Caribbean Beach Resort
The decision to book Caribbean Beach Resort for my 2014 vacation was completely involuntary. I had already selected travel dates in late February and wanted to wait for the room-only discounts to pop up. Anyone trying to plan a vacation at the beginning of the year probably knows that there are a few obstacles - such as spending money over the holidays - that can make the process more difficult than it should be. I had originally planned to book a Port Orleans resort but by the time I had the cash to snag the hotel (because I was booking through Orbitz), the only resort available was Caribbean Beach. It's not that I didn't want to stay there, just that it was not my first choice at the time. I got a great deal, though, and only ended up paying about $150/night. If you aren't utilizing the deposit option on Disney's website, then you definitely should keep updated on the travel site discounts.
Create an account on ebates.com and you could earn cashback on your booking! Be sure to check the details on the offers but you can get a bit of your money back just for clicking to the website from the ebates site first. I've earned over $120 in cashback over the past year just by using the ebates plugin for Chrome browser! (please note, I am not affiliated with ebates whatsoever - I just love how easy it is to use!)
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The physical check-in process at a Disney hotel is quite tedious. The lobby is often full and nearly everyone has a question about something. Thankfully the process is more electronic now and you don't even have to stop by the lobby to check-in anymore but in 2014 that wasn't the case. I waited in the lobby for nearly 45 minutes just trying to get checked in but the staff was very friendly and treated each person with the same candor. Finally my room was assigned to my MagicBand and I was off to the Jamaica building!
I should probably warn you here that Caribbean Beach Resort is the most spread out of all the Disney World hotels. That means lots of walking if you're stuck in a remote building such as Trinidad South. Take a look at the map for a better idea:
I was a little worried about being assigned to Jamaica but it was actually one of the better buildings on the property because it was a shorter walking distance to the common building (via the bridge across the lake) and it was the first stop on most of the theme park buses.
As soon as we parked, we knew we were going to like our stay. The buildings are all very bright and tropically decorated. There was definitely an island feel about the property with lots of greenery. Each building has its own 'quiet' pool nestled nearby.
We paid for a standard room with a king bed and found that it was ample space for two people. I would imagine that a family of five or more would probably get cramped in the standard space with two beds. There was a towel Mickey folded and waiting for us on the bed (in true Disney fashion!) and the whole room felt warm and inviting.
A mini-fridge is tucked away in the television console/dresser space but a microwave is not available, which I hope will change in the near future. The curtain divider for the vanity area is a nice touch because it allows three spaces of privacy (the bathroom, vanity area, and bedroom) for family members that need to get ready at the same time.
After settling into our room, we decided to explore the property with a walk across the island, known as Caribbean Cay, to the Old Port Royale common area.
The first thing we noticed was the white sandy beach. Swimming is not allowed but there are plenty of beach activities and hammocks to make it worthy of visiting. Caribbean Cay is a beautiful little island situated in the middle of the property. Here you can find a playground and several little romantic hideaways. You can spot Old Port Royale from the island (as pictured above), with its bright theming and will typically hear noise of splashing from the main resort pool located to the east of the building. It is here that you will find the food court, a casual restaurant, and bike rentals. There were watercraft rentals available at the time of our stay but I've since heard rumor that they aren't available anymore.
Following the theme of the resort, the food court area is very colorful. I expected it to be crowded because the property is so large but we never had any issues with waiting in line. The food is decent, pretty much the same as what you can find at any quick service spot in the parks. I found that the bakery/deli area was the best place to stop for a snack and was typically restocked with new sandwiches and sweets pretty often.
We really enjoyed our stay at Caribbean Beach Resort, which is a surprise considering we weren't incredibly hyped about being 'stuck' with this option initially. The size of the property makes it more peaceful because everyone is spread out. Disney really nailed the feeling of a vacation-within-a-vacation with this resort. You can stay at Caribbean Beach and feel like you're in the islands or come back to reality and hit up the parks. There is so much variety available that I know anyone visiting this resort will love it as much as I do!
Stay tuned and I'll give you another review of my most recent Disney World trip - and my stay at Port Orleans French Quarter!
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