Are they just renovating rooms and adding a new section to the hotel? Will they be adding new restaurants or are they just updating everything along with adding the Skyliner?
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Caribbean Beach Renovation
- Thread starter WDWFan2018
- Start date
Will guests of CBR be able to use the amenities at the new Riviera resort?
nickys
Premium Member
Almost certainly not the pool. The roof top restaurant may be open to non-residents, or it may be like Top of the World Lounge.
They haven’t released any details yet, although there are a few quotes about it being “their flagship DVC resort”. It remains to be seen what that means.
surfsupdon
Well-Known Member
Regardless, having Guests at both Riviera and Caribbean using each others beaches, restaurants, lounges, bars counter services will be most welcome.
That’s part of the fun staying around Crescent Lake. You are not isolated. You can easily walk between Yacht Beach Boardwalk Swan Dolphin and enjoy a whole bunch of varied themes and amenities.
That’s part of the fun staying around Crescent Lake. You are not isolated. You can easily walk between Yacht Beach Boardwalk Swan Dolphin and enjoy a whole bunch of varied themes and amenities.
lawdogNOLA
Active Member
All of the non-pirate rooms have been completely renovated and refurbished. Except for the pirate rooms, meaning Trinidad South, all rooms now contain either king beds or 2 queen beds.
At present there are a number of major construction projects taking place at the CBR:
-The Skyliner. The main Skyliner station is south of Jamaica's parking lot, and across the water from Trinidad South. There is another station that is under construction for the Riviera Resort, that is between Aruba and the Riviera construction. There is also some ongoing pylon work, and eventually the cables will need to be strung for the gondola.
-The Riviera Resort. This is the big one, and not scheduled to open until Fall, 2019. Disney tore down the Barbados area and half of Martinique to place this resort (there was also a nature area between Barbados and Aruba, where the Riviera Skyliner Station is being placed.
-Old Port Royale. The construction pace here looks to be picking up. This area is being refurbished and expanded, and will be the new Lobby, registration, concierge and bell service area for the resort. The Custom House, which presently serves those needs, and has since the resort opened in 1988, is either going to be torn down or repurposed into something with the Riviera Resort. Once finished, Old Port Royale will again have a food court, Shutters sit-down restaurant, Banana Cabana Pool Bar, and shopping, in addition to the new services area.
-The New Entrance. The current entrance is going to be closed, to serve the Riviera Resort. There is a new entrance that is now on Victory Way, the street on the western side of the CBR. What used to be a small service entrance has been expanded and landscaped, complete with guard hut and traffic signals and illuminated signage, mirroring what the present entrance on Buena Vista looks like. All that's left to do is activate the traffic signals, and put the label "Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort" on the landscaped matching walls on each side of the new entrance. This area has been largely complete since the first week of June, with buses and guests in cars using it as an exit since that time. However, there might be some fine-tuning yet to come for the interior of the entrance guard house.
The Riviera will NOT part be of the CBR. The ability of sharing amenities between the resorts remains an unknown. Right now, other than that there's going to be a restaurant on the roof to view fireworks, nothing is known. I fully believe that guests at the CBR will NOT have access to the pool at the Riviera. I won't be surprised if a wrist tag system, similar to what exists for Stormalong Bay for the Yacht & Beach Club, comes into play. There will almost certainly be more than the restaurant on the Rivera's roof, and like any Disney restaurant, will be accessible to anyone who has made an ADR or wants to dine there. The roof restaurant? Unknown at this time, other than it will probably be an ADR hotspot for fireworks time. Will it be open to any guest who makes an ADR there, like at Olivia's at Old Key West, or will it be open solely to DVC card holders, like at Bay Lake Tower? No announcement has been made at this point.
I think the notion that the Rivera will in anyway be a "moderate" DVC resort is without basis. I suspect that any sharing between resorts will be a one-way street, save that anything accessible to the general guest public at a DVC will be accessible in the same way for guests at the CBR going to the Riviera. For example, if the Riviera gets a spa, CBR guests would be able to reserve (and pay) for a spa treatment the same as they can at other Disney spas.
At present there are a number of major construction projects taking place at the CBR:
-The Skyliner. The main Skyliner station is south of Jamaica's parking lot, and across the water from Trinidad South. There is another station that is under construction for the Riviera Resort, that is between Aruba and the Riviera construction. There is also some ongoing pylon work, and eventually the cables will need to be strung for the gondola.
-The Riviera Resort. This is the big one, and not scheduled to open until Fall, 2019. Disney tore down the Barbados area and half of Martinique to place this resort (there was also a nature area between Barbados and Aruba, where the Riviera Skyliner Station is being placed.
-Old Port Royale. The construction pace here looks to be picking up. This area is being refurbished and expanded, and will be the new Lobby, registration, concierge and bell service area for the resort. The Custom House, which presently serves those needs, and has since the resort opened in 1988, is either going to be torn down or repurposed into something with the Riviera Resort. Once finished, Old Port Royale will again have a food court, Shutters sit-down restaurant, Banana Cabana Pool Bar, and shopping, in addition to the new services area.
-The New Entrance. The current entrance is going to be closed, to serve the Riviera Resort. There is a new entrance that is now on Victory Way, the street on the western side of the CBR. What used to be a small service entrance has been expanded and landscaped, complete with guard hut and traffic signals and illuminated signage, mirroring what the present entrance on Buena Vista looks like. All that's left to do is activate the traffic signals, and put the label "Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort" on the landscaped matching walls on each side of the new entrance. This area has been largely complete since the first week of June, with buses and guests in cars using it as an exit since that time. However, there might be some fine-tuning yet to come for the interior of the entrance guard house.
The Riviera will NOT part be of the CBR. The ability of sharing amenities between the resorts remains an unknown. Right now, other than that there's going to be a restaurant on the roof to view fireworks, nothing is known. I fully believe that guests at the CBR will NOT have access to the pool at the Riviera. I won't be surprised if a wrist tag system, similar to what exists for Stormalong Bay for the Yacht & Beach Club, comes into play. There will almost certainly be more than the restaurant on the Rivera's roof, and like any Disney restaurant, will be accessible to anyone who has made an ADR or wants to dine there. The roof restaurant? Unknown at this time, other than it will probably be an ADR hotspot for fireworks time. Will it be open to any guest who makes an ADR there, like at Olivia's at Old Key West, or will it be open solely to DVC card holders, like at Bay Lake Tower? No announcement has been made at this point.
I think the notion that the Rivera will in anyway be a "moderate" DVC resort is without basis. I suspect that any sharing between resorts will be a one-way street, save that anything accessible to the general guest public at a DVC will be accessible in the same way for guests at the CBR going to the Riviera. For example, if the Riviera gets a spa, CBR guests would be able to reserve (and pay) for a spa treatment the same as they can at other Disney spas.
Supposedly the renovations to CBR will complete sometime this fall. Does anyone know will CBR be keeping the Freestyle machines or the island markets placed through out the resort? While indifferent about the markets, I hope they keep the Freestyle machines. It has been great being able to go grab a soda pop or sports drink at any point day or night and not have to walk across the resort to do so. Especially when using the secondary pools.
Patcheslee
Well-Known Member
So far I can find 3 locations from videos and pics I've seen:
28.361283, -81.544516
28.362396, -81.544287
28.364694, -81.544060
28.361283, -81.544516
28.362396, -81.544287
28.364694, -81.544060
StefDisney
New Member
Watch the TheTimTracker's video (I believe from yesterday), about construction updates at CB. He got a pretty good view of the gondola supports within the surrounding buildings.
surfsupdon
Well-Known Member
The towers would look so much better with low palm trees and foliage surrounding the bases.
GotEarsSayCheers
Member
Theres no way Disney will leave those towers as is. Im sure they cannot theme them until the cables are hung so they will likely wait until after that. But I would imagine plants and or Paint will be used to theme them according to resorts.
Maddad
Member
Currently the food court is a tent. Albeit a very nice tent. It also features a breakfast and dinner buffet for a quick service credit. For all of the complaints I have heard about the resort it wasn’t bad. Most of the construction is away from the resort and hidden from view.
Thank you, I am aware of the tent, I was hoping to hear from someone who has been there very recently and see if there has been some good movement on the new food court area. I am trying to time my trip for Thanksgiving and I am really hoping they have that part complete by then. If the food court and pool is good to go, then I don't mind the rest. I know the pool is open, just hoping to hear about progress on new food court area?
Maddad
Member
My family stayed there from 8-18 til 8-25. The pool is fine. Everything else is behind scrum and unavailable to the public. The best I can tell you is to call the resort itself and ask for an estimated finish date. Working construction myself and knowing how busy they are around the holidays my guess is they will try and be completed by early November.
nickys
Premium Member
Aerial photos on the other CBR thread show Port Royale looking pretty much ready.
https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/caribbean-beach-expansion.923827/page-48#post-8359381
lawdogNOLA
Active Member
The Food Court at CBR is currently under construction, and the construction has really advanced, a lot!! The projected date of an October 1st re-opening is within the realm of possibility, but if that date is unmakeable, look for it to be re-opened prior to Thanksgiving, no later than Christmas. At present, the food court has been replaced by a steel-framed, airconditioned tent with piped music. This temporary food court is supplemented by a food truck in the morning. The present setup is buffets for breakfast and dinner, ala carte for lunch. This is really a good deal, with the breakfast and dinner buffets counting as only counter service meals on the food plan. Once the rebuild of Old Port Royale is complete, the food court will reopen there, along with the Banana Cabana Pool Bar, and Shutters Restaurant will be re-opened as Sebastian's Bistro. There is also the Spyglass Grill at the pool in Trinidad South, which offers a nice array of food for breakfast lunch and dinner. It is a covered, outdoor counter service restaurant. It remains to be seen how menus will adjust once the construction is complete everywhere. For example, Spyglass Grill might have a menu reduction/change since the food court will be back up in full operation. One hopes not, but there's no way to know.
Maddad
Member
The service to the resort was fine. A bus approximately every 20 minutes. There are 5 stops throughout the resort. A little longer on the bus but a shorter walk to the room. The only issue we noticed was the last stop had a hard time picking up people in the morning for MK. By the time they got to the last couple of stops the bus was full. Other than that it was no different than any other resort I’ve been at.