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 21, 2023.)
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. 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 v. 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 is now 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.
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.
If you’ve read elsewhere that it’s in the Custom House, that info is outdated, as Custom House permanently closed years ago.
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
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!)
There’s another new quick service restaurant adjacent to the quiet pool in Trinidad: Spyglass Grill, which we absolutely love. This makes the new Little Mermaid rooms even more appealing!
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.
As is the case with all Walt Disney World on-site hotels, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is fully integrated in My Disney Experience, which means that guests receive MagicBands and more.
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. This is where things get complicated, as there are currently three different types of rooms at Caribbean Beach Resort. 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. Fair warning–these can be tricky to book and require a room request. They’re worth it for most families, though!
The next type of room is also new as of this year, and these are basically just a refresh of the standard rooms. This removes the carpet, installs platform beds for luggage storage, replaces some fixtures and furnishings, and adds a fresh coat of cooler paint to replace the warm colors.
All of that might sound good, but it’s better on paper than in person. These rooms are bland, boring, and sterile to a fault, with not nearly enough theme and way too much white. They’re definitely fresher, but are devoid of personality, which is really a shame. This room style is expected to replace all of the next type of rooms by early 2024.
Finally, there’s the older standard rooms. This redone room is 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. Thematically, Caribbean Beach Resort has the best rooms of any Moderate as a result of this “Poly-lite” style.
The thing is, time flies when you’re having fun–this room style is now 9 years old as of 2023. They are showing their age, with a lot of wear and tear and the design just generally starting to look tired…which is precisely why Walt Disney World has been replacing this with the refreshed rooms above.
Here’s a slightly wider look from the same vantage, this time with the pull-down bed under the television opened and the table visible.
In addition to the design of the rooms totally changing, the beds changed, too. These are now queen beds in the 5-person rooms, and to us they seemed substantially more comfortable and plush than the older beds at other Moderate Resorts.
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.
Back to the room itself, the pull-down bed is an excellent addition–whether in the regular rooms or the new Little Mermaid rooms.
This means the room can officially accommodate 5 adults (I fit on the pull-down bed just fine, but it’s probably best for kids or smaller adults), making it a great option for leveraging the Free Disney Dining Plan promotion.
The bathroom has similarly been redone, with more cosmetic changes in keeping with the rest of the room. The biggest addition here is the sliding doors separating the sink area from the beds. It’s a nice feature in case someone wants to sleep while others are getting ready.
Even if you liked the “character” of the old room, I think there’s little contesting that the new rooms are at least of a higher quality now. From the head boards to the light fixtures to the dresser and beyond, the finishings are nicer, with greater texture and detail giving the room a classier look.
There’s a lot more depth to the room now, and it doesn’t feel cheaply done. Disney did a really nice job with this refurbishment, and I’d say these are now the nicest rooms at any Moderate Resort.
(Note: two more recent changes have been made to Caribbean Beach’s rooms; the bed runners have been removed and the televisions have been replaced with larger flat screens. Both changes are reflected in the photo above. Otherwise, everything is the same.)
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 new dining, other amenities, and this gondola transportation, 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. If this resort sounds good to you and you’re craving even more info, see our Ultimate Guide to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
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 rooms at Caribbean Beach Resort? Are you planning on staying at Caribbean Beach Resort now that the big re-imagining is finished? 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!
Glad to see things are coming along as we’ll be staying at CBR in December. Have all (or most) rooms been remodeled at this point? We are wondering if we should request a certain area of the resort or ask to not be placed in a section that hasn’t been completed. Also, do the standard rooms have the murphy beds too? Thanks
Hi! Love your blog- I am a religious follower! Wondering how soon the bike rentals will return to the mix and what the new trail will look like now that portion that ran by barbados is now “under construction” for the Riviera resort. Any thoughts?
Hi, thank you for the update. Do you know when the new gondola service will be available? We will be coming to Disneyworld in August 2019 and don’t want to stay at Caribbean Beach if the only transportation is bus.
Thank You
Hi Tom,
Great update post! Good news for my family and I who will be arriving at the Caribbean Resort for one week on December 7.
Quick question: we are early risers and hope to have breakfast in the parks so our main focus would be easy/quick access to inter park transportation. I which area of the hotel would you recommend we request a room to best achieve this purpose?
Soon, means real soon. Sebastian’s Bistro is now up Disney’s Dining website. No reservations available or menu up, yet. The new food court, Centertown Market, isn’t listed yet, probably to avoid confusion with Centertown Pavilion
You need to book and stay soon, to update the room pictures. The 55″ TVs are outstanding.
We have a stay booked very soon!
I would love to have that murphy bed.
We stayed 7 years ago and the main pool was so crowded. Couldn’t move in pool without running into someone. Not sure if this is typical but is reason we haven’t returned. Hopefully they’ll add more pools during rehab.
Does anyone have an idea when the food court area will reopen? It says late fall but that doesn’t mean much since it originally was supposed to be August.
They are really making progress on the Old Port Royale area to the point that they’ve started landscaping the new waterfront area, which now has a completed new deck. Where in the past, things didn’t look that different on a month to month basis, now, you can see the progress week to week. I’d say that late Fall is definitely doable, even probable.
Personally, I think they’re shooting for October 1st, which will be the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Caribbean and the 47th anniversary of the opening of WDW. However, that also may depend on the construction status with the Riviera. They might be waiting until the big cranes come down, to make the resort look less like a construction site.
Some updates based on our stay 5/29-6/7, in 2 different rooms, both in Aruba Building 55.
1) New TVs! There were new Samsung TVs in both our rooms, much larger than in the pictures here (55″, perhaps), which were the same size as the Samsung TV in our room at the Beach Club on our 1st night’s stay (5/28). Great picture quality.
2) The bolster and runner were gone from the beds in both our rooms.
Additional points: Each room, as with the refurbished room we had at the Beach Club, had lots of easily accessible electrical outlets with USB chargers directly on the bedside table and the dresser area. Both of our rooms at the Caribbean Beach had the same basic amenities as our room at the Beach Club: Hair Dryer, lighted, moveable vanity mirror, coffee maker, H2O bath products. At the CBR, however, there were not quite as many offerings from H2O, and the shampoo, conditioner and body wash were all in large pump bottles that were bolted to the bath wall. Now, the room at the Beach Club was definitely superior, but the refurbished rooms at the Caribbean Beach hold up surprisingly well against a deluxe resort’s refurbished room.
Are all of the rooms refurbished? We are going to Disney in November with a group and this was one of the chosen options. Still deciding if we want to risk it with the dining & ambience at this point, but considering somewhere else. Just from looking on Disney’s site, POR has no rooms available (well, the ones that are $299 a night & we’re not doin’ that) which is where I was really hoping we’d get to stay. 🙁 Thanks so much for blog – it was so handy for our last trip and it’s my go to for this one too!
Which room location is closest to the bus stop?
We are staying here in August 2018. We booked the standard view room, does anyone know if these rooms have been renovated or will the standard rooms be the old interior? I understand there is construction outdoors but I am more concerned about what the room will be like for our stay. Any help would be appreciated!
We are a family of 5 and come to Disney every few years. The best part of staying onsite is the feeling where everything is nice, things are taken care of, and you can just relax, wonder around and just enjoy the ‘magical’ atmosphere that has been created. That was not the case on this trip. The Construction was very distracting, but the fact that most of the amenities other than the pools were simply not there, was very distracting. And the cart rolling by at 6:30 every morning to open the makeshift snack shop in the room 3 doors down was annoying. We were very disappointed and for the money you pay for a Disney trip, I’m not sure we’ll go back for quite a while. Just left a bad taste.
Sorry about your experience, it sounds like your room was in a bad spot. I have seen several reviews/trip reports that were positive. But again, if you spent a good bit of time at the resort, I understand your frustration. We are going in June and will be at the parks all day, so hopefully it won’t effect our experience as much as yours. I hope you reached out to Disney with your experience, they usually will do something to make it right.
not meaning to sound “mean-spirited”…My family and I have been visiting WDW parks since 1976 and have experienced their incredible growth spurts along the way. Maybe it was the newness of the parks and resorts and their eagerness to please that made our visits extremely enjoyable, as well as the attention given by Disney personnel to ensure our visits to be pleasurable and carefree.
Since the “reimagining” and “reconstruction” over the past several years at WDW, our experiences have been greatly diminished basically to a lukewarm “take it or leave it” Disney attitude.
Of all places to set up “snack rooms” amongst guest’s sleeping quarters and not to know the ramifications in doing so, speaks loudly of Disney’s carefree attitude towards its customers.
Why not create those snack locations on the outskirts of the individual village’s parking lots, assuming the $19.00/per day parking fee will change those driving guest’s habits or how about a beach location away from guest’s sleeping quarters?.
I am so happy we’ve had the opportunity over the many years to grow with Disney but find today’s Disney to be one that lacks compassion and concerned their never endless corporate greed which will eventually consume them.
Our first visit to CBR was amazing and our 2 daughters are treating us to a 50th Anniversary celebration with all of our family. We will be there Jan. 5, 2019 even though our anniversary is December 21, 2018 for 50years. We even have matching shirts!! If you can give us any ideas for free dining plans or cost-saving ideas, it would be much appreciated. We love Disney and named our cats: Daisy, Minnie, Tinker and Belleâ¤ï¸
Tom- Booked a split stay for May 2018 with CBR and POR, so I guess I’m taking both of your recommendations. We agree that pirates make everything awesome and with the lower room prices during construction for a family of 5, we’re willing to take our chances. My 10 yo daughter loves Barbossa and the monkey (she was Carina Smyth for Halloween), so she’s wishing Disney had consulted with you on the refurbishment. I find that my travel style agrees with yours (love the Country Bears), so after reading this, I’m looking forward to our stay.
I’m booking our first trip to Disney and we are on a tight budget so the price for CBR is good. I was hoping the construction will be less, does anyone have an idea when it will done?
The cast member that check in told me mid to late 2019
I was told mid 2018 – we’ve booked for late September this year, so I hope it’s ok. I don’t think we’ll spend a lot of time at the resort anyway
My Husband and I just returned form CBR after spending 7 day there. Depending on what room they assign you will depend if you are bothered by the construction noise. The food available is very limited there as well as snacks. The room we were in was already refurbished and was very nice. They advised that construction will not be complete until the end of the year…
Hi. We are booked at CBR from 21 September 2018 to 7 October. Would all the refurbishments be completed by then. My travel agent offered us the All Star Sports Resort as a (cheaper) alternative.
What would you recommend?
I a man currently staying in the Caribbean beach resort. The cast members here are saying the projected finish date is sometime in mid to late 2019. So it wouldn’t be done by you’re trip for sure. I can’t say for how bad it will be in September, but’s we barely notice construction. WE never hear it and it hasn’t impacted our trip at all. However, we basically just sleep in our resort, we don’t do much else there. We also booked during the$75 gift card incentive, which is over. They offered us a $10 per night gift card I if we opted out of maid service.
How can you not notice the reconstruction efforts underway? It’s called a resort as a destination to enjoy.,.not an obstacle course of high fences and detours.If its just a hotel and it has to be on Disney property…Allstar Resort would be the way to go BUT if you’re looking at a similar resort of what the CBR was…book Port Orleans, ask for the ‘Mansions” rooms
Hello Kelsey, I just wanted to know if that is something new that they are offering the $10 if you opt out of housekeeping. Can you still call the front desk so they could give you extra towels pillow cases Etc. did they say if they’re going to continue that or it’s just temporarily. Thank you in advance
I am not sure how long they will offer it, but you can call the front desk to bring you fresh towels and things.
The cast member who checked me in forgot to mention it to me, I overheard another cast member telling a guest about it. So make sure you ask about it!
I just wanted to clarify what I think I have read above. Are all of the rooms refurbished now with two queen beds and a pull down bed. I was under the impression that only some of the rooms had a pull down bed.
I am booked for November 5-10th for a room only package, I booked online through Disney and there was yes mention of a $75 credit per night. How do I get this perk? How is it applied? Via gift card or directly to my hotel bill?
I meant “no” mention of the credit. Sorry for the typo
You had to book before March 19th I believe and then they sent you a letter letting you know that there would be a 75.00 per night gift card for you. The Gift Card was given to people who booked before they announced the extent of the construction. It was at the front desk when we arrived.
Hello Tom, do you think they would offer any kind incentive for those who want to stay there again in the future. Would you know when more or less Port Royal would be done?