The Pros and Cons of Staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach
Choosing the right Disney hotel for your family can seem pretty daunting. One of the reasons I love Disney’s Moderate Resorts is that they provide a little bit of everything a Disney resort has to offer. Disney’s Caribbean Beach is the original moderate resort. Over the years lots of improvements have been made. But like anything there are some good points and some weak points. Here are the pros and cons of staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Pros of Disney’s Caribbean Beach
- Disney Skyliner access
- Easy access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT
- Tropical theme that matches the Florida vibes
- A man-made island, Caribbean Cay, that’s home to lots of recreation
- Pirate themed feature pool
- Kids water playground
- Three food and beverage locations
- Quiet pools near each cluster of buildings
- Well appointed rooms with relaxing décor
- Pirate themed rooms available
- Easy access to parking lots if you have a car
- Near Disney’s Riviera Resort giving you more variety in dining
Cons of Disney’s Caribbean Beach
- Spread out resort with some room locations having a very far walk to amenities
- There is a bridge across the lagoon to the amenities, but Caribbean Cay island is in the way
- Bus stops can be a far walk depending on room location
- Bus only access to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs
- Buildings near each Skyliner station can experience lines and crowding near them during the morning rush
- Only Centertown Market offers takeout dining
- Food at Banana Cabana Pool Bar is currently dine-in only, drinks can be to-go
- Small bathroom, though closing the sliding doors to the vanity area helps
- Shower curtain easily comes off the rod
My family and I stayed for two nights at Disney’s Caribbean Beach in early 2021. It was our first time staying together at this resort, and my first time since the major renovation and addition of the Disney Skyliner. The convenience of the Skyliner could not be beat for us.
I utilized TouringPlans’ Room Finder and requested a few room numbers that fit our needs. I wanted a first floor, corner room near the Riviera Resort Skyliner station, but not too far from the bridge that leads to Caribbean Beach.
I requested a small list of rooms and we thankfully received one of those rooms, 5201. It was perfectly located near Riviera Resort so we could easily get to EPCOT directly, and save some steps by taking it over to the Caribbean Beach station to get to Hollywood Studios. We also grabbed a bite and some drinks at Bar Riva at Riviera Resort. Finally, we were about a ten minute walk to Centertown Market by using the bridge through Caribbean Cay.
There is a fair amount of walking to get around this resort. Our room in Aruba gave us the location we wanted. If you decide to stay at Caribbean Beach Resort be sure to use our Room Finder tool and spend some time getting to know the different room locations. And if you want a little expert help our travel team is happy to help.
Have you ever stayed at Caribbean Beach? What pros or cons would you add to this list?
First published February 4, 2021. Updated October 4, 2021.
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Con: No elevators, in any building. Thankfully the buildings are only two stories.
In the pre-covid days, staying in Aruba was great. You are a short walk to the Riviera station, which can take you to Epcot or Hollywood Studios. Our process for RotR boarding was to drive at some ungodly hour to the park, get our group, go on some rides and then drive back to the room for a nap. Then we’d take the skyway back to the park for the evening, which was way more pleasant than dragging through the park exhausted. I don’t know if/when they’ll go back to that system, but it’s still nice to have a ride home without waiting for a bus.
I prefer the rooms at Coronado (hard floors >> dirty carpets), and if it’s ever joined up to the Skyway, it’ll be my favorite. But until then, I’d happily stay at CBR.
We’ve stayed here twice. The first time- 2010 with small kids. We chose it because my girls are more pirate gals than princesses. Unfortunately, even though they were 6 and 8 at the time, they were too tall to be allowed in the pirate themed pool area….they were crushed. Second time we stayed was this past Aug right after Disneyworld reopened. We had reservations at another resort but Disney moved us to Carribean Beach resort due to the pandemic. We incorrectly assumed each area with a quiet pool would have a hot tub. The main pool area was closed. Hubby and I and daughters 16 and 18 were quite disappointed. I guess this resort and the pool situation just hasn’t worked for us. The skyline is a huge plus. We spent more time at the Riviera for food as it was better than CBR selections. The bus also picks up at Riviera before CBR so we learned it was better to wait for a bus there instead of CBR in order to make it on a bus.