Caribbean Beach FAQ Part IV

[DisneyToddlers]

Hi, I'm getting all excited for our first trip staying at CBR, 9/21-10/1. I love to look at this thread-thanks for all the great info and nice pics!

I have a question about the buses. We have 2 young children, ages 2 and 4, and we'll have a compact double stroller (well, as compact as a double stroller can be!), diaper bag, small cooler bag, etc. I like the idea of using Disney transportation, but DH has suggested renting a car. I think that besides the added expense, it won't be all that much easier. Can all of you CBR experts give us some more feedback on the bus situation when staying at this resort specifically (esp. with young kids)? Also, what are the easiest places to get to for ADR's?

Thanks so much!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Hi, I'm getting all excited for our first trip staying at CBR, 9/21-10/1. I love to look at this thread-thanks for all the great info and nice pics!

I have a question about the buses. We have 2 young children, ages 2 and 4, and we'll have a compact double stroller (well, as compact as a double stroller can be!), diaper bag, small cooler bag, etc. I like the idea of using Disney transportation, but DH has suggested renting a car. I think that besides the added expense, it won't be all that much easier. Can all of you CBR experts give us some more feedback on the bus situation when staying at this resort specifically (esp. with young kids)? Also, what are the easiest places to get to for ADR's?

Thanks so much!

The buses at the CBR have been very efficient all three times we have stayed there. No matter what resort you stay at, Disney will fill the bus to standing room only capacity.

Even if you had a single stroller, you would have to fold it up before getting on the bus.

The Disney buses will take you very near the park entrance. If you drive your own/rented vehicle, you will have to park in a parking lot and then take a tram to the park entrance. You will have to fold your stroller up in order to get on the tram. The tram will drop you off near the park entrance. Here's a pic of the tram:

If you are going to the Magic Kingdom and driving your own/rental car, you will park in a parking lot, take the tram to the Ticket & Transportation Center and then you'll have to either take the monorail or the ferry over to the park entrance. That's a big pain in the behind.

The only way you can get around not taking the tram, is if you are lucky enough to park near the front of the parking lot. In all of the years that we drove to the parks, we have parked near the front a total of three times!

If it were me, I'd just take the bus.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Can anyone tell me what the order is of the bus stops within CBR, both coming into the resort and leaving for the parks (not sure if they stop in different order, depending upon whether it's arriving or departing). Thanks.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I forgot to mention too that the trams don't have a dedicated line to get on them. See the red poles on the right of the picture and the solid yellow line, that's where everybody stands to wait for the next tram. They don't line up in a single line. They just stand behind the line and when the tram stops, it's basically a "free for all" to get on. It's very easy to get separated from your group. Several times, my husband and our daughter made it on with the folded stroller but my son and I couldn't get a seat. They had to wait on us at the park entrance.

The picture I posted was taken about 2:00 in the afternoon therefore it wasn't busy. But, in the mornings and the evenings, it's packed!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Can anyone tell me what the order is of the bus stops within CBR, both coming into the resort and leaving for the parks (not sure if they stop in different order, depending upon whether it's arriving or departing). Thanks.

I know that there is a certain order that they go in depending on their destination. But, for the life of me, I can't remember it. I do know that sometimes they start in Martinique and make their way around the resort until they reach exit. Other times, they start in Jamaica and make their way around.

 

[septbaby]

Can anyone tell me what the order is of the bus stops within CBR, both coming into the resort and leaving for the parks (not sure if they stop in different order, depending upon whether it's arriving or departing). Thanks.

I actually think it depends on where the bus is heading, sorry.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Hi, I'm getting all excited for our first trip staying at CBR, 9/21-10/1. I love to look at this thread-thanks for all the great info and nice pics!

I have a question about the buses. We have 2 young children, ages 2 and 4, and we'll have a compact double stroller (well, as compact as a double stroller can be!), diaper bag, small cooler bag, etc. I like the idea of using Disney transportation, but DH has suggested renting a car. I think that besides the added expense, it won't be all that much easier. Can all of you CBR experts give us some more feedback on the bus situation when staying at this resort specifically (esp. with young kids)? Also, what are the easiest places to get to for ADR's?

Thanks so much!

This was our first on stay visit ever two weeks ago. DH said he will never ever stay off site due to the transportation. The bus service was great. We had a Joovy Caboose sit and stand. Pretty big IMO. We did fine. DH would have the stroller. I would have DD 3 and the diaper bag and DS 9 would just follow us.

For it being a busy time of year we never had to stand. Oh yeah...DH stood once.

I recommend doing the transportation. LOTS of people have strollers. You will be fine.

Can anyone tell me what the order is of the bus stops within CBR, both coming into the resort and leaving for the parks (not sure if they stop in different order, depending upon whether it's arriving or departing). Thanks.

We stayed in Jamaica and it felt that 90% of the time we were the first stop. I believe going to DHS we were not the first stop. But for AK, Epcot adn MK we were the first or at least the second but I could be wrong.

We went during a busy time of year and never had to stand going to any park. DH did stand once coming home one night. We always had a seat any other time.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Thank you all for your quick responses!

 

[Moneypenny]

Can anyone tell me what the order is of the bus stops within CBR, both coming into the resort and leaving for the parks (not sure if they stop in different order, depending upon whether it's arriving or departing). Thanks.

When we were there last month, it felt like it was a different order every time. We were in Aruba, and sometimes the bus would circle the entire resort before heading off and sometimes it would make only one more stop before heading off. On the way back we were sometimes the 2nd drop off and sometimes nearly the last. We tried the whole darn week to figure it out, lol!

 

[DisneyToddlers]

The buses at the CBR have been very efficient all three times we have stayed there. No matter what resort you stay at, Disney will fill the bus to standing room only capacity.

Even if you had a single stroller, you would have to fold it up before getting on the bus.

The Disney buses will take you very near the park entrance. If you drive your own/rented vehicle, you will have to park in a parking lot and then take a tram to the park entrance. You will have to fold your stroller up in order to get on the tram. The tram will drop you off near the park entrance. Here's a pic of the tram:

If you are going to the Magic Kingdom and driving your own/rental car, you will park in a parking lot, take the tram to the Ticket & Transportation Center and then you'll have to either take the monorail or the ferry over to the park entrance. That's a big pain in the behind.

The only way you can get around not taking the tram, is if you are lucky enough to park near the front of the parking lot. In all of the years that we drove to the parks, we have parked near the front a total of three times!

If it were me, I'd just take the bus.

Oh, wow, I didn't know that most of the parking at the parks is so far away that you have to take a tram once you are in the lot! Thanks for the info and the pic!

 

[DisneyToddlers]

"This was our first on stay visit ever two weeks ago. DH said he will never ever stay off site due to the transportation. The bus service was great. We had a Joovy Caboose sit and stand. Pretty big IMO. We did fine. DH would have the stroller. I would have DD 3 and the diaper bag and DS 9 would just follow us.

For it being a busy time of year we never had to stand. Oh yeah...DH stood once.

I recommend doing the transportation. LOTS of people have strollers. You will be fine."


Thanks for the info-that's good to know. How long were your wait times usually?

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

For those asking about the CBR bus service - here is a quote from my January CBR review -

"Buses. I know this is a huge topic on these boards. Let me just say that we had THE BEST bus service we have ever had on this trip! We were either extremely lucky or they were just running a lot more buses than ever before. We would walk up to the bus stop and our bus would pull right up, nearly everytime! I don't think we ever sat down on the benches at the bus stop! Less than a 5 minute wait 90% of the time. It was awesome! Even leaving the parks was great. Maybe close to a 10 minute wait leaving MK one night. Even when we were leaving DTD one day we saw the CBR bus pulling out as we were walking out of the Marketplace. We thought we were going to have to wait at least 20 minutes for another bus. We walked over to the bus stop and sat down. A CBR bus pulled up in about 3 minutes! Couldn't believe it! Now there was one morning we did have a long wait. We walked out of our room in Aruba and could see the Epcot bus heading towards the stop. There was no way we would have caught it as we had just left the room. It was a good 25 minutes before another one came and it was packed. That was our only real wait for a bus and the only time we had to stand on the bus. Luckily it is a short ride to Epcot from CBR. Which brings me to the ride times. . . Most buses only made one more stop after we were picked up at Aruba – Barbados – then out. So 2 minutes on the bus and then we were headed to our destination. Only a few times did the buses have to make the rounds to all the stops before leaving the resort. They apparently had stopped at Jamaica first – we got on at Aruba – then stopped at Barbados, Martinique, OPR, Trinidad North, & Trinidad South – then out. We were on the bus for 8 minutes those times before leaving the resort. Not bad at all! Once the bus left the resort it was 3 minutes to DHS, 5-6 minutes to Epcot, 9 minutes to DTD, and 11 minutes to MK & AK. Very quick trips!"


We found that most buses started at Martinique and only a few at Jamaica. This was the opposite of the first time we stayed at CBR, when most of them started at Jamaica. But either way, the bus service was excellent!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh, wow, I didn't know that most of the parking at the parks is so far away that you have to take a tram once you are in the lot! Thanks for the info and the pic!

We always drive and have a car at our disposal. But, during two ten day stays, we drove our car once on the first trip and twice on the second trip. It totally wasn't worth the hassle of taking the tram and fighting the crowds. Even standing on the bus was better than the tram.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Thanks for the info-that's good to know. How long were your wait times usually?

I would say 5 minutes IF that all the time. Sometimes 5-10 minutes but not often. The most was maybe 20 minutes once for the MK. Buses came for every park else though.

We had our own car since we drove from NJ. We only used it once to go to Walmart.

 

[DisneyToddlers]

For those asking about the CBR bus service - here is a quote from my January CBR review -

"Buses. I know this is a huge topic on these boards. Let me just say that we had THE BEST bus service we have ever had on this trip! We were either extremely lucky or they were just running a lot more buses than ever before. We would walk up to the bus stop and our bus would pull right up, nearly everytime! I don't think we ever sat down on the benches at the bus stop! Less than a 5 minute wait 90% of the time. It was awesome! Even leaving the parks was great. Maybe close to a 10 minute wait leaving MK one night. Even when we were leaving DTD one day we saw the CBR bus pulling out as we were walking out of the Marketplace. We thought we were going to have to wait at least 20 minutes for another bus. We walked over to the bus stop and sat down. A CBR bus pulled up in about 3 minutes! Couldn't believe it! Now there was one morning we did have a long wait. We walked out of our room in Aruba and could see the Epcot bus heading towards the stop. There was no way we would have caught it as we had just left the room. It was a good 25 minutes before another one came and it was packed. That was our only real wait for a bus and the only time we had to stand on the bus. Luckily it is a short ride to Epcot from CBR. Which brings me to the ride times. . . Most buses only made one more stop after we were picked up at Aruba – Barbados – then out. So 2 minutes on the bus and then we were headed to our destination. Only a few times did the buses have to make the rounds to all the stops before leaving the resort. They apparently had stopped at Jamaica first – we got on at Aruba – then stopped at Barbados, Martinique, OPR, Trinidad North, & Trinidad South – then out. We were on the bus for 8 minutes those times before leaving the resort. Not bad at all! Once the bus left the resort it was 3 minutes to DHS, 5-6 minutes to Epcot, 9 minutes to DTD, and 11 minutes to MK & AK. Very quick trips!"


We found that most buses started at Martinique and only a few at Jamaica. This was the opposite of the first time we stayed at CBR, when most of them started at Jamaica. But either way, the bus service was excellent!

Great Bus Service review-thanks for all the info! I know your input helped me choose CBR last week-Thanks!

 

[DisneyToddlers]

I would say 5 minutes IF that all the time. Sometimes 5-10 minutes but not often. The most was maybe 20 minutes once for the MK. Buses came for every park else though.

We had our own car since we drove from NJ. We only used it once to go to Walmart.

Cool, thanks! I'll have to tell DH that you chose to use the buses even with you r own car. We are in NJ also, but northern NJ.

 

[DisneyToddlers]

OK, I have another question. I am a very light sleeper and DH moves a lot and snores. We are used to a king sized bed at home. In order to get a good nights sleep, I'd like to have us each sleep in one of the double beds and maybe bring a small kids sized air mattress for our four year old (also a restless sleeper). Is there room on the floor somewhere where it will be out of the way? We will also have to fit a pack and play or portacrib for our 2 year old. Can we do it or am I doomed to 10 nights of no sleep?

Do they have pack and plays or portacribs or both?

Thanks!

 

[Honeystar120608]

Hi, I'm getting all excited for our first trip staying at CBR, 9/21-10/1. I love to look at this thread-thanks for all the great info and nice pics!

I have a question about the buses. We have 2 young children, ages 2 and 4, and we'll have a compact double stroller (well, as compact as a double stroller can be!), diaper bag, small cooler bag, etc. I like the idea of using Disney transportation, but DH has suggested renting a car. I think that besides the added expense, it won't be all that much easier. Can all of you CBR experts give us some more feedback on the bus situation when staying at this resort specifically (esp. with young kids)? Also, what are the easiest places to get to for ADR's?

Thanks so much!

Hello, I just wanted to chime in a little since we went to DW in Dec with our (then) 2 and 3 yr old (they were almost 3 and 4). We did stay at ASmo...so as far as the bus stops go, I can't really say. We are doing CBR this Dec and are SUPER excited!
But I know what you mean about the bags and such with strollers and the kids. I really do think (imo) that the rental car is not needed and for the money, isn't worth it. Otherwise we would be getting one! lol We did have 2 hefty umbrella strollers, but we became a wizz at collapsing them. SO many people have strollers. Also, in the front portion of the bus with the seats that face each other, it's empty all underneath. So the strollers (well at least ours) fit under their nicely. If you DO get a full bus, which we did have with ASmo (i think it will be different at CBR though) there is always someone offering you a seat to sit with a child on your knee. I loved the respect that there was there, and just the common courtesy. It was really humbling. My kids LOVED the buses. We have taken city buses on occasion here at home, so it's a treat to them really. If it'd be the same for your kids, they will LOVE it.
You asked for ADR... for which meal? I haven't looked too far into this yet, but we had ADR for 8am at Crystal Palace and the buses (they didnt come as often) but we were picked up that early and brought to MK without much fuss. I HIGHLY recommend Crystal Palace with an early ADR. You get in an hour before the park opens, and it's beautiful and not crowded. It's also a time saver! If I remember correctly, I CBR is near POP and I remember passing POP on route to Downtown Disney. Really cool area, We went to TREX. Pretty neat restaurant! There is also a MacDonalds there. Now, we went penny pinching last time. Sharing meals and such just because we didnt want to spend the money, AND the Canadian dollar was/is bad. So to go to a MacDonalds, sit down and eat our own meals, the kids thought it was fantastic. lol
Also, it doesn't take a great deal to hop on the Monorail. As long as you know in your head where you have to go to allieviate any stressful situations. AND! You can always catch a cab if you want to! It's probably $8-$10 I think I read before our trip last year.
I think that is all I can think of for you.. Any questions, this is the place for them! I love this site!!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

OK, I have another question. I am a very light sleeper and DH moves a lot and snores. We are used to a king sized bed at home. In order to get a good nights sleep, I'd like to have us each sleep in one of the double beds and maybe bring a small kids sized air mattress for our four year old (also a restless sleeper). Is there room on the floor somewhere where it will be out of the way? We will also have to fit a pack and play or portacrib for our 2 year old. Can we do it or am I doomed to 10 nights of no sleep?

Do they have pack and plays or portacribs or both?

Thanks!

We used a twin size air mattress in January and there was plenty of room! Definitely enough room for it and a pack & play too. I'm not sure if the resorts have pack & plays or not though. . . We brought our air mattress and a sleeping bag and the kids took turns on those and we had plenty of room.

 

[septbaby]

OK, I have another question. I am a very light sleeper and DH moves a lot and snores. We are used to a king sized bed at home. In order to get a good nights sleep, I'd like to have us each sleep in one of the double beds and maybe bring a small kids sized air mattress for our four year old (also a restless sleeper). Is there room on the floor somewhere where it will be out of the way? We will also have to fit a pack and play or portacrib for our 2 year old. Can we do it or am I doomed to 10 nights of no sleep?

Do they have pack and plays or portacribs or both?

Thanks!

Well one thing I learned on this thread just this week (thanks safetymom) apparently families have set up their Disney supplied Pack 'n Play in the sink area of the restroom. That way you can pull the curtain across if the baby needs sleep and won't get so distracted by the activity in the room.

If you and DH are splitting the beds, could the 4yo sleep with DH? I think you'll have to look at the renovated room photos and determine if you think there will be enough room for the air mattress. Based on our 2007 stay I would say not really, but I guess if its not too big it could fit on the floor space between the door and one of the beds. We had a connecting room and the door was in that space. We were not using the connection.