Caribbean Beach Resort pros & cons

[disneymom727]

We are in the very early planning stages of a fall trip. We are thinking of staying at CBR. I need your help. Please tell me the pros & cons of staying at this resort. There will be 2 adults and 2 children (10 & 5). It looks like a really large resort. How does it compare to POR or the POP Century in size? Which building is closest to the main pool & food court area? Are the Pirate themed rooms really worth the extra money? Thank in advance for any help!

 

[Karabee]

Sounds like you are debating between POP and a couple of the moderates. Now of course, everyone has their own opnions of each resort. I would personally stay at POR before staying at CB again. While the tropical theming is a neat idea, I found the resort to be quite dated and drab. This might have changed with the recent upgrading of the hotel though. POR atmosphere was very nice. It really feels like you are in the deep south, with the moss covered trees and the river. They also have a nice little bar inside which is great for the evenings. I found the boat to DTD an added plus also.

In terms of saving the money between a value and a moderate, that's something only you can decide. But while I found POP very comfortable my last trip, I found the POR grounds to feel more like a "vacation". You never know what type of deal will be going on when you book - perhaps you'll be able to stay at CB or POR for the price of POP. Good luck!

 

[Magalex]

We are staying at CBR in June 2012. Our DS is now 11. We did stay at CBR in 2007 & loved it. Very colorful & fun resort. I received a 30% discount pin code & I did try for POR but could not get our dates. We chose the CBR for the pool factor for our DS. He was very excited when he saw photos of the pool because he was only 6 yrs old in 2007 plus CBR renovated their pool in 2009. If you want POR, you might want to jump on that fast because with it being newly renovated this year it is very popular. Between POR or CBR I am sure you will enjoy your trip & the resort. The kids will have a blast so don't worry about it too much

 

[debrapagliasotti]

We stayed at CBR in Aug 2008. We had one of the lakeview rooms across the lake from the food court area. They were in the midst of adding a whole new pool area at that time. We liked the resort, but it was HUGE. There were so many busses running all the time, between the resort busses and then the park busses...sometimes we would be waiting at the bus stop for one of the park busses, and instead we would see 3 or 4 internal busses before we saw another park one.

The food court was ok...not great, not awful. We ate at their restraunt...Shutters I think? It was ok, nothing to write home about.

In terms of where you should ask for a room there...I cant remember the layout, but I do remember seeing a property map somewhere online that lists the different buildings.

Never have stayed at POR or POP, so I cant tell you how the size relates, nor did they have the pirate rooms when we were there.

 

[stashbin]

We stayed at CBR one time and one time only. After staying at POP, we wanted to venture out and try a mod. Well we were very disappointed because the rooms were dated, the resort was huge, and it just didn't seem worth the extra money.
Depending on where they assign you, you will have to take a shuttle just to get breakfast/coffee in the mornings. The bus stops we had to go to were too far away. It just wasn't our thing.
I like being close to the main common areas without having to walk too far, or having to take a shuttle.
Maybe we would've had a better experience had our room been located closer to the pool and common area, but since we were so far away from everything, it seemed like we were staying off property!


Hope this helps.

 

[disneymom727]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I really appreciate you taking the time to give your input. For this trip we are def. going with a Mod resort. My favorite is POFQ for the exact reason you stated stashbin. I like the smaller resort. We're just trying to stay somewhere different this time. We've stayed at POR & POP which is why I was trying to gauge the difference in resort size. It does look like a crazy big resort. I'm thinking my son will love this resort with the pool and all.

I did find the sticky with info on CBR so that helps too. I do LOVE hearing others personal thoughts and experiences though!! Any other info is much appreciated!

 

[Dis_Dreamin]

We loved CBR. CBR is a big resort, but in the overall scheme of things, it's not much more walking than you do in the parks. :-D

If you are concerned with proximity to the pool, get a preferred room (Trinidad North and Martinique 24/25/26). I wouldn't go with the Pirates room (all in Trinidad South) if you want the be close to the pool, those are the furthest island from everything.

We are going back this June as well and I'm planning on requesting a room over in Jamaica (bldg. 44, 45, or 46), so we are directly across the lake from the pool, but not out in no mans land.

You can find a map of the property here:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/cbrmap.htm

One thing you could do, as well, is to find the resort in google maps and look at the satellite layout of the property. It will give you a good idea of how big it is.

 

[P00H1010]

We are in the very early planning stages of a fall trip. We are thinking of staying at CBR. I need your help. Please tell me the pros & cons of staying at this resort. There will be 2 adults and 2 children (10 & 5). It looks like a really large resort. How does it compare to POR or the POP Century in size? Which building is closest to the main pool & food court area? Are the Pirate themed rooms really worth the extra money? Thank in advance for any help!

I'm going to start this by saying I am a little biased lol. I have only been to WDW twice and am currently in the stages of planning our 3rd trip. DH traveled to WDW as a child and has stayed off property and at ASM during those trips. Both times we have gone we have stayed at CBR and for this current trip we are planning a split stay with CBR and BLT. We love CBR !!!!

Sounds of caribbean music can be heard in the background when at Old Port Royale which really sets the tone. As for the pirate rooms, we loved the theming...we stayed in them our first trip and loved it so much we had to stay in one our second trip. DH and I are in our late 20s and are huge POTC buffs so it fit perfect.

Here are things we really like about the resort:
* Beautiful, lush grounds.
* Quiet, laid back atmosphere is nice after a day of hustle and bustle at the parks.
* Pirate Rooms were awesome
* Main pool is very cool, each village has their own pool too which is a plus.
* I love the beach in general so the whole resort fits my personality.
* CM were very nice and helpful when you needed anything.

Dislikes....not really anything...we love the resort .
However, I know a lot of people tend to say the resort is too large. I think some people tend of over exaggerate this a bit. Yes, the resort is rather large but we didn't find it to be a problem. I believe the layout of the resort is one of the reasons it is so quiet. There is an internal bus system that runs around the resort. To get from Point A to Point B all you have to do is either walk or take the internal bus and get off where you need to go. Now I will say that if you are big into the refillable mugs this could go a little annoying (we don't do refillable mugs so it wasn't an issue).

As far as where things are within the resort. Here is a map:

* When checking in will be in the Custom House, after checking in you will need to get the internal bus (or walk if you wish) and get off at your village.
* All Pirate rooms are located in Trinidad South
* Preferred rooms are located are in Trinidad North and Martinique
* Old Port Royale Centertown is where the main pool, food court and such is at

Hope this helps, have agreat trip wherever you decide to stay!

 

[Julie711]

All of our visits to WDW we have only stayed at CBR. We really enjoy the Caribbean feel, music, the landscaping is beautiful, the main pool area is awesome as well as the kiddie pirate ship pool area! We have stayed once in the pirate rooms and our 3 yr old loved the pirate ship beds & theme. This resort is large, but the walking doesnt bother us, but you can request a room closer to Old Port Royal ( Trinadad North or Martinque). The food court was ok, just your typical food court, nice gift shop. Each island has its own private pool and laundry room. The bus system has never been a problem for us most we have ever waited for a bus I would say was 15 minutes.

Enjoy Your Trip

 

[lisam427]

we really liked carribean beach. in matter of fact if we go again to disney, its the resort dd wants to return to. we really loved the food court, pool and nemo theme at cbr. it seemed to offer many more choices than the food court at por. we ate the majority of our counter service meals there plus had breakfast there every am (paid out of pocket). the pool is also much nicer at cbr than por. cbr has had the best bus service compared to the other mods we have stayed at. i remember the beds being very comfortable too.

if you are able to stay in Jamaica 45 or aruba 51, its just a short walk over bridges to port royal. martinique has standard rooms that are very close the the food court/main pool. the satellite pools are nice and very quiet too. just my 2 cents.

 

[SnipsNSnails]

I've never been to POR but I've done both POP and CBR. We chose CBR in Sept. I think if you are planning on spending time swimming at your hotel, you will be glad you chose a moderate. CBR has that great pirate themed child's area which my 5 and 2 yo both loved. My 5 yo also loved the two bigger waterslides, which I'm sure your 10 yo would as well. Because your children aren't really little, I'm sure POR would be find too as it has a waterslide. CBR is a bit spread out. If you don't mind paying the extra for a preferred room you'll be fairly close to OPR. We didn't and were in Jamaica 44 facing the inner courtyard. We were super close to the quiet pool, bridge, and bus stop. Really you are never far from a bus stop at the mods but there is extra time because you have to stop at the different stops. Pop would have one bus stop for everyone so you sometimes have to wait for your turn to get on the bus and it can be a long walk to the bus stop depending on where you are. Other great things about a mod are the refrigerator, the curtain seperating the dressing area (we used this often as the bathrooms aren't huge, we were connected to my parents and grandparents and in the mornings if the kids were still asleep), the extra space.....CBR really has great storage with the chest under the TV, a drawer and storage in the bench storage under the sinks, and large shelf above the hanging area. I don't remember POP having as much. The room was very nice sized. We love CBR, great food court, though POP's is good too, all around we like it, it's very pretty, more so than POP and I imagine POR is the same in that regard.

 

[dansdad]

After staying at POR and CBR, we prefer CBR. For the following reasons:

Themeing, just love the tropical feel
Layout, it really feels like a resort instead of a hotel
The main pool, our DS loves the slides
The food court, very good and lots of options
Even when the resort is full, it does not feel like it

Now, there is nothing "wrong" with POR, we just feel that CBR is slightly above it. You really can't go wrong with either one.

 

[JennyDrake]

I adore CBR! With that said, it IS large, I WOULD pay for the preferred room if you plan to use the food court/mugs a good deal. The rooms are the largest of any moderate and it is wonderfully quiet. The food court is meh and avoid shutters. Lots of pools to choose from and beautiful lake.

 

[gabyta]

niiiiice!!!!
thank you for posting the map
now I get what you mean when you talk about building 44 or 51, etc
thank you!

 

[jlk806]

We are in the very early planning stages of a fall trip. We are thinking of staying at CBR. I need your help. Please tell me the pros & cons of staying at this resort. There will be 2 adults and 2 children (10 & 5). It looks like a really large resort. How does it compare to POR or the POP Century in size? Which building is closest to the main pool & food court area? Are the Pirate themed rooms really worth the extra money? Thank in advance for any help!

Stayed there last 7/22-7/26 with 3 girlfriends. Rooms definitely noticeably bigger than Pop. Never stayed at POR so cant comment. The "preferred" location rooms are closest to main pool & food court (all 3 Trinidad North Buildings and Martinique 24, 25, & 26. We were in Martinique 24, busstop right outside our building, and a very quick walk to food court/main pool. Rooms (we had 2 connected) were super quiet. We never heard another soul and we are the late to bed late to rise crowd and we never heard noise outside our room, even in the morning, we slept very well, possibly with the help of the yummy drinks from the Banana Cabana pool bar Rooms were both very clean and in great shape. At Pop Century (where Ive stayed 5 times), no matter where our room was, we always heard noise late at night and early morning.

Food Court doesnt have as many choices as POP (the only area Id say is inferior to POP), but it was suitable and everything we had was fresh and tasted good. The food court was never as crowded as at POP either. The main pool was nice, we only went once but even midday in July it wasnt too crowded to enjoy, and we were able to find chairs easily.

The bus service was great, the buses were not crowded for us (except one late night at HS) . Having the multiple busstops is no big deal, it was very efficient.

I loved CBR and will definitely return. I visited it on girls trip, but would like to take DH and DS next time as well, I know my son will love the kiddie water park.

 

[AJA]

The kids will LOVE the pool. If the pool is an important part of your trip I say try CBR.

However, we love the POR resorts, CBR was not as nice as POR/POFQ. Don't compare it with POR and you'll be fine.

 

[nkereina]

I like the theme at CBR but the fact that it has double beds still is enough for me to rule it out. We wouldn't be comfortable. I also understand it's bigger than POR, and POR is just big enough for us. We' be crabby if we had to do much more walking to get back to our resort.

 

[OneBadApple]

We have never stayed at POP, so I can't comment on that. We have only visited POR during our stay at POFQ. We have stayed at CBR (2 times), CS (once) and POFQ (once).

We absolutely love CBR, hated CS (just too big and did not like the food court) and loved POFQ. We did visit POR and we are considering staying there for our next time. The theming there is fantastic.

I think CS is the largest, most spread out, with CBR being next, followed by POR and then POFQ.

We did get preferred rooms both stays at CBR so we were right by the pool and food court. The only thing keeping us from staying there again is the double beds. We loved the queen beds, especially with a 13 and 15 year old. I personally do not think the pirate rooms are worth it. I believe they are located in the buildings furthest from the main pool and food court.

I hope that I have helped.

 

[wcpamotm]

Here's a vote for Caribbean Beach.

My likes:

* I enjoy the theme.
* Personal nostaligia factor - it was the first Disney resort I'd ever stayed at.
* Room size is a bit larger than any of the other moderates.
* All buildings are two-story - only one easy flight of stairs to walk up. If you must use an elevator, of course, this is a disadvantage but you could request a ground floor then.
* CBR is a big resort but I find it pretty easy to get around, particularly if you are not in Barbados or Trinidad South. Perhaps even easier than Riverside.

My dislikes:

Mostly have to do with mistakes in design that Disney made largely owing to CBR being the first moderate resort and not repeated in the others:

* Custom House is very remote from the rest of the resort. More of an issue at check-in and check-out especially since the placing of a lobby concierge at Old Port Royale.
* Shutters seems like an afterthough - because it is. The resort was not designed to have a sit-down restaurant.
* Food court is a bit awkwardly designed as it is now, though it was even worse as before it required ordering and paying at each separate window.
* It must have been somebodies' idea of a sick joke to have one hot tub with a capacity of eight (!) for such a large resort, then to put it right by the pool's edge guaranteeing that kids would be continuously jumping in and out of it. I haven't been back since the pool re-do, so this may have been alleviated.
* Double beds in the rooms instead of queen beds. All moderates started out with double beds, so perhaps CBR will get them in the future.

 

[disneymom727]

Thank you all so much! I think I am sold on CBR!! Hoping to book in the next couple of days. We've decided against the Pirate themed rooms since I know that they are farther away than some standard rooms. My kids would love it, but I think we'd rather save the $$ for souveniers and such. Thanks again for all the suggestions and tips!!