Resort Thread Disney's CARIBBEAN BEACH Resort

[dolewhipdreams]

This is also only half correct. You can pay off the room balance WHEN you arrive. I usually buy Disney gift cards from Sam's Club because they are cheaper, and will pay off the room with those gift cards when I check-in.

I think the confusion may be with what type of trip you booked. Packages must be paid in advance so you will not have a balance upon arrival and @AngiTN would be correct. If you have a room only reservation, then you can pay your balance upon arrival and @ulcards99 is correct.

So it depends on what you booked.

 

[ulcards99]

I think the confusion may be with what type of trip you booked. Packages must be paid in advance so you will not have a balance upon arrival and @AngiTN would be correct. If you have a room only reservation, then you can pay your balance upon arrival and @ulcards99 is correct.

So it depends on what you booked.

Gotcha. We are Annual Passholders, so we book rooms only.

 

[AngiTN]

I think the confusion may be with what type of trip you booked. Packages must be paid in advance so you will not have a balance upon arrival and @AngiTN would be correct. If you have a room only reservation, then you can pay your balance upon arrival and @ulcards99 is correct.

So it depends on what you booked.

Gotcha. We are Annual Passholders, so we book rooms only.

And you can't do online check in. If you do, it is also done before you arrive. I am also an AP holder and always do room only and our balance is always paid before we arrive

 

[DavidHobart]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but crews have been busy installing the pull down beds they removed from Barbados and Martinique in other parts of the resort.

I saw this happening this afternoon in Bldg 24 and wondered what was going on!!

 

[peanutgirl]

Ok. So the question is if I have a room only with gift cards do they give them to me as I check in and I can use them or do they ask for my credit card before they give them to me. ??? Clear as mud I know! ??

 

[dansdad]

Ok. So the question is if I have a room only with gift cards do they give them to me as I check in and I can use them or do they ask for my credit card before they give them to me. ??? Clear as mud I know! ??

Yes they give them to you at Check In.

If you have NOT done Online Check In you will be able to use the Gift Card to pay any balance on the room.

If you have done Online Check In they will have already charged the balance to the Credit Card you provided during Online Check In. So they would have to reverse that charge and then you'll be able to use the Gift Card to pay the balance.

 

[peanutgirl]

Awesome. Thanks.

 

[SimonSez]

So I thought I had ordered 6 pirate themed beach balls for the kids to play in the pool ( we have a pirate room)...turns out I accidentally ordered 30!!!! holy moley!! so during the week of June 4th to 12th if you happen to be at the pirate pool and see tons of pirate beach balls floating in the water , please help yourself to one..LOL

 

[SimonSez]

Yes they give them to you at Check In.

If you have NOT done Online Check In you will be able to use the Gift Card to pay any balance on the room.

If you have done Online Check In they will have already charged the balance to the Credit Card you provided during Online Check In. So they would have to reverse that charge and then you'll be able to use the Gift Card to pay the balance.

Okay I was told by a reservation agent that I couldn't use the gift cards toward the balance of the room. We could only use them for food, merchandise, etc. (which is what I would rather use them for anyway). Just a little confused lol, as I hear different things about the cards.

 

[dansdad]

Okay I was told by a reservation agent that I couldn't use the gift cards toward the balance of the room. We could only use them for food, merchandise, etc. Unless there's a different card for the room balance.

You were given bad information. Friends checked in Saturday and were able to pay their balance with their construction Gift Card.

They were also able to use the construction Gift card to make a deposit on a Bounce Back reservation.

 

[ulcards99]

And you can't do online check in. If you do, it is also done before you arrive. I am also an AP holder and always do room only and our balance is always paid before we arrive

We also always do online check-in, and I've never paid the balance before getting to the resort. I always use a gift card to pay for the room balance. They told me that when we get there to tell them not to use our credit card, and they won't run it, but instead will let you use the gift cards.

 

[KyleRen]

Hello, We are staying at CBR for the first time next month. From the research we have done we are going to request Aruba 51 or Jamaica 45. Do these buildings seem like good choices? We would like to be close to dining and transportation as well. We have a water/pool room reserved. TIA

 

[AngiTN]

We also always do online check-in, and I've never paid the balance before getting to the resort. I always use a gift card to pay for the room balance. They told me that when we get there to tell them not to use our credit card, and they won't run it, but instead will let you use the gift cards.

Lucky. I never have a chance. Our card is charged well before I arrive (I get a notice from AmEx when it runs)
Doesn't matter since that's the card I'd give them anyway but it does not work that way for us. Do you not give a credit card when you complete online check in?

 

[The Sunrise Student]

First off... WOW lots of information... I read the first 4 pages then skipped to April 30th of this year and read them all....

We are staying at CBR Mid September, we booked our room months before the construction announcement and nearly changed resorts until we got this lovely e-mail the first week of March stating:

"As a thank you for your continued patronage, you will receive a Disney Gift Card value of $75 per room for each night of your stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. For your convenience, you do not need to contact us in advance; we have already arranged for your gift card to be available at the resort upon check-in. This gift card can be used at participating Walt Disney World Resort Food & Beverage and Merchandise locations."

Well since we are there for IF&W at EPCOT, we considered that a bonus!!! We have an AP this year and this is a room only reservation... so no free dinning for us, the gift cards are a nice way to make IF&W easier on the budget.

Hubby and I are "Park Commandos" which means we get there an hour before park opens and stay till nearly close.... depending on how much we wanna deal with traffic getting out of the park since we always have our own car or rental. With that being said our biggest concern is a good night sleep in a quiet location that is CLEAN and conformable. As you can see from my signature we have stayed all over resort property in various resorts trying them out

So any suggestions for quiet rooms near parking but not in a nosy area, would rather walk than deal with too much noise, is very welcome.... as well as this is our first stay at CBR, so any advice is wonderful.

We also LOVE to shop and send back to the resort... any news on package pickup location and how the temp location for that is working out would be wonderful.

Thanks Everyone for the awesome info... AND THANK YOU for keeping the first few pages updated.... LOVE IT!

 

[AngiTN]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but crews have been busy installing the pull down beds they removed from Barbados and Martinique in other parts of the resort.

Sweet! I so hope this means they'll have even more of them ready next week and we have a better chance of getting one. Time to cross fingers and toes.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Lucky. I never have a chance. Our card is charged well before I arrive (I get a notice from AmEx when it runs)
Doesn't matter since that's the card I'd give them anyway but it does not work that way for us. Do you not give a credit card when you complete online check in?

Are you doing Room Only, or a package... I know for sure packages are the 30 days prior to stay.... room only I have paid the remainder at check in....

Honestly going to use the gift cards for IF&W and goodies so never thought of using it to pay for my room.

 

[ulcards99]

Lucky. I never have a chance. Our card is charged well before I arrive (I get a notice from AmEx when it runs)
Doesn't matter since that's the card I'd give them anyway but it does not work that way for us. Do you not give a credit card when you complete online check in?

Yep, I have a credit card tied to my account. One time I wanted to use gift cards, but I forgot to mention it at check-in so they charged my card. The next day I went back down to the front desk and asked about using my gift cards instead. They refunded the amount on my card, and took my gift cards.

 

[dansdad]

Yep, I have a credit card tied to my account. One time I wanted to use gift cards, but I forgot to mention it at check-in so they charged my card. The next day I went back down to the front desk and asked about using my gift cards instead. They refunded the amount on my card, and took my gift cards.

As @AngiTN said you've been lucky. The system is set up to charge room balance to the CC on file if the guest did Online Check In. Sometimes guests arrive before the system has gotten to theirs so like you it's possible. But it is likely it will get charged before you arrive.

 

[AngiTN]

Yep, I have a credit card tied to my account. One time I wanted to use gift cards, but I forgot to mention it at check-in so they charged my card. The next day I went back down to the front desk and asked about using my gift cards instead. They refunded the amount on my card, and took my gift cards.

Yes, even if they charge to the card on file before you arrive, or before you check out, you can always have them reverse the charges and pay with a gift card. Something worth noting. It's an extra step that's easy to avoid but it can be done. I know I've got a gift card to pay on our room for next week. Instead of bothering with doing it upon arrival I'm calling to have it applied before we arrive. Easy

 

[AngiTN]

Are you doing Room Only, or a package... I know for sure packages are the 30 days prior to stay.... room only I have paid the remainder at check in....

Honestly going to use the gift cards for IF&W and goodies so never thought of using it to pay for my room.

Never do packages, have an AP. Stayed 10 times last year. 2 this year. All of them were charged before we arrived.