Caribbean Beach Resort Stay Report: Room & Pools
Regular readers know we’re big fans of Caribbean Beach Resort. For the last few years, it was our most-visited hotel at Walt Disney World. With new health safety protocol, potential crowd issues, and reader questions, we booked a weekend stay at CBR to assess its changes. In the first part of this quasi-trip report, we’ll cover rooms & pools and also share photos of the incredible Florida sunrises and sunsets we’ve had recently.
Our previous stay at Caribbean Beach Resort was the night before Disney’s Riviera Resort opened, making this technically our first time experiencing CBR with all elements of the massive overhaul and reimagining totally completed. That’s not long in the grand scheme of things, but considering that we were at Caribbean Beach Resort every few weeks to monitor construction and changes for the last couple of years, it’s a comparative eternity.
For that reason, we were both excited about booking a return to Caribbean Beach Resort…but also apprehensive. On the one hand, we love the property, have a ton of nostalgia for it from our trips over the years, and are enjoying its evolution. On the other, Caribbean Beach is currently the only Moderate Resort operating at Walt Disney World, and we were a bit concerned about some recent reader reports…
As you’re undoubtedly aware, Walt Disney World’s phased reopening is underway with all four theme parks and many resorts now open. Most of these now-operational hotels are actually Deluxe Villas–or Disney Vacation Club properties. On the lower end of the spectrum, only one Value Resort (Pop Century) and one Moderate Resort (Caribbean Beach) have returned.
Consequently, the vast majority of reservations booked for the two lower tiers have been consolidated into only these two hotels, resulting in some troubling reports coming out of both properties. As Caribbean Beach is one of the top recommendations in our “Temporary Abnormal” Walt Disney World Planning Guide, we wanted to see for ourselves just how things were going.
As such, we booked a weekend stay–optimal for a stress test of sorts. Weekends are when Floridians doing staycations and those from nearby Southern states would most likely be doing quick getaways, so they should be the busiest days at Walt Disney World now that locals are the disproportionate demographic. Let’s start with a look at our room, located in Jamaica…
As always, we requested a corner room in our go-to area of Jamaica. (See our Best Rooms & Building Locations at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort post.)
This was a great location for accessing the main Skyliner station.
We’re fans of Caribbean Beach’s corner rooms because they have two windows as opposed to one. We find it makes what can otherwise be a dark room a tad more light and airy.
Given that Caribbean Beach’s rooms don’t have balconies, this is a seemingly small thing that makes a big difference.
Guest rooms have extra linens and towels, individually wrapped paper cups, double-cased pillows, and additional items that have been cleaned and wrapped in single-use packaging.
Housekeeping performs a light cleaning service every other day, which includes removal of trash and used towels. They’ll also replenish amenities throughout the room and bathroom, cleaning various surfaces, etc.
The television remote comes wrapped in package to verify that it’s clean. Same goes for the refillable shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower.
The coffee maker is still present in the room, too. We had over a half-dozen pods for using in it–significantly more than normal.
There are several reasons we’re recommending Caribbean Beach Resort right now. One of the other things we really is the exterior hallways and air-conditioners located in each room.
Another is the lack of elevators. This is more due to capacity restrictions, than health safety. At other hotels, reduced capacity on the elevators has resulted in long waits during the morning rush. A total non-issue at Caribbean Beach Resort.
Let’s move along to the pools at Caribbean Beach Resort.
We’ll start with the Fuentes del Morro feature pool complex, which is located at Old Port Royale near the Centertown complex.
This pool was unquestionably busy at times.
In the late afternoon and evening, particularly after the parks started closing, Fuentes del Morro would close to capacity and there was an informal queue outside this entrance. We never waited to enter, but saw a max of around 4 parties sitting on the benches in this area.
A couple of things are worth noting here. First, “closed to capacity” is to reduced capacity. This pool was still less crowded and busy than it would be on a normal day.
Second, we only ever observed this at the feature pool and during the peak hours.
Even at the same times when Fuentes del Morro Pool was near or at capacity, the quiet pools were…fairly quiet.
Obviously, if you have kids there is no substitute for the feature pool at Old Port Royale.
Even as an adult, it’s pretty awesome. You might as well call it Old Fort Royale, as it’s reminiscent of the Spanish forts under seize at the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Fuentes del Morro Pool is also convenient to the Banana Cabana bar, so adults can do some Pirates of the Caribbean role-playing of their own. (But here, the rum is never gone.)
However, if you’re just looking for a place to relax and unwind, the quiet pools are unquestionably better options.
There were times when these pools were busier, but never even remotely as bad as Fuentes del Morro Pool.
It’s also worth noting that even Fuentes del Morro Pool is not this busy all day.
In the morning, it’s also pretty peaceful. Probably not a huge surprise, as this is when most guests are getting ready and heading to the parks.
Even when more crowded, physical distancing was pretty good at Caribbean Beach’s pools.
Note that guests are not required to wear face masks while lounging, which is an unofficial rule. We noticed Cast Members reminding guests to put on masks when they left the gated pool area, but not within its bounds. That’s fairly consistent with what we’ve observed at other resorts in the last few months.
If you really desire low crowds, you might consider “quiet pool shopping.”
There are 4 quiet pools currently open at Caribbean Beach Resort, and we found that Barbados consistently was least busy. (That one being least crowded might’ve been a total fluke, but the idea of scouting different options holds true if you don’t mind walking.)
Unfortunately, the fifth quiet pool is not an option because the entirety of Trinidad is still closed due to lack of demand.
That alone should speak volumes about the current “crowds” at Caribbean Beach Resort.
There are definitely times when aspects of the resort are strained due to the significantly reduced capacity of some offerings, but Caribbean Beach Resort as a whole is not particularly busy right now–even on the weekend.
Going forward, we’d expect the hotel to remain less busy during the week, with weekend crowds also decreasing in the next two months during the off-season.
The parking lot wasn’t particularly full during our stay, but there were a lot of AP magnets on cars with Florida and other Southern state plates.
As more schools go back into session, we’d expect some of the current crowds to fizzle out in September and October. (November and December will likely be a different story–but keep in mind that Coronado Springs will also be open by then.)
It’s also worth noting that even when Caribbean Beach’s feature pool was busy, other areas of the resort were not. Lots of places to lounge if you don’t want to swim. Hammocks were never above 5-10% usage during our highly scientific studies conducted on strolls around the grounds.
Ultimately, our stay at Caribbean Beach Resort was certainly the most “crowded” hotel experience we’ve had at Walt Disney World thus far post reopening. This is definitely the “worst” we’ve seen any feature pool since the reopening, too. However, given the totality of the circumstances and as compared to how things would normally be this time of year, Caribbean Beach Resort wasn’t even remotely “bad.” (Hence all of the air quotes.) Just busier than you might expect with things amplified by capacity reductions and our heightened awareness of crowding. We still had a great stay and found it very simple to sidestep most potential issues. We discuss more of those woes with the Skyliner, buses, and restaurants in the second part of this report: Caribbean Beach Resort Stay Report – Dining & Transportation.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you stayed at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort since it reopened? What do you think of all the modifications? Have any anecdotes of your own to share with regard to the pools or rooms? Will you be booking a resort reservation for Walt Disney World this year, or are these rules/restrictions/policies going to cause you to postpone? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Thank you for this information on the pools at CBR, was searching for this exact information last week. I have a trip planned with my sisters family and our parents the week after Thanksgiving (granted a lot can change by then) which we booked back in January. The pool factor is huge for her family, three boys 9 and under, the pool is the highlight of the trip. Excited to go back to CBR, it was the first Disney Resort I ever stayed at, a few decades ago as a little kid, and this will be my first time back to that resort .
As often as I have stayed at CBR and others, I have never requested a specific building or room. I’ll be there in a couple of weeks, and am planning to rope drop Epcot one day, and DHS the other. So I’m thinking of aiming for the middle ground- building 45 or so. Do you have to call ahead? Can you request via the app? I’m planning Direct To Room service, so I know I can’t make a request upon check-in.
BTW, I was also at CBR a couple of weeks ago, and agree with you on everything you’ve posted about this trip! My son loves the big pool, but twice we had to hit the quiet pool due to “full” capacity, which was fine with me.
I stayed at BWV for a solo trip last week of July. I got to bus stop around 8:00 to wait for Magic Kingdom bus. One other family was already there. There were distance markers on ground but they were perpendicular to some of benches. The line to board eventually grew to extend halfway to the lobby. There was no cast member organizing the guests or inquiring which park they were going to. The third bus to arrive had a marquee with only initials on it. The bus driver emerged but could not be heard over the sound of running bus. Both doors were open and anxious guests bypassed driver near the rear entrance and boarded through front. It was total chaos. Rather than repeat that miserable experience going to AK on another day, I booked HS and scored a ROTR boarding group 1 from inside MMRR queue. I see no reason BW can’t utilize the space outside conference center for a second bus stop even if only temporarily.
We just got back from a 4 night stay at CBR. We are AP holders and frequent Disney-goers but it was our first time staying at CBR. We liked it a lot. Staff was friendly, the grounds are beautiful, our room was spotless and the skyliner was a fun & convenient way to travel to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The main feature pool was great – my 3 kids thoroughly enjoyed it – and the pool wasn’t too crowded at all. The resort as a whole wasn’t crowded at all … and we were there Thurs – Sun, the busiest days. All in all, we very much enjoyed CBR and look forward to going back!
I appreciate the update on CBR. We were scheduled to stay at PO French Quarter. Disney called and offered to move us to Saratoga Springs Deluxe Studio. Since we’ll be mainly traveling to the parks, I will likely ask to move to CBR for use of the skyliner. Are the skyliner and bus issues bad enough that we should stick with Saratoga? It’s been several years since we’ve been to CBR, and we know nothing about Saratoga. My guess is we wouldn’t have a refurbished room at SS. Are the older rooms any better than at CBR?
We stayed at Beachclub Villas end of July for 3 days. We booked a one bedroom suite for 2 adults and one child and our room was not ready when we checked in at 12:00 noon so they upgraded us to a 2 bedroom suite that was immediately available at no extra charge! A cast member met our car as we pulled in it made us feel like we were receiving concierge services.
For the three days we went to MK, Epcot and AK in that order. No problems with dinner reservations which were previously made. Wait times for buses were minimal. No crowded bus issues as well as the parks. Sanitizer dispensers everywhere and even portable hand washing stations with running water! Disney workers were diligently disinfecting everything where ever we went. They did have short parades and characters were present but could not touch them. We are AP holders and stay on average at Disney Resorts 6 times per year. Yes we missed the fireworks but we understand why. We understand this is not the typical Disney experience but given the circumstances they did an excellent job! Thank you Tom for your excellent posts, we really enjoy reading them!
We are going to be at CBR in less than THREE weeks! So this couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ll call them to make the room request today. Squee!
We just returned from a quick spur of the moment 3 day trip and we rented DVC points and stayed at Bay Lake Tower. For the most part the trip was good, pool I feel wasn’t over crowded, but the food options for quick service were limited and I just didn’t like the whole mobile order and not the full food option. It was nice with no crowds but I would rather have a full up and running crowded Disney than this cut back version…sorry there are just some things I have come to enjoy and look forward to when I take a Disney vacation. The biggest problem we encountered was the bus service to Disney Springs, waiting almost an hour for a bus…and then getting stranded at Wilderness Lodge because of the boats not running the usual pre covid schedule, so we ubered back to BL.
Which by the way Tom, we took your recommendation and went to Gyser Bar & Grill for drinks and some food. The food and drinks were great but on a Friday night it was busy and there was a 40 minute wait for a seat. But I just love that resort…it is beautiful and can’t wait to see it at Christmastime.
Agreed about the Mobile Order and pick-up system. It seems needlessly complicated and unpleasant. I can understand the system at some locations in the parks, but it seems less necessary at the resorts.
“The biggest problem we encountered was the bus service to Disney Springs, waiting almost an hour for a bus…”
Was this due to a lack of buses or were there a lot of guests waiting in line for Disney Springs?
I think a combination. There was a lack of bus quantity heading to DS and then one bus was full when others jumped on in front of us which ended up causing us to wait with others who had been waiting around before us. There was definitely a lot of frustration with others waiting around awhile for buses to other parks as well. This I attributed to the transportation being scaled back due to covid. Our favorite saying the last few days was….”thanks covid 19″ LOL
On the trip to DS to STK we had the bus all to ourselves going to DS and coming back to BL Tower. We talked to the driver and I told him the low crowds are nice but I’d rather see a full bustling Disney. To drive past resorts like Riverside and see huge parking lots completely empty was unnverving. With the crowd means the economy is doing well also.
The CMs weren’t enforcing the mask rule when lounging because there isn’t one. I’ve called numerous times, both guest services and the resorts. I have seen the quote “ masks must be worn except when eating or swimming” but the actual rule is you don’t need them when lounging/sitting on the pool deck. You must put them back on to walk to the bathroom, walk up to the bar, etc. we are 2 people who will be maskless on our loungers.. Thanks for your report!! We also live CBR!
Thanks for sharing! Did you see that printed anywhere on a sign? Admittedly, I didn’t pay any attention to the signage at CBR because I just assumed nothing has changed since our last hotel stay.
Everywhere online, Disney’s verbiage is “Please bring your own face coverings and wear them at all times, except when dining or swimming.”
I will definitely always have a drink on my spaced out lounge chair at the pool because there is no reason to be wearing a mask sitting 6-10 feet away from other guests, outside. So thank goodness they are not making you wear a mask on a lounge chair. You had me really nervous about that for a minute! Good trip report, glad you guys had fun. CBR is definitely a pretty resort and you get your steps in 🙂
We haven’t been there yet so no sign. We were anxiously awaiting the dvc resorts’ opening in June to find out because having to wear a mask while tanning on a lounger was a deal breaker for us. A vlogger I enjoy, Prince Charming Dev, showed us at a universal resort ( they opened before Disney ) you could take off the mask on the pool “deck” but had to wear it when walking around like to the bathroom or pool bar. So when the resorts opened I watched as many videos as I could of vloggers staying at a disney resort and they ALL said no masks required while lounging. I called guest relations a few times and again after I read you say they were required. I asked you if that was new. Every CM I spoke with said no mask required while lounging on the pool deck. Honestly, why would anyone need to come close to us on our loungers or at our table ? I was so relieved!!
Maybe I skimmed to fast, but I did not see a review about hot tub usage?? Can they be used?
You can if you want to. It is plenty hot here already though. 😉
Hot tubs are open.
We just returned from Disney on the 11th of August. I hesitated to write this for I kept thinking that time will make me less disappointed in our trip but so far that has not happened. After spending 15,000 to take my adult children and grand child on a trip that was meant to be a memory maker for my husband and I, I can only saw it was so disappointing. We stayed at Pop Century which some how switched our credit cards linked to our magic bands around (telling us it was correct in one system but not another) and after spending 4 separate times at the customer service desk we gave up and just tried to figure it all out ourselves. There was no guide in the room as to what we should do with lines or trash or when someone would come so we ended up taking our dirty lines to the housekeeping location and then they would replace. We also put our trash out in front of our room daily. After seeing the sign in the room in your article above I see how helpful that would have been. Oh, and we had 3 rooms and there were no sign in any of them.
My biggest 2 issues were on how we were treated like we were the dirtiest people on earth by the shops. The workers were so afraid they would touch what we were trying to buy almost presenting in a drama like fashion that this was ridiculous. If you are that afraid of me then maybe you are not in the right business. I know the comments that will come are they were just doing their job but as a nurse I will argue that they took it to the extreme and the other cast members did not do this.
I am also perplexed on how we can take pictures of each other as long as we are eating or drinking together (and social distancing of course) but we cannot social distance and pull the mask down for 3 seconds and take a picture. I would in no way be in a crowd to do this but I am really confused on how people can gather in common areas to eat or drink especially Epcot on a weekend where all the benches were full of people eating or drinking and closer then 6 feet apart but I cannot go in a secluded place for a picture and pull my mask down? So note to self for family pictures that you will need to take yourself, go to an area that you are socially distant from the rest, take a drink of water or whatever and as soon as that bottle makes it back to your waistline then snap that picture.
And if someone could please tell me why Disney can send your their covid protocol via text 2 times a day but yet they cannot text the same group of people to let you know the skyliner is down again and/or back up so now you need to walk to the other part of Epcot to get on a bus?
The bus service to go back to the hotel from disney springs was pathetic. The line stretched for 5 bus stations or numbers and was coming about every 10 minutes. We spent more time in that line then any ride. It is just sad to stand in this line and see all those available buses parked in the same lot with no drivers. They want you to social distance but it is ok to have these lines at disney springs?
All I can say is that I /we will NEVER go back to disney. This trip was so disappointing in so many ways and one I did not mention above is the lack of food places to eat if you did not book reservations was pitiful. I get the universal precaution thing and practice this daily in my work life as a nurse and in my time I am not working but Disney has done this overkill that it truly impacted our trip and there was nothing magical about this trip at all. So glad for many it worked out and you had a great time but for me this was not the case and I will not be returning. Thank you Disney for the survey you sent me which only asked about my transportation to and from the park but did not let you comment on your true experience for I guess you already know what people will say and know why you are billions in losses thus far.
Thank you for your comment here That is a very helpful review.
I totally understand your disappointment. We had a family trip planned with our adult children, grandchildren, and other family members for the end of September and decided to cancel because we had all of the concerns about what you experienced. This was a tough decision because we had been planning this trip for a couple years, but as I followed the plans for reopening, saw that there was no change in cost, and Florida COVID cases climbing I made the decision to wait. I am hoping to rebook in 2022 and maybe it will be back to the Disney we are used to.
We’ve stayed at kidani, boardwalk and poly. Kidani had by far the most crowded pool. That makes sense since it is on the small side, dvc, and there is no leisure alternative. They didn’t close it for capacity but they should have. You may need to go to jambo’s pool. The leisure pools if available are definitely the way to go. Mask wearing was never enforced on the pool deck that I saw; even at the pool bar. People were taking advantage and I felt it was disrespectful to the staff working there.
Hi Tom,
We are planning a 4 night stay at CRB in January. What room type would you sugggest requesting then? Your corner, Jamaica room? I would like to be near the skyliner to go to HW and Epcot. I you normally recommend Trinidad, but I don’t know if that will be open yet.
Thanks!
Dana
Will you be doing an article on your predictions for Thanksgiving crowds?
We stayed at CBR last week. We were in Aruba 56, which had just reopened. The first night, we had no hot water. The next morning still no hot water, so I went to the front desk and they said it was a building issue and they were working on it and would keep me posted. They did give me a $140 credit. We went to AK for the day. When we returned around 6:00, the water was completely shut off in our room. Back to the desk I went. They said they were still working on it and would call me with an update. THREE hours later, no update. I finally called guest services and they moved us to Riviera for our remaining four nights. It was night and day difference! I was definitely unimpressed with CBR. The resort overall is pretty and the pool is fun. But the room felt small and grungy, even though I know they updated the rooms not that long ago. Replacing the stained carpet with hard floor would make a big difference. I don’t think we’d stay there again to be honest.
Thanks for sharing your experience–sorry to hear that happened. (On the plus side, it does sound like Disney made it right.)
It’s worth noting that room rates at Disney’s Riviera Resort are roughly triple the price of those at Caribbean Beach, so it would make sense that the Riviera is nicer. 😉
My parents are at Disney now staying at Copper Creek. They have been DVC members since 2001.
They are leaving early not finishing out reserved time. They said it looks that maintenance had virtually stopped as the balcony was dirty and the stream that comes out of the lobby looked to have Algae growing. This has never been observed in the last 20 years.
They said with cut backs on menu offerings and very under staffed while being tired of the masks they were done and heading home.
They are not coming back any time soon as my dad is going to bank his points.
Are you seeing any short falls from resorts due to cutbacks? I told my mother to call and complain about the cleanliness of the deck. I was surprised.
Would have never expected a Disney property to look unkept. And with it being a DVC property money has been paid for dues and there is no reason it should not be properly kept up. It would be different if it was a resort they didn’t have a ownership in. Then I would be more understanding.
I haven’t noticed any maintenance or upkeep issues at the hotels as a result of the closure. There are always sporadic problems and rooms in much better need of a cleaning, so that’s not really a surprise. It’s more (bad) luck of the draw than anything else. Wilderness Lodge is in the midst of a refurbishment, so that could play a part, too.
There definitely are cutbacks on menus–that’s happening at virtually every restaurant. I’m not sure if it’s a supply issue or cost-cutting one, but in many cases, menus have less than half of the options they normally would.
Did you eat at CBR? How was the crowd distancing in the food court? I’ve been hearing war stories that it was awful. Considering a fall trip. Thanks
We are also here. Came in Wed 8:30 am after driving straight through from NY. 18 hours in the car)
I told them that and that I’d been up for 24 hours.
I requested bldg 45 and a corner room according to your recommendations.
They asked if I’d like the earliest room available so I could shower and sleep and I jumped at that.
They took my phone number and I never heard from them again.
We killed time looking around Caribbean and loved what we saw. Then decided to go to Epcot at 11. Loved the skyliner. Walked around ate at Regal Eagle. We loved the food. I got those dry rubbed ribs and they were not only excellent but they were plentiful. I couldn’t remember what side you had suggested but I went with the beans and they were the best beans I’ve had that Carolyn didn’t make at home.
We were really dragging. I kept checking my phone but they hadn’t called or texted or emailed and now it was past 3:30. We finally decided to go back and see what was up but the skyliner had stopped running. We were told to go to the Boardwalk bus station by the time we go there we saw the skyliner was running and a family had been waiting for a bus for 25 minutes. We decided to go back but along the way we stopped at Boardwalk pizza. Was it because I was in a zombie state or was the pizza really that good?
Long story short we got back to the hotel around 9:30pm. The lady at the desk saw we had not been contacted and felt so bad she gave us a $100 credit.
We’ve been having a great stay here in bldg 44 no corner but right near the pool which we still haven’t used. Only problem since then is we used the skyliner to go to EPCOT today and thought we’d leave mid-day to use the pool and return later for the evening. BUT the Skyliner wasn’t running.
I would recommend this moderate resort to everyone. We’ve seen the far more expensive Riviera and it’s unimpressive. The Pirate fort pool here is truly superior in comparrison.
We’ve found that if we don’t receive a text/call from Disney within about an hour, someone forgot to do something. Almost without exception.
As for BoardWalk Pizza, I can’t speak to its current quality, but it does look a lot better. Regardless, you made the right call doing that rather than waiting at the BoardWalk bus stop. Service from there when the Skyliner goes down has been abysmal.
Hope your stay continues to go well. Have a great trip!
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We’re hear right now Tom and after 2 days and 3 to go we absolutely love it! Took your recommendations to get the corner room and buildings center located and scored building 51 corner room. Kids love the pools, we’ve used the skyliner for the first time and wow is it convenient!! We’ve been to deluxe resorts as well but this may be our go to resort unless we can score a great deal on a Deluxe next time around. Thanks again for the excellent reviews and direction!
You’re welcome–hope the rest of your vacation goes well!
Just got done with Our CBR stay and we had such a blast. Did all 4 parks with a an extra 5th day at Epcot because we enjoyed the Food and Wine festival so much. We’re now at Universal for the second day and will say they are a little more laxed on the face masks in park, however they are aggressive with hand sanitizer physically pumping it into your hands before each ride with the end of the ride being voluntary. They also scan body Temps before entering the hotel each day and giving you a colored bracelet.