Caribbean Beach is a Dump!

[Summer2018]

I received an offer for a promotional rate of $129 a night for July and I already had a $114 a night rate at Pop. There was no question for me that Pop was the better value.

We stayed at CBR last September and, while it did not seem like a dump (the grounds, the main pool, the playground, the food court, and the gift shop were very nice), the rooms were dark and musty smelling (the first one we were given we stayed one night and had to move, it smelled so bad), the 7 bus stops were inconvenient, and the resort was huge and even being in a preferred room we were farther away from the food court than I was in a standard at Pop. CBR is easily our least favorite of all the resorts where we have stayed. I would stay there again because I am just crazy about Disney, but if I had a choice of other resorts, I would choose a value over CBR for price and convenience- even when CBR is just $15 more per night than a value.

I hope the refurb really makes it awesome. It has a lot of potential, but the dark, musty rooms and the size of the resort (the refurb probably won't fix this) make it low on our list of preferred resorts right now.

CBR was our least favorite as well for all the reasons you listed. When we stayed at All Stars Music, we paid less and enjoyed it much more. We've returned to Music two more times before skipping right over the moderates and going deluxe all the way from now on. But if we couldn't afford deluxe, we'd go right back to Music.

 

[La2kw]

I'm honestly surprised people are actually willing to stay at this resort in the state it is. Disney should not be charging the prices they are charging for this resort in the state it's in. Same with the food and the bar. Full price drinks served from a trailer outside? Prices should be cheaper than that. Not everyone is aware of how to research WDW like those of us here on these boards do. Disney is taking advantage of people by not offering better rates and food/drink prices during this renovation. You'd be better off at the AllStars than this resort in the state it's in.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm honestly surprised people are actually willing to stay at this resort in the state it is. Disney should not be charging the prices they are charging for this resort in the state it's in. Same with the food and the bar. Full price drinks served from a trailer outside? Prices should be cheaper than that. Not everyone is aware of how to research WDW like those of us here on these boards do. Disney is taking advantage of people by not offering better rates and food/drink prices during this renovation. You'd be better off at the AllStars than this resort in the state it's in.

If you book on line you can't miss the memo that the resort is going thru major construction. And Disney is not charging it's usual rate for CBR.

I think sometimes people just like to be mad at Disney. If you don't want to be at a resort during construction, don't book it. Some people don't find it that upsetting and are ok with paying a reduced price.

 

[twoplustwins]

I'm honestly surprised people are actually willing to stay at this resort in the state it is. Disney should not be charging the prices they are charging for this resort in the state it's in. Same with the food and the bar. Full price drinks served from a trailer outside? Prices should be cheaper than that. Not everyone is aware of how to research WDW like those of us here on these boards do. Disney is taking advantage of people by not offering better rates and food/drink prices during this renovation. You'd be better off at the AllStars than this resort in the state it's in.

I agree. While I see the comment online that construction is going on, I feel like a lot of people really don't know the extent of it. Should they do their research? Well, yes, but we always encounter people at Disney that have no idea about ADRs, FP, EMH, etc. IMO, it's just not up to the regular Disney standards that we are used to, no matter the level of resort.
Disney should either reduce the price greatly or continue to offer the gift cards.

 

[AngiTN]

I'm honestly surprised people are actually willing to stay at this resort in the state it is. Disney should not be charging the prices they are charging for this resort in the state it's in. Same with the food and the bar. Full price drinks served from a trailer outside? Prices should be cheaper than that. Not everyone is aware of how to research WDW like those of us here on these boards do. Disney is taking advantage of people by not offering better rates and food/drink prices during this renovation. You'd be better off at the AllStars than this resort in the state it's in.

And I'm amazed that anyone could ever pay what Disney charges for the shoe boxes that fill in as hotel rooms at the All Star resorts. I joke that the rooms are so small I had to go outside to change my mind. And the walls so thin you can hear your neighbor thinking. Don't get me started on full beds or the linens in them. But folks like them for some reason. I sure don't get it. To each their own though

Point is, there are people who find value in all the different Disney resorts and if you don't find it in a given resort it doesn't make it a bad resort for everyone just a bad resort for you. Solution is easy, don't stay there

 

[cheshirealliekat]

If you book on line you can't miss the memo that the resort is going thru major construction. And Disney is not charging it's usual rate for CBR.

I think sometimes people just like to be mad at Disney. If you don't want to be at a resort during construction, don't book it. Some people don't find it that upsetting and are ok with paying a reduced price.

I don't find the price that reduced. If I look for next Saturday the standard room rate with an AP pass is only $10 less than that for POR. We stayed at Caribbean Beach for the first time in June, aware of the construction, and while I don't feel it was a "dump", I am shocked Disney isn't offering it at a value rate during the construction. I imagine it is/will be worse than what we saw for a while before it gets better, and it really does impact the entire experience of the resort. I might be willing to stay again in the future, after the construction is done, but it won't be my first choice ever because the Magic of staying there was pretty non-existent, and I even managed to find charm in an All Star.

 

[TwinkleKS]

And I'm amazed that anyone could ever pay what Disney charges for the shoe boxes that fill in as hotel rooms at the All Star resorts. I joke that the rooms are so small I had to go outside to change my mind. And the walls so thin you can hear your neighbor thinking. Don't get me started on full beds or the linens in them. But folks like them for some reason. I sure don't get it. To each their own though

Point is, there are people who find value in all the different Disney resorts and if you don't find it in a given resort it doesn't make it a bad resort for everyone just a bad resort for you. Solution is easy, don't stay there

Once again I agree. We stayed All Stars once and I refused to ever go back. I was six months pregnant and swore I had to stand in the shower to close the bathroom door to use the toilet and the beds were horrible (this was 7 years ago ... so maybe they are better now???).

The beds at CBR were queen sized and while the bathroom wasn't big I could close the door

I'm there for the room, not the food at the resort so I could care less about the trailers. Plus we eat at food trucks all of the time ... they are kind of a "thing".

I keep responding on here because I hate for people to possibly miss out on a good deal for their circumstances. If you are just staying for a room onsite and can't afford a deluxe and are getting a better deal than at other moderates ... go for it. If you want to live at your resort and don't spend the majority of the time in the parks then maybe stay somewhere else.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I also wouldn't call it a dump but would stay at an All-Star before staying at CBR again. It was too spread out, no elevators, and the food choices were not good. Maybe that will change. I've stayed at over half of the Disney resorts and this one was my least favorite.

 

[cheshirealliekat]

Once again I agree. We stayed All Stars once and I refused to ever go back. I was six months pregnant and swore I had to stand in the shower to close the bathroom door to use the toilet and the beds were horrible (this was 7 years ago ... so maybe they are better now???).

The beds at CBR were queen sized and while the bathroom wasn't big I could close the door

I'm there for the room, not the food at the resort so I could care less about the trailers. Plus we eat at food trucks all of the time ... they are kind of a "thing".

I keep responding on here because I hate for people to possibly miss out on a good deal for their circumstances. If you are just staying for a room onsite and can't afford a deluxe and are getting a better deal than at other moderates ... go for it. If you want to live at your resort and don't spend the majority of the time in the parks then maybe stay somewhere else.

But there is no good deal unless you've already booked it in advance and are now second-guessing. People who are looking to book now are not getting a deal of any kind, they are getting a moderate that is under massive construction for the same price as all of the other moderates.

 

[TwinkleKS]

But there is no good deal unless you've already booked it in advance and are now second-guessing. People who are looking to book now are not getting a deal of any kind, they are getting a moderate that is under massive construction for the same price as all of the other moderates.

We received a UOC or PIN code, whatever they are calling it now ... that was less than anyplace else we could stay on property for the week (including values). Keep in mind we have five people so that limits us on some of the least expensive rooms.

I think we ended up booking 3.5 weeks out before our trip July 4th week. Obviously if you are looking for the cheapest it's easy to run the numbers and see what is the least expensive for your family.

We aren't staying here when we come back for our annual Christmas trip... I don't think it is the best resort ever. I'm just saying if you are like us and use the resort mainly for a place
to sleep then I wouldn't automatically discount it.

 

[maxiesmom]

But there is no good deal unless you've already booked it in advance and are now second-guessing. People who are looking to book now are not getting a deal of any kind, they are getting a moderate that is under massive construction for the same price as all of the other moderates.

They are still showing a discount when I'm checking dates. Not a massive one, but it is coming up as cheaper than all the other moderates.

 

[Aurora0427]

I guess it's different at Disney but yeah, I've stayed at lots of hotels without food at the hotel. And did just fine. We are headed to Gatlinburg on Friday and our hotel will not have food at it in any way. We'll have to leave it to eat. We'll manage to not starve. I get that it's not the norm at Disney but it would be manageable, if you want to get real technical about it. There is food to be found nearby. Folks wouldn't starve. Still think the options they put in are preferable to most people over nothing. And they've continued to add to the options by adding more food truck choices to other areas of the resort. So you aren't limited to the choices in the tent. They are trying to do their best. Even their best isn't going to make some folks happy.

It's totally different at Disney..... they've also set the expectation that food is easy and very accessible AT your resort, which is a big reason why people stay there. We'll have a one year old this trip and no car, so the food options and ease of those options at our resort are extremely important. We can't even cab or Uber anywhere due to lack of a car seat. We are at the Poly, so no issues, but I can empathize with those unhappy at CBR.

 

[Nancyg56]

If you book on line you can't miss the memo that the resort is going thru major construction. And Disney is not charging it's usual rate for CBR.

I think sometimes people just like to be mad at Disney. If you don't want to be at a resort during construction, don't book it. Some people don't find it that upsetting and are ok with paying a reduced price.

I agree. We avoid resorts under construction because we notice the disruption. For those who do not there can be a lot of benefits. When Disney finally determined that folks would not pay rack rate for that level of construction at the Poly was an opportunity for some folks who would not normally justify the cost. For others, the Poly was a dream resort and no one would ever suggest they stay during that time.

I think that we all have different reasons for booking any given resort and if yiu dont care about whatever is impacted by construction during your trip, the discount is worth it, If you do, you should book elsewhere.

 

[Nancyg56]

It's totally different at Disney..... they've also set the expectation that food is easy and very accessible AT your resort, which is a big reason why people stay there. We'll have a one year old this trip and no car, so the food options and ease of those options at our resort are extremely important. We can't even cab or Uber anywhere due to lack of a car seat. We are at the Poly, so no issues, but I can empathize with those unhappy at CBR.

If they did nto know, that is one thing. I remember when Disney kept the information about construction at the Poly very quiet, and I thought that was terrible. Folks need to be informed if they are not getting the experience that is advertised. I do think Disney has tried to correct the lack of information this time, albeit late again, so if people are accepting the discounted rate they need to accept the reduced amenities.

 

[PollyannaMom]

When I saw the title, I clicked to see what could possibly have changed that much since 2015? (We stayed at CBR then and loved it! - We were buried in snow here, and the tropical theme was exactly what we needed.) I didn't realize it was about construction instead of the usual "it's too big" complaint.

I agree with those who said its all about your personal balance. For some, construction ruins the experience, for others, discounts make a new adventure possible. (Just like for us, a spread out resort means calm and quiet, for others, too much walking.)

 

[shameless3]

If you book on line you can't miss the memo that the resort is going thru major construction. And Disney is not charging it's usual rate for CBR.

I think sometimes people just like to be mad at Disney. If you don't want to be at a resort during construction, don't book it. Some people don't find it that upsetting and are ok with paying a reduced price.

I booked online and honestly don't remember seeing the memo about construction (it was probably there) .However, I have booked online at other resorts undergoing construction in the past and seen the memo and thhen I got to the resort (Boardwalk), I hardly noticed the work going on. People may not realize the scope of work being completed at CBR if they have had a similar experience.

I don't come to the Boards unless I book a trip, so it was a surprise to me to see so much work being done to CBR after I had booked.

 

[BeautyMom]

But there is no good deal unless you've already booked it in advance and are now second-guessing. People who are looking to book now are not getting a deal of any kind, they are getting a moderate that is under massive construction for the same price as all of the other moderates.

We decided to book CBR for the end of January 2018 for a couple reasons. We are a family of 5. CBR was the least expensive on site option for us since the only rooms we could book at the values are suites. I had considered POR but we will have 3 kids, including two 4 year old boys, and I thought they would get a kick out of the theming of the main pool. We plan to do most of our meals at the parks and maybe get a grocery delivery to the room for light breakfast so I don't expect the dining to be a big deal for us.
I want to stay on property mostly so we don't have to rent a car or drive anywhere. I do hope that by the end of January, construction will be past the tear down and be full swing into building. But, I know we took a chance and I'm willing to accept the construction in whatever state it's in. Just want to give a perspective of someone who booked CBR with full knowledge of construction and still think it's the best choice for us.

 

[Summer2018]

And I'm amazed that anyone could ever pay what Disney charges for the shoe boxes that fill in as hotel rooms at the All Star resorts. I joke that the rooms are so small I had to go outside to change my mind. And the walls so thin you can hear your neighbor thinking. Don't get me started on full beds or the linens in them.

You are hilarious!

Music met our needs when DD was young, however, now that we've experienced deluxe, it would be a struggle to go back there. If we had to do value again, we'd have to do a suite because DH and I are too used to our King sized bed. Maybe we'd try Arts of Animation. Hopefully we won't have to go back to value.

 

[Summer2018]

We wouldn't be happy at CBR, construction or not, but the inconveniences would definitely bother us. I would choose to skip it and not be tempted by the discounts or gift cards. That is my family's opinion.

On our last trip, we had originally planned to stay at Poly. However, after doing extensive research, it wasn't looking like we were going to be happy due to construction. Having to use a waterpark for swimming instead of my own resort's pool was going to be a real pain in the a$$. So we stayed at Contemporary, which I obsessed over due to a lot of complaints about lack of theming. We ended up LOVING Contemporary and figured out that there actually is theming...Tomorrowland. We visited Poly during our last trip to eat at 'Ohana and shop at Boutiki. We passed by it on a boat. After seeing our beloved Poly not looking like we were used to and all of the disruption due to construction, we knew we had made the right decision. Do unexpected things, completely out of our control, occur to disrupt vacation? Always. However, I spend way too much money on a Disney vacation to go in knowing ahead of time that I will be inconvenienced.

On our next trip, we our Poly-bound, sans construction. Hopefully the monorail will cooperate...at least some of the time.

 

[Micka Mouse]

We are road tripping this summer, and had $500 disney points that were going to expire. CBR is our absolute favorite, and with the $75 gift card offered and cheaper rates, we could have stayed 2-3 nights. Seemed like a no-brainer to me. However, after reading about the construction, I decided that it wasn't an option. After a lot of thought, I decided to splurge on one night at BC, because I didn't want to ruin my memories of CBR. The Disney website was VERY clear about the construction, what was closed, and what time construction would begin each morning. If I didn't know about it, and showed up, I would have been devestated!