Resort Thread Disney's CARIBBEAN BEACH Resort

[ForTheGlory]

Does anybody know if the village drink refill stations are open throughout the resort? I can’t find definitive info one way or the other. If they are, does anybody know what buildings in Aruba and Jamaica have them, and if they have coffee and hot chocolate, or just soda? Thanks.

 

[Ohiostatefan606]

Returned home yesterday from 5 days 4 nights at CBR
Aruba 53. Not my favorite location. We were in Aruba 56 last year. Very close to the Riviera Skyliner Station and close to the walking path. This year we were behind the Aruba pool which made getting to and from the walking path a bit of a challenge. But seriously, that is only complaint.

Everyone always asks about the buses! We took the bus to and from AK. We were at the bus stop at 6:50 am and must have just missed the AK bus. Not sure why they can't manage to actually post the arrival times. Most of the time in the app, the bus schedule says not available.

When we were picked up, not a lot of people on the bus and we must have been the last stop, because they left the resort and headed to AK. I find this to be the SAME as my previous 2 stays at CBR.

Took the bus to and from MK on Friday, Feb 18. We left MK AFTER the evening show initial surge left the park. So about 8:40. Most bus stops were cleared out. Now this IS NOT a complaint about scooters. Our bus driver didn't have a clue how to load the scooter one of the guests was riding. It shouldn't take 10 minutes to get a scooter on a bus. Scooter is on, people are getting on. Another scooter pulls up. Our driver was so flustered because now there is no place to put the scooter. Finally the transportation "manager" gets on the bus and tells her to leave, there is another bus waiting to pull in. THIS is why the buses are never on schedule. I feel like they should have some people at the stops that help load and secure the scooters so this process can go faster.

We arrive back at CBR by way of the Riviera entrance. This matches my 2 previous stays at CBR.
Stop at Martinique, Old Port Royal and then around to the other areas. We got off at Old Port Royal for drinks and snack. I have a 13 year old son. He eats all the time!

When park hopping was an all day occurrance, not just after 2:00, we would take the Skyliner to HS and get the bus to MK from HS. Was it faster, probably not. Just less chaotic than stopping at each island area in CBR. But that is in the past! Maybe someday again we can park hop at anytime.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

The path around the lake is nice. It's about 2.2 miles if memory serves.

Yep - I have put in hundreds of miles on that path over the years.

 

[Ducky'sMom]

Hello all! Am I understanding correctly that there are no dedicated park buses that just drop off/pick up at the lobby/OPR area? They always do a loop around the resort first? If so, wouldn't be better to be closer to Riviera and walk over to their bus stop for AK/MK?

 

[dansdad]

Hello all! Am I understanding correctly that there are no dedicated park buses that just drop off/pick up at the lobby/OPR area? They always do a loop around the resort first?

Correct. Though in our experiences during the busy times, they will send 2 buses for each park. One will get Jamaica and Aruba while the 2nd hits the other stops.

If so, wouldn't be better to be closer to Riviera and walk over to their bus stop for AK/MK?

In our opinion, most of the time no. We would rather have a short walk to our villages stop and sit on a bench in the shade than walk in the sun/heat over to Riviera and stand at a more crowded stop.

 

[Ducky'sMom]

Correct. Though in our experiences during the busy times, they will send 2 buses for each park. One will get Jamaica and Aruba while the 2nd hits the other stops.



In our opinion, most of the time no. We would rather have a short walk to our villages stop and sit on a bench in the shade than walk in the sun/heat over to Riviera and stand at a more crowded stop.

Thank you! I think I let myself get psyched out by the negative comments about the buses. CB seems to tick the boxes for our family in a more affordable way than some of my options, especially since we're still not fully committed to a date and I wanted an Epcot area resort.

 

[CynBeth]

We were there in November around Thanksgiving. Most mornings had an early breakfast in the food court and then went immediately to a park so used the bus stop right at OPR either taking one to MK or AK or the internal bus to the Skyliner and we found the system to be wonderful.

 

[Calee]

I read on a post about the Riveria someone nervous about CBR folks unlawfully using that pool when the CBR pool is being refurbished. Is that a refurbishment that has been announced? I couldn't tell if this was a hypothetical fear or if there was an actual refurbishment planned.

 

[dansdad]

I read on a post about the Riveria someone nervous about CBR folks unlawfully using that pool when the CBR pool is being refurbished. Is that a refurbishment that has been announced? I couldn't tell if this was a hypothetical fear or if there was an actual refurbishment planned.

The leisure pool in the Martinique village of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is now closed for refurbishment through mid-April. The water play area of the Fuentes del Morro pool will be closing for refurbishment later this month and is expected to reopen in late March. The main area of the Fuentes del Morro pool, and the four other leisure pools will remain open to guests during this time.

 

[Calee]

The leisure pool in the Martinique village of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is now closed for refurbishment through mid-April. The water play area of the Fuentes del Morro pool will be closing for refurbishment later this month and is expected to reopen in late March. The main area of the Fuentes del Morro pool, and the four other leisure pools will remain open to guests during this time.

Thank you!!

 

[piglet1979]

We are looking at staying here for our next trip. How do the internal busses work? Are they different then the busses that go to the parks. Also, what is the best area to request if we want to be close to the skyliner and the main building?

 

[jesserina]

I don't know of any 5th sleeper to 5th sleeper connecting rooms. Not saying there are zero, but haven't come across any yet.

there are quite a few actually. We have standard connecting 5th sleepers booked and I have been doing research like crazy.

Here are the ones I have found:

4519-4520
4511-4512
4529-4530

4405-4406

5121-5122 (water view)
5123-5124 (water view)

2407-2408 (preferred)

2611-2612 (preferred)

I do believe there are more, especially in the Aruba section.

 

[jesserina]

If you booked a 5th sleeper and managed to get a connecting room, what kind of room did it open to? I've booked 2 waterview 5th sleepers but when I look through some the possible combinations, I rarely find 5th sleepers that are connecting.

Here are the ones I have found:

4519-4520
4511-4512
4529-4530

4405-4406

5121-5122 (water view)
5123-5124 (water view)

2407-2408 (preferred)

2611-2612 (preferred)

I do believe there are more, especially in the Aruba section. The water view ones in Aruba are gorgeous views!

 

[Thomasboys]

We are looking at staying here for our next trip. How do the internal busses work? Are they different then the busses that go to the parks. Also, what is the best area to request if we want to be close to the skyliner and the main building?

If you want to be close to the skyline and Old Port Royale and the pool, your best bet is booking a preferred room and requesting Martinique. No guarantee you will get Martinique, but in our experience we have every time our TA has put in the request. Each village and Old Port Royale has a bus stop. The buses will stop at each village to pick up/drop-off people. During busy times you may have a bus that just picks up a few villages, and another bus that picks up the other villages.

 

[CynBeth]

We are looking at staying here for our next trip. How do the internal busses work? Are they different then the busses that go to the parks. Also, what is the best area to request if we want to be close to the skyliner and the main building?

There are buses designated as just internal they take you to the other villages and the Skyliner. We always got it at the Old Port Royal bus depot the same place you wait for the park buses and the bus was marked that way. Each village has a bus depart but we always had an early breakfast in the food court and then went to the parks so used that one. When we would come back from using the Skyliner we did not have to stop there just took the internal bus to the Martinique bus depot.

OPR and Skyliner are on opposite sides of the resort so you have to decide which is more important for you to be near. If you want to be closest to the food court you have to book a preferred room and there are 2 areas that have them. We were in Martinique around Thanksgiving and would put in our mobile order for breakfast right after we made our Genie+ and ILL selections and immediately hit here and either on the way there or had just arrived got the alert that it was ready. And that was with a few people having food allergies. On AK or MK park days went to the bus depot at OPR and got the park buses but on days we went to Epcot and HS we took the internal bus to the Skyliner my DM was with us and she could not walk it was too far. I do not recall which is closest to the Skyliner possible Aruba.

 

[piglet1979]

If you want to be close to the skyline and Old Port Royale and the pool, your best bet is booking a preferred room and requesting Martinique. No guarantee you will get Martinique, but in our experience we have every time our TA has put in the request. Each village and Old Port Royale has a bus stop. The buses will stop at each village to pick up/drop-off people. During busy times you may have a bus that just picks up a few villages, and another bus that picks up the other villages.

There are buses designated as just internal they take you to the other villages and the Skyliner. We always got it at the Old Port Royal bus depot the same place you wait for the park buses and the bus was marked that way. Each village has a bus depart but we always had an early breakfast in the food court and then went to the parks so used that one. When we would come back from using the Skyliner we did not have to stop there just took the internal bus to the Martinique bus depot.

OPR and Skyliner are on opposite sides of the resort so you have to decide which is more important for you to be near. If you want to be closest to the food court you have to book a preferred room and there are 2 areas that have them. We were in Martinique around Thanksgiving and would put in our mobile order for breakfast right after we made our Genie+ and ILL selections and immediately hit here and either on the way there or had just arrived got the alert that it was ready. And that was with a few people having food allergies. On AK or MK park days went to the bus depot at OPR and got the park buses but on days we went to Epcot and HS we took the internal bus to the Skyliner my DM was with us and she could not walk it was too far. I do not recall which is closest to the Skyliner possible Aruba.

Thank you

 

[Ohiostatefan606]

We are looking at staying here for our next trip. How do the internal busses work? Are they different then the busses that go to the parks. Also, what is the best area to request if we want to be close to the skyliner and the main building?

I know you already received some great info, but sending along a link to a CBR MAP . Might help you to visualize it all.

We stayed in Aruba 55 last year (2021), loved it. Close to the Skyliner and Riviera, we would walk over there to get coffee.

 

[jimmymc]

We are looking at staying here for our next trip. How do the internal busses work? Are they different then the busses that go to the parks. Also, what is the best area to request if we want to be close to the skyliner and the main building?

The internal bus just goes in a loop around each area and the main building. The busses to the parks leave from each stop as well, so you don't have to go to the main building to catch a bus to the park.

Jamaica is the best section for Skyliner and main building access.

 

[mrsap]

Hi guys! If anyone will be at CB in the next couple weeks, would you please take a picture of the March Recreation Calendar for me so I can post it on the Monthly Resort Recreation Calendar Thread? I’d truly appreciate it! Thank you so much in advance!!

 

[jesserina]

Finally figured out how to post a photo! This is what the ‘wood’ floors look like in some of the rooms.