Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort has some of the worst reviews among Disney-goers. However, there have been A LOT of changes at this resort over the past 5 years that might make staying here worth it. We recently stayed here to check out all the updates and bring you a full Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort review to help you determine if this moderate resort is the right fit for you and your family on your next Disney World trip.

About Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Head down to the islands at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort! This EPCOT Resort Area hotel is a moderate resort making it one of the more affordable accommodations in Disney World. It is one of the largest resorts on the property, with a size comparable to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside.

Overview

• Hotel Category: Moderate
• Price: $275-$375 per night average
• Resort Area: EPCOT Resort Area

Atmosphere & Theming

For those who are a fan of beach vibes, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is the next best thing! This laid-back resort offers a great balance of theme park hustle and white sandy beach relaxation.

Caribbean Beach Resort has five sections: Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, and Trinidad. All of the buildings are themed with vibrant colors and buildings of the Caribbean, with palm trees and water views everywhere you look. Old Port Royale is the central hub for most recreation, and you’ll always find calypso music playing.

With over two thousand rooms, this resort is highly sought after and…well…huge. Depending on where your building is, there may be a good amount of walking involved. Some rooms offer “fifth sleeper options,” which can be a great value for larger families.

Dining Options

There are a variety of dining options throughout Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. As with all moderate resorts, you’ll find quick service and table service options available to guests throughout the day. When it comes to the food, you’ll find something for everyone, as dining locations offer standard theme park fare like burgers and pizza and island favorites like jerk chicken and fish tacos.

Dining options include:

• Centertown Market
• Banana Cabana
• Sebastian’s Bistro
• Spyglass Grill

Amenities & Recreation

Because Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is so large, it has a long list of recreation and amenities! Guests have plenty to keep them entertained when they’re spending time outside of the parks, with options for laid-back activities and some thrills!

Recreation options include:

• White sand beaches
• Five pools
• Two waterslides
• Kid’s aquatic play area
• Movies Under the Stars
• Playground
• Shopping
• Nightly campfire
• Fishing
• Volleyball courts
• Jogging trail
• Laundry services
• Outdoor games
• Poolside activities

Transportation Options

What used to be a low point for the resort, is now a highlight since the addition of the Disney Skyliner. The resort now acts as the hub for the Disney Skyliner, meaning that you’ll be able to get to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios hassle-free and FAST! This gondola system provides consistent service to various locations, including theme parks and resorts. Complimentary bus transportation is available to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the Disney water parks.

Additionally, as with all Disney World Resorts, guests with their own vehicle get free parking at both the resort and theme parks throughout their stay.

Our Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review

We spent three nights at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort in August 2024. The resort has undergone some pretty extensive renovations recently, and we were interested in the changes.

So, did the resort live up to the less-than-stellar reviews you might find online? Or, did it pleasantly surprise us? Follow along for our Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort review.

The Room

We booked a Standard View – Fifth Sleeper Room for our stay and were assigned to a room in the Jamaica section, Building 44, Room 4429. Our first thoughts on the room were…well…boring. All of the rooms have recently been upgraded, but I would hardly call this an upgrade besides swapping carpet for wood floors, replacing light fixtures, and adding some paint.

While the room was clean and spacious for three people, there wasn’t really any particular theme to the room like other Disney hotels. The walls are a baby blue color but completely bare. The elevated beds for storage are dark wood, and the French doors to the bathroom are a simple brown. This was disappointing compared to the fifth sleeper room we stayed in at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside. The bathroom is also bare, with a plain white shower curtain.

The only glimmer of theming was the window curtain, which featured flowers and seashells. The fifth sleeper pull-down bed, which takes the place of extra drawer space, had a mural of Mickey and Pluto lounging on the beach, which was a nice touch.

The beds were comfortable, and the small table and chairs are one of our favorite features of moderate resorts, as value resorts can lack sitting space. The double sinks are always a nice touch, and it’s convenient to have the sinks separate from the shower and toilet area, especially with multiple people in the room.

We were placed on the first floor, which is easiest for us with a toddler. And, there was little to no noise, even though we were located outside the Jamaica leisure pool.

All in all, while the room was clean, spacious, and in a good location, the theming didn’t meet our expectations for the price we paid.

Food and Drinks: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review

Our stay was booked for the opening days of EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival, so we didn’t do much eating at the resort. We dined at Centertown Market a few times throughout our three-day stay and grabbed some drinks from Banana Cabana.

The walk-up window at Banana Cabana, the poolside bar and eatery, was convenient for grabbing a beer while relaxing by the pool.

And, I enjoyed the setup of Centertown Market more than any other quick service options throughout moderate and value resorts. Instead of a food court setup where guests grab a tray and collect their food before paying, guests order first and are handed a pager here. This frees up hands and time to find a table, collect utensils and condiments, and feels more laid back than in other locations. We ended up trying the Cuban Sandwich and Fish Tacos while we stayed here and enjoyed both.

Though we didn’t dine at Sebastian’s Bistro this time, this table service restaurant is widely known as one of the best values on Disney property. In fact, overall, you’ll find more value and options here when it comes to dining compared to a value resort and all of the options provide good quality!

Amenities & Recreation: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review

We spent most of our time at the resort’s Fuentes del Morro Pool. This pool is one of the best on the property for kids. With a full kid’s aquatic play area and not one but two waterslides in the main pool for kids and adults, it makes a fun time for everyone!

The playground on Caribbean Cay Island is covered — an appreciated perk in the hot Florida summer. We spent our mornings there before heading to the theme parks, and the playground stayed relatively cool throughout.

We also stopped by Caribbean Cay Island for the nightly Movie Under the Stars, which was Hercules the night we watched! Pool lounge chairs were placed in front of the projector screen on the turf lawn for families to enjoy the movie when the sun went down. Though we never really stay for the entire film, this is a perfect way to wind down for bed after a fast-paced day.

Transportation: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review

The transportation offered at Caribbean Beach was the main reason we chose to book this resort, as we planned to spend most of our time at EPCOT for the festival. This meant that we used the Skyliner as our primary mode of transportation.

We love the Skyliner, and it has been a great addition to the Walt Disney World Transportation System, especially with how crowded it has been in recent years. So, we were excited to get to take full advantage of this convenient way to get to the parks!

We also used the Disney bus system to get to Magic Kingdom. The perks of a large resort are that bus stops are located in each section, meaning that guests don’t have to walk to the central hub to catch the bus. Our bus stop was just steps from our building, and the addition of the projected bus arrival times on the My Disney Experience app and on screens at the bus stop made using the bus system easier and more enjoyable.

Overall Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review

So, is Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort the worst resort in the moderate category? Not necessarily!

Though the rooms left a lot to be desired, they were clean and spacious for our needs. The grounds offer great food, an exciting pool, and a relaxing island vibe, though the upkeep of the room buildings could be better maintained.

In our experience, access to the Disney Skyliner makes staying here worth the money if you plan to spend a significant amount of time at EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

If we plan to spend time at Skyliner theme parks, I would stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach again. I probably wouldn’t choose this resort again for a resort-only visit or a primarily Magic Kingdom trip unless a good deal came along. Still, the convenience of the resort locations gives it an edge in my book!

Stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort if…

• You plan to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT a lot
• You want access to the Disney Skyliner
• You enjoy the beach and an island theme
• You are a family of five on a budget

Skip Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort if…

• You plan on spending most of your time at Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• You don’t enjoy a spread-out resort with a lot of walking
• You want highly-themed guest rooms that scream “Disney”

Comments

Have you stayed at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort? Do you think it’s appropriately rated? Let us know your Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort review in the comments!