Why so much hate for Caribbean Beach?

[sgerto]

We're going in December for my 50th birthday and staying at Caribbean Beach. Our trips have always been to a value resort (Pop and Movies) and we decided to stay at a moderate this time. We were at Pop in November and with access to the Skyliner and enjoyed the convenience it brought so Caribbean was a no-brainer for us.

My question is this: Why when I look at different polls, websites, etc. they always put CB at the bottom of Moderates (and some places even Pop and Art of Animation). Is it because of the size of the park and the chance of walking distance? Are the room subpar?

It will be just me and my wife for this trip and I requested area 45 or 51 with a King sized bed. It's centralized to the skyliners and the lobby. Thank you!!

 

[Haley R]

My only real negative with CBR is the rooms. I think they’re old and musty looking. We tried staying there early last year and both rooms we tried smelled moldy. The lighting is dim and the colors aren’t appealing to me. However, the sky liner is awesome and we love walking outside so it being large doesn’t bother us at all. I do think it’s usually priced higher though which I don’t like

 

[Disneylover99]

I don’t care for the theming. That’s probably my number 1 reason for not liking it. But the size of it is a close second. I prefer a resort that’s smaller.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I would take the Pop any day over CBR - I love the theme at CBR and have stayed at both several times - but I can obtain a quiet room at Pop and never have at CBR - my last stay there in 2001 was a nightmare as my neighbor played his tv so loud ALL night and I could hear him being intimate in every detail - how thin are those walls? Plus nothing puts you to sleep like listening to those busses all night. No thanks I’ll pass!
yes I called the front desk it did be no good at all.
I’ve stayed at Pop for two Spring Break trips no complaints - nice quiet rooms in the back.

 

[Minniemoo15]

I quite like Caribbean Beach. It’s where we always stayed growing up so there’s nostalgia there for me. I love that each village has its own quiet pool. The main theme pool is great, as is the splash pad for kids. The theming makes me feel like I’m on vacation. Now being on the Skyliner makes it even more ideal.
The only downside for me is the quick service. It was not good on our last visit. But Riviera is right next door and that QS is fantastic !

 

[brockash]

We're going in December for my 50th birthday and staying at Caribbean Beach. Our trips have always been to a value resort (Pop and Movies) and we decided to stay at a moderate this time. We were at Pop in November and with access to the Skyliner and enjoyed the convenience it brought so Caribbean was a no-brainer for us.

My question is this: Why when I look at different polls, websites, etc. they always put CB at the bottom of Moderates (and some places even Pop and Art of Animation). Is it because of the size of the park and the chance of walking distance? Are the room subpar?

It will be just me and my wife for this trip and I requested area 45 or 51 with a King sized bed. It's centralized to the skyliners and the lobby. Thank you!!

We stayed there once, about 5 years ago or so and never intended to return. We didn't like how big it was, the multiple bus stops, the pool (we just didn't find it set up well for us) - there were no tables in the gated area (we like to do meals at the pool) it was hard to find a spot to sit/lay and see the majority of the pool - I'm not a huge fan of being in the water all the time, but my kids are and it was hard to find a spot where I could keep my eye on them from a chair. I will say the part we disliked the most was that checkin was in a completely different area/building than the main lobby which made checking in, storing luggage and catching the magical express a big pain...especially with kids. - They've changed that pary now and with the main hub of the skyliner being at CBR, we're going to give it another shot this year...we'll see.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Outdoor access resorts aren’t really a favorite, but we enjoyed our stay there in 2019. Pleasantly surprised actually. No hate at all. Would gladly stay again.

I did take advantage of places like the DIS so I could ask questions/understand the layout/get my expectations in order prior to arrival. I think that’s maybe a bit more important at a place like CBR which isn’t exactly obvious to figure out the pros/cons of room types, locations, etc.

I would personally vote CSR over CBR in terms of the moderates (especially for a couples trip) as I think it has a ‘nicer’ feel to it, better dining options, etc, but it’s not fundamentally better that it would always be my choice.

 

[5Tulips]

I love the theming of CBR, the grounds are beautiful with main and quiet pool options. And now the Skyliner. However, the rooms need a refresh. They are a bit musty and darker than we prefer but wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again.

 

[Brett Wyman]

My only real negative with CBR is the rooms. I think they’re old and musty looking. We tried staying there early last year and both rooms we tried smelled moldy. The lighting is dim and the colors aren’t appealing to me. However, the sky liner is awesome and we love walking outside so it being large doesn’t bother us at all. I do think it’s usually priced higher though which I don’t like

This is the main issue for us. The rooms are in rough shape and the outside grounds around the rooms isn't much better. It just feels skeevy like a roadside Motel 6. Even though CSR feels sterile, the upkeep is 100x better there. The newly updated central area is very nice though. We visit the market frequently when we stay at the Riviera.

 

[loves to dive]

I've stayed there at least twice, if not 3 times (can't remember I go often). While not my favorite moderate I don't hate it. I'm one of the few that don't think it's actually that far spread out but I like to get up early in the morning and walk so the spread out resorts are great for that. As far as theming, that never factors into my decisions. When picking a resort, whatever level (and I've stayed in every single WDW resort except SS, WL, AoA and Riv) I just pick whichever one is less at the time I'm booking. If given my druthers and all things are equal and I'm staying in a moderate I got for CS but that is just because I like the amentities.

 

[figmentfinesse]

I’m crazy about CBR. I think it’s beautiful and the rooms don’t bother me. I really love the beds, and the main pool area is so great. It’s a lovely, quiet resort that I would recommend to anyone

 

[Lumpy1106]

We tried to stay there once and ended up moving to AoA. We had 3 complaints that led to it being a deal-breaker.
3. Rooms are dated. - felt like a step down from the other Moderates
2. TOO spread out. They recently renovated and there is some nice shopping and quick service, but the little quick service places around the rest of the resort are far from impressive. Yes, it is on the Skyliner route, but you may be a long walk or even an internal bus ride to the Skyliner station
and BY FAR the biggest problem;
1. THE BUSES. You have to wait for an internal bus to get around, you have to wait for the resort buses to make the loop. We were only there 1/2 a day and it felt like we spent the entire time waiting for or riding a bus around the resort.

This all adds up to CBR is our least favorite resort, and yes, that includes all of the values. If we ever return (and that seems doubtful), we will have a car.

 

[mco65]

Only stayed at CBR once and it was during the refurb a few years back. It certainly was not my favorite resort but I wouldn't think twice about staying there again...

 

[maryj11]

This is the main issue for us. The rooms are in rough shape and the outside grounds around the rooms isn't much better. It just feels skeevy like a roadside Motel 6. Even though CSR feels sterile, the upkeep is 100x better there. The newly updated central area is very nice though. We visit the market frequently when we stay at the Riviera.

I thought they just updated all the rooms last year?

 

[DebbieB]

We stayed there once, about 5 years ago or so and never intended to return. We didn't like how big it was, the multiple bus stops, the pool (we just didn't find it set up well for us) - there were no tables in the gated area (we like to do meals at the pool) it was hard to find a spot to sit/lay and see the majority of the pool - I'm not a huge fan of being in the water all the time, but my kids are and it was hard to find a spot where I could keep my eye on them from a chair. I will say the part we disliked the most was that checkin was in a completely different area/building than the main lobby which made checking in, storing luggage and catching the magical express a big pain...especially with kids. - They've changed that pary now and with the main hub of the skyliner being at CBR, we're going to give it another shot this year...we'll see.

The lobby is now in the same building as the food court. The old lobby and several room buildings were torn down to make room for Riviera. Being close to Riviera is a big plus, we walked over to their quick service one night.

I was there in October, first time in over 10 years. It’s nice to be close to the Skyliner. Rooms could be rehabbed. Grounds are beautiful. One negative is all buildings are 2 floors and no elevators.

 

[Kitty & Covs Covs]

We just booked CBR for March after putting off using tickets from last April until we felt comfortable returning to the park. How accessible is Riveria to CBR? I didn't read any reviews before booking, and this thread is making me nervous!

 

[MamaBelle4]

I have no experience at CBR. BUT.

Don't let online reviews scare you off. What I love, you may hate and vice versa. I, for one, prefer the outside entrances. It seems all noise echoes down the long hallways some of the other resorts have.

SSR is my favorite I've been to so far. Not that I've been to many yet to stay. But it is quiet and the grounds are beautiful and I love the proximity to DS. But if you look at any online poll, people will tell you it shouldn't even really be considered a deluxe. It's more of a moderate. There's a lot of hate and a lot of "what if I get stuck at SSR?" which I just don't understand.

You've looked at the pictures, you've read the amenities. If you believe you'll enjoy your stay at CBR, you will!

 

[cutigerlady]

We didn’t like how to have to take a bus to get to the area with the food court/main pool. At night it was not possible to walk there. I love SSR and have no problem with a resort being spread out, but I want to be able to walk to the amenities area. We happened to be right in front of the bus pickup for a cheerleading competition and it was very loud very early in the morning!

We prefer CSR or POR over CBR! I’m not sure if the Skyliner or access to Ruveria would change my opinion.

 

[Lucasfan]

I have no experience at CBR. BUT.

Don't let online reviews scare you off. What I love, you may hate and vice versa. I, for one, prefer the outside entrances. It seems all noise echoes down the long hallways some of the other resorts have.

SSR is my favorite I've been to so far. Not that I've been to many yet to stay. But it is quiet and the grounds are beautiful and I love the proximity to DS. But if you look at any online poll, people will tell you it shouldn't even really be considered a deluxe. It's more of a moderate. There's a lot of hate and a lot of "what if I get stuck at SSR?" which I just don't understand.

You've looked at the pictures, you've read the amenities. If you believe you'll enjoy your stay at CBR, you will!

Amen to all that was just said. When my family and I first made our trip to Disney, we stayed at SSR. I was all pumped about it and then started reading the reviews. By the time I was done, I was convinced it would be terrible. To the contrary, it has turned out to be one of, if not my family’s favorite place to stay. We have stayed at BLT, BCV, POP, POR and CBR since then. After that trip, I decided that I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on all the negative reviews and just do my own research to make up my own mind.

I can say that when we stayed at CBR for a one night stay before moving to SSR for the week, we thought it was nice. Although the skyliner was being constructed while there, the lobby was really nice and we felt the remodeled rooms were nice as well. Unfortunately we didn’t get to use the pool as a thunderstorm hit just shortly after arrival, it looked so pretty and the kids were dying to get in it.

I suspect that you and your family will have a wonderful time. Just focus on the positives and build from that.

 

[hulk51382]

CBR is our favorite resort by far though we’ve only stayed at moderates. The theming and pool is what appealed to us the most since we have kids.