Caribbean Beach Resort Construction Update: September 2018
Some of the construction walls are down at Caribbean Beach Resort! With the removal of walls around Banana Cabana and Sebastian’s Bistro, the waterfront dining is almost ready to debut, and the main component of Walt Disney World’s largest hotel improvement projects is nearly finished.
Work on the new lobby and Centertown Market is not quite as close to being completed, but significant strides have been made even since our last visit about a month ago, suggesting that the pace of work has rapidly accelerated, perhaps with a desire to be ready by the busy holiday season. The Skyliner gondola stations and support poles are also inching towards completion, although those likely won’t open until Summer 2019.
In this post, we’ll share construction photos from the new waterfront walkway around Sebastian’s Bistro (among other construction at Caribbean Beach), offer thoughts on the new Centertown waterfront district that’s taking shape, and share insight as to whether it’s “safe” to book a stay at Caribbean Beach now…
Unlike our last few Caribbean Beach Resort construction updates, this one is almost exclusively good news. Progress is clear and moving at a fast rate, and Centertown is really starting to take shape.
I’ve gotta admit that when we arrived at Caribbean Beach Resort and those waterfront construction walls were down–something I was not expecting as I haven’t seen this reported elsewhere–I was a little too excited. More on that a bit later, though.
Within the next couple of months, the main Caribbean Beach projects starting to wrap up with the fruits of this highly-awaited project (at least among CBR fans!) available for Walt Disney World guest consumption. We are in the home stretch!
If you’ve missed our past progress reports, you might want to read our Summer 2018 Caribbean Beach Resort Construction Update, which was our most recent update prior to this one. It covered things like the new Spyglass Grill (which we reviewed in full here), and a look at the Skyliner pillars and their proximity to hotel rooms.
For an even more basic primer on Caribbean Beach, including a look inside the guest rooms (all of which were refurbished only a few years ago), read our comprehensive Caribbean Beach Resort Review.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s start with a look at the latest news and concept art from Disney, which is that the new table service restaurant along the Old Port Royale waterfront will be named Sebastian’s Bistro. This restaurant will feature beautiful views and a menu blending Latin and Caribbean flavors from market-fresh ingredients.
Sebastian’s Bistro and the Banana Cabana Pool Bar will both be located in the new building adjacent to the pool. This replaces an open-air courtyard that used to provide outdoor/overflow seating for the Old Port Royale Food Court. This area was pretty brutal in the Florida heat, so I can’t say it’ll be missed too much (although I did like the fountain in the middle).
The redesigned counter service restaurant will be Centertown Market, which sounds like it’s basically an expanded version of Old Port Royale Food Court. Per Disney, guests will enter under a large palapa-like structure, accented with glowing, colored light pendants made from glass bottles.
Centertown Market will feature open shutters, wooden light posts, awnings, ornamentation, and unique seating areas. It will also have a Grab n’ Go market for specialty coffee and quick bites. This description and concept art is very reminiscent of Old Port Royale Food Court.
Although I don’t believe Walt Disney World has officially announced it, the porte-cochere and lobby are moving to Old Port Royale, which is evident from concept art on display at the resort. The remote location of Customs House was always awkward, so this consolidation makes sense.
Walt Disney World fans who have been watching this project closely will recall that the Old Port Royale “port of entry” and Centertown projects have already been delayed a couple of times, but it appears that things are finally moving at a fast pace.
Above is a current drive-by look at the porte-cochere construction, which looks worse than it actually is. A lot of progress has been made here since our last visit, too.
In our last update, we noted that there was no chance Caribbean Beach Resort would make its (revised) summer completion date, which was accurate doubt on our part. We went further and questioned whether Old Port Royale/Centertown would open in 2018, period. Based on progress from our last visit to this one, we’d say it’s all but certain that both Sebastian’s Bistro and Centertown Market will open in Fall 2018.
A couple weeks ago, Disney Parks Blog indicated that the two dining spots would open “in just a few months” and that would appear to be a conservative timeframe based upon what we could see while circling the building. It’s still too early to pinpoint a precise date, but debuting in time for the Christmas 2018 season is a sure thing.
In fact, I’d be surprised if these restaurants are not open before the end of October 2018. The construction walls are down and only planters are blocking the entrances. While it’s tough to ascertain how much work needs to be done inside Sebastian’s Bistro, we could see inside Banana Cabana and it looks close to being in finished form.
Not that we think this is going to happen, but it’s potentially in a state where it could soft open this month. Walls are still up around Centertown Market, so it’s tough to get a read on current progress on that, but light fixtures are up and painting is done, so we’d assume it’s not far behind Sebastian’s in terms of progress.
Perhaps the Florida heat was getting to me or maybe I’ve just done too many of these Caribbean Beach construction updates that have included the words “appears behind schedule” but I was downright ecstatic to walk up to the Centertown area and not be met with a construction wall past the pool. I have no clue how long these walls have been down, but I was like a kid on Christmas morning. (That might be sad, but it’s true!)
Anyway, enough of my excitement–let’s take a walk around the waterfront dining area for a closer look at some of the progress:
The other good news is that work elsewhere around the resort in erecting the Skyliner pillars appears to be pretty much complete. This means that the ground around these is no longer all torn up, which is a plus.
Moreover, the beaches have mostly reopened after being closed during our last visit. Not that you’d want to lie out and be cooked by the Florida sun in September, but it’ll be a nice option in about another month or so.
That brings us to the question of whether you should stay at Caribbean Beach Resort? Presumably, if you’re reading now, you’re planning a trip for January 2019 at the earliest. To be honest, the progress we witnessed makes me want to book a stay at Caribbean Beach in November, as it appears to be that far along.
Suffice to say, you’re safe for 2019 when it comes to the bulk of construction. The Skyliner and Disney’s Riviera Resort (DVC) work will remain ongoing at the beginning of the year, but both are getting to the point that they soon won’t intrude upon the Caribbean Beach Resort guest experience with visible exterior work, constant noise, etc.
More importantly, the Old Port Royale and Centertown projects will be wrapped up, which will significantly improve the ambiance and guest experience at Caribbean Beach Resort. Between those two restaurants and the existing Spyglass Grill, it’s possible–if not likely–that Caribbean Beach will have the best dining scene of any Moderate.
The downside is that the Skyliner won’t be running until Summer 2019 (our prediction–Walt Disney World has not made an official announcement). The upside is that you won’t be paying higher room rates that are likely to gradually roll out once the Skyliner debuts. Caribbean Beach Resort room rates for 2019 are already available and there hasn’t been much change yet–but offering decreased or no discounts is another means of increasing the effective room rate.
Personally, we are now ready to return to Caribbean Beach Resort. It’s been too long since I enjoyed a sunrise stroll around Barefoot Bay, evening swim at Fuentes del Morro Pool, or just sat in a hammock on the beach. I know some of the serene ambiance that I loved most about those early mornings and late nights is probably gone forever, but it’s not entirely gone. If we can find a good rate, we’ll aim to do a stay at Caribbean Beach in January or February.
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Your Thoughts
Are you excited to check out the new Sebastian’s Bistro or Centertown Market? Do you agree or disagree with our take on the construction impact on Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort? Have you stayed here since the work began? How did it affect your stay? Planning on staying at Caribbean Beach in late 2018 or early 2019, or will you wait until the Skyliner is operating? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I was there in Feb 2018 and horribly disappointed so am delighted that CBR will be close to being back “to normal” when I come in Feb 2019. The one thing I really keep my fingers crossed for is that the Food tent and trucks will be long gone!! Thanks for all the updates Tom, although haven’t seen one for a while.
I wish I could say our adult weekend getaway at CRB was wonderful but I can’t. Wish I could say we got to explore the new Centertown Friday night but we didn’t see it.
It all started with not being able to get in the room, not with magic bands or My Experience app on the iPhone or ipad. Codes were resent remotely followed by maintenance. He opened the door and it was the wrong room. Never in a million years would I book a pirate room. So we went to the front desk but was first greeted by the front door attendant loudly yelling “You can’t park there!” There were no spaces and the circle was blocked. I’ve never been yelled at by a cast member for any reason. We moved ti the same place on the other side of the circle. Still not blocking anyone. Strike 2. At the desk, I told them that I booked a light and airy standard room but they said they “upgraded” me. No, that’s a downgrade, I’d like the room I booked. No can do, there were none left but if I wanted to upgrade to what I booked, I’d have to pay an additional fee! What?!?! No way. Then they looked for another moderate resort and the last one had a room at our rate. Nice words cannot express what I’m feeling here.
3 hours later we entered our room at the Coronado at 9pm, too late and too tired to do anything else.
Word to the wise, make sure you have someone put it in your travel notes that you don’t want a pirate room under any circumstances if that’s not what you want. I was not staying in a very brown, dark and dingy room with an ugly pirate staring at me first thing in the morning but that’s me.
I probably could have battled mgt for a room without paying for it but after spending all day the the Food and Wine fest, I didn’t have any fight left in me. What they did wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. CRB is off the list.
Btw, I booked this room last August through the Disney website as a Florida resident. I wrote lovely things about our stay at Coronado, perfect room, freebies etc on the Coronado construction update thread but it timed out and didn’t post. Freebies were 2 snacks for my husbands birthday and in the room 3 exclusive construction themed pins as well as aloe with the sundries. Exquisite room close to the bus stop in Rancheros.
So did you not see Centertown because of the room snafu or because it was closed?
It was open, I never made it there.
Once all the towers are up and the terminals are in, it should be a quick turn around once the cables are up. Load testing doesn’t usually last that long. Dolas and chairlifts are usually put in over the course of a summer here, and that usually includes clearing trees, with openings in early winter(relative to winter solstice, not the start of winter in the high country). The real question is how will they keep them cool? Highs are only 90 here in the summer with 0 humidity. I cant imagine what sort of sweat boxes they’d be in the height of the Florida summer.
We changed resorts last year because of the construction. Begrudgingly as the year before we had the best 2 weeks at CBR.
We stayed on the ground floor in Aruba on the beach front so we longed to return to the same room.
So now our dilemma is when we return to Disney should we stay at CBR preferably in the same Aruba area because the thing we loved the most was the seemingly unspoiled Views from the beach but now it looks like we will have a huge building on one side of Aruba beach and a skyliner going overhead… Will this be the case??
We just finished a 5 night stay at CBR yesterday. We were in the Aruba section. Our beach was still closed, but others were open. The walk to the pool area was also fine over the bridge. The pool area and playground were all fine and the kids enjoyed them.
The busses all came in on the Martinique side to stop there first. Staff would not confirm that was the route, but it was. The resort was oddly busier than others (based on lines at park close for busses). We opted for Minnie Vans to avoid the longer waits and being the last bus stop in the mornings.
Maid service was indeed spotty as mentioned in other posts. Otherwise, staff was quite friendly (with a few hiccups at the front desk).
Buffet food was a little below Disney average (with only the Mickey Waffles looking like they were prepared in the tent). We all found enough to eat (adults, kids, vegetarians, meat eaters). We enjoyed the options of the Coke Freestyle machines around the resort (the buffet only has the standard resort quick service drink options) and how much easier that was for refilling mugs.
Micaela, did you find it easy to use the Minnie Vans and how much was an average ride from the parks to CBR? We’ll be staying at CBR in Feb and will have to get to the ESPN center multiple times and to several other resorts for dining reservations with 2 kiddos that need car seats and it looks like the Minnie Vans are our only option without taking separate UberXl cars and requesting car seats (which I have heard they only has one seat on hand).
It was very easy to use (it becomes an option in the Lyft app when you get on property, just slide for different car choices, it’s the last one). The rides were between $22 and $34ish dollars without tip. Each time the car was there in less than 10minutes. Some of the drivers had insider info and great knowledge of Disney and were fabulous with the kids. The other drivers were fine, just not as spectacular.
It was a nice treat to not wait for busses in the morning or wait in bus lines with exhausted kids at the end of the day. I must admit I watched with fascination as they whipped carseats in and out for our kiddos.
Enjoy!
I went on a little fishing expedition by writing the Mom’s panel this past week and got a reply yesterday. I specifically asked about when a soft opening for Centertown might be. The answer was somewhat encouraging since I’m an optimist. This is what I received, “ Fall 2018 is still set as the scheduled opening for the 2 new dining locations” but even though she didn’t know the exact dates for a soft opening … “ I’m quite sure everything will be revealed fairly soon via the Disney Parks Blog”. Here’s hoping that my Oct 12 arrival date falls within that real soon reveal.
Since we live so close, we actually do bring our own coffee maker on occasion and we are fine with an apple, banana or granola bar for breakfast but it sure would be nice to see. Plus, I booked the Parisian Breakfast at Epcot on Saturday so the opening would be purely for our viewing pleasure.
Thank you for doing an update. We are a bit disappointed that we are staying next week (Sept 22-29) and openings are so close but yet so far. When we booked last year the projection had been opening Summer 2018. I am still anticipating an enjoyable stay and we are looking forward to revisiting CBR for the first time in over 10 years.
how was it for you? we are headed there next week.
We have an upcoming stay for the last weekend of Food and Wine/Husband’s 40th — I booked here because it was basically all that was left that weekend (Nov 8-11) and I’m really feeling less anxious about the stay thanks to this update. I hope they continue to complete projects at this accelerated rate! Thanks for the update 🙂
Any advice for building suggestions within CBR for an early December 2018 stay? Thanks in advance!
I have heard 1oct 2018
As it the 30year anniversary for the food and shops to open anyone else heard this?
I heard this too. Trying to get as much done and open for the oct 1st date. We are going oct 6th so hope this is true.
We are planning a June 2019. Was previously there June 2017 when construction began so will be excited to see the changes in person.
Thanks for the update we will be staying second week in December, so happy with all the improvements. Just wondering if the pool area will be open, looking forward to taking a dip.
So very excited to hear this! We are staying here the Christmas week this year and had our fingers crossed that at least most of the work would be done. We have never stayed at this resort so looking forward to it. Thanks for the positive update!
This is so exciting! We just booked a Bounceback for CBR for June 2019 so I am ecstatic to see this news! Thank you for your constant monitoring and sharing of construction updates. You aren’t appreciated my friend! -Tina Mac (@you may know me as @magicwithmac on IG )