

At CBR, "preferred location" has a very specific meaning. It means getting a room in one of the 6 buildings closest to Old Port Royale. These buildings are Martinique 24-25-26 and Trinidad North 31-32-33. Every single room in each of those 6 buildings is a preferred location room. There is NOTHING about preferred location that even alludes to a certain view ... preferred location refers strictly to distance from OPR. You are paying to be closest to OPR (compared with the other 27 buildings in the resort). When you pay for preferred location you are NOT paying for a certain view, and you are NOT paying to avoid a certain view.

She could not have gotten a room in Trinidad North building 33 unless she paid for a preferred location room. Unfortunately, even the farthest room in Trinidad 33 is still a preferred location room. And by the way, I'm not just talking from the cheap seats here ... my last stay at CBR, I paid for preferred location and was in room 3340, so I know just how far that is from OPR, and it's still closer to OPR than Aruba 45 or Jamaica 51 or Martinique 23, the 3 closest non-preferred location rooms.

I'm posting this mainly so that others reading this thread aren't incorrectly led to believe that preferred location somehow means "not a parking lot view."

Like I said, kat-balou very much did get what she paid for. There are 384 preferred location rooms. Some are closer to OPR than others. Some have nicer views than others. They are all the same room category, they are all the same price ... some people are luckier than others with room assignments.

It's like I always say ... What do you call the person who graduated last in their medical school class? "Doctor" (which is the same thing you call the person who graduated #1 in the class ... get it? ).

 

[Minniekins]

Well ... kat_balou really had the right way of thinking about it ... she knows that she DID get what she paid for, it's just that she didn't get her requests met.

At CBR, "preferred location" has a very specific meaning. It means getting a room in one of the 6 buildings closest to Old Port Royale. These buildings are Martinique 24-25-26 and Trinidad North 31-32-33. Every single room in each of those 6 buildings is a preferred location room. There is NOTHING about preferred location that even alludes to a certain view ... preferred location refers strictly to distance from OPR. You are paying to be closest to OPR (compared with the other 27 buildings in the resort). When you pay for preferred location you are NOT paying for a certain view, and you are NOT paying to avoid a certain view.

She could not have gotten a room in Trinidad North building 33 unless she paid for a preferred location room. Unfortunately, even the farthest room in Trinidad 33 is still a preferred location room. And by the way, I'm not just talking from the cheap seats here ... my last stay at CBR, I paid for preferred location and was in room 3340, so I know just how far that is from OPR, and it's still closer to OPR than Aruba 45 or Jamaica 51 or Martinique 23, the 3 closest non-preferred location rooms.

I'm posting this mainly so that others reading this thread aren't incorrectly led to believe that preferred location somehow means "not a parking lot view."

Like I said, kat-balou very much did get what she paid for. There are 384 preferred location rooms. Some are closer to OPR than others. Some have nicer views than others. They are all the same room category, they are all the same price ... some people are luckier than others with room assignments.

It's like I always say ... What do you call the person who graduated last in their medical school class? "Doctor" (which is the same thing you call the person who graduated #1 in the class ... get it? ).

Well, my main point of not seeming to be a preferred location was that the location was so far from OPR, where she wanted to be close to because of her mobility issues. The view, for me, really isn't important, but she did mention she wasn't happy with the view of the parking lot, so that was my only reason for mentioning the view. One would think that a preferred room would have a preferred view, as I know in the past they had offered garden views and such, as more money. I don't know if they do that any more. But, if they don't count that as a preferred option or w.e. then thats the way it is. To me, no big deal, but I just figured usually preferred means better than.

But, mainly, being that they she did request the preferred location specifically because of mobility issues as she stated, I don't feel her location was very preferred at all. To me, it's just a little different than someone without mobility issues in that same location. You'd think that for someone with the issues, they could have made a better effort to find a room closer than the absolute farthest room. I don't know, I just think with 384 rooms, they could have found a room closer for them than someone who had not specifically requested due to mobility issues or need, but rather convenience, and they could have arranged things better.

I just think she does have the right to complain, even if it's just here, about being disappointed about how those particular things worked out when she was hoping for better.

Oh well, she had a good trip so that's what counts and has a good attitude as well.

 

[safetymom]

I agree with Cleve Rocks. She got what she paid for. Even a parking lot view at CBR isn't bad. There is plenty of landscaping.

I don't think Disney should start to prioritize who gets what room in the preferred buildings.

 

[safetymom]

I for one am encouraged that Disney is taking steps to prevent people from using the pools late and disturbing other guests. Ill be sure to send a letter thanking them for their consideration and ensuring a restful vacation filled with nighttime restful sleep.

By closing the main pool at 10 more people will be using the quiet pools which are much closer to guest rooms than the main pool is.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

That's good to know- I will be requesting Martinique Bldg 22. Thank you!

Btw, I received the Passporters today. They're great and the $1.00 books are expanded for 2008. I'm sorry I forgot who provided the tip but thank you!

Your welcome!! I haven't gotten mine yet, still waiting

 

[who me?]

Sorry to change the subject but have some questions for the Disney Veterans ... staying at CBR in October. We are going to the Haloween 'party' and have our reservations for dinner etc. Traveling with our kids 11 and 7 on a moderate budget ...

I need some tips: top 5 things to bring that CBR might not provide / accomodate well (thinking of things like pool towels and water / coffee quality) and if you don't mind top 5 'must see /do' at CBR (like is spending a few hours with the water rentals / bikes worth it etc) or at any of the parks, AK especially I have no clue how to attack that one.

22 days and counting, we are getting very excited, I am trying to put my energy into organizing our 'summer clothes' and pack etc so I don't start to climb the walls but as I am doing that these questions came to mind and I knew that I would find many opinions and good advice right here !!

Thanks!

 

[catbertdave99]

top 5 things to bring that CBR might not provide / accomodate well (thinking of things like pool towels and water / coffee quality) and if you don't mind top 5 'must see /do' at CBR (like is spending a few hours with the water rentals / bikes worth it etc) or at any of the parks, AK especially I have no clue how to attack that one.

We love CBR... and to be honest, your first question has me stumped... maybe I'll think of something, but I think we're so glad to be there that we don't bring anything just for CBR, if that makes sense. As for coffee, I'm a coffee-addict and have no standards for coffee whatsoever, so it's all good to me!

As for things to do:
(1) Lie in a hammock
(2) Eat breakfast outdoors at Old Port Royale and listen to the steel drum music and feel the breeze
(3) Walk the Promenade walkway around the resort with a refillable mug of coffee in the morning as the resort is waking up (and my teenagers are sleeping ) -- it's beautiful!
(4) Soak in one of the quiet pools after a day at the parks.... quiet, and refreshing
(5) Lie in a hammock (I might have mentioned that already )

As for AK, you'll probably get great responses on the Theme Parks board -- we love all the parks, and it just depends what your kids like as to what you should put on your "must do" list!

Happy planning!

 

[pistachio]

Room question for those experienced CBR folks. After reading all of the bldg location posts, I'm not sure what I should request. We stayed at CBR a long time ago and we had a view of the garden. I loved the water and so this time, I paid for water view.

To be sure I get a water view, do I have to request a certain bldg or room location? I thought I knew what to request but I'm not sure now. The walk to OPR is not a big concern to me. My daughter and I loved the walk across the bridge and along the beautiful lake.

Thanks!

 

[Oswald]

We just returned Friday 9/12 after an 8-day stay at CBR.

The Positives (in no particular order):
1. The themeing was a really nice surprise.
2. The Nemo room was perfect.
3. Mousekeeping kept the room very clean.
4. The view from our non-preferred location (Martinique 23) was nice.
5. Cast members were all very helpful.
6. While we were not able to enjoy the new pool it looks awesome.
7. Old Port Royale food court has nice selection.
8. Landscaping
9. Beaches and hammocks were empty.

The Negatives:
1. The transportation! It seemed like buses going to the MK were hit or miss (and mostly miss for us). DW and I knew this might be an issue going into CBR, but we wanted to see it for ourselves (and it is true). On two occasions it took us an hour from the time we got to the bus stop to to the time we got to MK! When the MK buses did come they filled up (standing room only) and we had to leave people at Trinidad North and South for the next bus. Tip: Give yourself a lot of time getting to MK. If you are looking to go to EPCOT, DHS, AK-BB, or CBR Internal, the buses seemed more frequent (esp. AK-BB). One of the buses we were on broke down, but fortunately it was at our stop. IMO, the transportation at POR was MUCH better. It is likely the location of the two resorts has something to do with this.

2. While this is not going to matter going forward, I was a bit miffed at the secrecy behind when the pool was going to open. I inquired about its opening when I arrived on 9/4 and was given the standard vague answer. I had every intention of going to the pool, but was not about to give up a day at the park so that I can look at a closed pool. Even when the pool was finally opened we were never notified via the Disney Resort channel or voice mail. So the lesson here is don't be embarrassed to call frequently if you want to know anything about the resort.

3. No evening entertainment like at POR.

The Verdict:
While the resort and room were nice, DW and I both agree we will not stay at CBR again unless we have a car. The transportation issue and lack of evening entertainment really turned us off. We even gave up our afternoon naps we had planned because we knew going back to CBR to return to the parks later in the day could ultimately take up to 2 hours out of our day . If you have a car or don't mind the bus wait, CBR can be very nice place to stay.

In all we had a great time at WDW! We are already "home" sick.

 

[CleveRocks]

I loved the water and so this time, I paid for water view.

To be sure I get a water view, do I have to request a certain bldg or room location? I thought I knew what to request but I'm not sure now. The walk to OPR is not a big concern to me. My daughter and I loved the walk across the bridge and along the beautiful lake.

Thanks!

Since you say you (reserved and) paid for a water view room, you are guaranteed a water view room. No need to make a special requst to get what you've already paid for.

If you enjoy the bridge, then request Aruba or Jamaica.

 

[spectrum-turbo]

We are are arriving in Orlando late and staying at an airport hotel. The next morning after making a grocery run the plan is to arrive early at CBR and swim for a couple of hours. Since the chances of our room being ready early on a Sunday are just about nil, I am planning on having DH and DSs putting on bathing suits in the morning. I however will NOT run around Orlando w/ a bathing suit on. Is there a changing area close to the pool or will I be changing in the bathroom? Are there towels available at the pool?

Thanks

 

[nateryan]

Sorry to change the subject but have some questions for the Disney Veterans ... staying at CBR in October. We are going to the Haloween 'party' and have our reservations for dinner etc. Traveling with our kids 11 and 7 on a moderate budget ...

I need some tips: top 5 things to bring that CBR might not provide / accomodate well (thinking of things like pool towels and water / coffee quality) and if you don't mind top 5 'must see /do' at CBR (like is spending a few hours with the water rentals / bikes worth it etc) or at any of the parks, AK especially I have no clue how to attack that one.

22 days and counting, we are getting very excited, I am trying to put my energy into organizing our 'summer clothes' and pack etc so I don't start to climb the walls but as I am doing that these questions came to mind and I knew that I would find many opinions and good advice right here !!

Thanks!

Things I will be bringing are for the room only:

1. Power Strip (so our cell phones, battery chargers, etc are spreadout all over the room)
2. Pop Up hamper
3. Pre Soaked Sponge - cut up in squares (to wash our refillable mugs and sippy cups)
4. Hanging organizer (to not clutter up the sink area)
5. Inexpensive nightlight

DH gets coffee at OPR so we don't deal with it in the room. I haven't decided on pool towels - depends on how much room I have left in our suitcases.

We love CBR... and to be honest, your first question has me stumped... maybe I'll think of something, but I think we're so glad to be there that we don't bring anything just for CBR, if that makes sense. As for coffee, I'm a coffee-addict and have no standards for coffee whatsoever, so it's all good to me!

As for things to do:
(1) Lie in a hammock
(2) Eat breakfast outdoors at Old Port Royale and listen to the steel drum music and feel the breeze
(3) Walk the Promenade walkway around the resort with a refillable mug of coffee in the morning as the resort is waking up (and my teenagers are sleeping ) -- it's beautiful!
(4) Soak in one of the quiet pools after a day at the parks.... quiet, and refreshing
(5) Lie in a hammock (I might have mentioned that already )

As for AK, you'll probably get great responses on the Theme Parks board -- we love all the parks, and it just depends what your kids like as to what you should put on your "must do" list!

Happy planning!

ITA on these things to do at CBR! I also love to catch the Illuminations fireworks that can be seen well from OPR.

As far as Animal Kingdom, we are heading to Expedition Everest first, then Dinosaur, Tough to be a Bug, Safaris, Affection Section, Lion King Show, then EE again.

Others hit the Safaris first. We saw the Nemo show last year which was good but didn't get to see Lion King (I love that show). Just pick your favorites and try to do them in an order where you aren't walking back and forth the whole day.

 

[ilovebassets]

Just back from CBR yesterday. Had a lovely stay but I also have to agree about the secrecy surrounding the pool opening being annoying. When we checked in Sunday, we were told that pool was opening late september and so almost certainly would not get to use it. It opened three days later. Not a huge big deal and I understand they don't want to raise expectations, but still, it just seems dishonest.

Thought the resort was lovely. Had one breakfast at the food court and one snack so didn't spend a lot of time there. Hammocks and general landscaping were beautiful. Didn't use the bus system so can't comment on that but for drivers out there, the resort is really centrally located on property--much more so than the other moderates which was really nice.

Overall I have to say I preferred Port Orleans for the theming and boat ride to DTD and probaby won't stay at CBR again. But if you've never been there, I would recommend at least seeing it once for yourself to decide!

 

[BCMommy]

We arrived yesterday at CBR at 8am after travelling all night. We expected a late check in because of all of the posts but our room was ready at 10am! We had also booked a preferred room and had requested bottom floor because of our son's mobility difficulties. We got Martinique 26 and we love it. I cannot believe how close it is to Port Royale! Room is clean and Nemo. Not terribly exciting but who cares? We went to Epcot on the bus and it was only 10 minutes. After the fireworks I was expecting it to be crowded on the bus but it wasn't. We'll see what happens with the other parks this week. I think we'll save MK for a weeknight which may reduce the likelihood of a crowded bus.
Food court was much better than I expected and I love that they had healthy choices. We had omelettes for breakfast and tuna and turkey sandwiches for lunch. We were able to have a big bowl of fresh fruit for our desert option on the dining plan which I was happy about because I don't want my kids eating garbage for 9 days.

We loved the pool and there are tons of lifeguards. Regarding the question about change rooms.. there are bathrooms at the pool but no change rooms. This did surprise me. They do provide towels so we just brought our suits in our carry on bags. I was a bit disappointed that they do not have lockers yet for your things. Apparently, they are on order. One of us always had to stay at the chairs to watch our things.

All in all, we are happy we didn't change our resort based on negative reports. Nothing will ever be perfect but we feel so blessed to be on vacation together in the greatest place, little things will not bother me or ruin our time.
V.