I’ve only stayed at a Deluxe Resort before. This was my first time staying at a Moderate and I was skeptical that I would love the Caribbean Beach Resort.
My Fears vs Reality
Fear: I wouldn’t feel like I was at Disney.
Reality: Since we would not be coming and going through a major building, there would be no Cast Members to see who would greet us each day. I was wrong. I still felt like I was at Disney. There were TV’s in the food court playing Disney cartoons. My kids loved them! I would walk through the gift shop each day to get to the food court, so I would see Disney and Cast Members each day greeting me.
Fear: Buses would be an issue.
Reality: I had heard that there would be a long wait for the buses. Because we stayed in Jamaica, we were first for bus pickup. Sometimes we were first for drop off too. It would just depend on the route the buses took back. The buses really weren’t that bad. I was pleased.
Fear: The room might be a tad too small.
Reality: The room size was doable. I did not go crazy or feel like I had no space. We had enough room to “park” the double stroller inside. The room size wasn’t too bad for a hotel room.
Fear: The walk would be too long to get anywhere on the property.
Reality: We stayed in Jamaica which was not too far from Old Port Royal where all the food was. The walk was not that bad with 3 kids. The walk to the bus wasn’t too bad either.
Pros & Cons of the Resort:
Cons:
- Few bath amenities. The resort only provided soap, shampoo and conditioner. It may have changed, but I remember lotion being offered at the Beach Resort. Only a minor detail.
- Smaller storage area. It seemed smaller than I remembered at the Deluxes.
- No enclosed closet – there is an open “closet” area near the sinks. We stowed our suitcases there, but it would’ve been nice to have it closed in. Even so, this isn’t a deal breaker.
- The pull down bed was a nice option, but it was a little high off the floor and I was afraid that my child would fall off. None of my kids were interested in sleeping on it. That said, it’s a good option for those families who could make use of it.
Pros:
- Food court. I love the food court option! At the Beach Club, there are only sit down restaurants. No where to grab a quick meal. Yes, they have a few food items in the gift shop, but it’s not the same. If we didn’t have a reservation somewhere, we had no where to eat at the Beach Club. At Caribbean Beach, I loved having the option to get food whenever I wanted and I liked the options provided. We did not get tired of the food since we didn’t eat there all the time.
- A sliding barn door option over the sink area. This gave more privacy for changing. Even though the sinks are sort of hidden in a deluxe, I liked having the barn door. You could close the barn doors and leave the door to the bathroom/shower open so that you felt like you had “more” room and not feel too claustrophobic in the small bathroom.
- I loved walking to the food court each morning. It was a quiet walk since I was up before the rush. At the Beach Club, I would sit on the balcony each morning wishing I could partake of the quiet stillness of morning. At the Caribbean Beach, I had to leave my room and walk outside to go get breakfast. I “had” to partake in the morning stillness. I loved it!
- The pool was nice. My son loved the pirate area. My oldest daughter loved the water slides. I liked that the slides were near the main pool area. At the Beach Club, the slide was some distance from the main pool and I had to walk over to it to supervise my children. Here, I could stay in the main pool and supervise the kids.
Would I stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort again? Yes!
