Caribbean Beach Resort FAQ's Part II

[Eoywin]

My husband asks me about getting on the internet last night, for when we are in Disney. He wants to pop on to make sure his fantasy football team is good...

I have a laptop, but I wasn't going to bring it... and I just want to make sure I understand it correctly - we can hook up to the internet via an ethernet cord for a fee right??

Is there anywhere at CBR that DH could go and use a computer so I wouldn't have to bring my laptop??

Any help would be great!

 

[pamouselover]

There is a fee. Disney Quest!

My husband asks me about getting on the internet last night, for when we are in Disney. He wants to pop on to make sure his fantasy football team is good...

I have a laptop, but I wasn't going to bring it... and I just want to make sure I understand it correctly - we can hook up to the internet via an ethernet cord for a fee right??

Is there anywhere at CBR that DH could go and use a computer so I wouldn't have to bring my laptop??

Any help would be great!

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

There is a fee. Disney Quest!

Yes, but wouldn't they have to purchase admission into Disney Quest as well?

 

[Eoywin]

Yes, but wouldn't they have to purchase admission into Disney Quest as well?

I would guess that we would which would make that not an option for us, since we aren't planning on going to Disney Quest.

 

[Sabre2th]

Can we sit on the beach and kick back with a bottle of wine; or buy a drink there at the bar then take it to our room?
I just don't want to make any avoidable mistakes.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Can we sit on the beach and kick back with a bottle of wine; or buy a drink there at the bar then take it to our room?
I just don't want to make any avoidable mistakes.

The bars will sell drinks in "to go" (plastic) cups.

My personal appeal - Please don't take glass to the beach. If there is an accident and it breaks it would be very difficult to clean up entirely due to pieces getting lost in the sand and someone could get cut later.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

We just got back from a 4 night stay at CBR. I have stayed at POR and CSR and spent some time at POFQ so my review is based on a comparison of having now been to all the moderates:

Grounds: A
Absolutely gorgeous. Very well maintained, clean, beautiful. It's hard to say which moderate is the most beautoful (though it's hard to beat the view of CSR at night). The walk across Caribbean Cay is really very nice, it's a little bigger than I expected. On our checkout day I walked from Customs House to our room in Jamaica just so I could see more of the resort. It's really very pretty. I must say, I didn't like seeing that high rise hotel behind Old Port Royale. I think it's the Bonnet Creek Resort? I'm not sure, but it was a little "jarring" to see it sticking up over the horizon. It kind of takes you out of the fantasy.

Resort Layout: C
Both CSR and POR are spread out, and CBR follows suit. I don't think it's that much more spread out than the others (unless you are in Trinidad South). We stayed in Jamaica Building 45 and loved it. But we only ever go to the food court or the lobby on check in and check out day, so being close to either isn't a huge deal to me.

Now, here's why it gets a C... I really don't like that the check in is separate from the food court and gift shop. And the check in lobby is much smaller than the lobby at POR & CSR. This alone is reason enough for me to not stay there again. We checked in at 11am and our room wasn't ready. So instead of just strolling over to the food court or gift shop while we wait (like I did at POR and CSR), you've got to board a bus to do so. And those internal busses are few and far between. And because the lobby is so small and gets crowded easily, even if there aren't that many people checking in. Especially with the airline check in desk being there.

The Room: C
I know the CBR rooms are supposed to be a tad bigger than CSR and POR, but I couldn't tell. The beds sit up high, which is great for storing luggage, but it makes them look like they dominate the room, making the room seem crowded. The beds themselves were hard and lumpy, it took me a few days to get used to it. I woke up with a backache the first few days. They also creaked loudly whenever you moved on them. And the big posts at the ends of the beds are killers for the knees and chins. I like the sink vanity better than at both POR and CSR. Double sinks plus a big vanity for setting all your stuff.

The room was clean enough. There were some scuff marks on the walls and the grout around the tub enclosure could use a deep scrubbing. It was nothing horrible, but it was clear that the maids have to move quickly through the rooms. Oh and here's a tip: open the cabinet door for the fridge so it can get air circulation and stay cold. I don't know whose bright idea it was to put a refrigerator in a closed cabinet.

Checking in and out: A
Check in was fast, as was check out. We checked in at 11am, no line at all, walked right up to a CM. Our room would not be ready until 3pm because they were cleaning the carpets. I was a little spoiled by the fact that I'd been able to get in my room at both POR and CSR early, so it was disappointing to have to wait. We ended up going to MGM and not getting into the room until 9pm. After we checked in, we took the internal bus to the food court. I checked out at about 10am, and there was also no line. The airline check in was easy and efficient.

Bus transportation: B
The buses were great, we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus to any park. Often there was one right there when we walked up. We stayed in Jamaica, which was the first stop to be picked up and the first to be dropped off. This was great at night because you were the first to get off. It also meant that you were guaranteed a seat on the way to the parks. Poor Trinidad South people always had to stand. But, it also means that you had to ride the bus all the way around the resort before heading to your destination. Though not a huge deal to me, it was a little annoying how many bus stops there are at CBR. It seemed like it took longer to go around the resort than it did to actually get to the park once we finally were on our way.

We had one incident on Sept. 18. On our way home from MK, after kneeling the bus to get a wheelchair on, the driver couldn't get it to raise back up. It took about 15 minutes before he called for help. Meanwhile, busses for other resorts were whizzing by while the CBR line just got longer. Once help showed up, the issue was resolved quickly and 4 consecutive busses were sent to get everyone back to CBR.

Food Court & Pools: A
We used the quiet pool in Jamaica, and it was really nice. Very big, well lit, perfect for us. The main pool does look small compared to POR and especially CSR. But that may change with the renovation. The food court was very good. The selection is pretty standard, but the food itself was great. I had a Cheesesteak that was really good. I went back again to get more of that yummy key lime pie

Overall, I'd say it is my least favorite of the moderates I've stayed at. It was still a good resort, and I think if I'd stayed there first I would have liked it better. CSR has a better pool and better lobby/food court/gift shop. I didn't like the single sink at CSR, though. POR in my opinion is the most beautiful, but that's just a personal preference. I also liked the pool and lobby/food court/gift shop there better than CBR. I remember the beds at CSR and POR being very comfy, which was not the case at CBR. Bus transportation at CBR, CSR and POR was about the same in my experiences. I didn't like how many stops CBR has to make to get around the resort, though.

 

[Sabre2th]

The bars will sell drinks in "to go" (plastic) cups.

My personal appeal - Please don't take glass to the beach. If there is an accident and it breaks it would be very difficult to clean up entirely due to pieces getting lost in the sand and someone could get cut later.

I can appreciate that and to be honest, I was planning on just filling these plastic wine glasses that I found at Wal-mart instead of carrying an entire bottle, but I didn't want to go into that much detail in the first post.
Thanks for the info!

 

[Stinky_Pete]

I read recently that a microwave can be requested at CSR during check-in. Is that also the case at CBR? I would love to be able to reheat leftovers from the restaurants.

If they can be requested, has anyone tried but been told they didn't have anymore left?

Thanks!

 

[UGAFan0829]

The DH and I just returned from the Caribbean Beach on Saturday, where we spent 7 wonderful nights.

I have to say that we really loved this resort and had no real problems. Everyone was super friendly, and this is definitely our choice for a moderate hotel without even having stayed at any of the others.
I had reserved a king room for us, and we were there from the 8th-15th.
When we arrived, there was a long line in the Customs House for check-in, but it moved pretty quickly, and we were only in line for 10-15 min. at the most. When we stepped up to the counter, one of the first things that the CM said was, "Welcome!", which was very nice to hear. She handed us our anniversary pins, and told us that we were on the 2nd floor of building 33 in Trinidad North. I asked if she showed us in King room, and she did.
We drove to Trinidad North,

unloaded our bags and headed up to the room. It was wonderful. We were lucky enough to be one "island" over from Old Port Royale, and we also had a corner room, which meant 2 windows!
Here are some pics that I took as soon as we got into the room:

We loved the room, and found that it was plenty big for us. It was also nice and clean.
It only took about 4 or 5 minutes to get from our building to Old Port Royale, and it was a beautiful walk.

There were hammocks all over that looked so inviting.

We did swim in the pool, and though there were lots of people there, it wasn't crowded and there was plenty of room to splash and play. The DH and I had a lot of fun being the only adults going down the slide!!
We visited Old Port Royale on the first night there and purchased the refillable mugs which turned out to be a great deal for us as we used them a lot during our week there.
The bed was very comfy and the sheets smelled and looked clean. I have to say that I slept better there than I have ever slept while on vacation.
We did have to call housekeeping 3 different times while we were there, but it was all for different reasons. The first time was to request more washcloths. We left the room and walked to OPR to refill our mugs, and when we returned, there was a stack of washcloths there. We also called for more towels again later in the week, and they brought them right away. The last thing that we had to call for was a internet cable. I had taken my laptop with me, and wanted to connect to the internet, but there was no cable in the room. DH callled, and they brought it right away. Once I got the cable, I had no problem getting online, and it worked great!!
We used the laundry which was right next door to us a couple of times and everything was great. There is a vending machine there that you can get Tide, Downy, and Bounce out of for $1.00. One box of Tide does one load of laundry, and the Downy was liquid. Bounce was dryer sheets, and there were 3 of them. The washer and dryer was $2.00, and the cycles on both lasted for 30 minutes. We had no problems with any of the machines.
There was also a quiet pool located right next door (behind the laundry), and there were never more than 3 or 4 people in it at time. We had planned on going for a swim there, but never got a chance to.

One night on our way back to the room, the DH wanted a Coke, so he went to the machine located at the bus stop for our island. Unfortunately, it took $2.00 from him, but he was able to get it back with no problem from the ticket desk at Old Port Royale.
The bus service was great. I don't remember waiting on a bus for any of the parks for more than 5 or 10 minutes, and this was at different times of the day.
We left a tip for Mousekeeping each day, but never received any towel animals, but that was okay too. Each day the room was cleaned very well, and everything that had been used was restocked.
We visited the food court several times throughout our stay, mostly for dinner and snacks, but we did eat breakfast there on our last morning, and it was all very good. We had the bacon cheeseburger, pasta, chicken fingers, fries and for breakfast I had the ham and cheese omelet and DH has the adult breakfast platter and it was all very good, especially the breakfast.
Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to rent a bike or boat like we thought we would, but we did see several people out in boats.
The landscaping and themeing of the resort was beautiful. We really did feel as though we were staying on a tropical island. The plants and trees were beautiful, and there were lots of ducks and bunnies running around.

It really amazed me at how big the resort was, but how quiet it was. There were many times that the buses were packed coming back from the parks, so we knew that there were a lot of people staying there, yet it was still very quiet and peaceful.
We very much enjoyed our stay at CBR and if we ever decide to stay in a moderate again, we would stay there in heartbeat. We loved this place, and I can't wait to see what they change when they remodel.
Here are a few last random pics:

If anyone has any questions, I will be happy to answer!!

 

[auroraarielella]

DISNEY'S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

Pirate Cruise
http://www.wdwinfo.com/just_for_kids/piratecruise.htm This link explains the cruises and how you can sign up.
It is currently only on Tuesdays.

I have a pirate cruise booked on a Sunday at the CBR. I think Sundays are a recent addition, but I called and booked it for Feb 2008.

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

Ok, I am getting very nervous about our trip. I need someone to calm me down. I'm getting concerned about the beds. I have read one too many times about squeaky beds at CBR. DH and I value our sleep, especially on vacation when we are going to be walking a ton and then be exhausted in the evening. I'm worried about not being able to sleep for 9 nights. Someone please put me at ease. DH and I are used to sleeping in a big bed, so, we decided we would each sleep with one of the kids to ease up the space, but now the squeakiness is worrying me. Tell me that this is just a fluke and that not all the beds squeak!! Please someone?

 

[pamouselover]

DH and I have a queen bed. We did found the bed small. CBR beds are a bit noisey, but it was not to bad. I thought this too, when I read this before going in Aug. If you were as tired as I was evey night you will be fine. I slept like a baby, and always have troubleslepping when not in my own bed. Have a greta trip!

Ok, I am getting very nervous about our trip. I need someone to calm me down. I'm getting concerned about the beds. I have read one too many times about squeaky beds at CBR. DH and I value our sleep, especially on vacation when we are going to be walking a ton and then be exhausted in the evening. I'm worried about not being able to sleep for 9 nights. Someone please put me at ease. DH and I are used to sleeping in a big bed, so, we decided we would each sleep with one of the kids to ease up the space, but now the squeakiness is worrying me. Tell me that this is just a fluke and that not all the beds squeak!! Please someone?

 

[catbertdave99]

Ok, I am getting very nervous about our trip. I need someone to calm me down. I'm getting concerned about the beds. I have read one too many times about squeaky beds at CBR. DH and I value our sleep, especially on vacation when we are going to be walking a ton and then be exhausted in the evening. I'm worried about not being able to sleep for 9 nights. Someone please put me at ease. DH and I are used to sleeping in a big bed, so, we decided we would each sleep with one of the kids to ease up the space, but now the squeakiness is worrying me. Tell me that this is just a fluke and that not all the beds squeak!! Please someone?

We've been to CBR twice and haven't had a squeaky bed in our rooms yet. It's probably just the luck of the draw....

 

[QTMichele]

We were in 2319 - no squeeky beds there! The beds are full sized - a little small for a married couple, but it does allow you to get closer together. Seriously, DH & I still shared a bed without any major problems. I don't sleep great when I'm away from home, but I found that I slept fine at CBR (I still woke up several times each night, but quickly fell back to sleep).

 

[CleveRocks]

For different reasons, we slept in separate beds, each with one small child. We didn't notice any squeakiness in the beds. Then again, this sleeping arrangement preventing any activity which might have caused the bed to squeak ....

 

[LAS321]

My daughter and I were there in August and we each had our own bed and neither one squeaked....we were there last August as well and those beds didn't sqeak either. Relax...this is such a beautiful resort that you shouldn't let the possibility of a squeaky bed get you crazy. You're going to love it there!

 

[Lorikr65]

Reading this thread reminded me that my bed squeeked too!! I remember waking up in the middle of the night because I was moving around and the bed squeeked. We were in Trinidad South.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

No squeeky beds on any of our 6 stays at CBR!

 

[lonelydreamer]

No squeaky beds on my visits either. Maybe we didn't notice because we were so tired by the time we fell into bed!