Why do so many people dislike CBR?

[Kanga1]

Ok, I'm getting nervous. Spending 9 nights at CBR and am really looking forward to it...except for all the negative comments about the resort. Why? What am I not going to like? Is it because it is so spread out? Theme? Uncleaniness? And why is POQR and POR rated so much better?

REALLY want a carribean/tropical theme. (Can't afford the Poly.) Could afford a deluxe like AKL, WL, or CR, but those themes don't appeal to me either.

What should I do? Go with my gut instinct and stay at CBR or upgrade to AKL or WL and risk not liking it there?

BTW, traveling with DH and DD4.

 

[safetymom]

There are many many people that enjoy CBR. You might want to read the trip reports in the CBR FAQ's listed below.

When you are at CBR you will feel like you have escaped to the islands.

 

[Patio]

I have stayed at CBR twice and am also considering a summer trip there. I love CBR. It is very tropical and reminds me of the Polynesian. I love the building's colors, walking or riding surrey bikes around the promenade, the food court, gift shop, sandy beaches with hammocks, it's all so pretty. I have no desire no stay at POR again because I'm not crazy about the theming. So, I would just stay at CBR and judge for yourself. I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[spiceycat]

some people love it!!!

I dislike because we went when it was new. the press were there at the time - smoking in non-smoking places.

the front desk tried to help - they put us in the fartherest building - however that mean it was a very long walk to the food court.

plus we had a quiet pool next to our building - so one day we didn't go to the parks just relaxed and when swimming.

well there were people there - not a problem I got in - well they tell me that this is a private party and that we will have to go elsewhere - well I say great the front desk did not mention this - I guess I will have to call them - well they left - (I followed) - they got in a car and LEFT....they weren't even staying at this resort....

it was long before the days when WDW tightened up their security....but when you pay to stay somewhere - an outsiders were trying to take over the pool you (as a guest) had full rights too....

well we have never stayed at CBR since. I know alot of problem was not with the resort - but alot was.

the way POR is designed - is the long walk you might have from CBR is not at pOR - the front desk/food court/arcade - are in the middle and their are bridges to allow easy access - a much better design.

 

[SuzEm]

Go with your gut instinct and stay at CBR. If you just don't like it at all, you can ask to be moved to another resort. I see a lot of people posting who don't like CSR, but I really like it there and will be going back. I tried CBR with an open mind in 2003, after the rehab and was really excited about trying it. It was OK, but I probably wouldn't choose to go back there again. However, it by no means was bad enough to move to another resort and I was there for 7 nights. I think it is more of a personal preference thing - not that the resort is "bad" in any way.

 

[jgmklmhem]

We loved CBR when we were there and I am from Florida and lived 15 minutes from the beach at the time. We asked to be in Jamaica near the bus stop and got our request. It was a pretty good hike to the Main pool/food court but it wasn't too bad. We liked the quiet pool as well. Transportation was pretty good and we never really waited for a bus more than 15 minutes (at the time of our trip it didn't share buses with anyone else....not sure about now though since it has been awhile).

 

[FloridaGirl]

I keep posting this because it is SO true-- everyone has different tastes -- what is great to one person is only "so-so" to others-- I, too, had read negative posts about CBR-- my sister and 4 year old daughter tried CBR in December and LOVED it---

We were able to check in at 9:30 am---- we got jsut what we wanted-- an upper corner room with an extra window, QUIET, and PERFECT! The resort is spread out--- but we drive everywhere so that was not an issue at all---the beaches are so nice---the decor was great and there are mini-fridges in the rooms which is a great money saver-- we kept cokes and water in there. It was clean and nice---- there were always buses running-- and the food area was always clean and well-stocked--

I certainly hope you relax and give it a try--- I hope it is as nice for you as it was for us--we will certainly return.

 

[Cinderpals]

I just got back from WDW and the CBR 6 N stay with my daughter. We loved it! We stayed in Martinique bldg 21. It wasn't a very long walk to the bus stop and a pleasant walk to the Port Royale food court which was never busy. My daughter kept wanting to stop and play at the kid's playground, or in the sand on the way to the PR food court, but we didn't have time. We've also stayed at the WL and CTR resorts. The CTR room was noticeably larger than the CBR, but the WL seemed about the same size. There isn't a balcony, but there is a covered outdoor walkway that some people use as a personal porch. I think that it would be perfect for a couple, or Mom and Dad with 1-2 small children. The buses came around regularly too. Never waited more than 5 minutes for the right bus to come by. We also rented a car, so the parking was just outside of the buildings. All moderates and deluxes have mini-fridges now too. CBR has a gift shop at the back of the PORT Royale Food Court with some everyday items. Very convenient if you happen to forget something at home. You do have to ask where the shelf is though, the goods are hidden behind part of the doorway.
If I were to go back, I would request Martinique building 23 or 22 because they were a bit closer to the food court and to the bus stop than building 21. We were always the 1st stop to be picked up too. You would have to pay more to stay in Martinique buiding 24-26. They are right next to the Food Court.
Deluxes are definitely an upgrade from the Moderates, but for the money, CBR was a great value! With my AP discount, I paid $88 per night including tax and fees. I was told too, that if we wanted to change resorts, that we could have. (assuming rooms were available etc...) My husband wanted us to stay at a resort off of the monorail. Wasn't necessary. We were able to park at the Beach Club since we had PS at the Cape May and at the Contemporary since we were eating at Chef Mickeys. If I had wanted to go by bus, I would have gotten up earlier to catch a internal resort bus (they came around regularly in the am), or would have taken a bus to Downtown Disney and caught a bus to whichever resort I needed to get to. Not a big deal, but I did have a car too. I was happy with the CBR. I still haven't tried any other Moderates or Value resorts.

 

[JuneCleaver]

We stayed in Barbados 2 years ago and loved it. The leisurely walk to Old Port Royal was not too far and not too close! The rooms were clean and the atmosphere was slow paced...just like the Islands!

And we really enjoyed the poolside Banana Cabana!

June

 

[LeftCoaster]

Every resort is going to have its' detractors and I would say that CBR doesn't have a larger amount of detractors than any other resort.
I think we hold on to the negative reports because we want our trips to be perfect. You should have a pleasant, relaxing stay there.

 

[Minky]

I LOVED CBR, I have stayed at all the mods except CS (which is next) and all of the deluxes, CBR is great and I would go back in a second.....if you like the tropical theme its great!! We were in Jamaica our room was steps from the quiet pool and it was a beautiful walk over the bridge through parrot cay to refill our mugs or get breakfast. We thought it was so pretty we would stroll the entire resort in the evening. Our room was very clean, housekeeping was great, service was great, youll love it!

 

[Northern Lights]

Totally concur on the personal preferences issue, but wanted to add my 2 cent offering and friendly advice nonetheless.

First and foremost, is this your first trip and what are your comparison points? Due to an "offer we couldn't refuse," our first trip we split stayed and went from a deluxe to the CBR. Big mistake - yes we saved some good money but wished we had just stayed where we were. Now that being said, it is not like it was terrible where we felt an immediate urging to return to the prior resort, nor did we feel like we were "sucking it up" to stay at CBR, but CBR just wasn't "it" for our family. So what is "it"?

Well, what do you most value? At the time, our DD was the same as age as yours is going to be. We do not value theming as much as convenience and location. After having several transpo options, we hated having to rely solely on the bus - particularly at night when you were forced to be routed through DTD - not good with a DD4. If you prefer restaurants then plan on eating at the parks. If you prefer counter service, then you will find the CBR selection more than adequate and actually better than a deluxe.

I will say this about the CBR theming - again noting that theming is not a big deal to me - I never felt confused about being on the islands. It was a nice ambience (old spanish architecture and reggae music), and Disney did the best it could, but for me, the Caribbean is about the beautiful sea, and Disney just can't transform the lagoon into that. Perhaps that is why I love the CR, b/c to me the monorail through the hotel and viewing space mountain and the castle from your balcony is the quintessential Disney theme.

Anyway, don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer b/c we still had a great time at CBR and we are glad we tried it. As an aside, during our CBR stay, we met a couple on the Boardwalk whose kids (late teens) had sadly outgrown Disney and he asked where we were staying. I told him CBR and they recommended the WL. We have yet to take their advice b/c we love the convenience of the monorail, but everything I have read indicates that it is a good middle ground and great bang for the buck. I think you will spend most of your time at MK and I bet your DD4 will love riding the boat there.

All that being said, I totally agree that you should go with your gut and don't get bogged down in negative reviews. You will have a great time, and most important, your DD4 will have a great time, just being at WDW.

 

[Drizzo67]

My family and I stayed at CBR in February 2004. As it was our first stay at a Disney resort we had nothing to compare it to, but we loved, loved, loved it....

We found the whole atmosphere relaxing and just the right tempo to calm down after a hectic day at the parks. We mostly used the main pool (with water slide) right by the food court and found the views just breath taking.

The only reason we are not staying there again this year is because we are crusing to the Caribbean next winter and we want to be objective, LOL....

Go with your gut and stay there. You won't regret it..

 

[DISFANS3]

We stayed at CBR back in 99 and last year, both trips were great. The only problem we had was the food court. This being a mod resort thought the food court would be a lot nicer. It was like eating at a Mall.. We have had a lot better food at the value resorts.. Still a nice resort......

 

[Kanga1]

Northern Lights,

Oh my gosh...do you mean to tell me that I will not be able to take a "direct" bus to any of the parks at night from CBR? If so, after what time? This may be a MAJOR factor in my decision!!!

 

[momto2girls]

I definitely think that you should stick with the CBR. It sounds like it has just the theme you are looking for.

Personally, I hated CBR. BUT I don't enjoy the Caribbean theme at all. So, that was a big part of it.

The other thing I didn't like about CBR was that it was so spread out. It was quite a trek to get to the food court and the buses were always packed. We learned to hike to another bus stop so that we had a better chance of fitting on the bus.

Anyway, this was several years ago (see my siggy) and there might have been improvements made about the bus situation by now.

If the theme appeals to you and you try to get a room closer to the food court and the pool, I'm sure you will enjoy it!

 

[crcormier]

I thought it was a very nice resort, well designed, clean and comfortable and I really liked the central area with the food court and shops. The Carribean theme just didn't strike my fancy. Totally superficial as to why I wouldn't stay there again.

 

[Avalanche]

We stayed at CBR in July 2003 and loved it. The rooms had just been renovated and were very nice and have more storage and drawer space then any of the other moderates. Mousekeeping and the CM's were fabulous. (best we've had at any disney resort) Food court was good, but nothing fancy. (Basically, burgers, fries, chicken, etc.) Bus service was great. Never much of a wait and a short ride to MGM, Epcot and AK. A little longer to MK or DTD. All our buses were direct with no other stops (even to water parks and DTD), but that might depend on the season and crowd levels.

I think you will enjoy CBR (if not love it).

 

[kesha]

First to say that I am new to posting to these boards but have actually been lurking on them after my last trip to CBR in 2002. I love the Dis and I only wish I would of discovered it before my trips.

I just wanted to say that I have stayed at the the CBR twice and loved it both times. But it is a very large resort and depending where you are located you will do a lot of walking. I think if I had small children I would get a preferred room. You should just relax and enjoy. If you find you dislike it that much request a change to another resort.

 

[JandT'smom]

I Have stayed at the CBR twice loved it and they have direct bus service from the parks to the resort at night. We were never routed through downtown Disney.