Any recent CBR reports out there?

[happybratpack]

I'm getting a little nervous about our resort decision & was looking to hear recent reports.

 

[safetymom]

There are some fairly recent reports in the CBR FAQ II thread listed below.

 

[pumba]

if we move this to resorts .......maybe they can help you

 

[DissyLove]

I just stayed at the CBR last month, and had a nice time. We paid for a preferred room (near main pool and food court building) for an extra $10 a night and that was well worth it.

We were in the Trinidad North building, and had a nice side view of the bay. Close to the bus stop and food courts, where we ate breakfast every day.

The kids loved the main pool and the slide, and I enjoyed the hot tub. A very lovely area, very tropical. Be aware this resort is very spread out and huge, though, so if you are in a bld far from the Old Port Royale Center you may have a bit of a walk.

 

[Cindybell]

I have not been there recently but it was my first stay at an on site resort. I loved it. The tropical theme was refreshing after a long cold winter. The walk to the food court was not to bad and besides the water was so beautiful in the morning I didn't really mind the walk at all. I have not stayed there since but only because I like to try new things. I hope you have a great time!

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Even though it was a year ago that we stayed there I can still remember it fondly! Actually we're staying at the BWV's this time and I'm afraid I won't like it as well!! The theming and atmosphere is great. DH and I talk about how magical the drive up to check in was. It was like being transported to a tropical paradise. LOVE the CBR!!

 

[racheltyler]

We went to CBR resort late January. I really do not like to be negative about any Disney resort but I do have to be honest and say, this is my least favorite resort. The overall main reason is the main pool and hot tub are very small, especially considering the size of the resort. We've been to the following resorts and happen to prefer them all over to CBR - AKL, Dolphin/Swan, YC/BC/BCV, WL, CSR, POR, BWV, POFQ. We spend days just at the resort when we go and a nice pool is a must for us, and we are not that picky about it. In Jan, we could not get a chair at CBR, no shaded seating & very cramped seating. Overall, the pool is not that big & hot tub is very small and often filled with kids from the slide (it only accomodates 5 people). Just felt so crowded and not relaxing for us who spend all day there. This is just my opinion and some don't care much about the pool. Also our room was too far to main pool for as much as we go back & forth to room for naps, etc. Too much walking for a 2yr old & 4 yr old. Otherwise, theming is nice, food court is good. Hope this helps.

 

[fran99999]

I have to agree, I loved the look and feel of the CBR. But the hot tub was always filled with kids, and they keep getting in and out. Splashing, playing ball, etc. I also would like to point out the hot tub is just that a hot tub--no bubbles. The pool also wasn't heated. There is very limited shaded seating by the pool. Maybe it is now.

The view of the water was wonderful. You could sit in hammocks on the beach very relaxing. If you have to go to the front desk for anything, take the bus it was quite a walk from my building. But although it was a walk from the room to the main building it was actually nice to walk and chat to the people walking at the same time or to my family.

 

[scoutsmom99]

Don't know if you read the CBR thread or not, but I posted a review there from my stay in late January and I thought I would copy and paste it here for you.

I just got back from a 7 night stay at CBR last night and it was great ! I checked in on Wed 1/19 around 12:30pmish and there were a few other families that checked in at the same time (we were all on the same mears bus) and I can't remember the name of the guy that checked me in, but I asked him if I could get a room in Jamaica and he said he would check. Well I got Jamaica Building 44 room 4402. It was a lower level room facing the circle drive that fronts buildings 44,45,46. The location was great I could easily get to the bus stop in just a couple minutes and I had about a 6 minute walk to OPR.

The staff at CBR was also great! I sent a package UPS to myself at the resort and it wasn't there when I checked in, but it did arrive my first day and the front desk brought it to my room at 11:30pm at night. Also housekeeping was wonderful and always left extra soaps! I even had the same bell man who brought me to my room help me when I left and he remembered all of the stuff I told him when I arrived it was fabulous. The cast members in the food court were also very pleasant and nice to talk to.

The busses were great I only had one long wait my frist day for an MGM-Studios bus, but other than that busses ran more frequently then the 20 minutes or so they told me at check-in.

I didn't do any swimming a little chilly for my tastes, but plenty of people were in the main pool at OPR. On Sunday and Monday nights when it was chilly you could see steam coming off of the pools.


I did eat at the food court for a few meals at the end of my trip and it was nice they had a good variety to pick from and they were very efficient. If anyone has any questions I would be happy to answer them.

 

[safetymom]

The pool is heated to 82 degrees. The hot tub also has bubbles which is controlled by a knob on the wall.

 

[fran99999]

I beg to differ but the Hot tub button had been removed and the pool was not heated per the life guard. Maybe because it was September. The life guard did tell me the water was warmer than usual though as he watched the temp. When I asked about the hot tub, he actually didnt have an answer. A couple who overheard me said they go there all the time. DVC members. They said the hot tub hasnt had the button for quite some time, the kids kept breaking it, so they just covered it over one day. I tend to believe her, I mean why would she lie.

Also as I said I went last September maybe these issues I and several other guests brought up with the front desk have been fixed. I hope so. I will be making reservations for my sister's anniversary surprise trip for 2/06 . I thought this would be a good resort as it is so relaxing and lovely to look at. With 4 kids the Caribean will be a way off for them for quite some time.

 

[DissyLove]

When I was at the CBR last month, I had no trouble getting chairs or anything, and I could swear that the hot tub had bubbles and there was a knob for it. However we only used the pool area at night so it might be more crowded during the day.

 

[murph103]

We were there back in July and we loved it. We were in Jamaica 45, right near the bus stop and just across the bridge to OPR. We had a corner room on the second floor, and it was very quiet. There were people in the room next to us, but we never heard them...and they had young kids.

When we go back to Disney in 2006, we'll definately stay at CBR again.

 

[caitycaity]

I really do not like to be negative about any Disney resort but I do have to be honest and say, this is my least favorite resort. The overall main reason is the main pool and hot tub are very small, especially considering the size of the resort.

i agree. we felt it was too big and the bus service wasn't as good at other resorts we've stayed at. i also thought the theming was boring and not distinctive enough.

we had a fine time, but we won't be staying there again.

 

[jaysmom4285]

Count me in with those who liked CBR a lot. Like murph103, we were also in Jamaica 45, which is close to everything, and is a very quiet location. It seems to be a given that the CBR main pool is smaller than those at other resorts. If you're going in warm weather and this is a big deal to you and you have kids who want a large pool and will spend a lot of time in it, that would be a consideration. We spent most of our time in the parks, and we don't have small children, so it wasn't an issue for us. The quiet pools are smaller, but they are rarely crowded. We have had no problem with the bus transportation and never waited more than ten minutes for any bus. The food court had an excellent and varied selection and, although it doesn't seem all that big, it handled large numbers of people very efficiently. The resort is big, but it isn't hard to request a location that is close to Old Port Royale without paying extra for a preferred room. We thought that the theming was perfect with the vivid pastel colors for the villages, and the extensive white sand beaches and lush landscaping - not boring at all for us.

 

[crickee]

We recently came back from CBR; we were there from 2/16 - 2/22 and had a wonderful time. We stayed in Jamaica 45, room 4539, which overlooks a very pretty courtyard. The walk to Old Port Royale was only about 5 minutes, which we enjoyed. We would wander through the little island where you find benches, and hammocks. Our room was quite nice, I believe the rooms are bigger than the other mods; even with four people there was plenty of room. Everything was clean and bright and mousekeeping made towel animals twice during our stay! I will say the mattresses are not the greatest - very squishy and lumpy. This wasn't a problem for our family, but might be a concern for those with bad backs. We were only a little ways from a beach with a playground. These are near the quiet pools and I think all of these quiet pool areas also have laundry facilities. That made it great to relax at the pool or beach while doing laundry.
We found the food court to be very good and the service usually speedy, except during the morning rush.

I would highly recommend this resort. With the beautiful weather we had, we really felt as though we were on the islands. Very relaxing.