Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort - REVIEW

Resort Name:  Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Address:  900 Cayman Way, Orlando, FL 32830

Phone Number:  (407) 934-3400

Resort Area:  Epcot

Category:  Moderate

Acres:  45

Rooms: 2,109

Themed Areas:  Custom House, Old Port Royale, Barbados, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad North, Trinidad South

Pools:  7 (heated)

Standard Room:  2-queens, 1-king, 2-queens with 1 bunk-size pull down.

Themed Rooms:  Pirate with 2-queens

Standard Room Capacity:  4 plus 1 child under 3 in a crib

Select Room Capacity:  5 plus 1 child under 3 in a crib

We recently had the pleasure of staying at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort.  The resort is conveniently located off of Buena Vista Drive across from the Reedy Creek fire station just behind Epcot.  There is one entrance and two exits to the property via personal vehicle.  Upon entering the resort, you stop at the guard station and show proof of ID (i.e. driver's license) or simply scan your magic band as proof you're a guest.

(note:  If visiting this resort for dining reservation, your band will be scanned for confirmation.)  

We were assigned to Jamaica building 42 in room 4258 on the second floor.  Our room had a water view and was directly across from Trinidad North.  We used the advanced check-in option prior to arrival and our room number was emailed to us the day of our arrival.  We could have went straight to the room, but I always like to visit the front desk to make sure everything is squared away.  The front desk is located at the entrance in the Custom House.  Upon entering, I found a line labeled advance check-in and had no wait.  The cast member was extremely polite and confirmed everything was set.  We even got a couple pirate eye patches and swords for the kids; a great unexpected surprise.  

We then drove to Jamaica.  Finding the building was easy...finding our room was a bit difficult.  It took us a couple tries to understand the posted signs, but we finally located the room.  The room was as expected given the pictures we viewed beforehand online.  The beds were surprisingly comfortable and we received adjoining rooms with my mom which was a plus to help out with the kids.

While the resort is beautifully painted and the grounds filled with lush plants, it is worth noting there is a need for some minor touch-ups with paint and ground cover.  While no fault of the resort itself, one major turn off for us for this resort was the food court location relevant to the various buildings.  We are use to a centralized hotel (i.e. one singular building where everything is just downstairs).  Having two small kids and an elderly adult made it difficult to visit the food court; short of getting into the car and driving there.  However, there are plenty of walkways to get you there which make for a beautiful walk.

Transportation to the parks is available from each themed area via bus.  During our stay, we learned about the two possibilities for the bus route inside the resort.  The first route involves buses entering through the main entrance and going around clockwise to the different areas beginning with Martinique and ending with Barbados and exiting back out the main entrance.  The second route involves buses entering through a bus only entrance located across from Jamaica (i.e. from Victory Way) beginning with Jamaica and ending with Trinidad South and exiting back out the Jamaica entrance.  Depending on which bus you get on and the area you are staying, it could take upwards of 15-20 minutes to make the trip around the resort before heading to the parks.  Staying in Jamaica gave us the ability to determine which bus was which because we could see the second entrance from our bus stop.

(note:  The Jamaica entrance is for buses only, but personal vehicles can exit out there in addition to the main entrance.)

While our trip took place in December, the weather was warm; coming in around 84 degrees everyday with cold mornings to get the day started.  The pools were open daily as well.  While at the resort, we had the opportunity to use the onsite laundry services.  At a cost of $3 per load for both washers and dryers, we made sure everything fit in one load.  If you plan on using this service, remember to bring your credit card.  Cash and Magic Bands do not work.

My only regret with this resort is that we didn't take the extra time to explore this resort more fully.  We recommend leaving tips for the housekeeping staff daily.  We came back to our room with little surprises waiting on us that the kids really enjoyed.

I would recommend this moderate resort to anyone looking for a laid back environment with beautiful colors and landscapes.  However, I would keep in mind the location of the food court in relation to your building and the bus schedules as mentioned above.

We rank this resort 8 out of 10.

This review was based on travel by Palmetto Travel Agency for dates 12/17/2016 through 12/24/2016.  The views and opinions represented in this review are those of Palmetto Travel Agency and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company or any subsidiary.