Caribbean Beach FAQ part VI

[Pirate princess 2]

Hi all,
We just returned from our stay at CBR. We were there Aug 25 through Sept 3. It was a great resort. It is big and sometimes after coming back from the parks we didn't feel like walking to Port Royale for drinks, but otherwise the size didn't bother us. The buses ran very smothly. In fact, I would say they ran better than the buses at our Beach Club stay last year. The room was very clean. The beds were very comfortable. I usually have trouble sleeping in hotels, but I did not have any trouble here. We were in Jamaica 41. We saw them painting all of the Jamaica signs. They were also doing quite a bit of landscaping. They were taking out some very large bushes/plants. I also noticed as we were waiting for our Magical Express motorcoach to take us back to MCO, that at the Customs House they were doing some surveying (with surveying equipment, not asking people questions ) The pools were fantastic. Everyone in my family said they would stay there again.

 

[Pirate princess 2]

Sorry I forgot to mention that we had a working fridge.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Hi all,
We just returned from our stay at CBR. We were there Aug 25 through Sept 3. It was a great resort. It is big and sometimes after coming back from the parks we didn't feel like walking to Port Royale for drinks, but otherwise the size didn't bother us. The buses ran very smothly. In fact, I would say they ran better than the buses at our Beach Club stay last year. The room was very clean. The beds were very comfortable. I usually have trouble sleeping in hotels, but I did not have any trouble here. We were in Jamaica 41. We saw them painting all of the Jamaica signs. They were also doing quite a bit of landscaping. They were taking out some very large bushes/plants. I also noticed as we were waiting for our Magical Express motorcoach to take us back to MCO, that at the Customs House they were doing some surveying (with surveying equipment, not asking people questions ) The pools were fantastic. Everyone in my family said they would stay there again.

Sorry I forgot to mention that we had a working fridge.

Thanks so much for your review and update on the fridge situation. I'm glad to hear that you had such a great time at the resort.

 

[MinnieSummer]

Sorry I forgot to mention that we had a working fridge.

Did you happen to hear if everyone had a new fridge or was it just a few rooms? We will be there in three weeks and we have friends coming that will be there for a week. They really need a fridge for milk and such for the kids.

 

[Mommiesblessings2]

Hi all,
We just returned from our stay at CBR. We were there Aug 25 through Sept 3. It was a great resort. It is big and sometimes after coming back from the parks we didn't feel like walking to Port Royale for drinks, but otherwise the size didn't bother us. The buses ran very smothly. In fact, I would say they ran better than the buses at our Beach Club stay last year. The room was very clean. The beds were very comfortable. I usually have trouble sleeping in hotels, but I did not have any trouble here. We were in Jamaica 41. We saw them painting all of the Jamaica signs. They were also doing quite a bit of landscaping. They were taking out some very large bushes/plants. I also noticed as we were waiting for our Magical Express motorcoach to take us back to MCO, that at the Customs House they were doing some surveying (with surveying equipment, not asking people questions ) The pools were fantastic. Everyone in my family said they would stay there again.

So great to hear a recent trip report! Thank you for sharing!!

 

[dhorner233]

Sorry I forgot to mention that we had a working fridge.

That's what I was looking for!!

 

[Pirate princess 2]

Did you happen to hear if everyone had a new fridge or was it just a few rooms? We will be there in three weeks and we have friends coming that will be there for a week. They really need a fridge for milk and such for the kids.

I did not hear anything specific about the fridge situation. I did not request one, just happened to get one. Sorry I can't be more helpful. I took it as a good sign that we had one without even requesting one.

 

[MinnieSummer]

Thanks. It seems most people at CBR have new fridges

 

[musicmama]

Just got back from a stay in Barbados, building 14. First time at CBR and last time at CBR, it was that much of a disappointment. This was a splurge, thanks to Disney room sale and Orbitz extra coupon. Had I paid full rack rate or even just the room discount, I'd have been even more disappointed.

No fridge, just a letter in the compartment. We didn't get the original letter, maybe because I booked through Orbitz? However, we did get the $ 15./day credit, when I inquired about the situation at the desk.

Barbados, at least our room, clearly needed refurbishment - molding coming off the wall so that you could see the drywall/stucco, overall run-down feeling BUT the room had a new RFID lock and the old Nemo mini-blanket. Air conditioner had 2 temperatures - warm and freezing. Asked for extra blankets to counteract the freezing temp, but they never arrived. An annoying amount of flying critters in the bathroom area but as long as we kept the divider curtain closed, they stayed there.

Room seemed marginally larger than Pop and the pillows were definitely nicer. Never made it into the pool but the hammocks on the beach were nice for an hour or so.

Really wish I had more nice things to say, but our expectations were definitely not met. Maybe they were just too high.

 

[Mrs. M. Mouse]

Just got back from a stay in Barbados, building 14. First time at CBR and last time at CBR, it was that much of a disappointment. This was a splurge, thanks to Disney room sale and Orbitz extra coupon. Had I paid full rack rate or even just the room discount, I'd have been even more disappointed.

No fridge, just a letter in the compartment. We didn't get the original letter, maybe because I booked through Orbitz? However, we did get the $ 15./day credit, when I inquired about the situation at the desk.

Barbados, at least our room, clearly needed refurbishment - molding coming off the wall so that you could see the drywall/stucco, overall run-down feeling BUT the room had a new RFID lock and the old Nemo mini-blanket. Air conditioner had 2 temperatures - warm and freezing. Asked for extra blankets to counteract the freezing temp, but they never arrived. An annoying amount of flying critters in the bathroom area but as long as we kept the divider curtain closed, they stayed there.

Room seemed marginally larger than Pop and the pillows were definitely nicer. Never made it into the pool but the hammocks on the beach were nice for an hour or so.

Really wish I had more nice things to say, but our expectations were definitely not met. Maybe they were just too high.

Did you voice your concerns to the front desk staff about your room? The bugs would've creeped my kids out and no way would they have stayed in the room, let alone me!

Jamaica 45 had the nemo wall paper boarder and the nemo blanket runner too though our room was tidy and no sign of mold. Our air conditioner had 4 settings, low/ high and cold/warm lol.

We were one of the lucky ones with a "working" fridge but had ordered a styrofoam cooler from garden grocer that kept our drinks much colder!

I loved the quietness of this resort and was disappointed we didn't take a full resort day to relax on the hammocks! Kids loved the pool slides.

 

[musicmama]

Did you voice your concerns to the front desk staff about your room? The bugs would've creeped my kids out and no way would they have stayed in the room, let alone me!

I mentioned the bugs, the air conditioner and the molding to the front desk. They didn't see it as enough of an issue to try and move us - we were only staying 3 nights and it wasn't as apparent until later in the second night (we were so tired the first night that we fell right to sleep). The bugs were the little flying things and weren't really creepy, just annoying.

The settings were there on the air conditioner, they just didn't work.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Just got back from a stay in Barbados, building 14. First time at CBR and last time at CBR, it was that much of a disappointment. This was a splurge, thanks to Disney room sale and Orbitz extra coupon. Had I paid full rack rate or even just the room discount, I'd have been even more disappointed.

No fridge, just a letter in the compartment. We didn't get the original letter, maybe because I booked through Orbitz? However, we did get the $ 15./day credit, when I inquired about the situation at the desk.

Barbados, at least our room, clearly needed refurbishment - molding coming off the wall so that you could see the drywall/stucco, overall run-down feeling BUT the room had a new RFID lock and the old Nemo mini-blanket. Air conditioner had 2 temperatures - warm and freezing. Asked for extra blankets to counteract the freezing temp, but they never arrived. An annoying amount of flying critters in the bathroom area but as long as we kept the divider curtain closed, they stayed there.

Room seemed marginally larger than Pop and the pillows were definitely nicer. Never made it into the pool but the hammocks on the beach were nice for an hour or so.

Really wish I had more nice things to say, but our expectations were definitely not met. Maybe they were just too high.

I really hate to hear that the room conditions were not up to par. I would have definitely had the manager get involved and move me to another room. There's no need for you to be in a room, for any amount of time, with mold in it.

I recommend that you write a letter to Disney and let them know about the situation and how it was handled. Unless guests fill them in on what's going on, they never know.

As far as the flying bugs are concerned, it seems like those darn things are everywhere in the South. Too bad they decided to congregate in your bathroom.

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Wow, I'm getting nervous -- 42 sleeps to go and this seems to be the most bashed of all the Disney World properties -- I'm wondering if I should change to POR or CSR? Is it possible all the negativity is due to this being the oldest of the Disney moderates, which would certainly account for the comments about it being tired and dated? Or, is it that because it is Caribbean Beach there is an expectation that it is the equivalent of Atlantis?

With the 30% off deal, I can stay AKL for only $400 more.

TIA,

Tom

 

[Pirate princess 2]

I liked CBR better than POR and BC. The busses ran smoother than either of the other resorts. It is quite a quick bus ride to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Our only issue was the size and walking to Port Royale. Even that wasn't bad. It is all a matter of personal preference. But I would say you should give CBR a try. If you're unhappy with your room, Disney will usually do something about it. It is very unfortunate when Disney doesn't fix a room issue for someone. All I can tell you is CBR is a very pleasant resort.

 

[MinnieSummer]

I really hate to hear that the room conditions were not up to par. I would have definitely had the manager get involved and move me to another room. There's no need for you to be in a room, for any amount of time, with mold in it.

I recommend that you write a letter to Disney and let them know about the situation and how it was handled. Unless guests fill them in on what's going on, they never know.

As far as the flying bugs are concerned, it seems like those darn things are everywhere in the South. Too bad they decided to congregate in your bathroom.

There was never a mention of mold in the room. Just bugs, and the molding coming off the wall. But I agree that sending a letter to Guest Relations is justified. The molding falling off the wall is unnacceptable. Unfortunately, in FL, whenever you open a door to the outside at night and there is an interior light on, the bugs will swarm in. Then, they will congregate to the light. It is disgusting but a fact of life. I discovered that if you turn out all the lights and open the door the bugs tend to fly back out, especially if you are near a bright light.

 

[mickeystoontown]

There was never a mention of mold in the room. Just bugs, and the molding coming off the wall. But I agree that sending a letter to Guest Relations is justified. The molding falling off the wall is unnacceptable. Unfortunately, in FL, whenever you open a door to the outside at night and there is an interior light on, the bugs will swarm in. Then, they will congregate to the light. It is disgusting but a fact of life. I discovered that if you turn out all the lights and open the door the bugs tend to fly back out, especially if you are near a bright light.

I misread. Thanks for correcting me.

The bugs are crazy here in Louisiana too!

 

[kimmy85]

Wow, I'm getting nervous -- 42 sleeps to go and this seems to be the most bashed of all the Disney World properties -- I'm wondering if I should change to POR or CSR? Is it possible all the negativity is due to this being the oldest of the Disney moderates, which would certainly account for the comments about it being tired and dated? Or, is it that because it is Caribbean Beach there is an expectation that it is the equivalent of Atlantis?

With the 30% off deal, I can stay AKL for only $400 more.

IMHO, the answer is "research"! I am 15 days away and I have no frame of reference since it has been over 10 years since my last visit. DH & I knew we wanted a Mod (can't afford Deluxe and we didn't want to go with the theming at Values). I let him pick and it was CBR.

After spending time (way too much ) on these very helpful boards, I know that I am going to a beautiful resort which is very spread out and the oldest Mod that WDW built. We realize that we may or may not have a fridge (got a backup plan) and that the rooms may not be perfect since this resort is scheduled to undergo refurbishment in April.

BUT, if there is something seriously gross/unsafe in the room, I will definitely go to the Front Desk Manager.

I guess everyone has a different viewpoint. I've done my research so I've set our expectations accordingly. Either way - I'm on a Disney Vacation!!!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

IMHO, the answer is "research"! I am 15 days away and I have no frame of reference since it has been over 10 years since my last visit. DH & I knew we wanted a Mod (can't afford Deluxe and we didn't want to go with the theming at Values). I let him pick and it was CBR.

After spending time (way too much ) on these very helpful boards, I know that I am going to a beautiful resort which is very spread out and the oldest Mod that WDW built. We realize that we may or may not have a fridge (got a backup plan) and that the rooms may not be perfect since this resort is scheduled to undergo refurbishment in April.

BUT, if there is something seriously gross/unsafe in the room, I will definitely go to the Front Desk Manager.

I guess everyone has a different viewpoint. I've done my research so I've set our expectations accordingly. Either way - I'm on a Disney Vacation!!!!

Your advise was very good as is your outlook on your upcoming visit. Having said that, we have never had any major room issues during any of our CBR stays. Like you, if I were to encounter anything gross/unsafe in the room, I'd go straight to the front desk and let them know about it. If they didn't want to correct the matter, I'd ask for a manager.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

IMHO, the answer is "research"! I am 15 days away and I have no frame of reference since it has been over 10 years since my last visit. DH & I knew we wanted a Mod (can't afford Deluxe and we didn't want to go with the theming at Values). I let him pick and it was CBR.

After spending time (way too much ) on these very helpful boards, I know that I am going to a beautiful resort which is very spread out and the oldest Mod that WDW built. We realize that we may or may not have a fridge (got a backup plan) and that the rooms may not be perfect since this resort is scheduled to undergo refurbishment in April.

BUT, if there is something seriously gross/unsafe in the room, I will definitely go to the Front Desk Manager.

I guess everyone has a different viewpoint. I've done my research so I've set our expectations accordingly. Either way - I'm on a Disney Vacation!!!!

This is exactly my way of thinking too. I know it's the oldest Mod, so I'm not expecting brand-new looking rooms. If I find something unacceptable then I will say something, otherwise I'll just be happy to be there. Especially since I'm checking in TOMORROW!!!

 

[kimmy85]

This is exactly my way of thinking too. I know it's the oldest Mod, so I'm not expecting brand-new looking rooms. If I find something unacceptable then I will say something, otherwise I'll just be happy to be there. Especially since I'm checking in TOMORROW!!!

I am sooooooo jealous! Have a great time and if you get the chance, please let us know what your fridge situation is. Thanks!!