CBR - will we be disappointed?

[Babsy]

I think that you will love the CBR! It is so beautiful and relaxing. Also, you have preferred rooms so you won't have the problem of a long walk to dining and the main pool. With the Wheelchair you will also be on the ground floor, which is a plus in my mind!

We really enjoyed eating at the TS restaurant and found the food court to be good as well. The relaxing tropical island feel of this resort is a really nice change after the busy theme parks and a stroll around the lake is so nice in the evening. You can see some of the Illuminations high fireworks from some areas of the resort, too!

The rooms are the largest in all the moderate resorts and are just recently refurbished so you will have lovely new fresh rooms with nice modern decor.

All in all, I wouldn't be surprised if you are not a little sad to leave the CBR after only 2 days. But, don't worry, the CR with TPV rooms are totally AMAZING!!! the view form these rooms is incredible!

IMO, you will have an awesome vacation!!

BTW, when we had an extended family split stay, DH and I took care of the move so that the other members of the family just had to get up and go to the park and join us later in the day at our new resort with all the moving 'hassle' done! It was so easy! Just call Bell Services to come get the luggage and have them transfer it to the CR for you. You can grab a cab or just bus to the MK and walk to the CR. Check in and either meet up with the others in the park or go relax by the pool for awhile if your room isn't quite ready. If you think it is hard, it is. If you think that it is exciting to try two new resorts, it's a blast!

Enjoy!

 

[loves to dive]

Not sure what you mean by expedited check in but you certainly can do on line check in. I'm assuming CBR is your first resort, do on line check in, if you do it early enough you may get the whole skip the front desk email,, if not there are desks for on line check in. On move morning, one person goes down to front desk and checks out, take bags to BS and they will transfer them for you. You can go ahead and do on line check in for CR whenever the window opens. After you have checked out of CBR and given your bags to BS, head on over to CR and if you haven't received your room number yet, just go to the on line check in desk and let them know you are there. Either have breakfast at CBR or CR, if your room isn't ready at CR, head over to whatever park you planned on doing that day. You will get a text when your room is ready. When you get back to your room, call bell services and ask them to bring your bags. It's quick, easy and painless. You can even turn down the second magic band and use just the original one the entire trip (you can turn it down when you get the email to customize it). Seriously, it's easy, quick and painless

 

[mrsjoannh13]

I did online check in however my Magic Bands are assigned to my second reservation at the Contemporary. CM told me I had to go speak with someone at CBR when I arrive to have our bands set up for CBR. We will then have to do the same at Contemporary - see someone at check in to have our bands re-done so they work at Contemporary. CM said it had to do with the fact that Contemporary is a package and CBR is not. So no bypassing the front desk and going straight to our room from what I understand. Even though we went through the online check in process. Guess we'll see.

 

[HopperFan]

OP - are you driving or coming via ME?

 

[mrsjoannh13]

OP - are you driving or coming via ME?

We are driving. Will have our own car.

 

[HopperFan]

We are driving. Will have our own car.

Ok just wanted to be sure. If not was going to ask that folks that do ME there explain the logistics of getting from checkin to room since you have WC in your party. Checkin building is somewhat apart from rooms at CBR. We drive so have not experienced.

 

[loves to dive]

Driving makes the switching resorts so easy. I drive down and have done a number of split stays. You have reservations at CBR so you should be able to do on line check in but even if you can't according to what time of day you arrive check in doesn't take that long. What I do:

When I do on line check in I put early arrival as priority over anything else, no it won't guarantee a room is ready early but it lets them know you are going to get there early. I check in to resort one, if the room isn't ready I just leave my bags in my car and go about my day. You will need all your magic bands there to test. When I get the text that my room is ready, sometimes I go to the room sometimes not, just according to what I'm doing at the time. When I do head back to my room, if staying in a moderate, I move my car to the lot for that room and grab my bags. Since I'm driving, I pack two different sets of bags, one for stay 1, one for stay 2 and that way I just have to lug one bag. Check out day, I'm an early riser on vacation or not so I'm usually up early around 6:30 or so and get dressed and pack everything into the car. Head to either breakfast or front desk to check out. That early in the morning check out is a breeze. Head over to resort #2. You can check in after 7 so I go ahead and check in, even if I've done on line check in. I leave my bags in my car. Now with a deluxe this can be tricky because the self parking can be a distance, if that bothers you drive around to the front entrance to check in and leave your bags with BS, drop the family off and one adult go ahead and check in while the other goes and parks the car. Again, all the MBs will have to be available to test but I've never had to do that at resort #2. If your MBs are already on MDE, that is all it takes. Again, go about your business until you get the text your room is ready. When you get to your room, call BS and they will bring your bags up. It's easier with a car than without.

 

[Maggie Lizer]

Re: Shutters (the TS restaurant at CBR)
I recall reading that fairly recently they got a new head chef, someone from DCL, and the food has improved immeasurably. I know nothing on the menu looked so great last time we stayed at CBR in 2012, but Shutters is on our list of possibilities for our upcoming stay.

I thought the food court was pretty good. I remember an awesome Cuban sandwich, which I think I got two times last trip.