I’m FINALLY getting round to writing my review of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, a whole 9 months after our stay!

Location:

Caribbean Beach is basically bang-slap in the middle point of Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney, so after a late night in the parks, or exploring the nightlife of Downtown, you can enjoy the bonus of a short bus ride back to bed, but it does mean its quite a long haul to and from the Magic Kingdom!

It does, however, mean you are lucky enough to be able to catch the fireworks from both Epcot and Hollywood Studios from pretty much anywhere around the lake, and pretty much all of the many swimming pools!

Layout:

The resort is centred around Barefoot Bay, a huge lake surrounded by beaches and palm trees, and the rooms are split into six villages, each representing a different Caribbean island, and each with their own swimming pool at the centre, and own stop for the buses into the parks.

The resort’s reception is actually a little way away from the rooms themselves, on the other side of another small lake, so a bit of a trek for those staying at the other side of the resort, but there is an internal shuttle bus that runs around the outer rim of the resort.

The main hub of the resort is Old Port Royale, with its many food counters, souvenir shop, guest services and table service restaurant: Shutters. Just outside of Old Port Royale is the main swimming pool of the resort, equipped with towers and slides, perfect for families!

Rooms:

We stayed in a standard room, which was nice enough considering we didn’t spend much time in our rooms at all. The rooms are equipped with a fridge, which was great for keeping snacks and drinks in, and there were two sinks, ideal for families.

If I’m being totally honest, I was a little disappointed with Mousekeeping.. When we first arrived there were no toiletries in the room, and it took a few calls and about a day and a half before this was rectified.

Dining:

Old Port Royale has a number of food counters, serving a selection of food from snacks to burgers to pizza to burritos, and a great range of breakfast options.

Activities:

As well as the seven swimming pools around the resort, there are endless activities on offer from evening movies by the pool and campfire marshmallow toasting, to bike rentals and pirate adventures. The path around Barefoot Bay is 1.2 miles for a scenic stroll or jog, and some of the beaches have volleyball facilities.

Overall pros:

°o° At the lower end of the Moderate resort price range, its great value for money!

°o° Its pretty magical being able to see fireworks from the swimming pool!

°o° Close proximity to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney

°o° Great facilities for families with small children, especially with every room having a nearby pool

°o° Beautiful scenery and design!

Overall cons:

°o° Its a large resort, so lots of walking to get around!

°o° Quite a long trip to and from the Magic Kingdom

°o° For a large resort, its often very busy and buses can be very crowded!