Which Section of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is Right for You?

Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort sprawls over 200 acres and contains more than 1,500 guest rooms, situated in 24 buildings. These are additionally segmented into five areas named for Caribbean islands: Martinique, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Aruba. This resort is HUGE – even the central lake occupies about 45 acres.

Outwardly, there may appear to be little to distinguish among the regions of the resort, with their common architectural style and room decor. But there are some appreciable differences that impact the quality of your stay, depending on your location and your needs. We’ll take a close look at the pros and cons of each section to help you decide which one is the best for you.

Each area has its own bus stop. The bus route runs clockwise, starting at Old Port Royale and ending at Martinique before heading out to the theme parks and other guest areas. Additional areas of importance include the Old Port Royale guest amenity area, the Caribbean Cay playground and relaxation area, and two nearby Skyliner stations: Caribbean Beach and Riviera. The Caribbean Beach station is the hub, and you can go directly to either EPCOT or Hollywood Studios from there. If you board at the Riviera station you can get directly to Epcot, but you’ll need to transfer at the hub (usually this is pretty rapid) to get to Hollywood Studios.

Before we get going, a wee bit of history may help you orient yourself. When Caribbean Beach Resort opened in 1988, there were additional regions and guest room buildings. Some sections were razed to make way for the new Riviera Resort, a Disney Vacation Club tower that opened in late 2019. Riviera is a separate resort, with its own pricing and check-in area separate from Caribbean Beach, but its proximity to the Aruba and Martinique sections of Caribbean Beach Resort may be a factor in your Caribbean Beach selection process. For more about what’s available at the Riviera and to decide how much easy access might matter to you, see Disney World Resort Rundown: Disney’s Riviera Resort. Note that guests at Caribbean Beach are not able to use the feature pool at the Riviera, although many of the other amenities are available.

Also during the Riviera construction process, the names of Caribbean Beach sections were modified, with the Barbados name replacing some of the Trinidad section. If you visited Caribbean Beach prior to 2019, be aware that the area you stayed in might have a different name now.

Here’s what you need to know about the different sections of Caribbean Beach Resort. In some cases the room type that you choose might take certain areas off the table; for instance, there are no rooms with King beds in Trinidad. If a particular room type is important to you, you can filter on room type in our room finder tool to find the sections that contain those rooms before perusing the specifics of each section below. Click on photos to enlarge.

Old Port Royale Area

There are no guest rooms at the Old Port Royale, but having a handle on what’s there may impact whether you think it’s important to have easy access to this area. Old Port Royal includes the check-in desk, the main feature pool, Sebastian’s Bistro (a table service restaurant), the Centertown Market Quick Service, the Banana Cabana bar, and the marina. Each section has its own quiet pool, but the feature pool here is themed as a Spanish fort and includes a waterslide.

Caribbean Cay Area

Caribbean Cay is an island in the center of the lake, and again there are no guest rooms. There are quiet nooks for relaxation as well as a playground, but many guests will simply pass through on the bridge from the Aruba/Jamaica side of the resort to Old Port Royale.

Martinique Section

PROS

• Easy walk to the Riviera resort. This gives access to more food options including the Riviera bar, quick service restaurant, and Topolino’s Terrace.
• Easy walk to Old Port Royale amenities including the feature pool, restaurants, bar, and guest services like check-in and bell services.
• When the bus picks you up (to go to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom) you’ll be on your way immediately.

CONS

• Not particularly close to either Skyliner station.
• Buses may be full when they arrive at your stop.
• You’ll be dropped off last when arriving back from the parks by bus.

Barbados Section

PROS

• Some buildings are not close to either Skyliner station.
• Easy walk to Old Port Royale amenities including the feature pool, restaurants, bar, and guest services like check-in and bell services.
• Buses to the theme parks will likely have seating available due to early loop pick-up.

CONS

• Some buildings are distant from the restaurants at Riviera resort.
• Distant from the Riviera Skyliner station.
• You’ll have to cycle through many bus pick-ups before heading out to the parks.

Trinidad Section

PROS

• Quiet and secluded.
• Spyglass quick service restaurant is available and rarely crowded.
• Some buildings are an easy walk to the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station.
• Some buildings are an easy walk to the Joffrey’s coffee stand.

CONS

• Distant from Old Port Royale restaurants and amenities.
• Distant from Riviera restaurants.
• Distant from Riviera Skyliner station.

Jamaica Section

PROS

• Close to the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station.
• Some areas are close to the Joffrey’s coffee stand.
• Some buildings have easy access to the Old Port Royale amenities area via the bridge across the lake.

CONS

• Distant from the Riviera Resort restaurants.
• Most areas are distant from the Riviera Skyliner station.
• Some areas are distant from the Old Port Royale amenities area.
• Some guests may be uncomfortable with the Skyliner overhead.

Aruba Section

PROS

• Close to the Riviera Skyliner station
• Some areas close to the Riviera Resort. This gives access to more food options including the Riviera bar, quick service restaurant, and Topolino’s Terrace.
• Some buildings have easy access to the Old Port Royale amenities area via the bridge across the lake.

CONS

• Some areas are distant from the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station.
• Some guests may be uncomfortable with the Skyliner overhead.
• Some buildings are distant from Old Port Royale access.

Requesting the Section You’d Like to Stay In

Once you’ve decided which section of Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort is right for your family, there are two more steps you can take: choose a specific building and make a room request. Within each area, there are rooms with lake or pool views, which can impact the room’s price. Other variables include rooms with king-size beds or rooms with a pull-down child-size bed, allowing a 5th sleeper in the room. Specific buildings close to Old Port Royale may be subject to “preferred” pricing.

If you have a preference, take a look at our room finder tool, which shows the view and detailed information about every room at Walt Disney World. Once you’ve decided where you want to be, use our room request tool to let Disney know where you want to be.