Hotel Review: Caribbean Beach Resort Walt Disney World Florida

The white sand beaches at the Caribbean Beach Resort add to the island ambience .

The Caribbean Beach Resort was the first of three resorts that I stayed in during my recent trip to Walt Disney World. A moderate priced Disney resort that evokes the calm and serenity of a beach vacation yet includes a resort-style pool that’s sure to excite the kids. With its expansive grounds and lush, tropical landscaping, the Caribbean Beach Resort never felt crowded.

What I love:

The Fuentes del Morro pool is the draw for families at the Caribbean Beach Resort. With its pair of water slides, a couple of water canons and zero-entry, it was a wow moment for my boys, 8 and 11-years-old.

The Fuentes del Morro Pool is a kid magnet day and night.

Besides the pool, I found bike rentals, sand volleyball, an arcade, guided pirate excursions and a walking path next to the Barefoot Bay. The travel time to the resorts was reasonable too.

What I didn't love:

The size of the Caribbean Beach Resort was cumbersome. It has an internal bus service that I had to use or hike for miles. The Custom House is where registration, bell services and the Magical Express (complimentary bus transportation to and from the Orlando airport) are located. It’s separate from the rest of the resort and the dining and pool area.

I didn't use the registration area during my stay since I checked into my room before my arrival. I got a text with my room number when it was available in the afternoon. I recommend using this option.

Don't have kids? Each of the seven villages in the Caribbean Beach Resort has its own pool.

I found the Magical Express service efficient. Though I would not let the Magical Express pick up my checked luggage next time. Even though it was delivered to my room, I needed some items before it was delivered, 5 to 8 hours after my flight landed. Next time I will claim my checked bags and put them on the Magical Express with me.

My checked bag was delivered to my room but my carry-on luggage I checked with bell services was not. Since my room was not ready, I left my carry-on with the bell hop. When I got back to the resort I had to make a special trip to the Custom House to claim my bag. The trip took 30 minutes and that’s 30 minutes that the boys could've been swimming in the pool. Bummer.

The Resort:

The Caribbean Beach Resort ($$) is a moderate resort that's 4.1 miles from Epcot. An expansive property that includes seven villages with a total of 2,112 rooms along the shores of the 45-acre Barefoot Bay. Each of the seven villages has a guest laundry, a separate pool and a white-sand beach. 

I found plenty of complimentary self-parking. Though I used the Magical Express and the Walt Disney World bus transportation. The bus transportation to get to the parks is fairly regular but be prepared to stand. The Caribbean Beach Resort features complimentary Wi-Fi but breakfast is not included.

The interior of our Caribbean Beach Resort with its coffee maker, TV and trundle-hiding credenza.   

I reserved a room with two double beds and a fun kid-sized trundle, sleeping for five. The Caribbean Beach Resort has pirate-themed rooms available, which are extra. They have two double beds but no trundle, sleeping for four.

The island colonial architecture and tropical landscaping offer lots of privacy and I rarely saw other guests. The villages, named after Caribbean Islands, have a separate pool and white-sand beach. The Caribbean Beach Resort gives you an island vacation in the middle of Disney.

I visited the Caribbean Beach Resort in April.

The Room:

I had a reservation for a first floor room in the Martinique Village. Each village features several buildings and I thought the buildings could use more signs, hard to navigate with a week’s worth of luggage.

The beds were soft and comfortable with white cotton linens and four pillows.

The room itself is 314 square-feet with a semi-private vanity area and separate tub and toilet area. The room features two double beds and a pull-out trundle that my boys fought over. The room sleeps five total. It would be tight with a pack-n-play and luggage.

Our room had a small round table and two chairs, coffee maker, hair dryer, in-room safe, iron and ironing board, flat screen television, ceiling fan, a mini-refrigerator and ice bucket with real glassware. Missing was an alarm clock. The charging station located on the bed side table with two outlets and two plugs for USB cords was the nicest feature of the room. This feature was missing from the luxury property where I stayed.

The bathroom at the Caribbean Beach Resort has some extras but a separate closet was not one of them. 

The bathroom area has louvered doors that extend the island feel and allow for a separate changing area; great for a Mom who wants to dress before the kids wake up. The room features a standard tub enclosure with a decorative shower curtain and toilet.

The vanity area features two separate sinks with granite counter tops, decorative lighting and mirror. I liked the lighted make-up mirror that’s mounted next to the sink and the decorative tissue cover and soap dish. Standard toiletries are included: facial bar, bath bar, shampoo and conditioner.

The trundle in our room at the Caribbean Beach Resort was a hit with the kids.

Next to the vanity was a long closet rod and the luggage rack. I found the lack of an official closet a serious draw-back. The vanity area gets messy with kids quick. I found four towels in our room which I thought was lacking for families.

The hooks next to the entrance door added convenience for jackets.

Activities:

The Fuentes del Morro pool with its Spanish colonial-themed fort, a pair water cannons and two water slides, one over 80-feet long, is the main attraction. There’s a lot of fun happening here. I especially liked the zero-entry area where I watched my kids and got my toes wet, without putting on a swimsuit.

For the younger kids, there’s a separate water play area. With lots of lounge chairs and the Banana Cabana Pool Bar for your favorite cocktails, this area grabs the kids from all over the resort.

The white-sand beach next to the Barefoot Bay was nice. The Martinique Village has a sand volleyball court. All along Barefoot Bay is a wide walkway suitable for jogging.

Caribbean Beach Resort has family fishing excursions and dockside fishing as well. Bikes and surreys can be rented. 

For kids looking for adventure, Caribbean Beach Resort has a Pirate Adventure Cruise for kids ages 4 to 12-years-old that departs at 9:30 a.m. A arcade is located at Old Port Royale area next to the main pool.

Dining:

With a quick service food court and casual dining options, feeding the family is easy. I used the grab-in-go section that features sweets, healthy snacks, drinks and even individual, alcoholic beverages.

Since the weather was perfect, we took our purchases outside and ate on the large patio area. I found a table, though there should be more. I got the last one.

What I loved about this area is the outdoor entertainment located nearby. My kids could watch the outdoor movie or participate in the campfire activities. I watched my kids while I enjoyed a cocktail without having to sit right next to them. 

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