There are ton of Walt Disney World resorts. And by extension, there’s a ton of variety in price, location, transportation, food, and vibes that you can expect from each one. Naturally, everyone is going to have strong feelings about the resorts they like or don’t like, and they’ll take to the internet to tell all of the rest of us how they feel about it. This can be incredibly helpful. I love being able to look at another person’s review or video of a vacation spot and consider it for myself or even just live vicariously through them for a moment. But it may also scare potential vacationers away.
I have seen Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort at the bottom of so many hotel rankings, with lists of complaints and critiques. But after staying there myself, I think CBR deserves a little justice. So I’m here to tell you all about this massive resort hotel; the good, the bad, and why it deserves to be seriously considered for your next Disney Vacation.
“Caribbean Beach Resort is Too Big!”
This is perhaps the biggest and most common complaint I hear about this resort, so let’s get it out of the way first.
Is this resort big? Yes. Honestly, it’s massive. It is the largest Walt Disney World resort by quite a few acres. If you like going for outdoor jogs, this may be a big win for you. But if you, like many of us, want to come back from a long park day and shuffle into your room as quickly as possible, it may be a red flag.
Personally, the size of this hotel never bothered me. Even from the farthest corners of the resort, I was able to walk to the food court in Old Port Royale Centertown in about ten minutes. Admittedly, this can feel like a long walk after a 25,000-step park day. But in general, it looks a lot farther on the map than it feels in reality.
There is also not a ton of reason to walk all over the resort. Heading to Centertown for breakfast may be a necessity. But if you’re going to the theme parks, there’s access to Disney transportation much closer to your room than the hotel’s main building. Bus stops are sprinkled throughout the hotel, meaning that there is one reasonably close to your hotel room. And if you are in some of the farther corners of the resort, those rooms come with the added benefit of being nearest to the Skyliner stops. But we’ll come back to that in a moment.
So the resort’s size isn’t actually that big of a deal. But why should you give this hotel a chance on your next Walt Disney World Vacation?
It’s Pretty
Admittedly, aesthetics are a matter of personal choice, and you may disagree with me here. If you do, that’s fine, but I personally think that Caribbean Beach Resort is a surprisingly beautiful hotel. I’ve heard it described as the Polynesian on a budget, but I don’t think that’s what CBR is trying to be. Instead, it captures the laid-back vibes of a beach vacation. There are sandy, waterfront areas to hang out on and hammocks to get cozy in, as well as immersive music and a very friendly tropical feel. The buildings are brightly colored and feel vibrant and inviting, and the Fuentes del Morro pool is fun and very well themed. I legitimately enjoy walking around Caribbean Beach Resort, even after a long park day, just because it’s beautiful, pleasant, and peaceful.
The rooms themselves are, I will admit, not the most updated or immersively themed. Rooms previously had pirate theming and now they feature Little Mermaid and Mickey sleeping on the beach. Even with the 2023 refurb, the rooms feel just a little dated. They are clean and comfortable, and I was able to fit three adults, a child, and a crib-sleeping baby in a room along with all of our stuff. But nothing felt immersive, Disney, or brand new and shiny.
This isn’t a deal-breaker for me and I was much more interested in a comfortable bed, a place to put all of us an our stuff, and that sweet, sweet skyliner access. But if you want the newest, most updated, and most heavily Disney themed room on property, this won’t be it and that’s okay.
The Transportation
In my opinion, one of the biggest benefits to Caribbean Beach Resort is the definitely skyliner.
The six-ish person gondolas move on a wire between a small handful of resorts – including Caribbean Beach Resort – along with EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. The trip is efficient, fast, and has a beautiful view. Personally, I think the Skyliner has become an iconic mode of Disney transportation on par with the monorail. And if you time it right, fireworks from the Skyliner are just a little extra magical.
I admit, I will forgive many hypothetical issues that many resorts may have in exchange for proximity to the monorail or Skyliner. And CBR has always been on the short list when my family discusses where to stay next for this very reason.
However, if you don’t like the Skyliner or have an issue with heights, this may be a red flag for you. Unfortunately, since the Skyliner does have two stops accessible from the resort, buses don’t run between CBR and EPCOT or Hollywood Studios unless the Skyliner isn’t running.
The Price
If the Skyliner is the number one reason my family books Caribbean Beach Resort, the price is our number two. Being a moderate resort, it sits in a comfortable place between the affordability (but includes virtually no extras or amenities) of the value resorts and the sometimes atomically priced (but verry beautiful) deluxe resorts.
Disney as a vacation is already so expensive, so the place a lot of us try to spend a little less is at the resort. Especially if you’re treating the hotel like a place to park your body at night between long days at the parks. If you’re not looking for the deluxe amenities to use before, after, or between park days, there’s no reason to pay for them.
However, at the slightly higher price point than value resorts, you can enjoy larger rooms and an in-resort restaurant option besides quick-service with Sebastian’s Bistro and Spyglass Grill. Is the upcharge worth the slight amenities upgrade? My family often things so. Especially because of the….
5th Sleeper Rooms
Caribbean Beach Resort is one of the few resorts at Disney World with a 5th sleeper room. If you’re not familiar, these are the rooms that feature two queen beds as well as a pull-down child-sized bed. When they’re not pulled down into bed mode, these often look like small benches tucked in with the room’s dresser. But then they pull down to a bed that’s perfect for one of your smallest roommates.
My five year old daughter loves the 5th sleeper bed. And when we’re ready to get up for the day, it tucks away seamlessly, giving us all of our hotel-room floor-space back. And in hotel rooms – especially with four or five people – clawing back as much of your personal space when everyone is getting ready is a necessity.
The History
First opening on October 1st, 1988, Caribbean Beach Resort is one of Disney World’s oldest resorts. It was opened on the same day as the Grand Floridian and only the Polynesian, Contemporary and Fort Wilderness resorts are older, all opening in 1971. It opened with the average family in mind, attempting to make Disney more affordable and manageable for everyone, with some nightly prices at a half or even a quarter of its more upscale siblings.
This resort was revolutionary for Disney World when it opened, but now it is often overlooked and even sometimes avoided.
Okay, But What Are The Cons and Who Shouldn’t Stay at Caribbean Beach Resort?
Of course, I don’t think it would be fair to say that CBR is without any issues at all. Every resort has their problems. And sure, the massive size can be one of them. With a more than 200 acre footprint, Caribbean Beach Resort is gigantic. This can easily become a problem if you don’t want to or can’t do a lot of walking – especially after a long park day.
But that’s never been the thing that bothers me about CBR or what blindsided me about the resort, personally.
For me, it’s the lack of elevators. While newer and more expensive resorts alike have elevators in their buildings as a matter of course, Caribbean Beach Resort does not. Naturally, for guests with mobility issues, there are ADA-compliant rooms on the first floor.
Strollers and small children at CBR are what threw my able-bodied self for a loop. In the morning when the kids – and adults- are full of energy and the stroller is at its lightest, this is no big deal. But at the end of the day, when everyone is exhausted and a full day’s worth of souvenirs are hanging off of the side of the stroller, the stairs become a herculean obstacle. You would expect to be more prepared for this inevitability after having to fold up the stroller and hold the kids on the bus ride from the park, but that only makes the stairs situation more frustrating somehow.
Luckily, my family has historically had no problem with the stairs because we happened to have my brother with us. One adult carried one sleepy kid, another carried the other, and the third adult was on stroller wrestling duty. We made it work, my brother earned his spot in our 5th-sleeper room, and this wasn’t a dealbreaker for future visits… But we’re staying at a resort with an elevator for our next visit.
Well, Will YOU Be Staying at Caribbean Beach Resort Again?
I’m not opposed to it! My family and I have stayed here twice. And we enjoyed our first stay enough to do it again. But our next Disney trip is already booked and we’ll be staying at the Polynesian and getting a way different experience.
In general, I like CBR and I’d be happy to stay here again. I like the resort overall and the feel of walking the grounds. I like the rooms, the access to the Skyliner and the flexibility of the rooms with the 5th sleeper. The only reason I may not stay here again any time soon is that Disney has a lot of resorts and I’d like to experience all of them eventually. But I would again in the future, and I’d recommend Caribbean Beach Resort to my friends if they were to ask for my two mouse-ear-shaped cents.
Okay Okay, I’m Convinced. Where Do You Recommend I stay at CBR?
You’re ready to give Caribbean Beach Resort a chance, but it’s a big resort with a lot of rooms. So where do you request to stay?
Keeping in mind that requests are just that and not guarantees, I have always had good luck getting the general location that I want. And those locations are either Jamaica, Martinique, and an honorable mention to Aruba.
Half of Jamaica is very close to the CBR Skyliner station, while the other is close to the bridge that leads to the playground, Fuentes del Morro pool, and Old Port Royale for all of your quick service, dining, and souvenir shopping needs. Regardless of where you are in this section, you’ll be close to something you want. Aruba is by and large the same, only the rooms there are closer to the Riviera Skyliner stop.
Martinique is very close to Old Port Royale, and a short, beautiful walk through the Riviera’s pool area to get to the skyliner.
But even in the farthest corner, each section of the resort has a dedicated bus stop, pool, laundry area, and beachy areas to relax on so you can enjoy your tropical vacation in the middle of Disney World.
