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View Full Version : Caribbean Beach refurb - be warned



Euby
02-22-2017, 02:05 AM
Today was the day for me to be able to do online check-in for my upcoming trip the last week of April. Pretty simple process. Then I got an email from Disney...

"Upon your arrival, you will notice construction work in various areas as we enhance our Resort. Noise may be heard while this work is being completed and certain pathways may be unavailable.

Additionally, Old Port Royale Food Court, Shutters at Old Port Royale, Banana Cabana Pool Bar and Calypso Trading Post will be closed for refurbishment during your stay. While we work our magic, there will be a variety of dining options available to you for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Centertown will serve breakfast and dinner and a selection of grab-and-go meals will be conveniently available for purchase in three island markets located in the Aruba, Jamaica and Martinique regions of the Resort."

Now I was aware that they were doing work on the pools around Trinidad. But this was something new entirely! They essentially are shutting down all services and offering a rather poor substitute. Counter-Service at breakfast can be trying on a good day, but having it in an area that was not designed for it? No thanks. AND the pool bar?! That is just going too far! LOL

I immediately forwarded the email to Karen @ Magical Journeys. This was the first she heard of it as well and contacted Disney to get more details. They really weren't that forthcoming with dates of the actual closures. So Karen worked some magic, and with a few changes (dropping the Deluxe Dining Plan), she was able to get me in the Animal Kingdom Lodge with a Standard View.

So I just wanted to pass this along to anyone staying (or thinking of staying) at CBR towards the end of April 2017 and later that may not have done the online check-in.

ibelieveindisneymagic
02-22-2017, 09:26 AM
Thanks for sharing - that most certainly does sound like a lot of things. We were thinking of switching our May stay to CBR, and I'm glad we didn't!

VWL Mom
02-22-2017, 11:47 AM
Wow, that sounds like everything is closing at once. Glad you were able to change your resort (yay Karen @ MJ)!

Is it me or does Disney seem to be turning into one big construction zone lately? I understand things need fixing and refurbishment but it seems like ¾ of the resorts are under construction. For a company that's constantly sending customer satisfaction surveys, this seems like anything but.

hauntedmansiongirl
02-22-2017, 03:44 PM
That is terrible that they let you know so late!! Thank you for sharing this info.

Thank goodness for Karen and Magical Journeys!! That's great that you were able to switch to AKL! I'm sure you will love it far more than CBR anyway!!! Have a wonderful time!!

mamacon67
02-22-2017, 07:29 PM
We are going in early June, and our reservation was originally at CBR. Discounts enticed my to switch to a different resort. Boy, am I glad that I did. None of this was known to me when I made the switch, but I would have been really ****** with all of the shut downs.

1DisneyNut
02-22-2017, 08:22 PM
That is completely unacceptable. WDW has a history of not notifying guests of these sorts of things until last minute because they know they will have complaints and cancellations if they let be known much in advance.

baldburke
02-23-2017, 12:21 PM
That is completely unacceptable. WDW has a history of not notifying guests of these sorts of things until last minute because they know they will have complaints and cancellations if they let be known much in advance.

On the flip side Disney is generally fairly accommodating if they have late notice issues like these. Perhaps there is an option to move to a comparable resort?

MississippiDisneyFreak
02-23-2017, 12:31 PM
Glad you were able to move to WL

magicofdisney
02-23-2017, 12:41 PM
Wow, that sounds like everything is closing at once. Glad you were able to change your resort (yay Karen @ MJ)!

Is it me or does Disney seem to be turning into one big construction zone lately? I understand things need fixing and refurbishment but it seems like ¾ of the resorts are under construction. For a company that's constantly sending customer satisfaction surveys, this seems like anything but.
When I was a teenager, I took a school trip to NYC. I remember the tour guide saying, "New York would be beautiful if they'd ever finish it." This is how I feel about Disney right now. Between the parks, the resorts and the roads, construction is everywhere.

However, I am NOT complaining, just acknowledging the frustrations of growing pains.

The Hitchhiking Ghost
02-23-2017, 03:59 PM
I subscribe to and go on to a lot of Disney websites, pretty certain I got wind of this maybe even a week a go, so not completely breaking news.

But I agree, even at a moderate level resort, paying $200 p/night, you don't want to see construction walls and temporary set ups. They should be notifying registered guests the minute the refurb schedule is locked down, not days before the visit.

KarenP
02-23-2017, 07:56 PM
We knew there would be some construction as of the 16th, but didn't know how extensive the closures would be. Disney is great at springing it on us last minute!

Figment!
02-25-2017, 10:42 AM
Today was the day for me to be able to do online check-in for my upcoming trip the last week of April. Pretty simple process. Then I got an email from Disney...

"Upon your arrival, you will notice construction work in various areas as we enhance our Resort. Noise may be heard while this work is being completed and certain pathways may be unavailable.

Additionally, Old Port Royale Food Court, Shutters at Old Port Royale, Banana Cabana Pool Bar and Calypso Trading Post will be closed for refurbishment during your stay. While we work our magic, there will be a variety of dining options available to you for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Centertown will serve breakfast and dinner and a selection of grab-and-go meals will be conveniently available for purchase in three island markets located in the Aruba, Jamaica and Martinique regions of the Resort."



A public announcement has added more detail to the "Centertown" dining option:





Dining & Marketplace Closures

Beginning in May 2017, the following venues will be closed for refurbishment: Old Port Royale Food Court, Shutters at Old Port Royale, Banana Cabana Pool Bar and Calypso Trading Post.


During this time, there will be a variety of dining options available to you for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Centertown, a dining location, will serve a Caribbean-style buffet for breakfast and à la carte offerings for dinner. A selection of grab-and-go meals will be conveniently available for purchase in 3 island markets located in the Aruba, Jamaica and Martinique regions of the Resort. Our in-room pizza delivery service will remain available.


Disney dining plans will be accepted for these offerings. Please note that dining locations will offer menu options to meet dietary needs.



A few additional notes reported by Resort Cast not clarified in the above Guest Notification Letter or Public Announcement:


During the closures, the resort will continue to offer the Resort Refillable Mug at Coca-Cola Freestyle machines located through-out the resort.
The new Dining Location previously reported for Trinidad South (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?214422&p=2496323#post2496323) will offer additional Quick Service dining options during a portion of the closure period when it opens Summer 2017.

texas211
02-25-2017, 03:56 PM
Find out 2 months before you trip. If I hadn't been able to make new reservations, I would have been King Louie mad. No way. But you are off to better places.

So basically CBR will have sandwiches, and look like a construction zone. Might as well stay offsite.