Resort Thread Disney's CARIBBEAN BEACH Resort

[dansdad]

DH & I are taking our first ever No Kids vacation in November.... considering either CBR or OKW. I've been trying to read up on the construction that's going to take place at CBR but the dearth of information is a little bit overwhelming. Can anyone give me a short summary of it?? Lol!

CBR in general is a little intimidating to us due to its size (our favorite resort is POFQ, which is also the smallest resort) so I was thinking a preferred room would be the best option. Or do you guys have good success requesting specific buildings that I can feel safe just getting a standard and making a building request. We'd also like to get a king room.... if we were to go with preferred, is there a way to make a reservation for preferred AND king?

Thanks guys!

There are no rooms that are classified as Preferred/King. However, the buildings that house the Preferred Room also have King Rooms. All of Trinidad North, Martinique 24, 25 and 26 have 3 room types in them: Preferred, King and Water View. So if you book a King room and request to be in one of those buildings your odds are very good you will get your request your room will be in the same building as Preferred Rooms. Most people do not realize this so they are not a popular request. Every Village has its own bus stop and leisure pool so you will be close to them no matter where your room is.

As far as the construction goes it's going to be extensive. They are going to be removing a couple buildings to build a high rise building. However, it will not be affecting any of the amenities like the Main Feature Pool, Food Court, etc. I know for us it wouldn't be an issue but I know having any kind of construction going on does affect many.

 

[Sharongal74]

DH & I are taking our first ever No Kids vacation in November.... considering either CBR or OKW. I've been trying to read up on the construction that's going to take place at CBR but the dearth of information is a little bit overwhelming. Can anyone give me a short summary of it?? Lol!

CBR in general is a little intimidating to us due to its size (our favorite resort is POFQ, which is also the smallest resort) so I was thinking a preferred room would be the best option. Or do you guys have good success requesting specific buildings that I can feel safe just getting a standard and making a building request. We'd also like to get a king room.... if we were to go with preferred, is there a way to make a reservation for preferred AND king?

Thanks guys!

There are king rooms in the preferred section. So you could book a king room and request one of those buildings.
From what I have read of the construction, and if it's all correct. According to reports it will affect all of Barbados and the 3 Martinique buildings that are not preferred. But who knows when all of that will happen. We are booked there in september for 2 days. I'm not worried about it. We loved our time there!

 

[NYEmomma]

Thank you for the information re: preferred & king rooms!

I just thought of one more thing... we're hoping for free dining. From my research, it's been offered for November for the past 3 years. I know from booking past vacations that POFQ has usually been excluded for discounts. I've never researched CBR before because we're a family of 5 and hate double beds so the resort hasn't been an option for us until recently, lol. Is it typically included?

 

[dansdad]

Thank you for the information re: preferred & king rooms!

I just thought of one more thing... we're hoping for free dining. From my research, it's been offered for November for the past 3 years. I know from booking past vacations that POFQ has usually been excluded for discounts. I've never researched CBR before because we're a family of 5 and hate double beds so the resort hasn't been an option for us until recently, lol. Is it typically included?

It has never been excluded from Free Dining or any other discount.

 

[NYEmomma]

It has never been excluded from Free Dining or any other discount.

 

[Sharongal74]

Thank you for the information re: preferred & king rooms!

I just thought of one more thing... we're hoping for free dining. From my research, it's been offered for November for the past 3 years. I know from booking past vacations that POFQ has usually been excluded for discounts. I've never researched CBR before because we're a family of 5 and hate double beds so the resort hasn't been an option for us until recently, lol. Is it typically included?

November was excluded for free dining in bounce back for 2017. (I was researching for hopeful free dining in nov 2018)Hopefully it will be available in the regular release of free dining! Also CBR does have queen beds now.

 

[dan40]

OMG, I was just reading some of the reviews of the CBR on TripAdvisor, and many of the people who stayed there talked about how rotten the service is, the overpriced food, the smoke smells in the rooms, bugs coming up through either the pipes or air conditioning units and piling up on the carpets, dirty sheets, inadequate housekeeping, having to be relocated, arguing with the front desk CMs, trouble walking 45 minutes to the lobby from Trinidad South... sheesh, if people want to complain so much, they shouldn't have gone to the CBR! Granted, it is a large hotel, and it might take 45 minutes to get to the lobby from TS, but I find that's all part-and-parcel. You have to expect these kinds of things and you have to enjoy it as part of the experience! I for one, couldn't publicly post any negative things about any of the Disney resorts I've stayed in. They've all been great, and have all been exciting, and I have never had a problem in any of them! On a prior trip, we didn't even get any stares when we went to the front desk to book a shuttle to Universal Studios and CMs handled our request with enthusiasm, great service, and friendliness! Have any of you ever had any bad experiences here?

 

[Kevin355]

OMG, I was just reading some of the reviews of the CBR on TripAdvisor, and many of the people who stayed there talked about how rotten the service is, the overpriced food, the smoke smells in the rooms, bugs coming up through either the pipes or air conditioning units and piling up on the carpets, dirty sheets, inadequate housekeeping, having to be relocated, arguing with the front desk CMs, trouble walking 45 minutes to the lobby from Trinidad South... sheesh, if people want to complain so much, they shouldn't have gone to the CBR! Granted, it is a large hotel, and it might take 45 minutes to get to the lobby from TS, but I find that's all part-and-parcel. You have to expect these kinds of things and you have to enjoy it as part of the experience! I for one, couldn't publicly post any negative things about any of the Disney resorts I've stayed in. They've all been great, and have all been exciting, and I have never had a problem in any of them! On a prior trip, we didn't even get any stares when we went to the front desk to book a shuttle to Universal Studios and CMs handled our request with enthusiasm, great service, and friendliness! Have any of you ever had any bad experiences here?

45 minutes walk...what were they, turtles? If it takes someone 45 minutes, they probably should not be at WDW without a motorized wheelchair or something like that.

I have stayed at CBR 10+ times...have never had any of those issues arise in any stay...well over 60 days total.

 

[dis_guy]

I have stayed at CBR 10+ times...have never had any of those issues arise in any stay...well over 60 days total.

Nine stays for us at CBR now. I agree, we've never had any of those issues, ever. 45 minutes to do that walk!!! Must be a case of "alternative facts"...

 

[dansdad]

45 minutes walk...what were they, turtles? If it takes someone 45 minutes, they probably should not be at WDW without a motorized wheelchair or something like that.

I have stayed at CBR 10+ times...have never had any of those issues arise in any stay...well over 60 days total.

Nine stays for us at CBR now. I agree, we've never had any of those issues, ever. 45 minutes to do that walk!!! Must be a case of "alternative facts"...

It takes my wife and I exactly 45 minutes to walk completely AROUND the lake, TWICE. We do it every morning we are there. And we're not power walking by any stretch. Sheesh.

 

[lovingeire]

Just booked a preferred room for April for Dark Side Half Marathon weekend. The last time I was at CBR was in '09 in a pirate room. (Back when I only had one kid and before refurbs.) Does anyone have any recommendations for a preferred room request. I am sure this is asked a million times, but ideally we'd like to be close to transportation and Old Port Royale. I'm assumming these come with the preferred room, but wondering if construction will have started already in April, as we do nap and sleep some odd hours due to doing three races that weekend, so I don't really want to hear construction noise if I can help it. Any help/recommendations are greatly appreciated. Excited to visit CBR again!

 

[dansdad]

Just booked a preferred room for April for Dark Side Half Marathon weekend. The last time I was at CBR was in '09 in a pirate room. (Back when I only had one kid and before refurbs.) Does anyone have any recommendations for a preferred room request. I am sure this is asked a million times, but ideally we'd like to be close to transportation and Old Port Royale. I'm assumming these come with the preferred room,

Yes they do.

but wondering if construction will have started already in April, as we do nap and sleep some odd hours due to doing three races that weekend, so I don't really want to hear construction noise if I can help it. Any help/recommendations are greatly appreciated. Excited to visit CBR again!

To avoid the construction request Trinidad North. You will be as far away from the construction as you can be with a Preferred Room. You won't be able to hear anything construction related there.

 

[lovingeire]

To avoid the construction request Trinidad North. You will be as far away from the construction as you can be with a Preferred Room. You won't be able to hear anything construction related there.

Thank you! I am going to do a Touring Plans request, as well as call one in so this helps!

 

[PADisneyGirl]

View attachment 215875

This first image shows the locations where work will be done.

View attachment 215876

This second photo shows what buildings will be taken out.

Thanks to @DanBoris for these images.

Any thoughts on what the new building by the pool might be?? We're going in July, and I would hate to have construction in the pool area. Thoughts???

 

[Arkland]

Got my luggage tags and magic bands in mail today. Three more weeks until the adventure begins. Staying in a preferred room. Of the two villages are there any big differences as far as North Trinidad compared to Martininque?

 

[Kevin355]

One is to the left of OPR and one is to the right. They have different color schemes. Not much of a difference at all. Have stayed at both.

Enjoy.

 

[DisneynBison]

OMG, I was just reading some of the reviews of the CBR

I for one like having truthful reviews from all standpoints good and bad. We are here now for 11 days. It is ok but definitely not super awesome. Pull down Mickey and Pluto bed is nice. Otherwise it is just blah for us. If it wasn't for the queen beds over the doubles I would say just head to a value resort.

 

[Disneylvr]

Sadly I might have to switch our resort from CBR to CSR in order to keep the Fun & Sun discount. I had 11 nights booked at CBR but once I booked our flights I needed to take off 3 nights from the reservation. This has never been a problem in the past but apparently it is now. My reservation is on a 24 hours hold while Disney decides if they are going to make an "exception" and allow me to drop 3 nights. If they deny the request, the only moderate with available rooms is Coronado. Hopefully I hear something today!

 

[kcp5]

Sadly I might have to switch our resort from CBR to CSR in order to keep the Fun & Sun discount. I had 11 nights booked at CBR but once I booked our flights I needed to take off 3 nights from the reservation. This has never been a problem in the past but apparently it is now. My reservation is on a 24 hours hold while Disney decides if they are going to make an "exception" and allow me to drop 3 nights. If they deny the request, the only moderate with available rooms is Coronado. Hopefully I hear something today!

My husband and I stayed at CSR a couple of years ago and loved it! We had a business class room, which gave us access to an area with complimentary continental breakfast, as well as snacks, beer and wine at night. Our next trip at the end of November will be with family (including grandchildren!!!) and are booked at CBR - which we are really looking forward to. I wouldn't be hesitant to stay at CSR, especially if you could somehow get a room in the Business Class Building!

 

[Barnabas T Bullion]

Holy Carp, guys, this DVC to CBR news is totally new to me. I never even saw any of the rumors prior to this. I guess it could be good if Disney doesn't screw it up but they seem to have a hard time doing things right lately.

Potential View of Epcot nighttime, potential alternate transport (walkway or boat) service to DHS and EP, Additional dining options all could be a big plus I suppose.