Disney's CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT Information & Questions

[SPOERLX3]

This is why you don't let other people post on your account. I had already read that but one of my boys didn't believe me so decided to ask on his own. He just wants a room near water and away from smoking. Sorry for the duplicate question.

LOL! Don't apologize, even if you asked the question, I promise you there are tons of duplicate questions in 139 pages of this thread! Who knows, you may get lucky and get a room with a little water view.

 

[bryana]

Has anyone here added some one to their room at check in? I'm wondering what the magicband situation would be in this instance. My sister will be flying down the day after my mom and I arrive. It is a surprise for my mom (my sister lives in a different state) so we decided against adding her to the reservation ahead of time to avoid ruining the surprise. We have figured out all of the other details but I can't seem to find if we will have to buy her a magicband or if they have them at the front desk for resort guests that might not have them at check in.

 

[Lvsdisney]

Has anyone here added some one to their room at check in? I'm wondering what the magicband situation would be in this instance. My sister will be flying down the day after my mom and I arrive. It is a surprise for my mom (my sister lives in a different state) so we decided against adding her to the reservation ahead of time to avoid ruining the surprise. We have figured out all of the other details but I can't seem to find if we will have to buy her a magicband or if they have them at the front desk for resort guests that might not have them at check in.

My in-laws joined us at ASMu last January. They had an advanced reservation, but it was only a couple of weeks ahead of check-in, so they received their MBs at the desk. They were the default gray ones. Not exactly the same as your situation, but it makes me think they have extra stock at the desk for last minute guests.

 

[bryana]

My in-laws joined us at ASMu last January. They had an advanced reservation, but it was only a couple of weeks ahead of check-in, so they received their MBs at the desk. They were the default gray ones. Not exactly the same as your situation, but it makes me think they have extra stock at the desk for last minute guests.

That's kind of what I was thinking- that they have extra stock at the desk. She hasn't been to Disney in over 10 years and we will already be at the park when she arrives so I want to make sure all of our bases are covered for her to handle on her own without much issue lol.

 

[themommy]

We are looking at CBR for spring break and would like a murphy bed room, but want to use an inflatable mattress in place of the murphy. Where would it fit in the room? I was thinking that it could fit by the bed closest to the door the way the trundle used to at POR.

I would think an inflatable mattress would fit fine by the door. What I do not understand though is why you would want a room with a murphy bed and not want to use it. Why not get a regular room and leave the murphy for someone who wants to use it?

 

[MinnieMSue]

My in-laws joined us at ASMu last January. They had an advanced reservation, but it was only a couple of weeks ahead of check-in, so they received their MBs at the desk. They were the default gray ones. Not exactly the same as your situation, but it makes me think they have extra stock at the desk for last minute guests.

Yep they have gray magic bands they will give out. I know this because I left my sleeping daughter in our room to grab coffee and left my magic band and everything else in the room. The desk person kindly gave me a gray one to let myself back into the room. I did have to answer a bunch of questions to prove it but I think my distress was also evidence (yep I was very embarrassed too)

 

[dansdad]

I will be checking in this Sunday. Anyone who has been there recently, do they have the refillable mugs with or without handles now in Old Port Royal? Or both? Just curious what they had available now. Thanks!

Handleless at the moment. Rumor is that handled mugs are returning, but no date was mentioned.

I have booked a preferred room, what I would like to know is do all preferred rooms have a courtyard view or can you get one with a different view such as lake or parking lot. Not really wanting a courtyard since that seems to be the smoking area.

There are preferred rooms that face the parking lot so you can definitely request one.

We're checking in on Thursday and I am beyond excited! This thread has been a huge help in planning. Thank you to all of those who share their knowledge about the resort, and also to those asking questions...I had many questions that others had already asked and had answers to so I was able to continue planning without having to post and wait for answers. Dis'ers are the best!

Completely agree!

 

[LM0601]

Handleless at the moment. Rumor is that handled mugs are returning, but no date was mentioned.



There are preferred rooms that face the parking lot so you can definitely request one.



Completely agree!

Thanks for the info. I am not sure if I will like the mugs without handles. I guess we will see.

 

[SPOERLX3]

Thanks for the info. I am not sure if I will like the mugs without handles. I guess we will see.

For my cabinets and my car, once we get home, I love the idea of the mugs without handles but while I am at Disney, I definitely need the handle! I sooo wish they made them with removable handles

 

[paultheroyal]

Thanks for the info. I am not sure if I will like the mugs without handles. I guess we will see.

Just returned and in the shop of old port royale they still had lots of mugs with handles and different colours....

 

[paultheroyal]

Planning to be there next week. So, national weather says Florida may have first major storm in 11 years. 60% chance of rain most of the time. And no Electrical Parade most nights we're there.
No matter. Break out the ponchos. Bad day at WDW better than good day anywhere else.

Coming from the uk the weather reports were ruining it for us and we were so worried, planning our day accordingly.

However we learned our lesson because despite forecasts being thunder it hardly ever was except for one day when we lost blizzard beach and it's genuinely decent till 3pm. Clouds over, rains, and then fine by 6pm.

In summary don't let the weather ruin your planning or holiday.

 

[paultheroyal]

I have a standard room booked for our trip, what location/building would you suggest I ask for when I do online check in. I DON'T want the lower floor, I prefer the 2nd or 3rd floor.

If you want a guaranteed empty bus ride and a five min walk to have a coffee go for Martinique be my advice.

 

[paultheroyal]

Anyone there now or recently returned....what are the current pool hours? TIA!

All close at 11pm which is fantastic

 

[Cluelyss]

All close at 11pm which is fantastic

Thank you!!

10 am open?

 

[PC51]

Just got back from 10 days at CBR. I think the consensus among the four families that made up our group was that we'd look elsewhere before returning, perhaps going back down to the economy resorts (we've typically done the All Star Resorts in the past).

I will say that I can see CBR being a very attractive option for certain travelers, specifically:

*Couples, thanks to the very tranquil vibe and pretty scenery
*Those traveling with older children who can enjoy the smaller perks (ex. hammocks on the beach, jogging trail, bike rentals, etc.)
*Those traveling in the "cooler" months when extra non-park walking might be more pleasant

I would not recommend it to anyone with very young children, especially in the summer.

The way I see it, the biggest upgrade from the economy resorts is the scenery. It is definitely very serene and relaxed, and the lake at the center of the resort area is attractive. There are some smaller perks (quiet pools in each area, clear view of nightly fireworks, plus others mentioned above) that add some appeal, but overall the main amenities are just about the same (food court with varied options; arcade; souvenir shop; poolside bar).

To me though, any upgrade is offset by the inconvenience of enjoying many of those amenities. While a 5- to 10-minute walk might not sound like much, it very quickly becomes tiresome to make that walk -- over and over and over again -- after a long, sweltering day at the parks; when you just want a cold soda or morning coffee; with a hot, hungry toddler; or all of the above.

On the day of check-out, if you're taking Magical Express to the airport, depending on the timing you might need to make two separate trips to the Custom House located outside the main circle of resort villages -- once to drop off your luggage/check in for your flight, and another to actually leave. You reach the Custom House either by circling around the resort on the internal bus shuttles, or by walking anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending on room location. Most of us longed for the ease of simply walking to the front desk at almost any other hotel, motel or resort.

I did not have any issues with the buses or the number of stops within the resort.

I did like the proximity to the quiet pools and the laundry rooms.

I'm not going to hold it against the resort, because with a very natural setting comes natural wildlife, but I will advise that you lay a towel across the bottom of the door if you don't want an unwelcome guest or two in your room.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

I will be checking in this Sunday. Anyone who has been there recently, do they have the refillable mugs with or without handles now in Old Port Royal? Or both? Just curious what they had available now. Thanks!

I know this is out of date but when we arrived on 24th July we went to collect our free mugs on qsdp and there were only red and blue handled mugs in Old Port Royale. (We searched for other colours because we like to identify our own with ease ).
By the following weekend they had changed for purple and green mugs without handles. Just before we left (7th August) they had both in stock. Not sure what you will find. Now I feel bad for moaning about two colours only as I am definitely a handle fan :
Have an amazing trip

 

[mshl_7]

We are arriving on 9/11 at CBR. I'm still trying to decide what village/area to request for my family. We have a 4 year old daughter and (will be) 11 month old son. I know my daughter would love going over the bridge, but how far do we want to be from the main pool/OPR? Thoughts?

 

[SPOERLX3]

Just got back from 10 days at CBR. I think the consensus among the four families that made up our group was that we'd look elsewhere before returning, perhaps going back down to the economy resorts (we've typically done the All Star Resorts in the past).

I will say that I can see CBR being a very attractive option for certain travelers, specifically:

*Couples, thanks to the very tranquil vibe and pretty scenery
*Those traveling with older children who can enjoy the smaller perks (ex. hammocks on the beach, jogging trail, bike rentals, etc.)
*Those traveling in the "cooler" months when extra non-park walking might be more pleasant

I would not recommend it to anyone with very young children, especially in the summer.

The way I see it, the biggest upgrade from the economy resorts is the scenery. It is definitely very serene and relaxed, and the lake at the center of the resort area is attractive. There are some smaller perks (quiet pools in each area, clear view of nightly fireworks, plus others mentioned above) that add some appeal, but overall the main amenities are just about the same (food court with varied options; arcade; souvenir shop; poolside bar).

To me though, any upgrade is offset by the inconvenience of enjoying many of those amenities. While a 5- to 10-minute walk might not sound like much, it very quickly becomes tiresome to make that walk -- over and over and over again -- after a long, sweltering day at the parks; when you just want a cold soda or morning coffee; with a hot, hungry toddler; or all of the above.

On the day of check-out, if you're taking Magical Express to the airport, depending on the timing you might need to make two separate trips to the Custom House located outside the main circle of resort villages -- once to drop off your luggage/check in for your flight, and another to actually leave. You reach the Custom House either by circling around the resort on the internal bus shuttles, or by walking anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending on room location. Most of us longed for the ease of simply walking to the front desk at almost any other hotel, motel or resort.

I did not have any issues with the buses or the number of stops within the resort.

I did like the proximity to the quiet pools and the laundry rooms.

I'm not going to hold it against the resort, because with a very natural setting comes natural wildlife, but I will advise that you lay a towel across the bottom of the door if you don't want an unwelcome guest or two in your room.

Thank you for the review and the insight.
I think this alone is one reason that there are so many different styles of resorts at Disney. For every one person that doesn't like 1 resort there are others that love it.
We have always called POP our Disney home but this trip we have 5 of us and a couple of us are on a budget so we needed the Murphy bed room that sleeps 5. Nothing available but standard rooms when we booked so I am soooo hoping that we can get a room in Martinique 22/23 or Jamaica/Aruba close to the bridge. We will have my mom with us and we will be using a wheelchair to help her get around easier. If we end up anywhere else, we just won't make many trips to OPR and pack our mugs for home.
We are used to critters, staying on a ground floor room at POP with a lakeview, we have experienced a few . I am happy you could find and share your positives and hopefully, you had an amazing trip! 33 days for us and we are super excited! Thank you again!

 

[SPOERLX3]

We are arriving on 9/11 at CBR. I'm still trying to decide what village/area to request for my family. We have a 4 year old daughter and (will be) 11 month old son. I know my daughter would love going over the bridge, but how far do we want to be from the main pool/OPR? Thoughts?

I am definitely not an expert at CBR since this will only be our 2nd stay (first one in 1992 so I know it has changed a ton, not even a bridge across the lake back then) but from what I have read, it is about as close to cross the bridge from Jamaica or Aruba as it is if you are in Martinique in buildings 22,23 or 24 and closer from Trinidad North or Barbados. There is also a kids play area nestled on the island that the kids may love.
There are standard or water view rooms in every village but if you are booked preferred you would be in Martinique building 24,25 or 26 or in Trinidad North and those 6 buildings are closest to the main pool which I hear is amazing!

 

[brockash]

Just got back from 10 days at CBR. I think the consensus among the four families that made up our group was that we'd look elsewhere before returning, perhaps going back down to the economy resorts (we've typically done the All Star Resorts in the past).

I will say that I can see CBR being a very attractive option for certain travelers, specifically:

*Couples, thanks to the very tranquil vibe and pretty scenery
*Those traveling with older children who can enjoy the smaller perks (ex. hammocks on the beach, jogging trail, bike rentals, etc.)
*Those traveling in the "cooler" months when extra non-park walking might be more pleasant

I would not recommend it to anyone with very young children, especially in the summer.

The way I see it, the biggest upgrade from the economy resorts is the scenery. It is definitely very serene and relaxed, and the lake at the center of the resort area is attractive. There are some smaller perks (quiet pools in each area, clear view of nightly fireworks, plus others mentioned above) that add some appeal, but overall the main amenities are just about the same (food court with varied options; arcade; souvenir shop; poolside bar).

To me though, any upgrade is offset by the inconvenience of enjoying many of those amenities. While a 5- to 10-minute walk might not sound like much, it very quickly becomes tiresome to make that walk -- over and over and over again -- after a long, sweltering day at the parks; when you just want a cold soda or morning coffee; with a hot, hungry toddler; or all of the above.

On the day of check-out, if you're taking Magical Express to the airport, depending on the timing you might need to make two separate trips to the Custom House located outside the main circle of resort villages -- once to drop off your luggage/check in for your flight, and another to actually leave. You reach the Custom House either by circling around the resort on the internal bus shuttles, or by walking anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes depending on room location. Most of us longed for the ease of simply walking to the front desk at almost any other hotel, motel or resort.

I did not have any issues with the buses or the number of stops within the resort.

I did like the proximity to the quiet pools and the laundry rooms.

I'm not going to hold it against the resort, because with a very natural setting comes natural wildlife, but I will advise that you lay a towel across the bottom of the door if you don't want an unwelcome guest or two in your room.

So you do have to go to the customs house to check in for your flight and drop off your carryon luggage? I thought I had asked about that earlier and thought someone said that you could do that at the front desk at Old Port Royale? That does definitely add an inconvenience with 3 kids especially on checkout day. We're leaving Saturday. hoping for as little rain as possible lol.