We stayed at the CBR last year for 10 days and we absolutely loved it. We were there in June and the CM told me the resort was almost full. You couldn't tell it! Because the resort is large, the guests are distributed equally so we never got the crowded in feeling.
The resort is beautiful. The theming is carried out throughout the entire resort. The buildings are bright and cheerful. Tropical plants and fruit trees are growing everywhere.
The Custom House is where you will check in/out and you probably won't go back there during your stay; therefore, it is not necessary to request a building near the Custom House. An internal bus runs around the entire resort so if you don't want to walk, you can take the internal bus.
The bus service was very efficient. We never waited long for a bus and sometimes there were two and three buses picking up and dropping off at the same time. Because the CBR is so centrally located, it never took us long to get to any Disney destination.
We were assigned to Jamaica Building 41. It was the furthest building in the Jamaica village so we felt as if we were in a secluded area (which is a good thing). The walk to the Jamaica quiet pool took less than a minute. The bus stop walk was about 3 minutes and the walk to Old Port Royale was about 5 minutes. We always enjoyed our walks because the resort is so beautiful.
Our room faced a lush courtyard and the walkways around the buildings were wide enough you could sit outside if you wanted to. Dotted around the courtyard were benches and umbrella tables for the resort guests.
The rooms at the CBR are 340 square feet meaning they are slightly larger than all the other moderate rooms. Once everybody gets their things in the room, you'll be glad you have the extra space.
The room had two double beds which were raised off the floor. We used the room to store our empty luggage. There is a nightstand with a small storage compartment beneath.
There is a medium sized table and a couple of chairs in the bedroom area. A coffeemaker was found in the closet area but we put it on the table. The television is in a wooden armoire which has three large drawers and two lingerie type drawers.
Near the armoire is the refrigerator which is also enclosed in a wooden cabinet. The refrigerator is dorm size and our's worked extremely well. Loved having a fridge in the room to store leftover desserts, fruit, drinks, etc.
Also in the bedroom area was a large padded bench that had a very deep drawer underneat. Great for storing large packages. Above the bench was a peg type shelf which was perfect for hanging our backpack and hats.
The closet/sink area was fairly large. There is a curtain that can be pulled to divide this area from the bedroom area. Comes in handy when everybody is trying to get ready at once.
The two sinks are enclosed in a long wooden cabinet which has two storage areas beneath. A hairdryer, iron and ironing board are all in the room.
The closet rod already had about a dozen wooden hangers on it and we brought along two dozen more and still have room. We brought along a couple of mesh laundry bags and kept all of our dirty clothes in them.
The safe in the closet wall is pretty small. Not much room to store more than a wallet, a game boy, etc.
The bathroom was the typical hotel/motel size. It was very clean. No loose tiles, no mold or mildew. I checked!
Mousekeeping was very efficient during our stay. They came in every day and cleaned everything thoroughly. We never saw any left over trash or crumbs. We received four towel animals. We tipped daily.
Each village has their own quiet pool and beach. Because the main pool was fairly crowded, we swam in the Jamaica quiet pool and we sometimes had the pool all to ourselves.
The laundry facilities are located near the quiet pools. This was great because we could do our laundry and swim at the same time. It didn't feel as if we were cutting into our vacation time.
The Jamaica beach was swept clean each night. There were hammocks and beach chairs all along the beach. It was nice to laze around in the hammock and watch the Epcot fireworks at night.
The walk to Old Port Royale was very pleasant. You had to pass through the island to get there. Tropical music played all over the island and there were several paths you could take. Along the paths were benches and gliders. We saw several families having picnics on the island.
The main pool is designed to look like an old fort complete with water slide and cannons. A hot tub and hair wrap station are near the main pool. Order a tropical drink and sip it at one of the many umbrella tables nearby.
At the marina, you can rent sea raycers, pontoon boats, canoes, sailboats, surrey bikes and bicycles.
I was pleasantly surprised by the food court. It was always very well staffed and clean. It could get busy at times but we didn't mind. At lunch and dinner, you could find burgers, pasta, pizza, chicken strips, salads, rotissiere chicken, veggies, fresh made sandwiches, fresh baked bakery items, fruit, yogurt, etc. At breakfast, there were Mickey waffles, breakfast meats, omelets, etc.
The arcade was medium sized. Our son bought a refillable playing card and played for quite a while on $20.00.
The store is divided in two with one side selling Caribbean themed items such as pirate items, jewelry, swim suits, shorts, flip flops, etc. The other side sold the more typical Disney items such as t-shirts, autograph books, scrapbooking items, hats, etc.
I think that you would thoroughly enjoy a stay at the CBR. We loved it so much we're headed back in just 13 days for another 10 day stay!
Lisa
