Look no further than the Caribbean Beach Resort if you are wanting a budget-friendly option while vacationing at the Walt Disney World® Resort. On the shores of a 42-acre lake named Barefoot Bay, Caribbean Beach opened its doors on October 1, 1988, as Disney World's first moderate-category resort.
Barefoot Bay is surrounded by a mile-long promenade that connects to winding paths leading to all guest rooms and common areas. Caribbean Cay, an island in the center of the lake, has lush foliage, small intimate seating areas looking out over the lake, a playground, a small aviary, and a picnic area. Caribbean Cay is connected to the promenade on each side by a footbridge.
The Caribbean Beach Resort consists of two dozen tropical-themed two-story motel-style buildings separated into five "villages" named for Caribbean Islands: Barbados, Aruba, Martinique, Jamaica, and Trinidad (North and South). Each building contains 64 guest rooms. Theming celebrates the Caribbean culture with bright tropical accents and lots of rattan and dark wood. After an extensive renovation a few years ago, the resort replaced its double-size beds with two queens and added a fold-down Murphy bed to select rooms. Gone are the days when you could sleep on a boat in a Pirate Room in the Trinidad section of Caribbean Beach - they are being reimagined with an "under the sea" theme.
Each village has its own pool, white sand beach with hammocks, laundry facilities, bus stop, and parking area. Small playgrounds are located on the village beaches of Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad. A white sand volleyball court is located on the beach of Barbados Village. You can identify the various villages by their colorful exteriors:
Aruba is pink and purple buildings with aqua roofs
Barbados is light blue buildings with coral roofs
Jamaica is yellow buildings with sky blue roofs
Martinique is coral and pink buildings with aqua roofs
Trinidad North and South are light and dark coral buildings with dark coral roofs
Old Port Royal is a complex located near the center of the property. Guests check in at the Customs House, a reception building that has a tropical feel. It acts as a "port of entry" giving guests access to checking in, concierge assistance, and dining during their stay. There is an updated Centertown Market (the resort's main food court), Calypso Trading Post (shop with sundries and souvenirs), and Goombay Games (arcade). Just across the way is Sebastian's Bistro, a restaurant that offers waterfront dining. If you'd like to skip dinner, try the Banana Cabana outdoor bar and lounge. Also nearby is where the Barefoot Bay Marina and Bike Works is located.
For guests wanting to soak in some Vitamin D and hang out at the pool, head to the resort's main pool, Fuentas del Morro. lt has old Spanish citadel theming with zero-entry access, two slides, and water cannons. The adventurous can climb a spiral staircase to the top of a turret for an exhilarating 82-foot trip down the larger slide. Children under 48 inches tall can play at a nearby shipwreck play area, where they can occasionally get soaked by a barrel that dumps water. At each island village location are five leisure pools if you want to enjoy more quiet time. All pools are heated, which makes for swimming year-round. Pool hours are seasonal, and only the Fuentas del Morro Pool has lifeguards on duty during official operating hours. Complimentary towels are provided at all the pools, so don't bother hauling any from your room.
This resort is massive with the islands spread out over 200 acres. This makes for considerable walking if your room isn't near Old Port Royale. Depending on how fast you walk, it can easily take 15 minutes to go from the farthest rooms to Old Port Royale. Do take this factor into consideration when you select your room choice -- paying a bit more for a preferred room closer to Old Port Royale is highly advised. When stating your village preference (never guaranteed but Disney tries its best), if you are wanting to get to Old Port Royale as quickly as possible:
The closest buildings are in Martinique (buildings 26, 25, and 24)
The farthest buildings are in parts of Trinidad (buildings 37-39)
Aruba and Jamaica are across the lake with some buildings (44-46 and 51-53) fairly close.
A good thing to know is that there are no elevators in any of the buildings. Guests who are unable to take the stairs should request first-floor rooms.
The main hub of Disney's Skyliner gondola is located at Caribbean Beach. The Skyliner Station is located just south of Jamaica village. Another Skyliner access point is at the nearby Riviera Resort -- guests in the Martinique village can easily walk to the Riviera to take advantage of the Skyliner Station located there as well.
Should you want to go to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs, a Disney bus is your best option unless you choose to drive or take some sort of hired transport. Like other Disney resorts, there is no direct bus service from Caribbean Beach to other resorts. There are seven bus stops throughout the resort accessed by Disney's bus transportation. Also, there is an internal shuttle that runs daily to transport guests between where they are staying in the villages and Old Port Royal.
During a recent business trip, I stayed in a preferred room in Martinique. I loved the proximity to Old Port Royal (out my door and to the left) as well as how close I was to the Riviera Resorts Skyliner Station (out my door and to the right). Although I was used to staying in deluxe resorts, the Caribbean Resort was a great option. Since I was on business, I had no time to enjoy the recreational features of the resort. I will say that people at the pool looked like they were having a bang-up good time, and families with small children seemed to really enjoy the playground areas. My room was spotless and the cast members, while I was out and about, were so friendly. Admittedly, I had to ask for directions more than once as the resort is HUGE! I was a bit sad to leave the resort for the airport and must say that calypso music was still on my brain days after returning home.
If you are looking for a good moderate category option at Walt Disney World, do consider Caribbean Beach!
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