News Caribbean Beach Expansion

[matt9112]

I was really holding out hope for a DVC tower (similar to BLT) on that empty pad...

Also had fantasies of a water canal connecting CBR to a second International gateway on the empty pad in WS

O well, still fun to dream
View attachment 184915

Or we could not build a massive tower that destroys sight lines and atmosphere for guests.....but screw that we need moar moar moar DVC

Edit: oh yeah they ruined every resort so far so your ideas probably spot on.

 

[matt9112]

I'm curious what the overall improvement would be for the existing structures. There is a lot we still do not know.

Will Custom House still stay as a separate check in area? Will this new structure hold a food court, restaurant, shop on the first floor? If so, this is still quite a hike away from the Trinidads and Jamaica. OPR is centrally located. But I guess they don't want to flatten Trinidad North and make that area the new structure. Will OPR continue to house its current line up?

And now a CBR construction update saying a new food and beverage location to be located in Trinidad South?? What the heck?? But good.

Curious to see how this all comes together. Like I said, I have always enjoyed my dozens of stays at Caribbean Beach back in my youth.

IF it is DVC it is almost certain to have its own check in and such....you can't make DVC guests walk far like normal guests....they need opulent lavish stays.

 

[matt9112]

Can anyone say if that area was an older section of the resort? Maybe like the first phase that was built? I have never stayed there and don't know much about CBR, but I am curious as to why they would remove all those buildings? Or maybe the new building going in to the left of that will be a tower? But even then there will be a large empty area there where the old buildings stood...

Wellllllll we don't know enough yet but if it is DVC thats your answer. It's a large direct injection of cash that WDW can't seem to let go....the addiction to such has compromised many of the resorts that now feature DVC. If it's not DVC I would say maybe a higher end room type is likely...interior hallways and such. Could be a test to see if guests will pay for larger and or higher end room types at a moderate. Those are my two guesses but the former is far more likely....Disney hates risk.

 

[cadaverous_pallor]

I'm not discounting a tower here though. I've just heard more specific news for elsewhere as opposed to the CBR.

There's also the possibility of increasing mod capacity here and loosing it elsewhere.

Slightly off topic, but any way you can divulge whether or not "elsewhere" might be River Country???

Long time camper and now genuinely concerned.

 

[AndrewsJ]

I encourage you to visit Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Walk around the Big Pine Key, Boca Chica, Conch Key, Sago Cay, and Sugarloaf lodges. Notice the cupolas and turrets. Take notice of the small finials that cap each of the dormers. Attend to the variegated rooflines and roof accents.

When you have finished. Walk around the Villas. The T-shaped structure is a classic Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) design. There may be some nods to the original structures, but the exterior's architectural essence is far more Crowne Plaza than it is Grand Victorian.

I own at VGF and have been more than pleased with my purchase. The appearance of the building has never been an issue to me. I also own at OKW and absolutely hate the outside appearance. My two AKL contracts are the best money I've ever spent. AKL is a vacation all to itself. My point being is that I just don't think a lot of folks even notice. To each his own I guess.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

My point being is that I just don't think a lot of folks even notice. To each his own I guess.

Sadly, this is the problem and why Disney is shoehorning attractions where they do not belong and executing thematic details with less precision. If a lot of folks do not even notice, then why should Disney go the extra mile? If guests do not care, why should Disney care? Disney is no longer holding itself to a higher standard because its guests no longer require or demand it.

If more people noticed and cared, then we would have a much different Walt Disney World.

 

[GoofGoof]

A modern, multi-level condominium association, offered through Disney Vacation Club, is planned for Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort? Oh, the planned model and possible sight lines must be breathtaking. I will gladly pay $175 per point and finance at a rate of 15.75% for this thoughtfully executed addition . . . . .

View attachment 184974

Thank you, Disney Vacation Club, for providing me with a minimally-themed, boxy structure, which clearly captures the original charm and magic of this Disney resort. The Villas at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort will certainly offer a lifetime of memories year after year.

To be accurate, here's how DVC does a high rise resort:

Obviously this project won't be at the scale of Aulani since there's not enough space. I would also assume no more than 5 stories, but anything is possible. Who knows if this is even DVC related. WDW needs more hotel rooms too.

 

[jt04]

Sightlines matter. Which is why Carsland was built the way it was. Swan and Dolphin was from another era. My guess is that if the tower is going to be visible from WS it is because they have plans to add a new Disney "mountain" at some point. Just a guess though.

 

[SosoDude]

I wonder if Disney is doing this to turn CBR into another convention center?

 

[Jess G]

I'm not super happy about this. I just don't feel like DVC belongs in CBR. We plan on purchasing DVC sometime within 2018 and I will be very disappointed if just CBR or Aulani is my option.... We almost bought into DVC in 2015 but we are most interested in AKL, OKW or any Epcot resort and all that was available was Aulani and Poly at the time... In my mind I associate DVC with deluxe and there is nothing deluxe about CBR is you ask me. I would much rather move convention space to CBR and add DVC to CSR. Although I do not know the amount of space there is to play with, even POR would have been a better option than this.

 

[S 2]

A new connection would not necessarily show up on plans but could explain odd shapes.

I was thinking the same it looks like a few of the ponds near the new construction area are reshaped to make this easier to do, also it looked like they did something inside the Epcot side as well or is it just me

 

[marni1971]

Slightly off topic, but any way you can divulge whether or not "elsewhere" might be River Country???

Long time camper and now genuinely concerned.

The RC plot will be used sometime, but I've not heard anything for a long time now.

 

[smudger]

Well this could be annoying, I am booked to stay at the CBR in August first time staying in a Disney hotel as well, are there any rumors on start dates?
Do they handle request to move due to construction well or will I be stuck staying on a building site?

 

[DVCOwner]

I encourage you to visit Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Walk around the Big Pine Key, Boca Chica, Conch Key, Sago Cay, and Sugarloaf lodges. Notice the cupolas and turrets. Take notice of the small finials that cap each of the dormers. Attend to the variegated rooflines and roof accents.

When you have finished. Walk around the Villas. The T-shaped structure is a classic Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) design. There may be some nods to the original structures, but the exterior's architectural essence is far more Crowne Plaza than it is Grand Victorian.

But still nothing like the photo you post. I agree with you that when you talk about the villas at Disney Grand Floridian Resort, but you photo that was posted is very misleading.

 

[Jess G]

Well this could be annoying, I am booked to stay at the CBR in August first time staying in a Disney hotel as well, are there any rumors on start dates?
Do they handle request to move due to construction well or will I be stuck staying on a building site?

You should be fine! I would be surprised if they started this by August. It usually takes a pretty long time for a start up.

 

[indyumd]

Well this could be annoying, I am booked to stay at the CBR in August first time staying in a Disney hotel as well, are there any rumors on start dates?
Do they handle request to move due to construction well or will I be stuck staying on a building site?

If it starts by August and it may not, you can usually move without issue. I actually like the other moderates better, so you might consider just moving anyways, depending on availability and price.

 

[COProgressFan]

I own at VGF and have been more than pleased with my purchase. The appearance of the building has never been an issue to me. I also own at OKW and absolutely hate the outside appearance. My two AKL contracts are the best money I've ever spent. AKL is a vacation all to itself. My point being is that I just don't think a lot of folks even notice. To each his own I guess.

I'm sure you're pleased with your purchase, and believe me, I would love to stay in the GF Villas! (if it weren't for the cost). But the building is just a testament to how attitudes have changed at WDW. For a maybe a couple million dollars more, they could have made some design changes that would satisfy the need for a certain number of rooms, while also respecting and matching the original GF designs. In that case everyone would win - we'd have a better building and your DVC home resort would be that much nicer.

The small details always mattered at Disney, even if you don't consciously notice them (and in this case, they are huge details). In fact, it is Disney of the 1980s and 1990s that taught me this, and inspired me to notice these things today.

From the beginning, they certainly could have just put a collection of standard hotel towers around the lake, and that would have been fine, but they consciously chose not to, and for a reason. That's why it's so disappointing to seeing them not follow these rules today.

 

[GhostHost1000]

going to be very interested to see how this plays out if a moderate resort now becomes a DVC location.

is it considered moderate or deluxe because of the specific room you are in or how the resort is overall so to speak?

and will the price point for DVC at a moderate be the same are other deluxe resorts or less?

 

[danlb_2000]

I wonder if Disney is doing this to turn CBR into another convention center?

I don't see anything in the plans that would have a large enough footprint for a convention center. Maybe the structure they are building on the expansion plot, but it would be a small one.

I was thinking the same it looks like a few of the ponds near the new construction area are reshaped to make this easier to do, also it looked like they did something inside the Epcot side as well or is it just me

None of the work shown in these plans extends beyond Buena Vista Dr.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

and will the price point for DVC at a moderate be the same are other deluxe resorts or less?

Do you mean the price for a non-DVC cash-paying guest to stay in a DVC unit? It would obviously be less, and we have examples like that already even within the Deluxe category. A savanna view at Kidani is going to cost more than Old Key West, and both will be less than theme park view at Bay Lake Tower.

I think this is a fantastic thing and might actually push me over the top to buy DVC. I'd still buy resale with AKL as my home resort, but it will be nice to have a cheaper (in terms of points) option that allows me to take a trip for fewer points than it would normally cost while banking the difference for a future stay in a nicer / bigger unit than we'd otherwise get.