Caribbean Beach Resort FAQ

[caitycaity]

dodie that's really bad!

we also never rent a car and will be staying at cbr in august for the first time. i have been really worried about the transportation. hopefully they will get it worked out before then. i don't mind waiting 20-30 minutes but 45+ is just ridiculous!

 

[ChairborneRangr]

Although it wasn't at CBR I had a similar experience in Mar 2002. We saw 2 or three rounds of busses come and go, so I stopped the next bus to any destination. After that I started to check with the next bus driver to any destination after waiting over 10 minutes. Especially if there already is a line that has been there for a while. The bus drivers were always polite and responsive, and after radioing it in, our bus showed up within 5 min.

I understand Disney has a lot of people to deal with, but I am PAYING to be in the parks, not to wait at a bus stop. If a late bus keeps me out of the park for an hour, it costs my family $62.50 (prorating park passes and hotel fees for the portion of the day I missed)

That is unacceptable. If the busses are full they need to run more of them. That is part of why we are paying more to stay on property. If the bus system isn't going to be convenient, I may as well stay at the Maingate Holiday Inn in a family suite for $99 (which includes breakfast BTW), and spend the remainder on cab fare or a rental car to get me where I want to go WHEN I want to go.

I am NOT goint to pay to be onsite AND rent a car. That is completely unacceptable to me. And since Disney has decided not to make any REASONABLE allowances for a family with 4 kids, we have to get 2 value rooms. That doesn't allow for any of the monorail resorts, so we are stuck with the bus system. Which is fine when it works, and I've always had good drivers. WHen it doesn't work it really stinks though.

 

[safetymom]

Other than calling the transportation center did you do anything to let Disney know of the problem.

It is great to tell others but until Disney keeps hearing it from paying guests they aren't going to do a lot about it.

I can't speak to the issue because we always rent a car. I find the driving at Disney to be a pleasure compared to home.

I also would post a question to ask Chip and Dale on the transportation board what the procedure is for dispatching buses. Because according to him the buses are on a flexible demand basis. I don't think anyone should have to wait for 45 mins for a bus.

 

[Mousgroupy]

Well, what I think is the problem here is Disney's response to 9/11 and fewer travelers. I think we can all concede that WDW is weathering some severe repercussions (as is the world) in generated revenue. We were at Wilderness Lodge last year (2002) and dealt with bus issues there as well. I think there are always bus issues there since it has a weird bus schedule involving the campground...ANYWAY...my point is that I am sure they are running the minimum amount of buses at all times to cut costs. We have stayed at CBR twice before (1999, 2000) and thought the buses were GREAT! We are going in August and I am sure I will be as frustrated as anyone with waiting 45 minutes so I am going to try to do 2 things to keep my annoyance level at a simmering level (as opposed to boiling since I am the MOST impatient person I know):

1) Look around me...remember what a beautiful place I am in and how very lucky I am to even be siting here waiting for a bus...
to go to some incredibly fun place once I get on it and
2) Realize that the crunch is going to be felt somewhere. My hope is that I feel it in the transportation area and not the Disney Magic/Spirit of cast members.

Maybe that will help someone else...
I thought Chairborn was extremely articulate and totally understood his frustration so please don't mistake what I am saying. I just want to offer others my plan of attack!

 

[Momto8]

Dodie, Thanks for the report. I have been concerned about staying at CBR because of the transportation. Other than that I'm looking forward to staying there. We will be there on 6/7 for 6 nights and then going to AKL for 4 nights. My DH won't drive either. He likes taking Disney's transportation.

What building did you stay in? What building did the buses pick up at first?

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hmm... maybe the buses were full because it was the Memorial Day weekend? We stayed at CBR May 13-20 and thought the service was fine. The buses ran every 15-20 minutes, either from the resort to the parks or from the parks to the resort.

Dodie, sorry to hear about the bad experience. I think you should send a letter to Disney about what happened ... they should know what happened.

Momto8, Jamaica or Martinique were usually the first bus stops, depending on how the buses entered the resorts.

 

[Dodie]

Originally posted by bunnyfoo
Hmm... maybe the buses were full because it was the Memorial Day weekend?

Yes. That explains why the buses were full and/or crowded, but not why they were running only once per hour.

I didn't let this ruin my trip by any means. I noted it here only because, in all of our WDW trips (see the signature below) we have NEVER encountered this lack of bus service or the rudeness exhibited by the "it's not my fault" bus driver.

I believe I will send an e-mail to Disney, just so they are aware of it.

CBR was very nice. We enjoyed the food court. We stayed in Aruba 53. It was very quiet and peaceful, although the resort did appear to be crowded for the holiday. I got all of my requests (faxed 4 days prior): king bed, non-smoking, Aruba 52/53 or Jamaica 44/45/46.

We would stay there again, although honestly both personally preferred the theming of Port Orleans Riverside - which is pretty comparable in lay-out and amenities.

 

[Momto8]

Thanks, Bunnyfoo. So you can be the first or last stop if you're staying in Martinique or Jamaica, depending upon which way the buses are running.

 

[bunnyfoo]

tiggeroo42, it takes about 5-10 minutes to get to MGM and 10-15 to get to Epcot by bus.

 

[krs52]

My family will be staying at the CBR for the first time in Nov.
My kids like to take stuffed animals with them. When we
stayed at Port Orleans 3 years ago, housekeeping did
something creative with them every day. My kids loved it and
were so excited to get back to the room to see what they
did. Last year we stayed at Coronado Springs and they didn't
do the same thing. Anyone know if any housekeepers at
CBR do the same type of thing with stuffed animals?

 

[safetymom]

It depends on the housekeeper and it isn't something you should count on at every WDW resort. Some of the housekeepers are more creative than others. Also others report that they get them when they tip, others report it didn't make a difference.

 

[NYMac4]

Anyone know if any housekeepers at
CBR do the same type of thing with stuffed animals?


I don't know....our girls each had a small doll they took with them and the housekeeper made little animals out of washcloths that were cute and set them near their dolls on their pillows...

 

[brendaroo]

I have learned so much by reading this! I did not want to change the subject but I wanted to add info because I am now confused. I made ressies for 2 adults in sept/oct. When I made them I requested Martinique, king bed, water view(2nd honeymoon) Here is the thing, I also told them hubby was a smoker and SHE put us in as requesting bldg 25. I read through this post and that bldg is not on any smoking bldg list. Now I am not sure If I can rely on my ressies to be where I want to be because of the smoking thing! Why would she put us there if it was no smoking?
oops! needed to add that I called and spoke to different person to change my ressies for a different date. He also requested bldg 25 so my theory that it was an accident no longer holds true. Still confused!

 

[safetymom]

NYMac4 , yes they do that at CBR but it depends on the housekeeper as I mentioned above. It is a nice part of the Disney Magic when it happens.

 

[safetymom]

Maybe that is why my room smelled like smoke even when I had requested a non smoking room in 25. I would call and ask again.

 

[brendaroo]

Thanks Safetymom I wish DH would quit because as I hate to offend others who use the same areas. He is good about using designated areas though. That is why I am confused as this is posted as non smoking. I will call and ask directly what is going on with the smoking areas.
113 days left!

 

[safetymom]

Brendaroo, thanks for your consideration.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Wow, I found this thread on page 3! Thought it needed a Bump

The following is an excerpt from my trip report on the trip reports board:
We left between 10:30am and 11:00am and were at The Carribbean Beach Resort by about 1pm. As we pulled up to the Custom House we were amazed by the large crowds of people apparently checking in. Dad parked with the kids while Mom ran in to get on line. The line was LONG! But, it moved very quickly and I was checking in within 15 minutes. Dad and kids came in and I asked Dad to get on the Guest Services line to see if he could turn our vouchers(bought at AAA) in for the Play 4 days passes. Turns out you can't do that at the resort, must be done at the parks, oh well, can't hurt to ask. Well, nobody's rooms were ready, as I waited in line I kept hearing CM's telling the folks to call at 3pm to get their room number. Well, when it was my turn, surprise, our room was ready. Trinidad North Bldg 31 just as requested! Hurrah! We were on the second floor, room 3153.

OK, here' my resort review. We like this place...but we didn't love it. The set up is similar to, but not the same as, Coronado Springs. For some reason CBR just didn't grab me the way Coronado Springs did. Maybe because I'm a FL Resident so the palm trees don't do an awful lot for me. One thing I did like better at CBR is that the Food Court and restaurant were in the same place as the pool, very convenient. At Coronado Springs, they're in different directions however, Coronado Springs sells food by the pool and CBR doesn't, you have to go in to the food court which was a pain if you were dripping wet. Our room was nice and I loved the bright bed spreads. It didn't seem particularly big or small-it was just the right size with 2 double beds, a table and 2 chairs. There was also a bench type of thing which had hooks above it that were really great for hanging pin lanyards, fanny packs, hats, etc. We felt like there was alot of storage space in this room....more than the average hotel room and it helped us stay organized and not trash the room. The curtain to block off the vanity area was great for early risers to start the coffee and wash up without bothering anybody. It was also a good changing area for the modest among us. The pool seemed small and crowded to me. The one at CSR is MUCH bigger. The slide here was fun but nothing special, just a plain old slide. CSR wins the pool and slide contest in my opinion.

Anyway, we had a quick lunch in the food court(Penne Pasta for Mom, Pizza for Amanda, Chicken Nuggets Bucket for Billy, and Dbl Cheeseburger for Dad) Dad also got a refillable mug. Everybody was happy with their food except Amanda...we do not recommend the pizza...we all tried it and everybody agreed with her that it was pretty lousy. She shared bits of all of ours and everybody got fed.

 

[brendaroo]

Well, I called the CRO and I was told that they did not have a map in front of them that shows the smoking or non smoking areas while making reservations . When I told him that martinique was where she put us and I have a smoker, he said that that was only a requested building. Most likely, they would have informed me that he would have to smoke outside if we stayed in that bldg or we could request another area. I switched to trinidad # 31 which he confirmed was a smoking bldg after looking it up. Now we wont offend others. I cannot believe that they dont know this stuff at the reservations level. Good thing I did not have my heart set on the martinique!

 

[safetymom]

Thank you for the update. We have stayed many times in Trinidad North and enjoyed it.