Caribbean Beach FAQ part V

[jeanylaser]

thanks for the info! I can't wait to see the decorations on December!

 

[mcd2745]

Thanks to everyone for all the great information about this Resort. My somewhat soon-to-be DH and I will be visiting here for our honeymoon May 1 - May 8, 2011 and I've been reading so many comments about the bus situation here being so unpredictable. I have my fingers crossed that we'll have at least a moderate experience during our trip.

We are already booked but considering making a building request - we are thinking about the Martinique or Trinidad North since they are close to the OPR, but we have no problem with walking long distances so maybe other buildings are just as nice. Does anyone have any suggestions for us as first time visitors to CBR?

I'm going to assume you have a standard room reservation. My recommendation would be to request either building 45 Jamiaca (my personal choice) or 51 Aruba. They are both at the the foot of the brige to OPR - and therefore not a long walk at all, but a very nice one across Caribbean Cay (be sure to find the hammocks on the island!). Also, Jamaica 45 is very close to quiet pool/laundry and beach area as well.

Buses seem to be a wild-card. Some people have great experiences, others horror stories. A lot of it is luck. If you're going to MK and you get to the bus stop right after a MK bus just left, you will wait a while. On the other hand, there may be someome else waiting there for 20 minutes and you stroll up and a MK bus pulls up moments later. You're both on the same bus but will report an entirely different experience.

 

[dis_guy]

We were at CBR from Sept 26 - Sept 30. The buses were a complete nightmare. There was standing room only, and the amount of people waiting at the bus stops were huge. Our last day there, we saw a line forming at the Barbados bus stop leading all the way up the sidewalk towards the parking lot. We couldn't believe it.


Good luck.

Good gosh! We were there for Christmas week last year and never saw anything near that. Did they just not have enough buses running?

 

[dormouse72]

Actually, I have great memories of the buses at CBR. The last time I stayed there DD12 was DD3 and my little dancing banana was still just a pea in the pod (I had NO problems walking - or rather waddling - anywhere in the resort even at 5 months pregnant).

We were in Trinidad North and I can remember that because DD(then)3 would say "Next stop - Aruba! After that, Trinidad North! That's us!" while on the potty (I have no idea why she did it but she did - every day for a week). It was pretty funny to keep hearing the bus stops coming from the bathroom. I don't remember any major waits but then again it was right after 9/11 so lots of people weren't travelling. I'm going back in January and am actually thinking of requesting Aruba so I can hear the bus driver say "Next stop - Aruba!"

The POR board had the same complaints about the buses going there when we went in October 2009 and it wasn't all that bad. But then again I also burst out into uncontrollable giggles when I hear the monorail say "Please stand clear of the closing doors" in Spanish, so I might not be the harshest critic of the Disney transportation system. It's clean, takes me everywhere I want to go, AND it's free! That's more than I can say for the transit system here at home

 

[catbertdave99]

Actually, I have great memories of the buses at CBR. The last time I stayed there DD12 was DD3 and my little dancing banana was still just a pea in the pod (I had NO problems walking - or rather waddling - anywhere in the resort even at 5 months pregnant).

We were in Trinidad North and I can remember that because DD(then)3 would say "Next stop - Aruba! After that, Trinidad North! That's us!" while on the potty (I have no idea why she did it but she did - every day for a week). It was pretty funny to keep hearing the bus stops coming from the bathroom. I don't remember any major waits but then again it was right after 9/11 so lots of people weren't travelling. I'm going back in January and am actually thinking of requesting Aruba so I can hear the bus driver say "Next stop - Aruba!"

The POR board had the same complaints about the buses going there when we went in October 2009 and it wasn't all that bad. But then again I also burst out into uncontrollable giggles when I hear the monorail say "Please stand clear of the closing doors" in Spanish, so I might not be the harshest critic of the Disney transportation system. It's clean, takes me everywhere I want to go, AND it's free! That's more than I can say for the transit system here at home

Thanks for this post - I love this! And I agree -- the buses are clean, take me everywhere I want to go, and it's free! I love not driving!!

 

[patclairesmom]

Has anyone done the fishing excursion out of CBR and how was it? We did it a couple of years ago out of the Poly and I didn't realize that the bay around CBR was that large.

 

[jeanylaser]

good question! I don't know!

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

Thanks for this post - I love this! And I agree -- the buses are clean, take me everywhere I want to go, and it's free! I love not driving!!

I totally agree! We have stayed at POFQ, CBR and WL. We have dined at probably every Deluxe resort that has a TS restaurant and I have to say the best Bus Svc. we've ever had has been at CBR!!!!! We have never encountered the rude people there that we encountered at the POFQ Bus Stop. There would be people waiting and they should have been first in line when a bus pulled up, and just in time for a bus, 20 + people walked up to the stop and jumped to the front of the line, so much so that the bus was filled and the people who had been there waiting then had to wait for another bus. It was awful, we will never stay there again just based on that!!! We encountered similar issues at the Deluxes, it was so upsetting. I'll take all the various stops at CBR any day of the week!!!!

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

Can anyone figure out how to make 10 months go by faster so I can be back at CBR soon?!

 

[jeanylaser]

yeah me too! CBR is the best!

 

[dis_guy]

Can anyone figure out how to make 10 months go by faster so I can be back at CBR soon?!

Patience helps. Like saying that makes waiting any easier. It was 10 months for us not long ago and now we're at a few weeks out. I've been having disturbing thoughts that the trip will soon be over!

 

[clrklady]

I have a trip planned for Feb 2011.. ..I wanted cbr really bad, but all that was left was King bed rooms. I am going with a friend and although the King bed isn't a big deal to either one of us, I am wondering about the double sinks? Are there double sinks in the King beds? I know the standards have a double sink, but I've never stayed in a king, and I'm not sure but that might make a difference to me. I've stayed at POR, but I prefer cbr.....this sink deal though might make or break it! Can anybody tell me for sure?

 

[sarbah77]

We have never encountered the rude people there that we encountered at the POFQ Bus Stop. There would be people waiting and they should have been first in line when a bus pulled up, and just in time for a bus, 20 + people walked up to the stop and jumped to the front of the line, so much so that the bus was filled and the people who had been there waiting then had to wait for another bus. It was awful, we will never stay there again just based on that!!! We encountered similar issues at the Deluxes, it was so upsetting. I'll take all the various stops at CBR any day of the week!!!!

We had the same experience at POR on the Epcot bound buses one day. I was SO furious I think my husband was afraid he'd have to physically restrain me. That's half the reason I wanted to stay a not Port Orleans - I'm SO tired of sharing buses with another resort!! It came over, half full, from POFQ and the grumble grumble cuss whine moan.

(those of us who got on the next bus were ALL grumpy) What it taught me, though, was that ANYTHING can happen on any given day... and that maybe for CBR next July, I'll want to sleep in and get to the parks after the rush. (My husband does this when I suggest that: I intend to prove him wrong!)

 

[CTPacky]

The King Bed rooms have double sinks.

 

[verticalchaos]

Thanks for this post - I love this! And I agree -- the buses are clean, take me everywhere I want to go, and it's free! I love not driving!!

Amen!!!!! Are there times you might have to stand on a bus? Yep. Sure are. It can happen at ANY resort. There are plenty of hand holds for those who have to stand. It's really not a big deal. If you never want the possibility of having to stand, then driving yourself is probably your best option.

But hey...if you do use the bus service and have to stand, think of it as part of your workout! You're working your core as you're keeping your balance. Really. We do it all the time in NYC...and I guarantee we have much jerkier rides on public transport here. I stand all the time and have never been hurt.

 

[joybeth]

I just got done switching our POR reservation for December to CBR. It will be my third stay at CBR and we didn't have any complaints about the busses on either of our 2 stays. I know that from time to time there will be a wait and so I don't get upset. Actually the worst bus service I've ever had was last December at POFQ. It was the worst I have ever experienced. Can't wait to return to CBR this December!

jb

 

[ronnmel]

Thanks to everyone for all the great information about this Resort. My somewhat soon-to-be DH and I will be visiting here for our honeymoon May 1 - May 8, 2011 and I've been reading so many comments about the bus situation here being so unpredictable. I have my fingers crossed that we'll have at least a moderate experience during our trip.

We are already booked but considering making a building request - we are thinking about the Martinique or Trinidad North since they are close to the OPR, but we have no problem with walking long distances so maybe other buildings are just as nice. Does anyone have any suggestions for us as first time visitors to CBR?

Trinidad North is the Pirates roon, which cost extra. Lots of the rooms in Martinique are Preferred rooms, which also cost extra. So I would have to agree with the PP who suggested Aruba or Jamaica. But even if you don't get the exact buildings he suggested, the walking is not that bad. Last year I was in building 56 of Aruba, which was the furthest away from the island out of all Aruba. It took between 5-10 minutes to walk to Old Port Royal. On the other hand, we could not have been closer to the bus stop, and to us that was worth a lot more at the end of a long day. I'm thinking the only really bad village to be in must be Barbados in terms of being far away from the food court.

As for the bus, we never waited that long. In fact our longest bus waits were at deluxe resorts (Poly when trying to go from MK to Downtown Disney, and Beach Club when trying to go from Epcot to Typhoon Lagoon)! Oh, and one other good thing about Jamaica and Aruba is that most of the times you are the first/second to get on and off the buses.

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

I just got done switching our POR reservation for December to CBR. It will be my third stay at CBR and we didn't have any complaints about the busses on either of our 2 stays. I know that from time to time there will be a wait and so I don't get upset. Actually the worst bus service I've ever had was last December at POFQ. It was the worst I have ever experienced. Can't wait to return to CBR this December!

jb

That's exactly when we were there, and the Bus Svc. was horrible at POFQ.

 

[Port Orleans fan]

Good gosh! We were there for Christmas week last year and never saw anything near that. Did they just not have enough buses running?

I still don't understand why the crowds of people were terrible at CBR. I remember telling my DW that this is the time of year where WDW was suppose to be slow. We were able to relax a lot more after transferring over to CSR, the bus situation was SO MUCH better.

 

[aubriee]

We just got back late last night from CBR. The resort was pretty, bus service was OK, and we had a wonderful housekeeper. When I booked the resort I made requests for first floor, Jamaica 45, Aruba 51, or Martinique 21, 22, or 23 (in that order). We arrived about noon and our room in Aruba 51 (5114) was ready. When we got to the room, we found it was first floor, facing a courtyard with just a tiny twinge of a parking lot view, if you really looked for it. Room was spotless (no dust anywhere) and had two towel animals (a rabbit pen holder on the nightstand and a large rabbit toilet paper roll cover on the commode). We also got two more towel animals during the week (a turtle and an angel). However, we really didn't care for the resort. It felt like it was a mile to the Jamaica bus stop, which was still closer than the Aruba bus stop though. Thank goodness Jamaica was nearly always the first stop, because the buses quickly filled up, before the last stops. Also the bus stops at the parks seemed to be further than the other moderates. At Epcot the other three moderates were right there as you exited the park, but CBR was way further down in the next section, closer to where the value bus stops are, except off to the right. We only ate at the food court once, but my french fries were stone cold. We tried three different nights to use the main pool, but it was always packed, as were the hot tubs. We could never get into either one. Also it seemed no one paid any attention to the smoking sections. We saw people smoking every where and CMs never said a word to them. Also something happened that sort of frightened (startled me more really). My husband had went to refill our mugs one night, while I took a bath. Just as I was getting out of the tub, someone started messing with the door handle. I quickly dressed and went to check it out, just to find someone had slid a pizza flyer in the door. No problem really, but then it happened again two nights later. Again it startled me more than anything, but I didn't like someone rattling my door handle. Also one other small thing. I'm not a shower person. I'm one who loves my bubble baths at the end of the day. Our first night back from the parks, I discovered that our tub didn't have a stopper of any kind in it. When I called maintenance they came right over and replaced it and the guy said that he wasn't surprised, as quite a few of them had rusted out and just hadn't been replaced. It didn't take him two minutes to screw another one in though. Again the resort was really pretty and we didn't have any big problems, but somehow the resort just didn't feel right. I'm glad I gave it another chance though and am not sorry we stayed there. I may even stay there again, but if I do, it will be a few years. It just didn't feel like one of those places I need to rush back to. I still prefer the other three moderates to CBR, but am glad WDW makes resorts for every one.

Too bad Disney can't combine the best features of each resort: the great bus service at CSR, the compactness of POFQ, the nice boat ride to DTD from POFQ and PORS, the central location of CBR, and the great food courts at CSR and PORS. lol