Earlier this month, Beyond Imagination Vacations had the opportunity to take an in-depth tour of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. With a newly reimagined lobby and public spaces and its position as a hub for the Disney Skyliner mode of transportation, Caribbean Beach Resort has taken the top spot among the five moderate hotels at Walt Disney World Resort.
Located in the Epcot area, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort allows guests to escape everyday worries and cares with its modern, airy tropical decor. Weary travelers are immediately welcomed by the bright, cheerful lobby and some of the friendliest cast members in all of Walt Disney World. As you walk to your room or stroll the resort’s grounds, you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported to the Caribbean with the lush, verdant landscaping.
Lovely sitting area in the lobby of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
The lobby itself is located in Old Port Royale, as well as the main quick-service food court, Centertown Market which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; the on-site gift shop, Calypso Trading Post; and the hotel’s only table-service restaurant, Sebastian’s Bistro which is open for dinner and features Latin and seafood cuisine.
Use your table-service credits on the Disney Dining Plan at Sebastian’s Bistro.
Centertown Market is the main quick-service dining option at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. We appreciate that your entire party orders at one location, then you grab your food at different stations. Bonus: Centertown Market offers Mobile Ordering.
After you grab your food, find a spot at the outdoor seating area of Centertown Market if you prefer not eating indoors.
There are five distinct “islands” that make up Caribbean Beach - Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad and Aruba. Each island complex is dotted by different yet harmonious bright, tropical colors and features its own pool as well as access to a 45-acre lake and sandy beaches complete with hammocks for the ultimate relaxation after a day in the parks.
No worries to be found at the Jamaica island complex of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Perfect spot to kickstart your day with a coffee, lounge with a book in the afternoon or savor a tropical cocktail by moonlight
Disney’s Caribbean Beach is one of the larger resorts with more than 1,500 hotel rooms. At 300 square feet, standard rooms can sleep up to four guests plus one child under the age of three in a crib. These rooms are equipped with two queen beds or one king bed. Select rooms offer more capacity, sleeping up to five guests plus one child under the age of three. These rooms are equipped with two queen beds and a child-size pull-down bed.
The fifth sleeper option at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort - with a pull-out bed this cute, we wouldn’t mind catching some zzz’s with Mickey and Pluto!
What makes Caribbean Beach Resort unique is its limited number of pirate-themed rooms, located in the Trinidad complex. Your little mateys will get a kick out of sleeping in a bed shaped like a pirate ship and pulling back the curtain adorned with skull and swords to access the bathroom. Parents will love the special details like a “rum” barrell used to hide the mini-fridge and “treasure crates” acting as a TV console. The pirate rooms only sleep four, and the beds are double beds rather than the queens featured in the other rooms.
Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean and Jake and the Neverland Pirates alike will adore the pirate-themed rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
It’s all in the details in a pirate-themed room at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort - crates as a TV console and a rum barrell hiding the mini-fridge.
The main pool at Caribbean Beach, Fuentes del Morro Pool, is another stand out element of the hotel. It’s a Spanish fortress-themed pool featuring zero-depth entry with two waterslides - one measures 102-feet long, a 12-person spa and cannons that squirt water on unsuspecting swimmers underneath. There’s also a shipwreck waterplay area for the smallest of buccaneers. Furthermore, Caribbean Beach has a sweet land play area for little tots.
You can spend an entire day enjoying the Fuentos del Morro Pool….
and the Banana Cabana lounge!
Not to be missed is the full-service outdoor lounge adjacent to the Fuentes del Morro Pool, Banana Cabana. This spot is where you’ll really feel as if you’re on vacation in the Caribbean. The decor is lively and bright with cute touches like steel drum light fixtures. Banana Cabana faces the lake, and you can take your drink to one of the green lounging chairs to take in the ambiance and watch the Skyliners traveling above. The bar features alcoholic and kid-friendly tropical concotions - our team’s favorite was the flavorful and not too sweet Pink Guava Colada. The menu also offers quick bites with the Beyond Imagination Vacations winner being the Jerk Chicken Sandwich.
With all these amenities, it’s an understatement to say that Disney’s Caribbean Beach is expansive. As such, it has an internal bus system to transfer guests from the five island complexes to the main bus stop to get to the theme parks. With Caribbean Beach serving as the hub for the new Disney Skyliner, the resort has stepped up its transportation game. Although temporarily sidelined for about one week, the Skyliner re-opened as of the day of this blog writing (October 14) and provides a convenient and quick route to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Guests will still have to take the Disney bus to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.
Disney Skyliner gondolas over Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
If you can’t infer from this overview of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, we’ll sum it up in four words: We LOVE this hotel. There are fun, lively places to enjoy like Banana Cabana and the main pool, yet you’ll also find serene spots to relax and savor a tropical paradise located in the heart of Walt Disney World Resort!
