Beach Resorts in Caribbean

By ! There is a lot to love about this property, and I’m excited to tell you about our experience. This beautiful property just marked 25 years since opening, and she has aged beautifully! For starters, below is the property map that guests receive at check-in.

Now, I had to request an extra map to share with you guys because mine had tons of writing on it to get me to the room. If I had to describe the resort in one word, it would be: massive. While I know lots of the resorts inside and out, this isn’t one I frequent, and I can see where it would be very confusing for some. Also, due to the large size there is an internal bus system to get you around the resort. That doesn’t sound like a negative until you can’t walk to breakfast or the pool. However, that is the only negative I found, and it is a minor one considering all the beauty that comes with this resort!

Resort Amenities: Looking at the map above I thought it would be best to take each of the lettered amenities one by one.

(A) Custom House: This is where all guests go to check-in or visit Guest Services.

(B) Old Port Royale Centertown: At this location there is a lovely indoor gift shop with more than just the normal sundries you’d find by the pool. We found lots of great Disney merchandise and even a coconut designed to mail to your friends back home! There are several quick service dining options, including grab-and-go cold snacks and hot dishes like pizza and burgers. There is also a huge and lovely indoor seating area in which to sit and enjoy your meal. And this area houses in a nice indoor arcade!

(C) Fuentes del Morro Feature Pool Area: This is the enormous and beautiful pool area for the resort. It must be one of the most grand pools in the entire Central Florida area! If you are bringing your kids to Florida to swim, then look no further – you’ve found the ideal place to stay! This area also features several hot tubs hidden around away from all the madness by the pool. The little ones will also have fun in their own splash area themed after a pirate ship! While we were there it seemed like there were activities going on around the pool to keep the kids entertained most of the day. The only trouble is your kids might not want to actually leave to go to the park with a pool like this back “home!”

(D) Barefoot Boat Yard / Bike Works: This is where you can rent a boat to take out on the lake or a bike to ride around the resort!

(E) Caribbean Cay: This is a beautiful “island” in the middle of the lake accessible by walkways. There are tropical alcoves all over in which to sit and enjoy the views. My favorite spots were the shady areas with hammocks! It took me a few minutes to put my finger on what this reminded me of, and then it hit me – Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay! The lush greenery and secluded seating areas are very similar. There is also a very nice playground for the kids!

Room Amenities: I found the rooms at Caribbean Beach to be slightly larger than the rooms at the value resorts, but the buildings still have exterior corridors. Our room was in the Jamaica area, which was lovely with lots of little paths and sitting areas to enjoy. I don’t know what kind of air conditioner was in the room, but it was industrial strength!! We checked in around 6pm and found the room to be freezing cold, so we turned the air conditioner off. When we returned at 10pm, the room was still freezing! (Yes, we are the people who turned the heater on when it was 90 degrees outside!) Other in-room amenities include: iron, ironing board, valet laundry, coffee maker, hair dryer, and in-room safe. Note that the safe had an actual metal key. There was also a large cabinet that would usually house a mini fridge, but it was empty; perhaps my room was part of the resort-wide project to replace faulty in-room refrigerators.

Overall, Disney’s Caribbean Beach is not just a great place to stay during your Disney vacation; it is just a great place to stay! After spending a night here, I can see us spending a few nights here for a staycation without ever visiting the parks. This relaxing, tropical resort is a perfect escape from a busy day in the parks.

Have you stayed at Disney’s Caribbean Beach? Is there something you love about this property that I missed? Do you have questions about the hotel? Please let us know in the comments below, and – as always – thanks for reading!