News Caribbean Beach Expansion

[surfsupdon]

I’d hope the Resorts are connected via footpaths as well. Great for running as well as popping back and forth for food and shopping. I love the Epcot Deluxes bc it is so easy to hop around.

And, several Aruba buildings at CBR are closer to Riviera than OPR.

Also wondering if the Island Marketplaces will stay once OPR opens again.

Any news on Spyglass Grill in Trinidad South?? They were due for a quick service. Opening?? Photos??

Will Trinidad North and Trinidad South get their own Island name finally?? Hope so!

Time will tell

 

[WDWtraveler]

Photo update as of Thursday, March 1, 2018. An overview of Old Port Royale Centertown from Aruba across the lake.

The new open-air bar at Centertown will open directly onto the resort's main pool area.

The rear of the new open-air bar is positioned close to the original entrance to Centertown food court.

The three new bus stops under construction in front of Centertown.

The new Caribbean Beach Resort entrance and guard kiosk, looking south towards the gondola station under construction. Two of the gondola towers can be seen. The resort's new entrance (to the right of this photo) will open onto Victory Way.

Finally, the new Porte Cochere at Centertown.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

...interesting...

 

[surfsupdon]

I have hated those sight lines of the Bonnet Creek Resorts behind Caribbean. At one point, Caribbean felt so private, like an island escape....but not really with the towers in the distance. I understand ruined sight lines by thinking of CBR.

The 3 bus stops at Centertown??? What is the benefit? Less rooms at CBR now--something like 580 less rooms, right?? (64 per building, 9 buildings destroyed, and 3 rooms are now Grab n Go.)

 

[BoarderPhreak]

If only Disney moved this quickly within the parks, LOL.

 

[peter11435]

I have hated those sight lines of the Bonnet Creek Resorts behind Caribbean. At one point, Caribbean felt so private, like an island escape....but not really with the towers in the distance. I understand ruined sight lines by thinking of CBR.

The 3 bus stops at Centertown??? What is the benefit? Less rooms at CBR now--something like 580 less rooms, right?? (64 per building, 9 buildings destroyed, and 3 rooms are now Grab n Go.)

Same reason they use multiple loading zones at all value resorts, riverside and French quarter, both lodges and the beach club. Allows buses to more than one destination to load/unload simultaneously, allows for more organized “queuing” and prevents buses from having to wait and block the roadway

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

True! Good point.

Most of my post still stands though, we don't know enough about the facilities being put into the resort yet.

"Know" is such a strong word...

Now "think"...here's what is probably gonna happen: massive increases in price at Caribbean...moderate upgrade to their facilities...moderate facilities at the new spot...one big place that is "shared"...even though they'll act like they are not so they can sell points.

 

[disneyC97]

For increased prices they should add boat rentals and maybe some parrots on the little island....
Oh wait!

 

[surfsupdon]

For increased prices they should add boat rentals and maybe some parrots on the little island....
Oh wait!

RIP Parrot Cay Island. Remember the parrots within the Custom House as well??

 

[surfsupdon]

"Know" is such a strong word...

Now "think"...here's what is probably gonna happen: massive increases in price at Caribbean...moderate upgrade to their facilities...moderate facilities at the new spot...one big place that is "shared"...even though they'll act like they are not so they can sell points.

It would make sense to be shared facilities. Several buildings in Aruba are closer to Riviera then OPR. I know I would venture over to their counter locations and gondola station.

 

[MickeyWiki]

For increased prices they should add boat rentals and maybe some parrots on the little island....
Oh wait!

RIP Parrot Cay Island. Remember the parrots within the Custom House as well??

I would kill for photos of the Custom House birds or the Parrot Cay birds

 

[nickys]

It would make sense to be shared facilities. Several buildings in Aruba are closer to Riviera then OPR. I know I would venture over to their counter locations and gondola station.

It would make sense.

It would also make it harder to sell as a DVC with just the gondola and rooftop to commend it. But this is back to the "moderate DVC resort" argument.

We'll just have to wait for more details of the resort, which may come at this year's DVC shareholders' meeting I guess (early December IIRC).

 

[surfsupdon]

It would make sense.

It would also make it harder to sell as a DVC with just the gondola and rooftop to commend it. But this is back to the "moderate DVC resort" argument.

Depends what you value though. I’d think the Skyway will be head and shoulders more reliable than the monorails, which stop, stall, wait, and close several times each day. We were so disappointed in the ‘convenience’ at the Polynesian.

 

[nickys]

Depends what you value though. I’d think the Skyway will be head and shoulders more reliable than the monorails, which stop, stall, wait, and close several times each day. We were so disappointed in the ‘convenience’ at the Polynesian.

There's no doubt that "direct(ish)" access to 2 parks by the Skyliner is a huge selling point, especially with Star Wars:GE and the new rides at Epcot. At times though I imagine boarding to Epcot might not be that easy, being a mid-line station, although there will be solutions (before anyone jumps in there ). Making the restaurant exclusive to DVC and Riviera guests might increase the appeal.

But too many shared facilities will give an impression of a moderate DVC resort, however you dress it up. And that might impact on sales, leading them to have to offer big incentives to encourage people to buy if they go in at $200 / point - which IMO they will want to do.

 

[mm121]

not sure if this ever got posted here, was a bit surprised to see just how extensive some of the changes are

thought all they were doing was adding the portochere out front for the new checkin

other than the beach bar are the expanding any other parts of the buildings footprint?

havent ever seen them do an entire temporary restaurant in a tent before, not the greatest show at least its got ac

 

[mm121]

There's no doubt that "direct(ish)" access to 2 parks by the Skyliner is a huge selling point, especially with Star Wars:GE and the new rides at Epcot. At times though I imagine boarding to Epcot might not be that easy, being a mid-line station, although there will be solutions (before anyone jumps in there ). Making the restaurant exclusive to DVC and Riviera guests might increase the appeal.

But too many shared facilities will give an impression of a moderate DVC resort, however you dress it up. And that might impact on sales, leading them to have to offer big incentives to encourage people to buy if they go in at $200 / point - which IMO they will want to do.

are any of the restaurants at the dvc's exclusive to dvc members? not sure but i dont think they are.

i could see them maybe making the rooftop thing exclusive

riviera being a midline station shouldnt be too big of an issue, since its not too far from the storage yard can always toss on a few extras, or just let a few empties go through the other stations,

not sure what the travel time is from the cbr station to the riviera but cant be more than 2-4 minutes.

trying to make it feel "seperate' is probably why they moved the cbr checkin and why they are giving both resorts seperate roadway entrances

so its not "riveria @ carribean beach resort, like the dvc at grand floridian, contemporary, and wilderness while being seperate buildings they are much closer and feel more a part of resorts that they were attached to, while riviera they built it in a different corner of the lake rather than having the building be right next to where they moved cbr checkin to.

 

[nickys]

are any of the restaurants at the dvc's exclusive to dvc members? not sure but i dont think they are.

i could see them maybe making the rooftop thing exclusive

riviera being a midline station shouldnt be too big of an issue, since its not too far from the storage yard can always toss on a few extras, or just let a few empties go through the other stations,

not sure what the travel time is from the cbr station to the riviera but cant be more than 2-4 minutes.

trying to make it feel "seperate' is probably why they moved the cbr checkin and why they are giving both resorts seperate roadway entrances

so its not "riveria @ carribean beach resort, like the dvc at grand floridian, contemporary, and wilderness while being seperate buildings they are much closer and feel more a part of resorts that they were attached to, while riviera they built it in a different corner of the lake rather than having the building be right next to where they moved cbr checkin to.

Top of the World Lounge is exclusive to DVC members, but the Riviera will have a rooftop restaurant. The question is whether there would be enough custom to sustain a restaurant from DVC members and guests of the resort.

The point is that the if facilities are genuinely "shared" then that makes Riviera feel just like BCV etc. The pool will almost certainly be exclusive, just like BLT. It's all perception, if there's no QS restaurant at Riviera, or no fitness room, or no casual dining (the rooftop,is not likely to be casual dining), all that suggests "Riviera at CBR" however much they try to say otherwise.

 

[mm121]

Top of the World Lounge is exclusive to DVC members, but the Riviera will have a rooftop restaurant. The question is whether there would be enough custom to sustain a restaurant from DVC members and guests of the resort.

The point is that the if facilities are genuinely "shared" then that makes Riviera feel just like BCV etc. The pool will almost certainly be exclusive, just like BLT. It's all perception, if there's no QS restaurant at Riviera, or no fitness room, or no casual dining (the rooftop,is not likely to be casual dining), all that suggests "Riviera at CBR" however much they try to say otherwise.

i could see skipping having a QS as long as there would be some kind of "in room" dining as the riviera is surely priced above typical moderate resort guests who would be using a QS.

but it should definitely have a fitness room and maybe some type of poolside quick bites

 

[nickys]

i could see skipping having a QS as long as there would be some kind of "in room" dining as the riviera is surely priced above typical moderate resort guests who would be using a QS.

but it should definitely have a fitness room and maybe some type of poolside quick bites

Yes. Except that pricing as in the traditional sense doesn't come into it as such. It's a DVC resort! Most guests aren't paying to stay there.

One of the biggest gripeswith BCV is the lack of a true QS option, and it's a common view that OKW could do with an indoor QS. I find I'm in a minority who actually cook in the room, most DVCers don't (given most stay in studios that's not entirely surprising).

 

[surfsupdon]

There's no doubt that "direct(ish)" access to 2 parks by the Skyliner is a huge selling point, especially with Star Wars:GE and the new rides at Epcot. At times though I imagine boarding to Epcot might not be that easy, being a mid-line station, although there will be solutions (before anyone jumps in there ). Making the restaurant exclusive to DVC and Riviera guests might increase the appeal.

But too many shared facilities will give an impression of a moderate DVC resort, however you dress it up. And that might impact on sales, leading them to have to offer big incentives to encourage people to buy if they go in at $200 / point - which IMO they will want to do.

I think that Riviera will be higher demand than OKW and SS (for the Disney theme park crowd). Those are isolated locations with dated room fixtures and pretty generic pools and common areas (when compared to the DVC resorts connected to a Deluxe).

I think that Riviera will/should have that exclusive rooftop restaurant, plus at least a counter service place and poolside bites. Plus a great pool, fitness center, and other recreational offerings. The new CBR has what appears a great waterfront area with shops, bars, and restaurant.

My hope is that the Resorts compliment each other, and provide synergy to a really pretty area within WDW.