Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort (Disney Moderate Resort) Reviews and Ratings About This Page:

[Authors]

The free spirit of the tropics greets you at the Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's originally moderately priced resort located within easy distance of both Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Official Guidebook Review: Our official review of Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort can be read in PassPorter's Walt Disney World guidebook (chapter 3).

Personal Review: We'll admit that Caribbean Beach Resort was near the bottom of our list a few years ago, but after a very happy visit in summer 2007, it's moved back up. We love the lush foliage and colorful buildings -- this is a very scenic resort. Its biggest downfall is its size -- it's quite spread out. A room close to the main services in Old Port Royale Towne Center makes a big difference.

Other Reviews: Read our feature article on Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort by Don Willis (Guide duck_addict).

Photo Reviews: See our Caribbean Beach Resort photo collection.

Your Review: What do YOU think of this resort? We want to know! To leave a review AND numerical rating, click the Review button below. If you've written a trip report that includes your stay at this resort, please include a link to it here. Photos are also welcome. Please avoid commenting on previously posted reviews. Tip: Include your pros and cons! Click here for more review posting tips.

Results from these ratings and reviews will be factored into the ratings that appear in our guidebooks, too!

[DawnDenise]

If you love the feeling of the tropics with wonderful theming, the Caribbean Beach Resort is a great resort at a moderate level.

We stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort twice, in April and November of 2005. Both times we were in Aruba Building number 54, which we requested on our second visit. The rooms are spacious with more than enough room for two adults. The theming within the room was very colorful with their bright bedspreads of blues, oranges, yellows, and greens that offset the green furniture within the room beautifully. Our building was near the Aruba bus stop so that was never a problem for us.

We didn't pay for a preferred location to be close to Old Port Royale, but we loved the walk in the morning to get refills for our mugs or grabbing a quick breakfast. The foiliage, beaches, and walkways are breathtaking. Walking over the bridge of Barefoot Bay in the early hours of the morning was one of the highlights of my stay.

With the vastness of the resort, the bus service could be trying at times. There were a couple of times by the time the bus for a particular park made it to our bus stop, it was already practically full. I do have to admit that it was during peak times (morning EMHs or Magic Kingdom for an early breakfast. There is an internal bus shuttle to get around the resort if you didn't feel like walking.

The food offerings at Old Port Royale were sufficient, and we have no complaints regarding the food eaten. Caribbean Beach also has a table service restaurant called Shutters that offers dinner only.

[loobyoxlip]

After a week long stay at Caribbean Beach in 2007, it has topped the list of moderate resorts for my family.

Location may make or break your stay here. We were lucky enough to be in the Jamaica section, which was a short walk to the quiet pool and laundry. There is an "island" with a bridge connecting the outlying buildings to the main area which contains the food court and the themed pool. We were also just a few feet away from the bridge. There were buildings that seemed further away from everything and that could cause some frustration if you wanted to be near the pool/food court.

Our room was really nice. It was very clean and modern. We were on the top floor on a corner. Unlike other moderates we have stayed at, we did not hear our neighbors while staying at CBR. We had nice quiet nights. You also could not hear other rooms flushing toilets or showers, which we had noticed at other resorts.

The bellhop who came to get our luggage upon checkout at 5AM was so nice. He told us how he had to go work at POR when CBR was going through remodeling and how he could not wait to come back to CBR. It just has that magical feeling.

PROS: Check in was smooth and quick. Beautiful landscaping. Great themed pool. Quiet pools in every "section". Bus system was efficient.

CONS: Again, it's all about location. I can't call our location a con, b/c it wasn't. Request Jamaica if possible!

On the bridge to the island that takes you to Old Port Royale, where the food court, main pool, gift shop and a concierge are located:


A great way to spend a quiet hour or two:

[SHEANA1226]

I have stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort on three seperate occasions and would not hesitate to stay there again. I did learn after my first stay there to request a builing close to the bus stop, otherwise at the end of the day it can be a long walk. I have had a few issues with the busses being slow and bus stops filling up.

Overall Caribbean Beach Resort is my favorite Moderate resort. The staff has always been friendly and helpful.

[tio marco]

Had a really great stay there last September. Would definitely return. The hotel manager went above and beyond my expectations when she replaced a piece of luggage destroyed by AirTran!

[tinkz]

We have stayed at the CBR resort for the 2 years & are going back in Sept for another trip at the resort. It is peaceful & quiet. Yes, it is spread out but that is part of the peacefulness in my opinion. We always pay for preferred & have had great luck with our request. We have been in Martinique the last two years & have loved it. It only takes of couple of minutes to get to the main pool, laundry, & OPR. The bus stop was across the parking lot for us. The only thing that was out of the way was the custom house, which took about 10mins to walk to from our room one night. You don’t hear your neighbors taking a shower or use the bathroom which we have experience in the past. The scenery is terrific & beautiful. The staff is extremely friendly & helpful. . We ate at Shutter’s once & was not a fave of ours. The counter service here has a nice selection with something for everyone. This is my favorite resort so far. It is like a vacation inside of a vacation.

[Sue M.]

My DD's & I stayed at this beautiful resort last August for 10 days. Loved it. We stayed in Jamaica 42 which was very near the pool & bus stop, and a short (& enjoyable) walk across Caribbean Cay to food court, etc. Beautiful grounds, lush landscaping, beaches with hammocks under palm trees. Hidden courtyards. Walking around the resort is a visual delight. We had a free bay view upgrade. Very nice. Rooms are the largest of any moderate. Mousekeeping was very good, as was all the CM's here. Nice gift shop & food court. We didn't eat at the TS restaurant.

[mcneal]

We stayed here for 7 days in Dec. 07. This is a beautiful resort. I loved all the different colors of each "island". The room was a nice size and quiet. We seldom heard anything from outside, including neighbors. We did have a problem with the bed frames being squeaky. We were in Barbados which was a good hike from Old Port Royale. It was a pleasant walk but after a long day in the parks I really had to dig deep to hike over for a refill in my mug. The laundry facilities were good- clean and handy. The buses were an issue - often slow trying to get somewhere and almost always crowded when getting back to the resort. The food court had a decent variety but nothing was outstanding...except the mango ginger muffins! I would stay here again but it would not be my first choice and I would request an island closer to Old Port Royale. mary

[bkfagan]

My family and I visited WDW in May 2006 and stayed at the Caribbean Beach. We loved this resort so much that now we are headed back in May 2008, and the first thing my kids wanted know is if we were going to stay at the Caribbean Beach. We stayed in Martinique building 24, and could not have been happier. We had a pool view room on the ground floor. Even though the lush vegitation prevented much of a pool view, it provided us with some privacy. We were not far from Ole Port Royale, and the great view of the lake. The transportation can be a little daunting at times, however we did not find that we had to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus to arrive. Everyone at the CB was very friendly, and helpful. We never heard anything from any of the rooms around us. Even though the resort is quite large, it is VERY quiet. We are soooo excited to be returning to the Caribbean Beach Resort in May 2008, and have even requested the same room as our last visit.

[Brettchief]

My wife and I stayed here for our anniversary. We had a great time and would definetly stay here again in the future! I honestly can't think of any negatives with our stay. I really enjoyed the arcade and the outside bar located by the pool. We didn't use the bus transport except for once, and it was very convenient.

[ilovedisney247]

We, Brandon and I, stayed at the CBR last September during free dining. As a non-couple without any children we both had a great time at this resort. I really feel like this resort gives you two vacations for the price of one. The tropical theming in the buildings, island, beach, and pool areas really make you feel like you could be somewhere in the islands. We spent a whole afternoon relaxing by the pool bar and making use of the hot tub.
The restaurant at CBR could use some work. Shutters is fine for a quick, we don't feel like leaving the resort, but the quality is not the same as at some of the other TS restaurants in Disney.
On the other hand the food court provided quite a few options for meals and snacks. We grabbed bagels or pastries almost every morning for breakfast. I also picked up a really cute kids meal as a snack one afternoon. The kids chicken fingers come in a beach pail with a shovel! How adorable--and a cute addition to our window.
The grounds are really lovely, but the buildings are spread out and some of them are very far from the main building. This wasn't a problem for us, as we get 2 mi walking each way to work about 5 days a week. It might be a problem for groups with older or much younger travelers. The CBR doesn't share a bus with any other property, but has several stops. Its also about equidistant from all of the parks. There is also an internal bus for those not willing to walk to Port Royal!

Pros: Theming
Moderate Price
Food Court
Convenient to all Parks
Beach/Pool/Hot Tub

Cons: Very Spread Out
Shutters restaurant

[ricecakes]

We stayed at CBR the first week of April 2008. We were close to the Aruba pool and the bus stop but we were very far away from the food court area.

Although the resort is lovely, I think the island feel could be stronger. It really felt like an all inclusive resort that could be anywhere.

The main problem we had was that we were traveling without our DH's ( which really is not a big deal except...) we didn't have anyone to handle the vast quantities of luggage we seemed to have. The problem was we had a late flight and were not being picked up by ME until 4pm but had to check out by 11am. We didn't have a choice but to call bell services and wait for them since the luggage drop off area is so very far out of the hotel 's main loop. We saw many people lugging their luggage onto the busses and getting off at the nearest stop to the custom house and then walking the luggage the rest of the way. This process wouldn't be a big deal for 2 adults or a family of self sufficient travellers ( which we were NOT)

Overall we enjoyed our time but we will not go back and would return to our other favourite moderates POR and POFQ.

[cbteel]

We stayed @ CBR for 8 days in May 2005 and absolutely loved it! We went with my brother's family and my parents, so we had three rooms (2 connecting). We ended up in S. Trinidad, which I was dreading. But, it wound up being great. We had a small pool close by that hardly had any other people in it. And, from the little beach behind the pool, you could see some of the fireworks from EPCOT! It was quite a hike to Old Port Royale, but we only went there for breakfast a few times and spent one day by the main pool (so it was worth the walk). Everybody has transportation by their section, so you really don't have to hike for a ride. Our CM at Shutters was fantastic. He gave all the kids certificates of a Magical Experience and gave us inside tips on how to maximize our meal plans. You really can't beat the atmosphere!

[kelleigh1]

Our first stay at CBR was less than magical. We'd previously stayed at POFQ and fell in love with the place. It's hard to pinpoint why we loved one over the other. I know most people say that it's the size, but that didn't bother us. We like to take walks, so having a spreadout resort was kinda nice. But we just didn't feel the same excitement at CBR as we did at POFQ.

It did start off a bit disappointing for us since we had to wait until almost 4pm to get into our room at CBR after having arrived at WDW at 11am. We'd wanted to shower and change before heading to the parks, especially as we'd traveled from MA where the temps were a bit different than they were in Orlando. (It was last November.) And we had a 5pm ADR, so less than an hour to shower, change and get to dinner just didn't work for us. I know that check-in isn't until 3pm, but the previous year at POFQ, we'd arrived at 10am and were able to get into our room immediately.

Throughout the stay at CBR, we also found that our room was not cleaned until very late in the day. We like to go back to our room around 3:00 to rest up before dinner and nightime activities and this was tough to do when the room still hadn't been cleaned many days.

I was also pretty disappointed that my husband's birthday had been noted on our reservation, but not a single mention was made of the fact that we were celebrating at WDW.
Just not our favorite.

[Docrwm]

As many have said, this is a large resort. If you have small children or don't want to walk a long distance than pick your building carefully - if possible. We were very fortunate in that we had read our PassPorter and asked for a room in Trinidad North. The preferred room was really worth every penny. We heard people complain about the buses but we never had any problem at all. Our only complaint, and its a big one, was with Shutters - it should be shuttered IMHO. Worst food and service of anywhere at WDW for us ever - and it was Thanksgiving! Want to go back and see how they have upgraded the pool Overall, very nice stay but if we had had to walk long distances with a 4 year old at the end of long days..........