We chose Caribbean Beach Resort for our January 2023 vacation for a few reasons. Because we intended to spend most of the trip in the park, a moderate level hotel felt like the best value. Often on these types of trips we have opted for a Deluxe hotel, only to feel like we didn’t spend enough time in them. On a trip with less than four nights, we like that the sectional arrangement of moderate hotels often have a relaxed setting to return to at night.
Caribbean Beach resort also affords a convenient location for all of the parks except Magic Kingdom, and even that is not too long of a bus ride away. This was our first time at a Skyliner resort, and with the exception of closing at Epcot, we found it much preferable than bus transportation.
Fifth Sleeper Room
We reserved a “fifth sleeper” room with a water or pool view, and were at first disappointed to be in the Trinidad section because it was furthest from the main area of the resort. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that we were in one of the newly renovated Little Mermaid themed rooms.
The standard queen bed was high enough to allow for luggage storage underneath. The bathroom was also more updated than other moderate resorts, but still offered the convenience of a bathtub for families with young children. A sliding door also created more privacy in the double-sink area.
The modern layout included a couch that converted to a bed and child-size bed. Both were murphy beds, so they were easy to convert, giving us more space during the day.
Dining
If we hadn’t eaten lunch at Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge, we would have tried the Caribbean-themed vegan selection shared dining at Sebastian’s Restaurant. Instead, we split black bean tacos, an impossible burger, and the fried yuca bowl at The Spyglass quick service café, located near our room. A similar menu (with more standard pizza/burger options) was also available in the lobby.
Recreation
The Fuentes del Morro Pool at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is centrally located to most of the sections in the resort. Our room was one of the furthest away, with a 10 minute walk between. However we were just steps away from village pool.
The Caribbean Cay Island included relaxing cabana areas and a large playground. With more time, we would have enjoyed a movie under the stars or roasted marshmallows at a campfire.
Old Port Royale & Transportation
The central section of the resort included guest services, the gift shop, and most of the dining options for the resort, similar to most other moderate level resorts.
During our stay, the bus dropped off first at Old Port Royale, followed by seven additional stops. We were the fifth stop, and on a busy morning the Magic Kingdom bus was filled after we loaded and did not continue to the last two stops (a second bus to the park did arrive while we boarded.)
Disney Skyliner
We have used the Skyliner on past trips as transportation between Hollywood Studios and Epcot, but this was the first time staying in a resort with direct access. Even with a sold-out resort, we had no wait to get to the parks, and coming home from Hollywood Studios on a low-crowd night was a breeze. However, leaving the Epcot France section at closing on a busy night was a different story. Because people returning to all five accessible resorts were trying to leave simultaneously, the line wrapped along the boardwalk to the Beach Club Resort Villa section. We didn’t want to take our chances with the wait, and opted for a $10 Lyft from the Beach Club.
