Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review
Caribbean Beach Resort is a Moderate hotel at Walt Disney World with a tropical theme. This review features new room photos, thoughts on the reimagining, Skyliner gondola transportation, pool & dining info, plus details on amenities offered by Riviera Resort, the sister DVC property to CBR. (Updated June 22, 2025.)
The advantages of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort basically come down to three things. First and most importantly, the Disney Skyliner gondola. Caribbean Beach Resort is the hub for the Skyliner, with two stations offering access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, plus Art of Animation, Pop Century, and Riviera Resorts.
We use the Skyliner often, and are big fans. It makes for easy midday breaks when you’re doing Disney’s Hollywood Studios or EPCOT, and is also advantageous for Early Entry at both parks. Knocking out Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, Frozen Ever After, or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (especially easy since you enter EPCOT through International Gateway via the Skyliner) before the park even opens to day guests is huge. The benefits of the Skyliner cannot be overstated–we prefer it to the monorail.
Second, there’s the proximity of Caribbean Beach to Disney’s Riviera Resort, which is the newest Disney Vacation Club property at Walt Disney World. This is located adjacent to Caribbean Beach and is a short walk over to that tower.
The advantage here is in the amenities that Disney’s Riviera Resort offers. While Caribbean Beach Resort guests cannot pool hop to Riviera (CBR’s feature pool is better), you do have access to almost all other amenities. You can also take a leisurely stroll around the grounds, as the pathway that circles Barefoot Bay passes by both resorts.
Dining is the big thing, as Disney’s Riviera Resort has some great options. Le Petit Café, Bar Riva, Primo Piatto, and the gelato stand are all solid options.
We also love Topolino’s Terrace–both the Signature Dinner and the Character Breakfast a la Art with Mickey & Friends. For more info about the sister property to Caribbean Beach, consult our Disney’s Riviera Resort Review.
Finally, Caribbean Beach’s is the most modern of the Moderate Resorts. Prior to the opening of Disney’s Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach underwent a massive and multi-year reimagining to enhance and improve its amenities and design. This re-imagining was undertaken because Caribbean Beach Resort is the oldest of the Moderates, and there have been complaints that its facilities are beginning to show their age.
The Old Port Royale lobby area and check-in, Centertown Market, Banana Cabana, and Sebastian’s Bistro are all totally new or recently redone. While Coronado Springs Resort received similar updates alongside the construction of Gran Destino Tower, that’s more disjointed of a resort–like two hotels in one. (I guess the same could be said for Caribbean Beach and Riviera, but that actually is two resorts.)
In particular, we are huge fans of Sebastian’s Bistro, which is the best value dinner in all of Walt Disney World! The ‘update’ at Caribbean Beach was far more substantial than a standard refurbishment, and it was handled excellently. Suffice to say, these upgrades re-assert Caribbean Beach’s place as a top-notch resort.
If you want an idea of just how good these projects went, check out our revised Polynesian vs. Caribbean Beach Resort Comparison. Keep the price difference between the two in mind when reading that; the Poly is at least double to triple the cost of Caribbean Beach!
As big fans of Caribbean Beach, we had a good amount of trepidation regarding the resort’s re-imagining, plus the additions of the Skyliner and Disney’s Riviera Resort. We’ve stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort several times in the past year, and this trio of additions are all largely positive, even if they have eroded some of the secluded and lush tropical vibe of the resort.
Getting down to the business of the resort review, let’s start with an overview. Located near Epcot, Caribbean Beach Resort has decent proximity to the theme parks. Thanks to the Skyliner, there’s also a novel and efficient mode of transportation between CBR and two parks.
If you’re staying at Caribbean Beach, our advice is to line up for the Skyliner shortly before it begins operating if your plan is to rope drop Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Lines can be long in the morning, but the Skyliner is incredibly efficient and Caribbean Beach’s status as the “hub” resort for the Skyliner means you’re still waiting less than guests coming from Art of Animation or Pop Century, who have to transfer at CBR.
This is something we discussed recently in Skyliner Warning for Rope Dropping Disney’s Hollywood Studios or EPCOT. That post only applies to Art of Animation and Pop Century. It’s not applicable to Caribbean Beach or even Disney’s Riviera Resort, for that matter. You might find a line at CBR in the morning, but it’ll move fast–and thankfully, there’s no transfer involved!
In the center of Caribbean Beach Resort separating most of the guest room buildings from Old Port Royale is Barefoot Bay, a 45-acre lake. Running around the lake is a 1.4-mile path, with additional paths leading to all guest rooms. It seems like the perfect resort for a morning run…or racing around to photograph the sunrise, if you’re like me.
In the center of all this is, Caribbean Cay, which is an island with a lush picnic and play area. It also breaks up the walk across the huge lake.
The resort itself likely benefits from its age, as its twenty plus years in existence have given the greenery at the resort a chance to become quite lush and mature.
Within this tropical paradise, rooms are spread among 6 villages: Trinidad, Barbados, Martinique, Aruba, and Jamaica.
One of the biggest downsides of Caribbean Beach used to be that it’s a really spread out resort. The size coupled with the number of bus stops can make transportation at Caribbean Beach Resort a real hassle.
However, the new Skyliner gondolas totally eliminate this issue when it comes to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Caribbean Beach is the only Moderate Resort offering non-bus transportation to Walt Disney World’s theme parks. This is huge, and the advantage it offers cannot be overstated.
Getting to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs from CBR can still take some time due to the resort’s internal bus loop. This internal loop can added ~10 minutes to transit times, and also mean the bus arrives to your stop nearly (or totally) full during peak times.
Because of this, we often use Uber to get to and from those parks. It’s something worth considering if you find yourself frustrated with the bus service at CBR. Be sure to price out the Uber before committing to that, as costs can vary widely depending upon demand.
Caribbean Beach Resort’s main lobby and guest check-in is now located in Old Port Royale.
This is where you’ll get picked up and dropped off by Mears Connect, pick up grocery delivery and other orders. It’s the central hub of the entire resort, where you’ll find a gift shop, food court, and other amenities. Old Port Royale is located in Centertown, and that’s where pretty much everything–save for the Skyliner–is located in terms of key guest amenities.
The consolidation of the lobby and check-in in Old Port Royale is a definite improvement. This area is convenient to many guest rooms, whereas Custom House wasn’t convenient to anything.
Along with Saratoga Springs and Old Key West, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is one of the most sprawling resorts at Walt Disney World. My personal take is that this gives it more of a true “resort” feel with more to explore, but reasonable minds could certainly differ on that one.
It’s quite a trek from the most remote rooms to Old Port Royale, meaning it could be a hassle to get breakfast. On the plus side, this will make you less likely to eat those instant-eggs and rubber-bacon! (Aren’t I the optimist…)
On the dining front, some good news is that during the resort re-imagining, Coke Freestyle machines were added throughout the resort, and you should have one of these ~5 minutes from your room. The resort map you receive at check-in will indicate where they’re located.
At Centertown, you’ll find a trio of dining options including a table service restaurant, food court for quick service dining, and poolside bar. Here are our reviews of each:
- Sebastian’s Bistro (Table Service) Review
- Banana Cabana (Pool Bar) Review
- Centertown Market (Counter Service Food Court) Review
- Spyglass Grill (‘Under the Sea’ Quick Service)
Each has a few can’t-miss, signature items that we highly recommend checking out. (Like the glorious Caribbean Pull-apart Rolls with Guava Butter, Mango Chutney, and Jamaican Jerk Oil pictured above!)
If those options are insufficient, you can have alcohol and food to prepare for breakfasts brought to you for a much cheaper price–see our Tips for Grocery Delivery at Walt Disney World post for more info.
Caribbean Beach has a nice marina near Old Port Royale, which rents out boats and bicycles.
There also are playgrounds, an arcade, volleyball, sand beaches, and other standard Moderate Resort amenities available at Caribbean Beach Resort.
The Fuentes del Morro feature pool at Old Port Royale is pretty awesome. You might as well call it Old Fort Royale, as it is reminiscent of the Spanish forts under siege at the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Everyone knows that anything pertaining to pirates is unquestionably awesome, so Caribbean Beach Resort scores serious points for the pool.
It’s a really cool pool–I consider it to be one of the best at Walt Disney World. Kids (and immature adults like me) would really enjoy “playing pirate” in its many forts, complete with authentic working (eh, probably) cannons.
For those adults who are more mature, you can always “play pirate” by chugging a bottle of rum and staggering around on one of the white sand beaches at Caribbean Beach Resort while bemoaning the fact that the rum is always gone. What could go wrong?
Okay, now the guest rooms. Let’s start with the best and newest option, which are the ‘Under the Sea’ style 5th sleeper rooms in the Trinidad section of the resort.
These were previously the infamous pirate rooms, which were among the worst rooms in all of Walt Disney World. Worse yet, the Caribbean Beach front desk would routinely offer a free “upgrade” to the pirate rooms to unsuspecting guests, as they overbooked the rest of the resort and only had space left in the “premium” pirate rooms (air quotes around both upgrade and premium. In any case, those are dead and gone.
The pirate rooms have been replaced by new ‘Under the Sea’ accommodations. Check out our Review, Photos & Video: Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort for everything you need to know about these. These Under the Sea rooms are fantastic for families who want more space while they’re not sleeping, as the pull-down beds make the main living area far less cramped during the day.
Because everything needs a nickname, we’ve dubbed these as Caribbean Beach’s “DVC-Lite” or “Reasonable-Riviera” rooms (still workshopping the name). Conceptually, these are identical to the standard rooms at Disney’s Riviera Resort. These feature the same style of pull-down Murphy beds that convert into couches, and also have many of the same ‘quality of life’ features as the DVC-style studios.
To be sure, the studios at Disney’s Riviera Resort are more spacious and well-appointed. It’s really the “bones” that are almost identical here, with a lot of the finishing and features differing–and being better–at Disney’s Riviera Resort. Still, for less than half the price (when going by rack rates), that’s a fair tradeoff.
These are quite possibly the best rooms at any Moderate Resort (excluding Gran Destino Tower, since that’s its own thing)–far better than the standard rooms at Caribbean Beach or even Port Orleans. Fair warning–these can be tricky to book and require a room request. They’re worth it for most families, though!
Finally, there’s the standard rooms. These are why we dubbed Caribbean Beach Resort “Poly-lite” in the first place several years ago. These rooms don’t look like budget motel accommodations, and feature a lot of details and fun tropical motifs.
These rooms were first redone in 2014, and if you can believe it, they were excellent at the time. There were lots of details and the rooms were very similar to those at the Polynesian. Over a decade later, a lot of that has been lost. These are now among the most generic rooms at Walt Disney World. I’d go as far as to say they’re worse than any of the Value Resorts, at this point.
The blandification began with the removal of the bed runners, and continued with other thematic elements being lost. On a positive note, the rooms were refurbished a couple of years ago, so they still feel fresh as of 2025, but they’re very bland.
That was only a soft goods refurbishment, and it basically involved painting one of the walls baby blue to brighten up the interior and replacing worn furniture and furnishings. There’s less wear and tear as a result, but the rooms are also arguably even more sterile.
The next hard goods overhaul cannot come soon enough (it probably won’t happen for another 5+ years, unfortunately). We’d highly recommend staying in the newer and nicer ‘Under the Sea’ rooms if at all possible. Just be sure to make a room request, as some of those buildings are a serious hike from the main lobby!
Speaking of which, because it’s a larger resort with many different room styles and a range of amenities, we highly recommend making a room request. Check out our recommendations for the Best & Worst Rooms & Building Locations at Caribbean Beach Resort.
There’s a lot to take into consideration, including Disney’s Riviera Resort and the two gondola stations, with non-stop access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. This covers the best options for proximity to the Skyliner, pools, and dining at Caribbean Beach, and makes specific building recommendations.
Using a travel agent is always a good idea for Walt Disney World vacation planning, but that’s especially true for “trickier” bookings like Caribbean Beach Resort where room requests come into play.
If you want to work with a TA, we recommend requesting a no-obligation quote from Be Our Guest Vacations, a no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. They can do the work for you and advocate on your behalf when it comes to room requests and other aspects of travel planning.
Their services don’t cost extra, they’ll reserve your room, help you with dining reservations and itineraries, and apply the best discounts to your reservation once they’re released. Using an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner is the win-win option if you’re overwhelmed by the complexities of Walt Disney World, don’t want to do all of the “homework” yourself, or want someone to monitor your reservation so you save money.
Overall, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is a very nice place to stay, especially if you enjoy the theme and the sprawling resort grounds. It’s now a very balanced hotel with a tremendous amount of upside: a diverse slate of restaurants, plenty of recreation options, beautiful grounds to enjoy, and efficient Skyliner transportation to Epcot and DHS.
Between the dining, gondola transportation, other amenities, and easy access to the Riviera, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort has some of the same selling points as Deluxe Resorts. I was already a fan of Caribbean Beach Resort, but now that it’s basically a “Poor Man’s Polynesian.” While the may not be as nice as its tropical cousin, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, it does offer significantly better value for money thanks to its solid amenities and excellent rooms.
This is reflected in our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Hotels from Worst to Best, which takes price and a variety of other variables into account. If you’d prefer to read that for a rundown of how all resorts rank, have at it. Spoiler alert: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resorts is in the top 5 and is the #1 ranked Moderate Resort in all of Walt Disney World. That’s a controversial choice, but we feel that Caribbean Beach has tremendous upside, so long as you make a room request to limit the downsides!
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
What do you think of the new ‘Under the Sea’ rooms at Caribbean Beach Resort? Think CBR is the #1 Moderate Resort (or top 5 overall) at Walt Disney World? Are you planning on staying at Caribbean Beach Resort? Have you tried Centertown Market, Banana Cabana, or Sebastian’s Bistro? Do you miss the old style of CBR? What about the spread out nature of the resort–is that a strength or a weakness for you? Any questions about this Walt Disney World resort hotel? Share your thoughts or any questions you have in the comments!
We really enjoyed the new rooms when we stayed in December last year. Very pretty. We are the kind that drive to Disney, and the larger resorts are excellent for primo parking. I would say that is one benefit to offset its size. After messing with long waits on buses at a different resort we decided it was pretty easy (and faster) to hop in the car and drive to whatever park we were going to that day, since you get free parking. Its better in our opinion to hop on a tram to take you back to your parking spot than it is to wait for rounds of buses. Also makes it easier for those early morning ADRs at resorts. I am assuming they also updated the beds with this refurb. The beds at Caribbean beach vs French Quarter were like heaven. FQ had very firm squeaky beds like in a motel, the beds in CB were like beds you would find at a Hilton. I thought it was worth mentioning – beds make or break a room for us.
Stayed last summer (I think at one of the renovated rooms)–rooms were fine with no mold or other problems.
I don’t exactly recall what I ate at Shutters but remember the meal being fine. I like different cuisines but didn’t think the food was particularly Caribbean influenced (which would have made it more memorable).
Yes the pools are nicely themed, as is the entire lake area, including the island. There are also (unthemed) pools at each of the “villages” if you want to take a quick dip without walking all the way to Port Royale. Laundromats too (hey I’m a practical guy).
Echoing a comment above, the biggest drawback is you aren’t near any of the parks so have to wait for shuttles, and especially if you’re at the first village (Martinique) it can seem like forever for the shuttle to stop at all the other villages before you’re finally in your way to the MK (especially if you’re trying to get there at the Opening).
Beautiful place, but man those 7 bus stops are rough! Awesome review, thanks for sharing.
I forgot to mention how great the updated rooms look. Makes me want to stay there again without paying extra for the pirate themed rooms!
Hi Tom, I love reading your reviews and tips! We stayed at Carribean Beach last November in the pirate rooms and absolutely loved it! My two kids thought they were AMAZING! The only downfall was the walk to refill our resort mugs. The bus transportation came very often during our stay. Thanks to you this Nov. we will be staying at the Boardwalk Inn!! We cannot wait!
FYI, the marinas at moderate hotels closed to guest rental a while ago. Boat rental is not listed as a recreation option for the hotel. It may still be in use for other things, but not boat rental like is available at deluxes on the water.
Correct, all they have available now is a Fishing tour and a Pirate story telling about the islands for Kids. The Pirate pontoon looked awesome!
Rooms need more Walnut.
Well that goes without saying, Captain Obvious! 😉
I found two hidden Toms in this review but no hidden Sarah. She must be outside guarding the suitcases while photos are taken before she is allowed in. That’s what happens with me.
I have only been to the Caribbean Beach once (pre-reno a couple of years ago) and thought it was great. I normally stay in value resorts but they had no annual pass discounts for one trip – the full rack value rate for 10 day trip was only $100 less than the discounted Caribbean at that time.
The counter service food court had some fantastic options for vegetarians a couple of years ago when we went.
She was actually in there taking photos with her phone, so I think it was just luck she didn’t show up in a mirror.
I’ve been told that Caribbean Beach is the most “popular” Walt Disney World resort in bookings. I use air quotes there because it has the most rooms, so it’s all relative, but I suspect its *actual* popularity will increase a good deal once people start seeing more of these rooms.
Do you know if all of the standard rooms were upgraded with the pull-down bed? There are only 4 of us, but my son and daughter are getting of an age that I would prefer they slept separately. I would like to request a certain building, but not if it precludes getting the 3rd bed.
Thanks!
To my knowledge, all of the rooms were upgraded with the pull-down bed. I’m not sure if this is true of the ‘king’ rooms, but it sounds like you wouldn’t be requesting one of those, anyway.
Stay two weeks ago in Aruba section with a lake/pool view and we did NOT have the pull down bed.
Andrew – were you in a King room?
No, not all of the rooms have pull down beds. Only some of them. The only way to ensure getting a room with a pull down bed, is to book the room for 5 people. Otherwise you can request it, but it is not guaranteed.
How sure of this are you now that the refurb is complete? When I spoke with someone at Caribbean Beach Resort, they indicated that all rooms except Kings have them. Now, it wouldn’t be the first time that a Cast Member was wrong about something, but I just want to double-check.
I guess I’ll have to call WDW to figure it out…
Thank you everyone. Tom, I hope you are right.
I’ve got confirmation from reservations today that not all refurbished rooms with queen beds have murphy beds. They have to be requested manually unless you book five people in a room.
Had booked for 5 and first room we got didn’t have pull down, noticed walking in, called check in and the recoded our magic bands to another room in same building, identical everything but had the pull down
Thank you so much for reviewing CBR! We will be staying there in October, our first stay “on property” at WDW (second trip ever!) and I can’t wait! I’ve loved this little sneak peek! 🙂
Tom – I am so thankful for your website! This is more information that I could possibly glean from a travel book and I love the pictures!
My question is – We’ll be staying at the CBR and will have a rental car. Can we park at the Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, Contemporary or Grand Floridian and take transportation into the MK from one of those hotels? Or do we have to be guests of the hotel to park there?
Thanks,
Polly
If you are staying at CBR you can park at any park for free. Polynesian, GF and Contemp may require reservations to park. For poly i just tell them i am going to trader sams if i do not have a ADR
We stayed 1 night in 2005, so we didn’t have a chance to explore. My car was scratched and dinged during some tree trimming. I was disappointed in their handling of the situation and we haven’t stayed here since. I just decided we’ll stay here for our next trip. It’s about $50 more a night than Pop, but less than the other moderates which offer queen beds as opposed to CBR’s double beds. I’m hoping the pool, slightly bigger room, and double sinks make it worth it. With 3 girls in the family, it’s mostly about the double sinks and exta vanity space. Maybe we can get out the room faster in the morning. 🙂
Tom- I enjoy reading your reviews and all of your photos. It’s nice to read up on resorts and restaurants we’ve yet to experience. Since I usually agree with your reviews of places we have stayed and eaten, I trust your opinions. I specifically searched for this review of CBR because I decided to make the switch from Value to Moderate.
Thanks!
The beds in the rooms that are NOT pirate rooms now also have queen beds in alignment with the rest of the Mods.
Didn’t there used to be a bridge over the pool? why on Earth did they get rid of that? it was cool.
You can reserve a room in specific buildings at CBR- you can also reserve a specific room if you know the number. We’ve stayed there 3 years now and learned from experience to request a waterfront room in either Martinique or Trinidad, which are located on either side of the main building.
We stayed in a newly renovated room last week and it was much improved from the older rooms- Clean, bright, large, and no bad smell! We really enjoyed it. If you’re concerned, request a renovated room when you make your reservation- The agents know which buildings have been renovated and which have not. They have been renovating for over a year now- I’m guessing most of the rooms are now redone.
Another thing we love about CBR is the many smaller pools around the resort. Our kids enjoy the main pool, but they spend even more time in the pool closest to our room, which is generally fairly empty and gives them more of an opportunity to swim and play with their water toys without a crowd of kids around them. They call the smaller pool our “private pool” and the main pool the “public pool!”
Can anyone tell me which village is the best to stay at for the Caribbean resort? We are going in September 2014 and would like to make a request if possible? Thxs
I have stayed at several WDW resorts and although I prefer the Boardwalk Villas I can’t always afford it! So, I have stayed at CBR the last two times; most recently October 2013. I love the resort; I go to Florida for the tropical feel (from Wisconsin) and CBR delivers. I haven’t any problems with the rooms and am in fact booked again at CBR in just a couple of weeks. I don’t mind walking and request Aruba village; close enough that walking to the Custom House or the food court is reasonable and enjoyable.
For the Caribbean beach resort .. Is there a good way to get a pick of what actual room/building you get, other than just choosing “Preferred”? I’ve looked at booking through Disney, and other sites. Any suggestions on getting that choice in advance would be appreciated!
When we made our reservations on the phone with Disney, I told them we wanted Jamaica 45, 44, or 46, I think. Then when I did online checkin, I once again had the option to choose Jamaica.
When we stayed there in 2011, I made the reservation online, but called later to request a building/area. We got our second choice, so I think it worked.
I have heard that CBR is scheduled for ANOTHER round of updates this April, perhaps to address the problems of mold/mildew? Crossing my fingers that we have no problems with our stay in July. Thank you for your review! Your photos are gorgeous!
We have a reservation for early May. I am hoping it turns out ok. I am keeping up with the most recent comments on Expedia and they really are more favorable than unfavorable. Someone even said they had a very dingy and mold smelling room at the Polynesian!! Fingers crossed we get a good one!!
Thank you I think we will go and speak to our travel agent and see what we an do xx