Just got back from CBR

[hulk51382]

We just got back from our yearly Disney trip. Decided to go in May/June this year instead of September. This was our 4th stay at CBR and overall it was another great experience. Here are a few of my thoughts:

• We received both of the requests we faxed prior to our stay which was a corner room in Aruba 51 and even got upgraded to a water view.
• We checked in early at the resort and the room wasn't ready. We swam and had lunch and received a text around 12:30 that our room was ready.
• Room renovations are terrific. We loved the new décor and thought it had a Polynesian vibe to it. We didn't get a room with the pullout bed which is fine since there are only 4 of us. My kids ended up sleeping with my wife in one bed so I had a queen bed all to myself most of the trip.
• Bus service was probably the worst part of our stay. All of our other stays the bus service has been pretty good, but this trip was by far the worst. Waited over 45 minutes one morning for a MK bus. Our bus stop was so full that we took up the entire bus. Our driver did tell us that if it ever takes that long again to use the phone at the bus stop to call someone and let them know. Bus service to HS and Epcot weren't as bad, but did seem longer than our previous stays. We ended up driving our car the rest of the week.
• Pools were great as always. Still the best pool for kids in my opinion.
• Food court was great as well. Never had to wait very long for food and lots of available seats.

So overall our stay at CBR was another great one with exception to the slow busses. I do think the bus issue seemed worse since we went during a more crowded time of the year. Like I said we've stayed here 3 other times with no issues so I really think its luck of the draw. I am going to try an post a full trip report at some point. We went to a lot of other resorts for dining and wanted to give my thoughts on those as well.

 

[mickeynut1]

Thanks for your review. I'm sorry about the buses, but glad everything else was great. We've only stayed at CBR once, but we loved everything about the resort and wouldn't hesitate to go back .

 

[hulk51382]

We love CBR as well and will continue to go back. We've stayed a Riverside as well and preferred CBR. The fact that the rooms have been renovated makes it even more enjoyable.

 

[mickeynut1]

We love CBR as well and will continue to go back. We've stayed a Riverside as well and preferred CBR. The fact that the rooms have been renovated makes it even more enjoyable.

I agree, renovated rooms is a big plus. We've never stayed at POR, but from pics I've seen, it looks very nice. POR would be my next choice for a mod, but it would also be tempting to go back to CBR since we had such a great stay before .

 

[nkereina]

Thanks for posting. We had a very similar experience with buses at CBR back in November. The bus depot was so overcrowded with people waiting, that the crowd extended into the parking lot behind the bus depot. When buses did pull up, it get a little ugly due to the lack of a formal lines at the depot. It was stressful, and probably the sole reason we won't return to CBR.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

Thanks for posting. We had a very similar experience with buses at CBR back in November. The bus depot was so overcrowded with people waiting, that the crowd extended into the parking lot behind the bus depot. When buses did pull up, it get a little ugly due to the lack of a formal lines at the depot. It was stressful, and probably the sole reason we won't return to CBR.

Really? When in November? That was not our experience at all

 

[nkereina]

Really? When in November? That was not our experience at all

It was the week before Thanksgiving, and it was also the last week of free dining before the Thanksgiving black out. I believe the week prior to our arrival was also blacked out for Jersey Week/Veteran's Day. I attribute the craziness of the hotel to the fact that they were at capacity due to free dining, as POR and POFQ were not available to the public during that particular free dining offer. I think that made CBR and CSR mad houses, and CBR was underprepared for it.

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

It was the week before Thanksgiving, and it was also the last week of free dining before the Thanksgiving black out. I believe the week prior to our arrival was also blacked out for Jersey Week/Veteran's Day. I attribute the craziness of the hotel to the fact that they were at capacity due to free dining, as POR and POFQ were not available to the public during that particular free dining offer. I think that made CBR and CSR mad houses, and CBR was underprepared for it.

Weird I was there the same time and at the last bus stop. Never had an issue especially getting to the parks. The only time the buses were full was coming home after fireworks or at park closing and even then they kept sending more buses.

 

[nkereina]

Weird I was there the same time and at the last bus stop. Never had an issue especially getting to the parks. The only time the buses were full was coming home after fireworks or at park closing and even then they kept sending more buses.

If you were on the last bus stop, then you can attribute your experience to the fact that empty buses were being dispatched to bus stops 4-7, because they were full and heading to the parks after getting through stops 1-3. We sometimes boarded in Jamaica and other times boarded at Old Port Royale, both on the earlier part of the route for pick-ups, and the bus almost always left after the stop I was at. I was never on a bus that made it all the way around to stop 7. So, it worked well for you being on the last stop.

FWIW, we were always there during a normally busy time - 8/8:30am. Any later or earlier than that may have been an entirely different experience. But we tour the same times no matter where we stay, and this is the first time we had experienced crowds that large and buses so infrequent at arguably one of the busiest times of the morning. I also think since the resort is so large, buses should run more frequently there yet they don't seem to run anymore frequent than say POFQ, which is a quarter of the size.

 

[midnightlouise]

Thanks for the review! That has been our experience with the bus service as well. When we went during SWW a few years back it was unreliable, but when we've been during the off-season we've never waited more than 20 minutes for a bus. Glad that overall you had a great time!

 

[Babsy]

Thank you for the review! Yes, we love CBR as well. We have been lucky, I guess, because we have never had an issue with the buses at CBR. I know that some people have reported slow buses there. Our only real problem with buses was at the YC during one stay. We had really long waits on that trip for some reason.

I am glad that overall your trip seemed to have gone really well!!

 

[dpswift]

Now I am getting worried about the buses. We are going during FD week this year and it was a war just to get a room. I did notice when we went to SWW that at MK the bus stop had been moved to be furthest away. My guess was so that they could use larger buses. We were staying at POP and I never saw CBRs bus.

 

[nkereina]

Now I am getting worried about the buses. We are going during FD week this year and it was a war just to get a room. I did notice when we went to SWW that at MK the bus stop had been moved to be furthest away. My guess was so that they could use larger buses. We were staying at POP and I never saw CBRs bus.

I would hope that CBR learned from their mistakes last year and are better prepared for the free dining masses, since they will likely be booked to capacity due to POFQ/POR black-outs. The saving grace this year, though, is that only certain room types were offered which may make the crowds smaller. You could also always rent a car and avoid buses all together. Aside from the buses, we enjoyed the resort.

 

[hulk51382]

Now I am getting worried about the buses. We are going during FD week this year and it was a war just to get a room. I did notice when we went to SWW that at MK the bus stop had been moved to be furthest away. My guess was so that they could use larger buses. We were staying at POP and I never saw CBRs bus.

I wouldn't worry about the buses. We have stayed at CBR in September during free dining twice and the buses were fine. This was the first trip we had a bad experience. I really think it is hit and miss. When we left HS at night CBR had a shorter line than a lot of the other resorts.

 

[lilkimmyk]

We were at CBR last year 2 wks before Thanksgiving and left mid week before Thanksgiving and although we had no issues with buses (only waited once over 20 min) we did feel by the time we left the bus lines were getting much longer.

OP- thanks for your review. Our trip last year was our first at CBR and was only picked because POR was out of the FD promo. We are glad it worked out that way because we fell in love with the resort. We were even in a section that wasn't refurbished yet lol! Our son loved the Splash area and we all loved the pool it was fantastic. I wish I could be back this year but I don't think it going to work yet.

 

[archdandy]

Thanks for the review! DH and I are staying at CBR for the first time in November. Does anyone have any recommendations for room requests? We have booked just a standard room.

 

[ELSA711]

I wouldn't worry about the buses. We have stayed at CBR in September during free dining twice and the buses were fine. This was the first trip we had a bad experience. I really think it is hit and miss. When we left HS at night CBR had a shorter line than a lot of the other resorts.

Just curious how POR in Sept last year was compared to this year for you at CBR? I see you were at POR 2014 like us. We thought POR was pretty rough in October.

 

[hulk51382]

Thanks for the review! DH and I are staying at CBR for the first time in November. Does anyone have any recommendations for room requests? We have booked just a standard room.

We always request Aruba 51 or Jamaica 45. They are closest to the bridge that you walk over to the main pool/food area and are considered standard rooms. It's such a nice walk over the bridge too. Love the scenery!

 

[hulk51382]

Just curious how POR in Sept last year was compared to this year for you at CBR? I see you were at POR 2014 like us. We thought POR was pretty rough in October.

I thought the POR bus service last September was a lot better than our trip to CBR this year. The one thing I really liked about POR was that they had a TV screen that told you when the next bus for each park was supposed to arrive. I really think all resorts should do this.

 

[maxiesmom]

Thanks for the review! DH and I are staying at CBR for the first time in November. Does anyone have any recommendations for room requests? We have booked just a standard room.

My recommendation would be to upgrade to a preferred room if at all possible. I booked standard, and was put in Jamaica 44. I truly didn't think the walk to the front would be any sort of issue. But after one trip up to get my mug refilled, I started buying pop out of the machine near my room. The walk to the main buildings wouldn't be that bad, if you were not already walking miles and miles each day. But after walking in the parks all day the last thing I wanted was a 10 minute walk to get some pop and then a 10 minute walk back to my room.