An honest review of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

A look at the amenities, from pools to dining and your transportation options.

It is – in my opinion – the most unfairly maligned Disney resort.

Check online with multiple YouTubers who rank things and the Caribbean Beach is frequently among the lowest ranked Disney resorts. Why? There are a variety of factors listed – which we’ll get to in a bit – but honestly, most of them aren’t things that are vacation deal breakers for me.

But that’s part of the thing about the review business. It’s subjective. Things that aren’t important to me might be very important to you, and neither of our viewpoints are less valid than the other.

In this article, we’re going to take an honest look at the massive Caribbean Beach Resort – for good and bad. I’ll give you my opinion – it’s gonna be positive. But tell you why it might not work for you.

About Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Opened in 1988, Caribbean Beach was Disney’s first moderate-priced resort. Immaculately themed around a Caribbean lifestyle, it has five themed districts named after Caribbean islands – Aruba, Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique, and Trinidad – spread out around a 45-acre lake. Over the years we’ve stayed in all five of the islands and enjoyed them all.

At the heart of the resort is Old Port Royale, the hub with dining, shopping, bars, and the fantastically themed Fuentes Del Morro Pool and it’s two slides. There’s also a really cool kiddie pool with a pirate ship theme.

Dining options include Sebastian’s Bistro, a Caribbean-themed casual-dining, table-service restaurant. It is currently a family style restaurant offering the Taste of the Caribbean for $39 for adults and $21 for kids.

Your family-style meal will include rolls and a salad appetizer, while the main entrée will be oven-roasted citrus chicken, slow-cooked mojo pork, grilled chili-rubbed beef, and sustainable baked fish, accompanied by cilantro rice and beans, candied plantains, and roasted seasonal vegetables. There are some additional add ons that include fried coconut shrimp or crab and seafood cakes.

Other dining options include the Centertown Market – kind of like a food court – with a variety of quick service orders from which you can choose.

The market also has a grab and go section. Outside, near the pool, is the Banana Cabana. It is tropical bar that offers apps, sandwiches, and lots of drink. I’m partial to the Caribbean Smuggler – Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum and Parrot Bay Coconut Rum with Cranberry and Pineapple Juices – but you’ll find something up your alley, I’m sure.

Because, at least in part, the CBR is so big, you can find the Spyglass Grill over near the Trinidad pool area, a culinary oasis for those who don’t want to make the trek to Old Port Royale.

You’ll find an array of handhelds, snacks, and baked goods, as well as coffees, juice, and a variety of alcoholic beverages. It’s not the best dining in the Disney World, but it’s not the worst, either. When it’s convenient and quick, it will certainly hit the spot.

One of the reasons I like Caribbean Beach is that it’s perfect for a “rest day.” There are enough activities, amenities, and the like to keep you entertained when you’re taking a break to recuperate from the parks.

Among the activities are the campfire and movies under the stars that most, if not all, Disney resorts offer. There are sandy beaches set up with hammocks where you can soak up the sun or play beach volleyball.

You cannot swim in the lake, however. Frankly, because of the gators, I don’t swim in freshwater in Florida unless it’s a designated spot – preferably at a spring where you can see under the water. But swimming outside the pools and water parks at Disney is expressly forbidden.

You can, however, do a little catch and release fishing with a guide. The two or four hour options will include the guide, a rod and reel, tackle, bait, and assorted Coca-Cola beverages. In the past, you could rent a watercraft and get out on the lake yourself, but those options have not returned since the pandemic.

Other activities include poolside games and activities, as well as a painting experience or making Mickey Tie-Dye T-shirts. Both of the last two come at an extra cost.

Also, each of the “islands” has its own regular pool—nothing fancy, but great if you don’t feel like a schlep or want to avoid jumping in the car or taking the inter-resort bus to swim.

Transportation

This is the key to a successful vacation at the Caribbean Beach. The CBR is a hub point for the Skyliner, Disney’s Gondola system that carries guests quickly and efficiently to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. It also makes resort hopping a great “rest day” activity. The direct access hotels are Art of Animation, Pop Century, and Riviera Resort.

But it also drops you off at EPCOT’s International Gateway where you can easily access Beach Club, Yacht Club, Board Walk Inn, and the Swan & Dolphin Hotels.

The Skyliner really lifts CBR’s value, IMO.

The rest of the transportation options are less acclaimed. Because the resort is massive, it has its own inter resort bus system that helps guests in the far reaches of the resort get around. In the past, the bus system has been a point of contention because of the number of stops the outgoing buses have to make on their way to the various parks – now just Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom – as well as the water parks or Disney Springs.

The bus would enter the grounds, hit each of the stops. After a long day at a resort, it could be tedious to be so close to your room and have to endure stop after stop before you get off. And, in the morning, it can be frustrating if you’re the last stop and the Magic Kingdom bus pulls up already full.

However, I will say Disney does a good job of getting enough busses into the rotation that it doesn’t cost you much more time.

And I don’t know how many people are aware of an alternative routing system that apparently goes into effect only in the busy times.

Of course, when isn’t it busy at Disney anymore? During our last two stays, we’ve specifically requested Jamaica because of its proximity to the Skyliner hub. What we didn’t know, and were delighted to find out, was that during busy times, Disney essentially adds a second but route, picking up guests in Jamaica, stopping in Aruba and then out at the Riviera exit and on your way to the parks or Disney Springs.

We never saw Martinique, Barbados, or Trinidad from a Disney bus the whole time. Quick side note, our GPS took us to the Riviera entrance – which was the old CBR entrance but hadn’t been updated in the system.

The upshot of all this? Between the Skyliner, and the alternate bus route, the CBR transportation is greatly improved.

Now, the cast members have backed off their cosplay quite a bit. You will still get some who have their radar up for guests who really want to play along, but it’s not like it was in the beginning.

Jamaica is near the Skyliner? Should I request it?

Yes. Building 41 is nearest to the Caribbean Beach’s Skyliner Hub.But I would opt for Building 44 or 45, which are within a reasonable walking distance of the Skyliner and also closer to the bridge across the lake to Old Port Royale.

If I were ranking the “lands” it would be like this.

No. 1 Jamaica – It has the best access to the Skyliner, as well as Old Port Royale and the alternative bus route. Also, reasonable walking distance to the Riviera with its Skyliner stop, plus all the Riviera’s superior dining options.

No. 2 Aruba – If you stay on the Southern end – building 51, it’s not a terrible walk to the Skyliner, and you’re close to the bridge to Old Port Royale. You get the good bus route. If you stay in the upper end, building 56, you are closer to the Riviera Hub and maybe the dining options there. Google tells me it’s a five to 15 minute walk depending on your pace. If you stay in the upper buildings in Aruba, you may find yourself spending more time on the Skyliner, and dining at the Riviera. This is especially convenient if you’re trying to walk-up waitlist access to Topolino’s Terrace’s excellent character breakfast. It’s one of the hardest reservations to get, but if you’re close enough, you can join the mobile walk up waitlist and you might get the call.

No. 3 Martinique – In the days before the Skyliner, Martinique was the best because it was closest to Old Port Royale. We stayed in building 25 on our first trip, and it was great – especially when you wanted to refill your resort mugs. This was before every island had it’s own Coca Cola refresh station. Today, there are pluses and minuses to Martinique. If you stay in building 24, you’re less than a 10-minute walk to the Riviera and all the benefits we outlined above. Building 24 is a bit more a hike to Old Port Royal, but it’s doable. Also, when the alternative bus routes are in effect, the wait to get to and from Martinique are not as bad.

No. 4 Trinidad buildings 35, 34 & 36 – Google says it’s a 3 to 5 minute walk from Trinidad 35 to the Skyliner Hub. I’d put it closer to 10, but it depends, I suppose, on how quickly you walk. In the old days, Trinidad was the worst, but if you’re in the northern part of Trinidad today it’s not too bad. You’ve got a pool and the Spyglass restaurant. It’s a little bit like it’s own resort. But it is suboptimal.

No. 5 Barbados – Not as close to Old Port Royale as Martinique and not as close to the Skyliner as Jamaica, or Northern Trinidad, Barbados just isn’t’ really the closest to anything. I think if you had to choose Barbados, you’d choose building 32, but I’m not sure it makes THAT much difference.

No. 6 The Southern end of Trinidad (buildings 37, 38 and 39)- Honestly, I hate making a fuss at hotels, but if they gave me 38 or 39, I’d ask for another location or have them check availability at another resort. We stayed in Trinidad before the Skyliner and just felt so cut off from everything. You can get to Spyglass easily, but that’s not a lot of consolation.

What are CBR’s shortcomings?

When people ding CBR, what do they mention? They talk about the size, and the bus routes, and the difficulty getting around, but honestly, I don’t think it’s worse than the other massive resorts like Riverside or even Ft. Wilderness – though you can rent a golf cart at Ft. Wilderness. They ought to create some golf cart parking at the Skyliner Hub and let the CBR guests rent golf carts. They’d make a killing.

Also, frequently mentioned is the fact that none of the buildings have guest elevators. They are just two floors, but that makes hauling luggage up and down an issue. Also, it’s a problem for folks with mobility issues. You can request a first floor room to solve that problem, but it can be a frustration.

Another issue is Sebastian’s Bistro pales to other resort restaurant in terms of signature dining. It’s fine. A little underwhelming for the price point, but it’s fine. Also, this is offset somewhat by the fact that all of the “islands’’ have relatively easy access to the Riviera’s excellent dining options.  If you’re in Trinidad and don’t have easy walking access, you can take the interior bus around to Aruba or Martinique and take the short walk. Also, I think Center Market is better than a lot of the other quick service resort options.

Another issue? This is an aging hotel. Disney has done some major renovations, but a lot more are needed. Extra tip: Watch for Disney resort renovations. If Disney thinks it’s gonna be loud during the day – when you won’t be in your room much anyway – they can cut the price. We stayed in CBR for less than some of the value resorts during renovations.

The thing is you don’t have to look very hard past the theming to see the older Florida hotel underneath. The room size is small; there will be some cracks on the walls and the ceiling. The bathrooms aren’t what you’d call spacious or modern. I’ve seen tiny houses smaller than the shower at the Contemporary. Whereas, the bathtubs at Caribbean Beach would be right at home in our families’ tiny bathroom back in the 1980s.

But that stuff doesn’t bother me. I’m strangely nostalgic about it. I like the idea of old style Florida tourism. Mom and pop hotels up and down the highways before the interstates and big tourism arrived. It’s not that you find that in Disney, of course, but there’s just a slight hint of it.

Finally, people have issues with the busing, but I think – stress think – a lot of that is based on old information. Disney hasn’t publicized, at least not that I can find, it’s “alternative” bus schedule. I can’t confirm how often it goes into effect or what the triggers are. But it seemed to me that it was pretty much par for the course when we were there.

What are CBR’s positives?

We’ve talked about a lot of them. Port Royale, Center Market, and the pool are all pretty great. The nighttime movie – set on an island in the lake – is one of the better spots for movie watching. The alternative bus routes and the Skyliner are absolute game changers. And the proximity to the Riviera allows you to siphon some of that hotel’s experiences as well.

The best thing I can say about CBR is that it may be at its best on a “rest day” when you’re taking a break from the park. The in resort amenities, the bar and the pool, and hammocks are fine for recuperating. The Skyliner allows you to resort hop even better than the Monorail loop does. Also, I like the vibes.

I’m not terribly interested in Sarasota at the turn of the century, and while I find the Grand Floridan beautiful, I feel uptight staying there. I like the value resorts, but they all have a touch of manic vibes to me. I really like Port Orleans French Quarter and half of Riverside. But I’ve found that what I prefer on a Disney vacation is a bit of an oasis.

The parks can be hectic.

It’s nice to come back to a resort that’s not that, like the Polynesian, Ft. Wilderness, Caribbean Beach, and a handful of others.

Is Caribbean Beach Resort worth it?

Yes, depending on your budget. Caribbean Beach Resort’s prices are up over $300 more than my liking. Though, in fairness, everything in today’s economy is more than my liking. I’m pricing our next vacation now and the choice is $350 a night for six nights or $2,100.

Or we could pay right at $100 a night to stay just off property. This would be about $700 with taxes and fees. Is CBR worth an extra $1,400? Some trips, it would be. But, for us right now? I feel like that money could be used somewhere else.