A couple of CBR questions...

[Hot4Hudgens]

I'll be staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort in less than a month. I've never stayed there before, so like anyone in my spot, I've been trying to read up on the resort as much as I can (reading reviews, looking through photos of the resort, etc.)

Most of what I've read is positive, but there are a few things that are consistent with every bad review - one of them being a size of the resort. I'll be staying in a Standard room, as I usually don't find upgrading necessary for me or my party. We're never with small children or older adults, so distance from our room to the buses, food court, etc. is never a huge deal - BUT there were quite a few reviews (on various websites) that pointed out that since CBR is one of the largest, if not THE largest, resort on Disney property, there's added distance to some areas at the resort.

Is it really that big a difference from the other Moderate/Value resorts? I even read that they have an ''internal shuttle'' to get guests from point 'A' to point 'B' quicker. This isn't discouraging me from making any changes to my reservation, but like I said, I'm trying to do my homework on all things CBR. Heck, I just found out they don't have an elevator. Yikes. :veryconfu

Anyway, any info or additional information is GRRREATLY appreciated. Thanks, everyone.

 

[disneynut4u]

When we stayed here, (Oct. 2000 - so things could have changed) we were in the Martinique section. We overlooked a quiet pool, but there was a bus stop close by our building. We were also not far from the food court. We went to the food court every morning, then back to our room to get our stuff to head to the parks. I know this is 8 years ago, but I don't remember having any problems as far as distance to everything goes. We never had any problems with busing. This is actually my favorite resort so far (could be because that was our first trip EVER!!) Anyway, we've done all the moderates & values since then, & this one holds a special place in my heart! (Coronado Springs is my next favorite!) There's always going to be someone who didn't like something, and every one & every visit is different (different staff, etc). But we were very happy with this resort & hopefully you will be too.

 

[surfsupdon]

Specific sections in Martinique and Trinidad North are preferred locations and therefore extra money.

Request a room in Aruba or Jamaica. They are basically the same distance, just on the opposite side of the lake and have no extra cost. But easy access b/c you cross a foot bridge and a fun island. Request Aruba or Jamaica as close to the bridge as you can, Aruba 51 or 52, or Jamaica 44 or 45.

Avoid Barbados or Trinidad South--too far away.

 

[bostondrtdog]

Will NEVER stay there again!

We just stayed at cbr sept 15th-22nd. We arrived at the resort around 11am. We were told our room would be ready in a "few" hours. We checked in our carry on luggage at the resort and went to the parks to kill some time. We came back to the resort around 3ish and our room still wasnt ready. We didnt get our room until about 6. It took about 30-45mins to get our carry on luggage back. The guy tried telling me that we never gave our bags to him! When we got to our room the refrigerator didnt work. I had to call twice to get them to replace it. The beds are horrible. The mattress is so hard you might as well sleep on a rock. My girlfriend ended up getting a rash on her face from the blankets. As for the internal shuttle bus that is a joke. You are better off walking b/c you will wait forever for the bus. They do not run many of the shuttle buses. The resort is way to big! On our last day the cleaning lady had the nerve to knock on our door at 8am and ask when we planned on leaving! If they clean the rooms so early why did it take all day to get our room. We were going to stay there again next yr but after this experience we changed our reservations to another hotel. DO NOT STAY AT CBR!!!

 

[miles1]

My last experience with CBR was in 2001, so some of my impressions are probably dated.

Overall, it is pretty spread out. We stayed in Trinidad North, which is very close to the central pool and food/shopping area, probably a 5 minute walk at the most.

We had a rental car both times so I can't comment on the buses, however I've heard a number of people here complain about the bus service. It did always seem like the bus stops were mobbed in the mornings when everyone was leaving for the parks. If you have a car, the resort is centrally located on the property, so it's a quick drive to the parks.

Our room was in dire need of a rehab (it even smelled), but I understand that the rooms have all been redone (some twice) since then. Like all the Disney resorts, the grounds and main food/shopping area were nicely decorated and very clean.

The food court is really inadequate. It was always overwhelmed by the crowds, even though we were in the slow season. The food itself was mediocre at best, though it may have improved since then. If you're hurried, you may want to plan on eating in the parks whenever possible.

Great cocktail bar next to the main pool. :slurp:

Like Bostondrtdog, I found the matresses extremely uncomfortable and wound up crippled with back pain after the second night I slept on it. Hopefully they've changed them since then. I haven't had this problem at all at the other moderates, for some reason.

Overall, I would give the place a "C". My favorite is the POR French Quarter, which to me is an "A". It's better themed, less spread out, has a great food court, nice rooms, and great bus service. Since staying there we've never done the CBR again.

I hope this helps.

 

[Hot4Hudgens]

Man. All the reviews I read are mixed, and like I mentioned earlier, the complaints are pretty consistent no matter where they come from. I don't plan on making any drastic moves such as jumping to another resort, but it's a tad discouraging to hear some of these things. Well, keep the info coming, guys. Thanks for your help ths far.

 

[cushion]

you cant please everyone, but having stayed here twice before, and will be again in 6 weeks time, i like the place... its a fun resort set in beautiful grounds and walking over the island to the food court is a lovely way to start the day.
the shop is good and the food court has everything you could ever want. the new pool looks brilliant so im sure you will have a fab time.

 

[DISMOM]

If you already have ressies, are going with an open mind and walking distances are do big deal for your party.....have a great trip. Let us know that you think with a trip report for all of us stuck at home.
We thought that we were in for a let down when we decided to stay at the French Quarter instead of the Wilderness Lodge. We loved it.!!
Have a great time..you're at Disney...and most of us are not.

 

[figment3258]

We stayed at the CBR In late august and we will never stay there again.
We have stayed here in the past and over the last 5 years the resort has gone down hill in food and service. We had a standard room but they upgraded us for free to Martinique the new building with finding nemo rooms and that's where my excitement ends. I always request that our room be ready ealry and at every other Disney resort we stay at it is always ready but here it was not. So after eating in the food court a few hours later it was ready. When I got in the room none of the extra things I request or sent down that I was told would be in there was in there. We called down three times for a pack and play so my daughter could nap and they normally set it up he kindly droped it off and ran. Next I ship a box down and they told me that was with my luggage soi when the guy didn't have it he had to go down again and find it.
The only good thing I have to say is we now will always stay at the Beach club or somewhere else but they did have a better house keeping during the day. Also The food court which I used to love now has way over priced bad food.
Also we had to leave a day early due to Fay so I was down at the check out at 4 am and they were very unhelpful with returing my money. Their computer systems go down every day from 2am -4am so she had no way of knowing anything. It was bad.

Bottom line We will never ever stay there again!

 

[Todd L]

Holy Smoke. I am going to wdw on 11/29 . Our original plans were to stay at CBR. After speaking to my brother who goes to wdw 2 or 3 times a year I changed my plans and we are now staying at POFQ. Why not call and change your reservation? The thought of spending 12-14 hours a day in the parks and returning to a uncomfortable room is just downright scary.

 

[RalphWiggum]

I did think there was MUCH more walking when we stayed at CBR than other resorts. I don't recall which "island" we were staying at -- it was across the lake from the food court. I felt it was a significant walk from our room to the food court -- we did the walk once in the morning and I would do it again when we got home at night to fill up my souvenier cup.

I also thought it was a tad noisier than other resorts we have stayed at.

Personally, I prefer POFQ for a moderate resort -- it is quieter (esp. with a river view room, there are shorter walks, and I prefer the theming -- and they have beignets for breakfast).

But that is just my opinion ....

 

[Hot4Hudgens]

Hmm. I haven't seriously thought about changing my reservations, but I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind within the last couple of days. I can easily jump to another Moderate resort, but at the same time everyone's experience is different. Mine may great, good, flat-out bad, who knows? We've never stayed at CBR, so I don't want to judge the place, but I'll keep my options open just incase I do change things up.

 

[krueg66]

Hmm. I haven't seriously thought about changing my reservations, but I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind within the last couple of days. I can easily jump to another Moderate resort, but at the same time everyone's experience is different. Mine may great, good, flat-out bad, who knows? We've never stayed at CBR, so I don't want to judge the place, but I'll keep my options open just incase I do change things up.

Yes, CBR is a big resort, but the walking around is no big deal...unless you think it is. Sometimes you wait for buses, like most resorts, and I have never had any of the others experiences and I have stayed there at least 6 times over the last 6 years.

What some people consider "uncomfortable" or "in desperate need of upgrades", etc. may not be the same as your assessment of the same situation. I'm not trying to be a "disney homer" or anything but in all my trips to WDW, at least 50 in my lifetime, and having stayed at nearly every resort there, I have never had anything close to the experiences some have had. Not to say there aren't/can't be problems, but as others have said, if you go into it with bad expectations chances are you will find problems...right?

It's going to be fine. It's a moderate resort so for the price you are paying, you should not expect to have deluxe accomodations. Your room will be clean, yes, you will have to walk to the food court and buses, but all in all, you will have as good a time as you allow yourself to...

I also second the poster that mentioned the pool bar...it is the best at Disney. It stays open the latest, we've been up there past 1am before, and we never fail to meet interesting people over some adult beverages!!! (if you are so inclined)

IN CLOSING...relax, it's going to be OK. Just don't set yourself up for a bad time before you even leave for your vacation.

 

[Hot4Hudgens]

Yes, CBR is a big resort, but the walking around is no big deal...unless you think it is. Sometimes you wait for buses, like most resorts, and I have never had any of the others experiences and I have stayed there at least 6 times over the last 6 years.

What some people consider "uncomfortable" or "in desperate need of upgrades", etc. may not be the same as your assessment of the same situation. I'm not trying to be a "disney homer" or anything but in all my trips to WDW, at least 50 in my lifetime, and having stayed at nearly every resort there, I have never had anything close to the experiences some have had. Not to say there aren't/can't be problems, but as others have said, if you go into it with bad expectations chances are you will find problems...right?

It's going to be fine. It's a moderate resort so for the price you are paying, you should not expect to have deluxe accomodations. Your room will be clean, yes, you will have to walk to the food court and buses, but all in all, you will have as good a time as you allow yourself to...

I also second the poster that mentioned the pool bar...it is the best at Disney. It stays open the latest, we've been up there past 1am before, and we never fail to meet interesting people over some adult beverages!!! (if you are so inclined)

IN CLOSING...relax, it's going to be OK. Just don't set yourself up for a bad time before you even leave for your vacation.

What can I say? I'm a perfectionist, lol. I want to make sure everything from the room, to the weather conditions (which obviously aren't even in my control!), to the crowds are as good as it gets. I know they won't always be great, and they haven't always been great (Ex. Constant RAIN during our April trip), but I try to do what I can to ensure that they are. Shouldn't be a huge deal if there are a few things about the resort that aren't first class, but like you said, i'm not paying Moderate prices for a Deluxe experience - heck, I'm paying Value Resort price, lol.

Anyway, thanks for putting me at ease a bit there. I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm just overthinking!

 

[krueg66]

What can I say? I'm a perfectionist, lol. I want to make sure everything from the room, to the weather conditions (which obviously aren't even in my control!), to the crowds are as good as it gets. I know they won't always be great, and they haven't always been great (Ex. Constant RAIN during our April trip), but I try to do what I can to ensure that they are. Shouldn't be a huge deal if there are a few things about the resort that aren't first class, but like you said, i'm not paying Moderate prices for a Deluxe experience - heck, I'm paying Value Resort price, lol.

Anyway, thanks for putting me at ease a bit there. I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm just overthinking!

I totally understand where you are coming from...it's going to be fine. You'll have a great time and if some things don't work out perfectly, roll with the punches my friend. Have a great trip! :wave:

 

[foldmama]

Hi: I stayed at CBR last December. I landed early and my room was ready around 4 PM. I was located in Aruba in building, 55, I believe, and it was a 2 minute walk to a bus stop. It did take a good 15 minutes to walk to the main area and I did find this annoying after a few days or late at night. The resort is beautiful and I thought the room was clean and comfortable. The area outside my room was a little court yard and it smelled amazing at night. The plant life is beautiful. It's a beautiful resort. My favorite Moderate is POFQ or PORS, but I would list CBR as 3rd. Relax and enjoy. It's just a little too large for me and I prefer the southern theme.

 

[tracyandalex]

CBR is not our favorite resort, but it is one we will definitely stay in again. Yes, there is a hike to the food court, but it's a nice walk and didn't mind it. We live in Florida, so we always have a car when we're at The World and highly recommend it to anyone if possible. There weren't any problems with our room or with any service. We enjoyed our stay.
My advice is to try it and if you don't like it don't stay there again.

tracy

 

[Katherine]

I stayed at CBR and loved it. We stayed in Aruba ( i think) which is directly across the lake from the foodcourt but the walk was always pleasant. The whole feel is really nice and I loved the foodcourt. Granted I haven't stayed at POR in a verrrrryyyy long time so I can't really compare but I loved CBR when I was there a few years ago. Maybe things have changed but we really enjoyed ourselves there.

 

[jjgoo]

It has been 10 years since I stayed at CBR so all I can offer about the resort is that I did enjoy it when I was there and did not find it too big.

What I think I can comment on is we stayed at Coronado Springs last year and it being a very big resort I found similar negative comments that made me nervous. Well we had a wonderful time, loved the theme and would stay there again in a second. A lot of the negatives that I read were the exact opposite in our experience. Everyone has a different experience. So just remember you are there to be on vacation and relax. It's amazing how insignificant some inconviences can be when you are relaxed.

From my experience with CSR and reading the boards I have learned to look at both overly positive and overly negative reviews with my eyes wide open. There was a thread a month or two back about one of the Port Orleans resorts (which have an abundant amount of fans on these boards) and in the same thread there were two people that were there at the exact same time. Well one experience was perfect and the other had a terrible time. The perfect experience said they had no wait for busses and the terrible said that a 45min wait was good for the time they were there. Who was right? Who knows; probably both of them.

Go to CBR, relax, enjoy and report back how it was. Like others have said, if you don't like it don't stay there again. Have fun!:wave:

 

[barrettnichols]

Cbr

CBR is probably my second favorite Moderate priced resort, but it is really a nice place. PO River Side is probably my favorite, but it's real close.
CBR is big, but the bus system works pretty good and if you are up for a tropical atmosphere it is GREAT! Like any of the bus systems at the big moderates (every one other than PO City Side), some days the buses are great, others they aren't. Throw the dice and bring a paperback.
The main pool has just been re-done, can't wait to check it out. There are a couple of great little courtyards to hang around in. It is just great walking around the loop that goes around the lake early in the AM or at night.
In the old days after it was first built you could pretty regularly see alligators in some of the drainage ponds. They are pretty much cleared out.
When you are eating at the food court, consider a table on the outside of the court looking out at the lake, nice a quiet and just a great place to hang out.
For a map check out....http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/cbrmap.htm
Also check out http://www.wdwinfo.com/Photos/Caribbean-Beach/index.htm for some great photos of the resort.