Caribbean Beach Resort Update – Summer 2019
We’re back with another walk around Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to check on the latest happenings. This continues our Walt Disney World Construction Updates & Photo Reports, and offers a look around the guest buildings, Centertown, Skyliner stations, and Disney’s Riviera Resort.
If this is you’re new to these Caribbean Beach Resort updates (lucky you!), we’ll start with a brief preface that everyone else will probably scroll past. For a basic primer on Caribbean Beach, including a look inside the refurbished guest rooms, read our comprehensive Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review.
For a look at the common areas, all of which are new or newly-redone as of last October, read our Photos & Thoughts: Re-Imagined Caribbean Beach Resort post. That details the good and bad of the large scale overhaul to the resort’s central area. Those are good starting points if you want to know about the substantive changes to the rooms, dining, layout, check-in, and amenities at Caribbean Beach Resort in the last few years. As for this update, we have some good news…
This is basically just a check-in to confirm that, yes, work around the guest buildings at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is “still” done. Confirming that something is still finished might seem odd, but we’ve been down this road before with Caribbean Beach, and it seems like a lot of elements of the Skyliner that ostensibly were finished have been revisited.
The good news is the the Disney Skyliner gondola system has now been testing for a little over a month at both Caribbean Beach stations, and on all lines. This means gondola cabins are gliding above Aruba and Jamaica. These are relatively quiet, and there’s almost no way you’ll hear them in your room.
As you can see in our Summer 2019 Disney Skyliner Gondola Update, it now appears very close to being ready to debut. Construction crews should turn over the main Caribbean Beach Skyliner station to Disney Transport Cast Members in the near future. In fact, exactly that happened earlier this week with the Disney’s Hollywood Studios station!
At this point, the bulk of the work being done at or near Caribbean Beach is occurring exclusively on the northern perimeter of the property, where construction continues for Disney’s Riviera Resort, the newest Disney Vacation Club property.
Above is a look at current progress, with the Fuentes del Morro Pool in the foreground. As you can see, almost all of the exterior scaffolding is now down on this side of Disney’s Riviera Resort. This project is not nearly the disruption that it once was.
On ground level, there is still work on S’il Vous Play, an interactive water play area for kids, as well as the waterfront promenade. However, the heavy equipment and work that produced the most noise is mostly gone or done.
While Disney’s Riviera Resort isn’t scheduled to open until mid-December, it would appear that the work is well ahead of schedule–or at least mostly confined to the inside of the resort. (There’s also still exterior work on the street-facing side of the Riviera, but that won’t impact you if you’re staying at Caribbean Beach.)
Both the Riviera and Skyliner projects are either outside the current boundaries of Caribbean Beach Resort, or on the far perimeter of the resort and both are in nearly finished form. You won’t actively encounter walls for these projects while wandering the grounds of Caribbean Beach Resort and all construction noise is now minimal.
Nothing that remains to be done to with the Skyliner or Riviera is anything that would cause me not to book a stay at Caribbean Beach. These projects are substantially-finished at this point, and if they still bother you in July 2019 or thereafter, there’s a good chance Walt Disney World might just be “too noisy” for you.
There are landscaping crews at every Walt Disney World hotel on a daily basis, and you’re just as likely to be disrupted by a random weed-whacker or lawn mower than what remains to be done on the Skyliner and Disney’s Riviera Resort. (This isn’t to say that the projects aren’t producing any noise–they are–it’s just a negligible amount in the grand scheme of things.)
On the other hand, whether these projects are visual blight is another story. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is beloved by many (us included) as a tropical oasis, a place to decompress from the chaos of Walt Disney World. Seeing construction, or just the Riviera towering on the horizon (a problem that’ll remain after work is done), can pull you from that frame of mind.
On the other other hand (or maybe we’re back to the first hand?), grabbing a hammock on the beach and watching the Skyliner glide along the horizon at sunset is arguably a better experience than just watching static buildings across the water.
In any case, if this doesn’t sound like something you want to experience, our top recommendation for an alternative hotel at Walt Disney World is Port Orleans Riverside. It’s thematically quite different, but the approach is similar. It also has beautiful, sprawling grounds, a charming atmosphere, and a resort vibe.
We already shared building recommendations in our last update, but to reiterate: we think buildings 51 and 45 are great, with a leisurely walk across the bride through Caribbean Cay. They’re removed from the heart of the action and have great across-the-water views, but aren’t too long of a walk over to the restaurants, pool, and lobby.
All of the buildings adjacent to these are also good options, including buildings 42-53. Buildings 54-56 will be great once the Skyliner station closer to Disney’s Riviera Resort opens, but we don’t know when that will be. It wouldn’t surprise us if that line opens after the rest of the Skyliner–potentially as late as December 2019.
All of Barbados is also good, and the upside to this location is that it’s roughly equidistance from the Fuentes del Morro Pool, Centertown, and Spyglass Grill. Speaking of Spyglass Grill, the Pirate Rooms in Trinidad at Caribbean Beach Resort are another option.
Our opinion of the Pirate Rooms is now more positive. Having Spyglass Grill right there, plus a nice view of the gondolas overhead across the water is pleasant and relaxing.
We don’t have any stays at Caribbean Beach Resort booked in the near future, but likely will grab something closer to Christmas to take advantage of the Skyliner, Extra Extra Magic Hours, and milder weather–Caribbean Beach is a resort best experienced between October and April, we think.
Our waitlist for Riviera still hasn’t come through, so there’s also that–proximity to those amenities will be nice come December. Moreover, booking a room in Aruba or Jamaica for easy access to both Skyliner stations will be a great option once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open, Epcot Forever is running, and Festival of the Holidays is underway!
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 Caribbean Beach Resort recently? How did you feel about your stay? Any other construction impacts? Looking forward to staying here once the Skyliner and Riviera are finished? Do you agree or disagree with our Caribbean Beach Resort building recommendations? 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!
We stayed at CBR in June and we all loved it! I was a little hesitant at first due to some negative comments we’ve heard but we were pleasantly surprised. It was a gorgeous resort and we would definitely return.
My kids said they preferred it there over Art of Animation. They loved the pool at CBR and the grounds were beautiful. We are a family of five so yes, it is a little snug in the room, esp compared to the suites at AOA. The bathrooms were small, which I already read. The rooms are re-done so that makes up for the size, in my opinion.
We had an amazing rate so we couldn’t pass it up!
The bus situation was slightly annoying, more so leaving the parks at night, but I feel that is most resorts and not specific to this one.
We were in Jamaica and it was close to the bus stop and to the bridge to the pool. It was a really, really beautiful place and if you are looking for a moderate resort, would def. recommend.
Banana Cabana was our favorite spot and it was also that of the other adults in our group.
Hope to return in a year or two!
We have called CBR our home over the last 20 years or so. Does anyone remember Sam – the food court cast member! You will not find a cast member like that now. Last stayed December 2018. The old relaxed feel will never be the same with the Riviera spoiling the pond view and the island feel is gone. Even the Banana Cabana has limited outdoor seating and it is confined to an indoor building with a small side opening. Our new favorite has become Riverside (stayed in September 2018). CBR is not a bad resort but has lost its “charm”
We booked a Preferred Room for our stay in the middle of October. Will that be too long of a walk for a 90 year old woman to the Skyliner? I talked to a Disney representative and they don’t really seem to have any idea of the location of preferred rooms in relation to the skyliner station.
Perferred rooms are Barbados and Martinique as of now, which are not too close to the skyline. Not sure if they will change that for the fall once the skyline will be open. And just FYI as a 90 year old it’s a great idea to rent a motorized scooter to get around at the parks especially. Soooo many people use them. Even people have her age
I would suggest renting scooter from Orange Mobility. $90 for three full days and they delivered directly to my room and picked up from it! I stayed at Caribbean.
Thank you for the info about the motorized scooter. It sounds like I should change from a preferred room too to try and get closer to the skyliner.
What are your feelings about staying in Martinique as far as location to transportation/activities?
Martinique is where I just stayed. You would have to reserve the preferred room to acquire this location. The bus stop is in the back and it’s a short walking distance to food and lobby. Definitely would choose the Martinique. And if you have a car , the lot is right in the back by bus station. Great choice
We booked 6 days before our trip and were put in Martinique (bldg 26). Couldn’t have been closer to lobby, pool, bus stop, etc. Hadn’t stayed at Caribbean Beach before, didn’t know what to expect, and certainly didn’t expect such a great location.
Just got back from Caribbean Beach (6/30 – 7/3). Nice resort, but…. I have been going to Disney since 1996 and the bus system is worse than it’s ever been. We used Lyft most of the time, but on the few occasions when we tries to get a bus we were punished severely.
Specifically, for extra magic hours at AK, we arrived at bus stop at 7:05. We were told a bus had been by at 6:55 and was so full it couldn’t accommodate everyone who was waiting. So those waiting were already a bit annoyed, to put it mildly.
The board said the next bus would arrive at 7:25. Then it changed to 7:32, then 7:34, etc. etc. Bus finally arrived at 7:52. We got in AK park with about 15 minutes left of the “extra” hour.
One of the reasons you pay more to stay on property is to take advantage of extra magic hours. Doesn’t work if Disney doesn’t send the buses though.
Next day, tried to get a bus for Studio. There was just a line where the arrival time would be posted.
I liked it better when you just had to wait until your bus showed up, with no false hopes. The board that constantly pushes back the expected arrival time is more a torture device than a convenience.
We’re booked at the CBR in mid-late October. Have two kids, 7 and 5. I got something in the mail mentioning that we’d be in pirate themed rooms. Just wondering if that’s a good or bad thing. Realize the kids might like it, but does that put us in a bad spot for walking to the gondolas? I might give up a pirate room to keep kids from complaining about a long walk at the end of a long day. Just want some opinions. Also, if I call the resort, are they amenable to our building preference?
I’m currently at the CBR, sitting at banana cabana. It’s gorgeous. And better than what I had imagined! The construction is not even noticeable. They have done a great job especially for moderates
Do you know if CBR guests will be able to use the pool area at the Riveria resort? We are planning a trip Feb 2020.
No, pool hopping is prohibited for general resort guests. Select pool hopping is available for DVC members at select resorts.
Will be there late September! Wondering if our preferred room will still be considered preferred once the Skyliners opens?
How do you go about requesting Aruba or Jamaica location? Are those generally Standard rates rooms or something else?
Thanks.
I believe those are listed as Preferred Rooms.
Martinique and Barbados are all preferred.
Aruba and Jamaica are standard and standard with water view.
Trinidad are all pirate-themed.
We booked a Preferred Room for our stay in the middle of October. Will that be too long of a walk for a 90 year old woman to the Skyliner? I talked to a Disney representative and they don’t really seem to have any idea of the location of preferred rooms in relation to the skyliner station.
We just spent 6 nights in Jamaica in a water/pool room. A nice central location with a view of the water. Our pool was being refurbished so we had to go to the big pool near Center-town. This was okay but the children’s pool area there was being refurbished too. Luckily our 4 year old grandson loved the water slide. We loved the location and found the bus location was fine.
Aruba is standard. As of now Martinique and Barbados are preferred
We stayed at CBR the beginning of May for 2 weeks.
The construction did not bother us but because of new policies when booking and our reservation caused us a lot of distress and did spoil our vacation. CBR iis our favourite resort and have stayed many many times. We said that we would never go back to Disney and we shall see. The management were very good but we felt let down.
I did think though that a skylines pylon right outside a few of the rooms was not good, but I agree they are very quiet.
I would love to see them fully operational but the issues override that. Do not be put off though CBR is the best resort in Disneyworld
Thank you for this update!
If you follow your advice and book a room in either buildings 45 or 51 where are they in relation to the Skyliner station? I’m sure you covered this before and I am just missing it. Also would recommend just walking across the Caribbean Cay pathway and using the main bus station for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom? Or is that a longer walk than it looks on the maps? Thank you!
Drew – it’s 1/5-1/4 of a mile from 45/51 to the pool/food court, a really short walk. But I wouldn’t see why you would head over to that bus station rather than the Jamaica station.
The Skyliner station will be just north of Aruba, so it should also be <1/4-mile from buildings 45/51 and just a few steps from buildings 55/56.
Thank you!
How far will building 45 be from the CBR skyliner station? We are staying in Jamaica in December, and was wondering which room to request…I was thinking 42/43 considering the proximity of them from the CBR skyliner station, but contemplating if it’s too far from the lobby/food court now!