One of the first decisions families must make when planning their Disney vacation, after choosing when they will travel, is where they will stay. With more than 20 different resort hotels, ranging from value to deluxe, choosing your Disney resort is a difficult decision. To help you to narrow down your choices I will be featuring each of the Disney resorts throughout the year.
This week’s resort spotlight is going to feature Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, one of Disney’s moderate-level resorts. Some amenities that separate the moderates from the values are pool slides and hot tubs at the feature pool, a series of “quiet pools” scattered throughout the property, a designated table-service restaurant on site, larger rooms, queen-sized beds, coffee makers, lush landscaping and a more elaborate theme. All of the moderate resorts, with the exception of Port Orleans French Quarter, are rather expansive properties, sometimes requiring the use of an internal bus system depending upon your room location, and Caribbean Beach is the most spread out of all. With this in mind, each of the moderate resorts offers the option to upgrade to a “preferred location” room which ensures that your room will be located as close to the main resort amenities as possible.
Built in 1988, the Caribbean Beach Resort is colorful and lively, featuring 6 different villages surrounding the beautiful 45-acre Barefoot Bay Lake where guests can sunbathe on white, sandy beaches, relax in hammocks, rent watercraft or take a fishing excursion. A 1.4-mile promenade surrounds the lake and is perfect for a morning run, a fun bike ride or a romantic evening stroll. The Caribbean Beach Resort is located in the Epcot Resort area and offers Disney World bus transportation to all of the theme parks, the water parks and Downtown Disney.
The Villages and Guest Rooms
Guest rooms are located throughout 33 buildings in 6 villages each named for an island in the Caribbean–Trinidad North and South, Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica and Martinique. Rooms sleep a maximum of four guests (plus an infant) and are tastefully decorated with a Nemo theme. There are also some special Pirates of the Caribbean themed rooms available in the Trinidad South village. Each village is home to 3-6 buildings and each offers its own quiet pool and white sand beach as well as seating areas and walking paths. A few of the villages have playgrounds. Trinidad North and Martinique are considered preferred locations and are closest to Old Port Royale (the resort’s dining and shopping hub) and the Fuentes del Morro feature pool. On the flip side, if you prefer a more secluded location, Trinidad South and Barbados are the furthest from the resort’s center with a 10-15 minute walk through the resorts lush grounds to Old Port Royale.
Rooms at the resort are very comfortable with 340-square feet of space, 2 queen or 1 king bed and private bathroom with a separate double-sink vanity area that can be separated from the bedroom with a curtain for privacy.
Fun & Amenities
Caribbean Beach hosts a veritable treasure trove of family activities. At Barefoot Bay Boatyard and Bikeworks, guests can rent bicycles and surrey bikes for jaunts around the promenade or take to the lake on an assortment of watercraft from canoes and pedal boats to Sea Raycers and pontoons. Children ages 4-12 can head out on the Bay in search of treasure on the Island of the Caribbean Pirate Cruise where they will sail around with pirate-costumed cast members to various ports of call in pursuit of hidden booty. For walkers and joggers, a few laps around the promenade makes for a beautiful morning or evening activity and kids will enjoy finding the playgrounds nestled within some of the resort’s villages. If picnicking or birdwatching sounds like fun, Caribbean Cay is a small island in Barefoot Bay that is accessible via bridge from Old Port Royale or Jamaica village, is home to exotic birds, hammocks, seating areas and picnic tables.
And of course, a visit to a Disney resort would not be complete without some time in the pool. The Fuentes del Morro pool, modeled after an old Spanish Fortress, is one of the more elaborate on Disney property and boasts an 82-foot slide, water cannons, spraying showers, and buckets-full of water that tip onto bathers. Off to the side is a pirate-ship themed water playground complete with its own water slide and fun water features. And to allow easy access for all guests, the pool has a zero-entry, making it an ideal spot for little ones to splash and play. Finally, the Banana Cabana pool bar, right beside the main pool deck, is a great place for mom and dad to treat themselves to a colorful cocktail while the kids are splashing away!
A Stroll Through the Marketplace
Entering Centertown Old Port Royal, guests are transported to a charming Caribbean marketplace with cobbled paths, colorful shops and strings of lanterns overhead. For a quick meal, Market Street Food Court has numerous options for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack while Shutters offers table service dining for dinner. The Calypso Trading Post and Calypso Straw Market sell an assortment of Disney World and resort-themed merchandise, grocery items, essential toiletries, wine, beer and bathing suits and I’ve had success in finding forgotten items here more than once!
Caribbean Beach is a resort that really transports you to a tropical island. It’s surroundings are filled with lovely flowers and lush foliage and the beautiful Barefoot Bay and white sand add to the beach vibe tremendously. It’s a fantastic resort for families and pirate lovers will adore the themed rooms and feature pool. And at moderate pricing, families who are looking for a few extra amenities without breaking the bank will appreciate all that this resort has to offer.
We recently booked and at the time and even now Caribbean Beach lists only full beds not Queen and if you call they will tell you they are oversized full by 2.5 inches