kdka421
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
We are also back yesterday from what I'd consider my first trip to Caribbean Beach (I was there in February 1996 as a 9 year old so I don't remember it well). We've now stayed at all the mods as adults, so interesting to compare.
Firstwdw, I wonder if we ever crossed paths, we weren't staying in Jamaica but maybe we met on a bus. Remember a family of redheads by any chance? I'm totally jealous of your birthday surprise, I had a milestone birthday while we were there and received not even a mention.
We had an issue our arrival day as well - we were traveling with our 1 year old daughter and had requested a pack and play, which our travel agent confirmed the day before arrival. Got to our room at 5:30pm, no pack and play. Called the front desk to let them know, went to dinner and for a walk, got back at 7:45, still no pack and play. 2 more phone calls, and the pack and play FINALLY showed up at 9:15, which was way past bedtime for an overtired 1 year old (and caused a serious meltdown). Got the trip off to a really rocky start.
Along with my family, we were in Barbados 1415 and 1416, connecting rooms, 1st floor. 1416 is a corner room, both had murphy beds. For being recently renovated, neither room was in great shape - we had trouble with the drawers under the murphy beds staying shut. As long as the connecting doors were closed, we felt it was very quiet in terms of hearing noise from next door neighbors, however outside and upstairs noise was another story. We were woken up twice by loud groups outside, and noise from the room above was very clear as well.
Personally, we were not fans of the food court at all. Cheeseburgers were very low quality and bland, Caesar salads were large and fresh but they were HUGELY over-garlic-ed even for a garlic lover like myself, breakfast platters just mediocre.
Bus situation was far from the best I've experienced, but I understand that average promised time is about 20 minutes. Unfortunately I don't think we ever waited less than 15 minutes when leaving CBR and 20 minutes was normal. The ever changing bus schedue was also hard to make heads or tails of; most mornings we stopped at other stops unless the bus was full, but then one afternoon when I was trying to take a bus to OPR they were all going right from Barbados to the park. And what a huge disappointment that Caribbean Beach at Epcot and MK is one of the furthest away bus stops. MK each day it was bus stop 32, 2nd to furthest, in between Pop and AofA. Our theory is because each time, we were picked up by the tandem busses, and those bus stops are probably the only ones that can accomodate it, and they are necessary for the number of people at CBR. I think this is important to note, as one of the reasons we picked a moderate over a value was to try to minimize our walking to/from the busses, and I don't feel that CBR is better than a value in this regards.
We also had really lousy housekeeping, but that can happen anywhere as well. Every day, something was missed - trash cans weren't emptied, cups weren't replaced, coffee maker wasn't cleaned, shampoo wasn't left, etc. It all just added up to a less than magical experience at the resort (our trip and time in the parks was lovely, but certainly didn't make me a CBR fan for life).
Glad to answer any questions or elaborate on anything that might be helpful.
Firstwdw, I wonder if we ever crossed paths, we weren't staying in Jamaica but maybe we met on a bus. Remember a family of redheads by any chance? I'm totally jealous of your birthday surprise, I had a milestone birthday while we were there and received not even a mention.
We had an issue our arrival day as well - we were traveling with our 1 year old daughter and had requested a pack and play, which our travel agent confirmed the day before arrival. Got to our room at 5:30pm, no pack and play. Called the front desk to let them know, went to dinner and for a walk, got back at 7:45, still no pack and play. 2 more phone calls, and the pack and play FINALLY showed up at 9:15, which was way past bedtime for an overtired 1 year old (and caused a serious meltdown). Got the trip off to a really rocky start.
Along with my family, we were in Barbados 1415 and 1416, connecting rooms, 1st floor. 1416 is a corner room, both had murphy beds. For being recently renovated, neither room was in great shape - we had trouble with the drawers under the murphy beds staying shut. As long as the connecting doors were closed, we felt it was very quiet in terms of hearing noise from next door neighbors, however outside and upstairs noise was another story. We were woken up twice by loud groups outside, and noise from the room above was very clear as well.
Personally, we were not fans of the food court at all. Cheeseburgers were very low quality and bland, Caesar salads were large and fresh but they were HUGELY over-garlic-ed even for a garlic lover like myself, breakfast platters just mediocre.
Bus situation was far from the best I've experienced, but I understand that average promised time is about 20 minutes. Unfortunately I don't think we ever waited less than 15 minutes when leaving CBR and 20 minutes was normal. The ever changing bus schedue was also hard to make heads or tails of; most mornings we stopped at other stops unless the bus was full, but then one afternoon when I was trying to take a bus to OPR they were all going right from Barbados to the park. And what a huge disappointment that Caribbean Beach at Epcot and MK is one of the furthest away bus stops. MK each day it was bus stop 32, 2nd to furthest, in between Pop and AofA. Our theory is because each time, we were picked up by the tandem busses, and those bus stops are probably the only ones that can accomodate it, and they are necessary for the number of people at CBR. I think this is important to note, as one of the reasons we picked a moderate over a value was to try to minimize our walking to/from the busses, and I don't feel that CBR is better than a value in this regards.
We also had really lousy housekeeping, but that can happen anywhere as well. Every day, something was missed - trash cans weren't emptied, cups weren't replaced, coffee maker wasn't cleaned, shampoo wasn't left, etc. It all just added up to a less than magical experience at the resort (our trip and time in the parks was lovely, but certainly didn't make me a CBR fan for life).
Glad to answer any questions or elaborate on anything that might be helpful.
Your magic bands will be scanned at MCO so they will know you are on the way before ME arrives since their system automatically sends the relevant info to the resort, that's also how the front gate security know who is on board if they ask the driver to verify the family details to check you can be assured they will know. If not you will still need to go to check in to get those magic bands and your room number .
