Resort Thread Disney's CARIBBEAN BEACH Resort

[dansdad]

Thank you, dansdad! We check in on Sat and. today, received the same email as jetta8300. I was just wondering what to do, now I know!

 

[Tiffany4909]

I was wondering if anyone knew if a reservation for Shutters is really needed.... We will be arriving Saturday March 19, so during spring break. I would really like to eat there and explore the resort on our day of arrival but don't want to make an ADR in case we get delayed for any reason. Do you think its possible to get in without a reservation? Hoping to eat between 5 and 6 if all goes well...

 

[VAfamily1998]

Hi! I will be staying at CBR for the first time in April. I have a "water view" room booked. I was looking at online check in for the "requests" and noticed that one of the items that can be requested is "water view." Since I have a water view room booked, I don't need to request that, and can make two different selections (I'm thinking upper floor, and Jamaica) and I will still get my water view, regardless--correct?

Thank you for any insight!

 

[dansdad]

I was wondering if anyone knew if a reservation for Shutters is really needed.... We will be arriving Saturday March 19, so during spring break. I would really like to eat there and explore the resort on our day of arrival but don't want to make an ADR in case we get delayed for any reason. Do you think its possible to get in without a reservation? Hoping to eat between 5 and 6 if all goes well...

Most of the time we do not. But this is what I do. About 3 weeks before I search to see how many openings Shutters has for the time frame we are thinking. If plenty of options are there, I move on. Then I check every week to see if the options are getting fewer, I still don't book but then I check again in 2-3 days. If there are even fewer then, I will book an ADR. We've always had good luck this way. Since CBR is not a "destination" like the monorail or Epcot resorts I'd say 90% of the time we don't make an ADR.

 

[dansdad]

Hi! I will be staying at CBR for the first time in April. I have a "water view" room booked. I was looking at online check in for the "requests" and noticed that one of the items that can be requested is "water view." Since I have a water view room booked, I don't need to request that, and can make two different selections (I'm thinking upper floor, and Jamaica) and I will still get my water view, regardless--correct?

Thank you for any insight!

Correct. Since you have a Water View room booked you will automatically get a Water View. Jamaica is a great location but I want to add that Martinique and Trinidad North also have Water View rooms and they are even closer to OPR and the Main Feature pool.

 

[Kevin355]

I was wondering if anyone knew if a reservation for Shutters is really needed.... We will be arriving Saturday March 19, so during spring break. I would really like to eat there and explore the resort on our day of arrival but don't want to make an ADR in case we get delayed for any reason. Do you think its possible to get in without a reservation? Hoping to eat between 5 and 6 if all goes well...

I've never seen Shutter's overrun with guests, but I do know that during the slow season, they only staff enough waiters/waitresses based on resort occupancy and that there was a very short wait for those without ADRs. Spring Break, you may need to get a ressie.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Correct. Since you have a Water View room booked you will automatically get a Water View. Jamaica is a great location but I want to add that Martinique and Trinidad North also have Water View rooms and they are even closer to OPR and the Main Feature pool.

Thank you!

 

[dansdad]

Thank you!

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

What is the phone number you call to make requests? TIA!

 

[dansdad]

What is the phone number you call to make requests? TIA!

You'll call the main reservations line and tell the phone CM that you want to add some room requests to your reservation so have your reservation number ready. The phone number is 407-939-1936.

 

[jmamom]

Other than the possibility of skipping the front desk - are there any other pros and cons of online check-in? We're visiting the week before Easter, arriving the 18th - so I'm sure it will be busy. I booked a preferred room so I'm not terribly worried about what building I'm assigned. And we'll be coming by Magical Express so we'll have to go to the Custom House first anyway. Is there something I'm missing?

 

[sullins5]

^^^This! I wondered the same. We actually want to add some gift cards (to pretend we have free dining), so assume we might as well wait until we get there. And we arrive ME too.

 

[Dug720]

^^^This! I wondered the same. We actually want to add some gift cards (to pretend we have free dining), so assume we might as well wait until we get there. And we arrive ME too.

Unless things have changed you cannot add gift cards to your account. You can go periodically and apply them to your balance, but the last time I tried (Jan 2015) they would not let me pre-load the account.

 

[sullins5]

So, the only way to add gc's is to add them after you arrive? Or I have to accumulate a balance while there and THEN add them? When I called guest services, she said I could add them on the account now or when I arrive. But since it's a package, I figured all that would do is pay part of the bill of the package, and I didn't want to do that yet. Just want to add the gift cards for our "pretend free dining"...lol

It's so easy when you take a DCL cruise. I just pay our bill, call and add gift cards, and voila! Instant monies for tips, shopping, etc. So, I assumed I could buy gift cards, and add to our account for a surplus for food, shopping, etc.

 

[Dug720]

So, the only way to add gc's is to add them after you arrive? Or I have to accumulate a balance while there and THEN add them? When I called guest services, she said I could add them on the account now or when I arrive. But since it's a package, I figured all that would do is pay part of the bill of the package, and I didn't want to do that yet. Just want to add the gift cards for our "pretend free dining"...lol

It's so easy when you take a DCL cruise. I just pay our bill, call and add gift cards, and voila! Instant monies for tips, shopping, etc. So, I assumed I could buy gift cards, and add to our account for a surplus for food, shopping, etc.

Like I said, it may have changed. But in Jan 2015 I was not allowed to put gift cards onto my account to charge against. I was told I could go periodically to pay down my balance if I wanted to. I just opted to use the gift card to pay for the things I would have charged. Not much difference.

 

[sullins5]

Thanks! I'll just take them with me and go from there!

 

[Kevin355]

Thanks! I'll just take them with me and go from there!

I don't know if your grocery stores where you are allow you extra rewards points for gift cards, do that. We purchased our gift cards from Kroger. We ended up buying almost $1000 of WDW gift cards, saved a $1.00 a gallon off of gas, and didn't have to use cash the whole week.

 

[sullins5]

I don't know if your grocery stores where you are allow you extra rewards points for gift cards, do that. We purchased our gift cards from Kroger. We ended up buying almost $1000 of WDW gift cards, saved a $1.00 a gallon off of gas, and didn't have to use cash the whole week.

They do, but I've been buying them from Sams. So excited to get to come home to CBR. Been too long!

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

You'll call the main reservations line and tell the phone CM that you want to add some room requests to your reservation so have your reservation number ready. The phone number is 407-939-1936.

Thank you so much!!

 

[ELSA711]

ME question here! We drove last time we were at CBR so if the ME drops guests off at the Custom House how do you get to your building?
I know it's a rather large property. Do you just walk it?