What would you do? CBR or WL

[home brewer]

I have a quote for CBR and WL. CBR is $400 less than WL. The $$ I save by staying at CBR will almost pay my airfare. This the first trip with the family and I want it to be special. In addition to me, it will be DW, DS1 (7) and DS2(1).

 

[Kae]

Boy that is a tough one. If you think you will go back in a few years go with CBR. I love WL we stayed there Oct 03 & are staying there in June. But I have enjoyed every resort I have stayed at. (AS-MU. POFQ. AS-Mo, Poly, & WL) the $400 would cover some meals.

Kae

 

[dtsaos]

People seem to either love or hate CBR, but I've never heard anyone dis the WL. Trust me, it's worth the extra money.

 

[SDFgirl]

I would stay at CBR. WL is wonderful, but if it's your first time, you could do a lot of "extras" (really nice meals, souvineers) with the $400.

I love the WL too. We decided it was out of our price range for this trip, but we'll definitely go and hang out there for awhile, grab a meal and a drink. And, now we'll have something to look forward to for next time!

 

[dixipixi]

I think CBR would be fine for your family. We stayed there in '98 and my DS was only 5 at the time. He really enjoyed the pool area. Our room was fine, but I felt it did need renovation at the time. They have renovated since then, so I would probably be happier there now. That being said, we have chosen to stay at the WL this time. The main reason being slightly bigger beds and larger rooms/bathrooms. I also like the idea of having a private balcony because I'm an early riser and I can sit out there and not disturb the family. We are also not crazy about fast food/food court type situations and do like to stay in a hotel with at least one sit down restaurant. Having said all of this, it strictly comes down to personal preference. Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

[Steffi]

Both CBR and WL are beautiful, you can't go wrong no matter which you choose.

That said, I think if I were in your position, with two young children, I would pick WL for it's location (just a boat ride away from MK) and for the fact that it's not nearly as spread out as CBR, so lots less walking with the little tykes.

I also like the fact that everything at WL is in one building, which is really nice when it's rainy or sweltering outside. You can avoid the weather when you want fill your mug or grab a snack or just wander around.

You'll find and abundance of magic at either resort, though. No matter where you decide to stay, you'll feel like you're a million miles away from the real world. Have a great time!

 

[Kanga1]

I was having the same dilemma a few weeks ago. As luck would have it, my husband had a business trip in Orlando, so he went and visited both of these properties to get the real feel of them. We are sticking with CBR. DH said that WL definitely has a WOW factor with the huge lobby and totem poles and all, but he really didn't care for the theming. (I don't either.) I'm sure it's beautiful and very nice, but we live in WV and the landscaping and "rustic" look is around us all the time. The resorts close to our home have this exact same feel. We don't, however, get to see palm trees and hammocks on the beach very often, thus our choice to stay at CBR. I will miss the bigger beds and the balcony, but the theme is more important to us. We also will be having a car and DH said it seemed like a forever walk from the parking lot at WL to the rooms. There are individual parking areas right outside each island at CBR. BTW, although not a headliner such as Whispering Canyon, CBR does have a sit down restaurant called Shutters.

 

[Ergens2]

Another vote for CBR. The $ saved can do a lot more! They have a pool in each "island" and if you are traveling with kids this is a big draw! We always found the pool at the WL to be crowded! Esp. in the afternoons. They have a very nice food court and you are close to alot. They have a very nice lake that you can rent boats and "tubbies" (motorized inner tubes) and you can also rent bikes to peddle are the lake. Very nice on a down time afternoon. They also have very nice white sand beaches and hammocks. People often complain about the "long walk" but if you spend just a few more dollars you can get a preferred room which is closer to everything. Your room would be in Martinique or Trinidad North. Both are very close to Old Port Royal. With the cost of vacations these days it is always nice to save a few dollars where you can!

 

[rileyroosmom]

I have stayed at both and liked both for different reasons.
The CBR has a really great pool, kids loved the slide and I think the pool is bigger than the one at WL. Good price for CBR gives you extra dollars to spend elsewhere.
CBR is VERY spread out!! Depending on which room you get and what you are near. We used to send "Pedro the pack mule" (AKA my dh) to the food court at night for dinner. It was just too much walking for the kids after being in the park all day. My poor dh was just exhausted by the time he returned!! I wasn't too crazy about the Pepper Market (food court) either. There were a lot of selections, but for some reason, they didn't really interest me. The resort as well as the room were very clean. However, you only get double beds here.
The WL is a much smaller and compact resort and you don't have to go outside to get to the lobby, Roaring Forks (food court). The walk to the room does seem far after returning from the bus, but what resort has door to door service? Nice pool, a little smaller. Both pools have snack bars for drinks and such. Games were played here, duck races and hair wrapping for girls. Roaring Forks is a smaller food court with less choices, but it fit our needs better. Whispering Canyon Cafe is the restaraunt there and we loved it, always go there on every trip. It is loud and a lot of fun for families. Loved the room, queen bed and bunk beds for the kids. Enjoyed the patio/balcony. The lobby is fabulous, rockers to sit in by the fireplace the stream that starts in the lobby that flows to the pool. The boat ride to MK is a nice change from always being on busses.
All that being said, WL is our choice over CBR. However, you can't go wrong at either. Just depends what is important to you. For me, a queen bed is well worth the extra $400!

 

[HopperFan]

Beautiful resort that will make your trip very special! Small in size so navigating throughout with young ones is easy. Close to MK for a quick boat ride back to the room. I think you older DS will enjoy the "cabin" style and the bunk beds if you get them. We stayed there with a 1 year old (and two more (5) (9) and it was perfect with that age. We all relaxed and never felt we had to plan our walk to the pool, food or transportation. Everything is a few minutes walk from your room. I think it is absolutely worth the extra money and I am always trying to travel to WDW with as much savings as possible.

 

[Ergens2]

I have stayed at both and liked both for different reasons.
The CBR has a really great pool, kids loved the slide and I think the pool is bigger than the one at WL. Good price for CBR gives you extra dollars to spend elsewhere.
CBR is VERY spread out!! Depending on which room you get and what you are near. We used to send "Pedro the pack mule" (AKA my dh) to the food court at night for dinner. It was just too much walking for the kids after being in the park all day. My poor dh was just exhausted by the time he returned!! I wasn't too crazy about the Pepper Market (food court) either
!

I think you are confused with CSR Coronado Springs. We are talking about CBR Caribbean Beach Resort.

 

[RSMAEA508]

We stayed at CBR last week and it was great.

We've seen the WL and the difference seems to be that the WL feels more compacted with a big central lobby and rooms stacked up more together.
The CBR has spreadout 2 story buildings that are much more private. Even though we heard it was nearly full, we did not feel crowded at CBR. The pool was nice for the younger children. Older children may prefer WL.

We also went in February to get away from winter in Boston, so we were not interested in the "feel" of a Northwest Lodge" rather we wanted the feel of Aruba which we got at CBR.

We could see Epcot fireworks from the CBR pool. We were only 3 minutes from MGM studios. The CRB rooms and food courts have been freshened since our last vist many years ago and were clean and comfortable.

 

[Linda T.]

We love CBR!!!! We like the themeing of this resort, the sandy beaches and the nice walk areas. My daughters like the main pool and the quiet pool. It is very peaceful and quiet at this resort. We have never had to wait long for buses, and we like the food court. When the girls were little, we would stay at Martinique, but now that they are older, we prefer Jamaica. Whichever you choose, have a great time.
______________________________________________________________

1979 - Offsite
1995 - Caribbean
1997 - Caribbean
1999 - Dixie Landings
2003 - Caribbean
2005 - Caribbean

 

[lovepooh]

I think it depends on what kind of theme you are looking for. We really enjoy CBR and it is our favorite moderate resort (because we love the theme). WL is very pretty but I don't care for that theme. We have been to CBR 8 times and have always loved our stay. WL offers the boat to the MK so if you plan on spending a lot of time there it is nice and close. Good Luck! (Either way you can't go wrong)!

 

[rileyroosmom]

Ergens2 - OOPPSSS!!! You're right, I did get them confused!! I have also stayed at CBR and I still vote for the WL for pretty much the same reasons!!
*spending way too much on these boards, my eyes are beginning to hurt! Thanks for correcting me!

 

[Asuneda]

Its a tough choice when you focus on the money saved.We've stayed at both. We LOVE the Wilderness Lodge. It could have a little to do with the fact that we were married there, but we love the feel too. It's a more relaxing place than CBR, at least to us. We love sitting in the lobby and listening to the music and watching people. The storytime for kids is neat too. We like the convience of the boat to MK and there are more buses running to the deluxe resorts versus the moderates.

We found the distances at CBR to be a bit much after a long day in the parks. While there are pools in each village, the main themed pool can be quite a hike for small children. If you go with CBR ask for a room in a village closest to the food court and pool to minimize the hike "disadvantage". We stayed in Jamaica. The walk was shorter than some because we were in the building closest to the bridge.

 

[MinnieM21]

Definately the Wilderness Lodge.

 

[skiwee1]

Honestly I would go with CBR even if it were more expensive then the WL. The CBR has much better transportation. The rooms are the same size but the CBR has double beds which make the room seem bigger.

 

[home brewer]

Just as expected, the votes were pretty much split right down the middle. However, there seemed to be one common theme about CBR that caught my eye.

I love sitting in a chair with my toes in the sand at a Caribbean beach resort as much as Kenny Chesney or Jimmy Buffet. I just don't want to have to walk there from home. (especially after logging 100 miles at MK)

Is the resort as spread out as some have indicated? How close do the buses get to the individual lodging areas? Im just concerned that when I show DW the pictures of both and then explain all the pro's and con's that she will rule out CBR purely on walking distances. And I'm not sure I can blame her after carrying DS2 (11 months at time of trip) through the lines.

We live in a log home, not quite as big as the WL, out in the middle of the woods. So, we kind of have that rustic feeling going on every day. The WL is looks beautiful but I'm not going just for the high class "rustic" experience.

Is CS as spread out as CBR? Does one of those have significant advantages over the other?

Thanks again,
Kip

 

[RSMAEA508]

If you avoid Barbados and South Trinidad the walk is not much at all. There is a bridge over an island near Aruba and Jamaca that reduce the distance. We stayed in Aruba and carried our 2 year old without any issues. You can pay extra for a preferred location close to Centre Town. Here is a map. We were in Aruba 52.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/cbrmap.jpg
There are bus stops at several locations at CBR, so that helps.

I've heard that CS is much more of a walk.

We found the staff at CRB outstanding. They helped us obtain an urgent prescription at 3am by faxing it to a pharmacy they have available and having it delivered onsite within the hour.

We checked out most of the other resorts while we were there any plan to come back to CBR next time. We really disliked the cluster of resorts around the Boardwalk (Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan, Dolphin, Boardwalk Inn) as they were packed in on top of each other with every square inch of land developed in some way and felt very crowded.

The other ones you may want to check is the Port Orleans and Animal Kingdom Lodge.