We fell in love with the Caribbean Beach Resort the minute we stepped on the resort property. Everything is so lush and beautiful. The buildings are painted bright colors and we saw no peeling paint anywhere.
You will check in at the Custom House. Our check in went extremely well. All of the windows were full and there were numerous families in front of us. We were checked in, given our room key/theme park tickets, shown to the concierge desk to get our Hoop Dee Doo Review tickets and on our way to our room in less than 30 minutes. Most people won't visit Custom House again until they check out so it is not necessary to request a room near the CH.
We were assigned to Jamaica, Building 41. Our room faced a beautiful courtyard. All of our requests (non smoking, upstairs, facing courtyard) were met. We were just a 3 minute walk to the bus station and a 5 minute walk to Old Port Royale. It took less than a minute to the Jamaica quiet pool and beach.
The rooms at the CBR are 340 sq. feet where the other moderates are 314 sq. feet. Believe me, you'll be glad you have the extra space when you get all your things in the room.
The room was immaculate. There are two beds (unless you request a king size room which has only one bed), a nightstand, a table and two chairs, a large mirror, an armoire with three large drawers, a refrigerator, a padded bench with large drawer beneath and a peg type shelf. The mattresses were replaced in May and June, 2006. They were replacing them during our stay. Because the beds were raised off the floor, I stored our luggage beneath to get them out of the way.
The sink/closet area is of ample size. The sinks are enclosed in a wooden cabinet and there is storage underneath each sink. The closet rod and shelf are pretty long. There were a dozen hangers and we brought along 2 dozen more. I also brought along a mesh laundry bag for our dirty clothes. There is a privacy curtain that can be pulled to separate the sink/closet area from the bedroom which is nice when everybody is trying to get ready at once.
The bathroom is the typical size. No mold, no mildew, no loose tiles. I checked.
A coffeemaker, iron, ironing board and hairdryer are provided.
Mousekeeping was wonderful. They cleaned the room thoroughly every day. They also replinished the coffee, linens, towels and toiletries.
We never heard our next door neighbors. No running water, no flushing toilets, no talking, no nothing. One of the quietest places we have ever stayed.
Each village has their own quiet pool and white sandy beach. The Jamaica pool was never crowded and, sometimes, we had it all to ourselves. The laundry facilities are located right beside the pools so you can do your laundry and not feel as if you are wasting any vacation time.
The beaches were swept clean every night. It was nice to laze around in the hammocks on the Jamaica beach and watch the Epcot fireworks at night. Some of the beaches have small playgrounds for the little ones and some have volleyball nets for the bigger kids.
We found the island in the middle of the lake to be a nice getaway. Tropical music played all around the island and there were benches placed here and there. We even saw some families having picnics and birthday parties on the island.
You can rent watermice, pontoon boats, sailboats, canoes, surrey bikes and bicycles from the marina.
The main pool was pretty crowded during our stay but we didn't mind because we used the Jamaica pool. Located beside the main pool are a pool bar, a hot tub and hair wrap station.
Shutter's is the full service restaurant. Even our picky 9 year old son found something he liked on the Caribbean themed menu.
The food court served a variety of foods. You will find burgers, chicken strips, rotissiere chicken, vegetables, pizza, pasta, salads, fresh made sandwiches, yogurt, assortment of desserts, veggies and dip, fresh fruit, fresh bakery items, etc. At breakfast, you will find breakfast meats, mickey waffles, omelets, eggs, fresh bakery items, etc.
The store is divided in two with one side selling CBR themed items such as pirate items, swimming suits, flip flops, jewelry, etc. The other side sells the more traditional Disney items such as t-shirts, purses, watches, snowglobes, toys, etc.
There is a medium sized arcade. You purchase a refillable playing card and just swipe it at the game you want to play. No keeping up with tokens or coins.
We loved the CBR so much we booked our June, 2007 stay just days after arriving home from our June, 2006 stay.
Hope this helps with your decision making process, Lisa
But even so, I'd pick the French Quarter. Small, lovely landscaping, nice walks around the canal (or whatever it is called!)
