When looking for a resort that offers many dining options, is conveniently located between all the parks, and has tons of amenities, look no further than Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort! Below we're going to get into some details about the resort, along with reasons why we've loved staying here and recommend it often to our clients.
Overview
The Caribbean Beach Resort opened on October 1, 1988 as Disney World’s first Moderate Resort. The hotel is themed after various Caribbean islands and is easily recognized by its candy-colored buildings. The buildings are grouped into six "villages": Barbados, Martinique, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad North, and Trinidad South. Each village has its own pool, white sand beach with hammocks and playgrounds, laundry facilities, bus stop, and parking area.
A look at the map will tell you this is no small resort. Depending on which village you're staying in, you may have to take a bus (or a long walk) to get to the main building, "Old Port Royale", where the dining is located. Staying in Aruba or Jamaica does give you the "easiest" walk to the main building across Barefoot Bay via the walkways that take you over Caribbean Cay.
However, our favorite perk of staying at Caribbean Beach is the fact that the main hub of Disney’s Skyliner is located here. This places the resort in a prime location due to its easy access to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios via the Skyliner, making it perfect for those who love the festivals in Epcot or if you have a Star Wars fan in your group!
Caribbean Beach is also next door to the newest Disney Vacation Club resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort. Guests in the Martinique village can easily walk to the Riviera to take advantage of the dining options and Skyliner Station located there as well!
Rooms
Having undergone a refurbishment and "reimagining" a few years back, the rooms at Caribbean Beach are some of the nicest of any moderate resort. The new modern tropical touches give these rooms almost a Polynesian/Aulani vibe.
You get essentially 3 options of rooms: 2 queen beds, 2 queen beds with a 5th sleeper, or a single king bed. Each room type has the option to upgrading to a water/pool view or a "Preferred" room which gives you better access to the main pool and Centertown.
The bathrooms were given a sliding door separation feature, which is nice for those who want to sleep in or for those who are early risers and want to get ready without disturbing the rest of your party.
And the pull down bed option is a game-changer for larger families and groups.
We love the updates, and having the option to add on a 5th person to the room reservation is a big plus!
Dining
Another advantage of staying at a moderate resort like Caribbean Beach is the dining options you have compared to many of the value resorts. Caribbean Beach Resort boasts five dining options, so you're sure to find something for everyone!
The most popular for resort guests, especially during the breakfast hours before the parks open, is Centertown Market and the Centertown Market Grab & Go. Here you can grab everything from breakfast sandwiches and Mickey waffles for breakfast, to Cuban sandwiches and latin-inspired Yucca bowls for lunch and dinner.
Our favorite, however, is Banana Cabana! Perfect for an afternoon snack and/or cocktail, this walk-up bar features seasonal margaritas, beers, and other Caribbean-inspired libations. Feeling a little peckish? Grab some snacks like their jerk chicken wings or loaded potato fries. Also a must-do on your Skyliner Bar Crawl!
Amenities
With a leisure pool for each village along with the main feature pool, Fuentes del Morro, you're sure to find as much (or as little) watery adventure as your family desires!
At Fuentes del Morro, you will find a zero-entry pool fully themed as a Spanish fortress! We definitely get some Pirates of the Caribbean vibes here, and the pirates in your family can slide down a 102 foot long slide and get sprayed by man-o-war cannons! It also features a 12 person spa, perfect for relaxing after a day in the parks, and conveniently located near the Banana Cabana pool bar.
Caribbean Beach also features beach campfires, movies under the stars, and even fishing and bike rentals!
Have you stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort? What was your favorite part?! If you're thinking about traveling to any of the Disney destinations we'd love to be your travel resource of choice. We'd love to hear from you!