Feeling uncertain about staying at Carribean Beach - Update

[PelletierBears]

So my husband and I decided to add a couple days onto the beginning of our trip in June and want to stay somewhere new. We originally were thinking of staying at the POP (it has to be value or mod to fit in the budget) but then decided it would be fun to check out the new pirate rooms at Carribean Beach. For some reason I can't get excited about it though...not sure why

The only negative I can think of is the size of the resort and the distance between the pirate rooms and the restaurants/shop.

I'm sure we'll have a good time there.....right?

 

[disneybridetobe]

You'll have a lovely time. We love that resort, we honeymooned there! The walk isn't bad at all, even while waking to your room from a long day at the parks. We had to change our dates, and CBR wasn't available so we did POP instead... CBR was by far our first choice.

Don't worry!

 

[mickeystoontown]

We timed our walk from Trinidad South (where the pirate rooms are located) to Old Port Royale (the main pool/food court/store) and it took us 7 minutes. We weren't staying in Trinidad South but I specifically timed the walk from there because many people complain about how LONG it took them to walk to Old Port Royale.

The promenade that goes around the entire resort is just 1.4 miles long. Old Port Royale is located approximately in the center of the promenade. The resort grounds are really pretty and the walks to anywhere are very pleasant.

Also, you're never far from a bus stop as each village has their own.

If you'd like to see pictures of the resort, just let me know and I'll post them for you.

I also have a very detailed review of our last CBR stay and will be glad to post that for you as well. Momof2Disneyboys has posted a fantastic review of the resort as well as long of pics too.

 

[MarkinNM]

I am sure you will love it at the CBR, we almost booked it but the wife loved the CSR theme better......

 

[Stitch2244314]

CBR is my favorite moderate resort! The bright, tropical theme just can't be beat in my opinion. I know that people make it sound like you will be running marathons to get to the food court from your room, but really, it's not that bad. Like one of the other posters said, the walk from the pirate rooms to the food court is only about 7 minutes, and those are the farthest rooms.

If you're still not liking the sounds of that walking, maybe you should switch from a pirate room to a preferred room? A preferred room will have a finding nemo theme, but it will be really close to the food court/main pool. Good luck with whatever you decide, and have a great trip!

 

[LoraJ]

We really enjoyed our stay at CBR. If we ever stay at a mod again, CBR will be our choice.

The new pool looks amazing!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

CBR is wonderful. There is a lot of info and tons of pictures in my recent review - the link is in my signature. Yes, the resort is very spacious, but that's one of the things that we love about it. It is very lush and beautiful and honestly I can't think of any location in the resort where you would have more than a 7-8 minute walk to the pool/food court. We've never booked a preferred location and have always had an under 5 minute walk to OPR. And every village has it's own quiet pool and bus stop, so you are never far from those things.

The new pool is fantastic and those pirate rooms look very cool!

 

[PelletierBears]

Thanks everyone

You're right 7 mins is not long at all to walk. In fact it probably takes that long to get to the lobby from some of the rooms at the WL

My DH and kids are looking forward to it and the pool does look great.
How is the restaurant...Shutters?

 

[JennSaint]

You'll have a lovely time. We love that resort, we honeymooned there! The walk isn't bad at all, even while waking to your room from a long day at the parks. We had to change our dates, and CBR wasn't available so we did POP instead... CBR was by far our first choice.

Don't worry!

We just stayed there a few weeks ago. My boys are 13 & 12 and there are some nice aspects of the resort but we decided it wasn't for us. We really felt it was geared toward younger children and there was alot of them. The main pool area felt very crowded and it was hard to find seats on some days. We agreed that when staying at a moderate CSR seemed more geared to older children.
But that said everyone has different taste and you should take all opinions (even mine) with a grain of salt. Did the kids have any say in the decision?

 

[mickeystoontown]

Thanks everyone

You're right 7 mins is not long at all to walk. In fact it probably takes that long to get to the lobby from some of the rooms at the WL

My DH and kids are looking forward to it and the pool does look great.
How is the restaurant...Shutters?

Exactly! We toured the WL this past August just to look around. My husband, son and I said that the walk at the WL was just as long as it was to our CBR building.

 

[DJ Disney Kid]

The only downfall with the walk is that if you get the refillable mugs it can be a hassle. You'll find that its too far just to go get a refill on your drink and you might end up spending more money than anticipated cause you'll just start using the pop machine thats at your resort. You could also just get a liter of pop and leave it in the room as well.

 

[daisyduck17]

It's a lovely resort & I'm sure you will enjoy your stay. The grounds are beautiful, the walk really isn't that bad, & it's just very peaceful there.

Have fun!

 

[exit30]

We liked CBR, it was very quiet and relaxing. I really liked the path around the resort for my morning run, the theming is very bright and cheery, besides, you'll be at Disney.

 

[safetymom]

I found the walk longer at WL than at CBR. CBR is a beautiful resort. You will enjoy your stay.

 

[KatMark]

I'm sure you'll be fine. People read too much into the "long walks" at the CBR and the CSR. I've had longer walks at some of the deluxes. You'll be at Disney--you'll have a great time.

 

[StitchLives]

long walks, no elevators can be exhausting after the parks. Request a ground level room.

 

[DisneySherpa]

I have yet to stay specifically in a pirate room... but this is certainly not our first time at CBR.

Trying new resorts is never an easy thing. I'm forced to read reviews and others experiences... and have found it very easy to focus on the negatives of them. We form opinions based on pictures, reviews, etc.

I can say now, after multiple stays, that CBR is by far our favorite Disney resort. We booked a pirate room for our May trip... and as each day goes by... excitement grows!

I've read numerous, numerous reviews of the size of this resort... but we personally favor this. One of my biggest peeves is that while I love my disney vacations... I don't love sharing each moment with thousands of other guests.

Walkways are never congested, courtyards are constantly empty, and at times you can feel like the only one at the resort. Quiet pools are truely quiet since each resort (cluster of only 6 buildings) has their own and the beach areas are never occupied. It's private and secluded... our complete escape from the parks.

We plan on walking to the food court/main pool every day, sometimes multiple... and have yet to be concerned with the walk. Again, with our personal experience at the resort... we can comfortabley say that!

The walk is enjoyable, beach side trail, lush landscaping, and vista views. The overall idea may seem daunting... but every walk we've made was filled with laughter, discussing vacation memories, huge smiles racing to the pool, and even when solo, the views, sights, and sounds seemed to consume any idea of the concept of time.

With exception to that walk to the main pool... there is little walking with this resort. Quiet pools and beach areas are steps away, and specifically dealing with Trinidad South... there is no long walk across a parking lot from the bus stop... the stop is situated directly next to two buildings... right infront of the quiet pool.

Each building has about 3 stair cases to access the second floor and we never have hesitation requesting it. We've never missed the idea of elevators... especially since ME handles our luggage drop off now

I could go on and on about the pool area... but lets just say my 26o boyfriend is devastated that he's "too big" for the childs play area 2 slides, zero entry (only found at the deluxes/DVC resorts), and an entire childs play area to occupy an afternoon and enjoy a break from the parks.

Be open minded, keep expectations in check, and overall... just have fun! Steer away from the negative comments and reviews... you won't personally know they're negative until you and your family experience the resort for yourself.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

I think I read that this is for 2 nights prior to checking in at the Poly? If so, then it is a great way to try a new resort - granted it doesn't give much time for the resort to grow on you, but it is a very pretty resort if you like a tropical theme.

I'd probably try to switch from a pirate room to a std, preferred or water view, but that is a very personal choice (the pirate rooms are just not appealing to us).

As for Shutters - we did not like it at all. It opens at 5, but the rest of time anyone from the food court can use the tables.

The former table service at CBR was wonderful, with cloth tablecloths and napkins - a bit upscale, very nice. Shutters has none of that.

Again, just our opinion - others like it very much.

It will be a great trip no matter where you stay for those 2 ngts!!

p.s. A few yrs ago a friend wanted to take a quick winter weekend getaway from the MN cold, so we went to WDW. We were on a tight budget and POP was brand new,so we booked it. I dreaded it from the moment we booked right up until check-in...when I asked the CM to please see if CBR had rooms available. She convinced us to give POP a try - it was brand new - and she said if we did not like it she would be sure we were moved to CBR. Well, we enjoyed our stay! The rooms were brand new and sparkling clean. We had to adjust a bit to the outside decor, but the rooms were fine. We had a delightful 4 ngts at POP.

 

[Pinkpony]

I think it's just as important that you neutralize the rave reviews of CBR as it is the negative reviews. I made the mistake of reading too much into the rave reviews and ended up very disappointed in our stay at CBR. So it's best to go into it with an open mind on both sides. I think if I had been prepared for the motel-ish type atmosphere that it had, that my family wouldn't have been so stunned by the lack of "resort feel" that we were expecting from all the over-the-top wonderful reviews.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a dump by any means. I always think it's best to try a resort out for yourself too and see if it fits you.

 

[rie'smom]

I don't think that there's a resort at WDW that doesn't involve walking except may be the CR tower and the Royal Palm at the GF. We love walking around the resorts.
OP, I was going to say that CBR is fine until I noticed your kids' ages. I really think that they would enjoy CSR more. While it's very laid back, there's a more grown up feeling about it. My 15 year old daughter loves it. She likes CBR, don't get me wrong but she thinks CSR is "cooler".