Calling all CBR lovers

[Stitch's Mommy]

DH and I have stayed at both POR and POFQ in recent years and enjoyed both. However, I find myself now considering CBR for our next trip. We would definitely book a preferred room, so I'm not terribly concerned about how large the resort is...

What do you think? Can anyone convince me CBR is a fun place to stay?

Thanks!! :mickey:

[maizey05]

I've also stayed at POFQ and loved it. Also stayed at CS (didn't like it too much though). Last trip, we stayed at CBR. It is a big resort, like everyone says, but it is great. There is a sandy "beach" with lounge chairs and hammocks, I think. I thought the rooms were spacious. The resort was pretty much filled, yet we never heard a peep from inside our room. The food court is large and has some great choices like salmon, pasta, cajun food, pretty much a mix of everything... and it's good! There is a large gift shop there. There are "quiet" pools at each village. We never saw anyone else there when we swam. The staff was pleasant and helpful. I really don't have anything bad to say about it. I guess the only drawback would be the bus. It goes to all the villages, which takes a long time. You'll love CBR.

[rnin02]

We've stayed twice at CBR and love it. It was hard to choose this year...but we wanted to try something new. We would definitely go back again and again! The quiet pools are nice, rarely are there more than one or two other groups swimming in them. The main pool we don't spend alot of time at, but its a cute theme and has the nice little pool side bar. We have on occaisional been able to see fireworks (I guess from Epcot? not sure) while walking thru the resort at night. The rooms are a nice size, colorful, the islands are beautiful to walk thru, in general the resort is beautifully landscaped and themed. Everyone has always provided great customer service while we have been there (no surprise from Disney, but still always nice). The buses we've never had problems with really...except when we stayed way out in the middle of nowhere...aka Trinidad South. I think you'll really enjoy it...its fun to lay in the hammocks and watch the sun come up...even if you aren't an early riser, try it once. And you can rent a boat and go out on the lake, bikes are there to rent, its a great place to stay.

[Pastcastmemberdaughter]

CBR is GREAT!!!!!!! :cloud9: It's my favorite out of all the moderate resorts. I love the calypso music that is played through out and the beaches and hammocks are a huge plus, my husband and I took a nap in one last time. As long as you stay in a island other than north trinadad I think you should be fine. My favorites are Jamiaca and Aruba becuase of the location to Port Royal, there's a nice bridge that you walk straight across to get there. The rooms are usually always quiet and the CM are very nice. I think you would enjoy it. :number1:

[disneyfankev]

i love cbr stayed there twice once in aruba and trinadad north which is close to buses and food court would stay in trinadad n again

[bethanne6245]

My family and I loved CBR! The theming, arcade, food court and gift shop were great! My only drawback was I wasn't prepared for how BIG the resort was and didnt have a preferred room(this will not be a problem for you). I think you will love it! We were actually contemplating staying there again this year but are trying POFQ

[mrsgaribaldi]

I love the theme, the quiet pools, the food court, the shops, the rooms. POFQ used to be my favorite until I stayed here, now CBR is my favorite.

[2disneyfans]

DH and I stayed at CBR for the first time last year and LOVED it! We are going back to Disney this year and contemplated staying at POFQ just to try some place different and when it came down to making the reservations, we just could not give up CBR. SO, we will be back at CBR in 29 days!

We did book the preferred location last year and are again this year. We stayed in Jamaica. It was great. We liked the walk across the bridge to Old Port Royale and absolutely loved the caribbean music that seemed to be coming out of the shrubs as we walked!

We also enjoyed some serious hammock time and loved walking barefoot in the sand. The quiet pools were very quiet . . . not overly crowded at all.

Old Port Royale has a nice variety of food selections. The room was pretty. I could go on and on . . . .! :cloud9:

[WDWgoofy]

CBR is easily my favorite moderate resort. As you can see from my signature line we've stayed at many resorts and CBR is tops.

The rooms are large. The themeing is well done as is the landscaping. It is nice to hang out at the beach and relax in a hammock. The food court offers many good choices. The location is ideal, essentially next door to MGM, Epcot and Typhoon Lagoon. You can actually see Immuninations fireworks from CBR. The bath areas are roomy with 2 sinks and excellent storage.

[Melanie]

For many years we put off staying at CBR because we just didn't think we'd like it. It's now our favorite moderate. Love the theme, the main pool area, food court and gift shop, and the layout of the resort. Highly recommended!

[CleveRocks]

CBR is GREAT!!!!!!! :cloud9: As long as you stay in a island other than north trinadad I think you should be fine.
We did book the preferred location last year and are again this year. We stayed in Jamaica. It was great. We liked the walk across the bridge to Old Port Royale
once in aruba and trinadad north which is close to busesI'm sorry, but there's just a bunch of inaccurate CBR geography here, and I think those here who want to learn about CBR should have the correct info.

There are 33 buildings in CBR. There are 6 villages. Five of the villages (Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad South) have 6 buildings each, and one (Trinidad North) has only 3 buildings. Each village has its own bus stop (as does Old Port Royale), so there's no such thing as a village that is closer to a bus stop than any other village.

Old Port Royale is the center that has the main pool, food court, restaurant, shops, etc.

"Preferred location" means the 6 buildings closest to OPR. These are half the buildings in Martinique (24-25-26) and all 3 buildings in Trinidad North (31-32-33).

Trinidad SOUTH is the farthest village from OPR; Trinidad North is one of the closest. The second farthest from OPR is Barbados. The non-preferred location half of Martinique is about the same distance from OPR as are Aruba and Jamaica. More people tend to prefer Aruba and Jamaica probably because of the scenic walk across the lake.

Sorry, but there are no buildings in Jamaica that are preferred location.

CBR is a beautiful resort. I've stayed there and POFQ, and I love them both.

Strictly due to its compact size, my wife and I prefer POFQ. To give you an idea of the size ...

Our most recent stay at CBR found us in Trinidad North building 33. It's about as far from OPR as you can get and still be in a preferred location building. It was a 5-minute walk to OPR.

During our most recent stay at POFQ, I timed the walk from the far corner of Building 1 (the farthest point) to the food court doors -- 3 minutes 20 seconds.

[rnin02]

I'm sorry, but there's just a bunch of inaccurate CBR geography here, and I think those here who want to learn about CBR should have the correct info.

There are 33 buildings in CBR. There are 6 villages. Five of the villages (Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad South) have 6 buildings each, and one (Trinidad North) has only 3 buildings. Each village has its own bus stop (as does Old Port Royale), so there's no such thing as a village that is closer to a bus stop than any other village.

Old Port Royale is the center that has the main pool, food court, restaurant, shops, etc.

"Preferred location" means the 6 buildings closest to OPR. These are half the buildings in Martinique (24-25-26) and all 3 buildings in Trinidad North (31-32-33).

Trinidad SOUTH is the farthest village from OPR; Trinidad North is one of the closest. The second farthest from OPR is Barbados. The non-preferred location half of Martinique is about the same distance from OPR as are Aruba and Jamaica. More people tend to prefer Aruba and Jamaica probably because of the scenic walk across the lake.

Sorry, but there are no buildings in Jamaica that are preferred location.

CBR is a beautiful resort. I've stayed there and POFQ, and I love them both.

Strictly due to its compact size, my wife and I prefer POFQ. To give you an idea of the size ...

Our most recent stay at CBR found us in Trinidad North building 33. It's about as far from OPR as you can get and still be in a preferred location building. It was a 5-minute walk to OPR.

During our most recent stay at POFQ, I timed the walk from the far corner of Building 1 (the farthest point) to the food court doors -- 3 minutes 20 seconds.

I was going to chime in about Jamaica not being preferred as well. But its still a great location without the extra money. Trinidad South is in middle of nowhere...at least it feels that way. Especially when you are attempting a romantic stroll to OPR somewhat dressed up and get caught in a sudden T-storm! Not fun...but Jamaica was an awesome location.

[Melanie]

Trinidad South is in middle of nowhere...at least it feels that way. Especially when you are attempting a romantic stroll to OPR somewhat dressed up and get caught in a sudden T-storm!

We really liked Trinidad South and the "remote" location. :thumbsup:

[Mickey 101]

Here's another vote for CBR! I was just discussing this with my kids last night. They are both teenagers and this is their favorite resort. The tropical theming is right up our alley.

A former post mentioned that Jamaica has no preferred rooms and I'm not sure if Aruba does, but they are great locations since its a nice stroll across the bridge to OPR. We love finding an excuse to refill our mugs any time of day and enjoy the steel drums and the swaying of the bamboo........a great way to start or end a day at WDW. :mickey:

[Mariaºoº]

Another vote for CBR!! It's our favorite resort! One thing I want to ask is when you plan on going? CBR's main pool is to go through renovations starting January 2008. I can't remember off the top of my head their forecasted completion date...maybe May or June? One thing to consider if main pool is a factor. Here's my report:

You'll check in at the Customs House. The CM's are extremely helpful and nice. They went out of their way to gather information regarding the different trees and plants around the resort for me and had it delivered to our rooms. Check in was speedy and off we went to our room located in Aruba 51. We checked in last August for Free Dining.

We requested Aruba 51 since it's the only smoking optional building of the whole resort. The resort had just been refurbished and all new mattresses. Very comfy! We were pleasantly surprised at how large the rooms are here. The largest rooms of all moderates and you'll definitely love the extra space. There's a small refrigerater, iron, ironing board, hair dryer, coffee pot, etc.... Double sinks separate from the bathroom and a curtain that separates the sink area from the rest of the room. Great in being able to have some privacy while changing.

Our room overlooked a beautiful courtyard and was a 3 minute walk to our car and to the quiet pool. We had the quiet pool all to ourselves each time we went. It was an 8 minute walk starting inside our room, over the bridge and island to Old Port Royale. Absolutely lovely walk and great caribbean music to dance to on your way to OPR.

The main pool is themed like Pirates of the Caribbean with cannons that shoot water, waterfall, hot tub and small slide. There's a separate kiddie pool. Enjoy the wonderful drinks at the poolside bar while playing a game of ping pong or get your hairwrapped or a Disney tattoo.

The food court is fabulous with many different selections to choose from. Absolutely delicious and fresh! I love the set up of the food court here! There's also a sit down restaurant named Shutter's. We didn't have time to eat here our last trip, but possibly our upcoming trip this coming August.

There's two sections to the shopping. The first is the straw market where you'll find caribbean themed items for sale. The next is the Trading Post where you'll find the typical Disney souvenirs, clothes, luggage, first aid items, strollers and such. Great selections! There's also an arcade.

CBR has it's own marina where you can rent different watercraft and bicycles. The path around the resort is fabulous to ride bikes on.

You can see Spaceship Earth and the higher up fireworks of Illuminations from the resort. Just lay back and enjoy the hammocks and watch the magic in the sky. Great playgrounds and sandy beaches in each village for the kids.

You really don't need to pay for a preferred room here. Jamaica 45 is located at the foot of the bridge to OLP. So request Jamaica 45, 46 or 44 or Aruba 51 (smoking optional) or 52 and you're a short walk away to OLP!

CBR has their own bus transportation. They do not share with any other resort. Never a long wait since buses are constantly coming around to each island. There are two entrances into the resort so at times Barbados and Martinique will be first to be picked up, but most likely Jamaica and Aruba will be the first to be picked up and dropped off since a lot of buses take the second entrance into the resort. CBR also has an internal bus system that just goes around the loop from each island to OLP for those that do not want to walk to OLP.

Enjoy your stay! You'll absolutely love having a vacation within your vacation!!!

[Wrigley]

We have stayed at CBR several times (7 I believe), and we absolutely love it. The resort never seems to be overly crowded, the food in the food court is pretty good, and there are a ton of pools! We always stay in the Martinique buildings so that we are close to the Old Port Royale and we are usually the first bus stop for the resort so we are guaranteed to have a seat. We always like the Old Port Royale for it's festive atmosphere. I definately recomend the CBR!!:mickey:

[2disneyfans]

Please accept my most HUMBLE apology for presenting inaccurate information in my earlier post. I know we had paid extra to stay in a CBR room in Jamaica. . .it was for a king bed, not for a "preferred" location! Thank you so much for correcting my inaccuracy. Regardless, of whatever the category, we would love to return to Jamaica at CBR.:thumbsup:

[johnsouthjersey]

Don't know if this will convince you, but back in December, we're all sitting around after dinner, planning our 4th family summer vacation to WDW. Coming off a CBR "hat trick" ('03, '04 and '05) I broached the topic of change. "I was thinking that maybe this year we might want to try, say, The Beach Club, or The Boardwalk? I hear they're really nice, and...what? " DW, DD (11) and DS (9) were all staring at me as if I had just uttered heresy. "Daddy...WHY? Why would you want to stay someplace else? You know we stay at Caribbean Beach, it's like our summer place" asked DD. I felt like the Grinchy Claus being cross-examined by Cindy Lou Who. Discretion won out over valor, and I quickly sought cover: "Well OK, maybe we could try one of those places next year. So, do we try for Martinque again, or should we go back to Trinidad North?" 3 looks of relief, nods, and smiles. What can I say? CBR is familiar, comfortable, colorful, relaxed. The kids really like the food choices at OPR food court. They're still at that age where familiarity brings comfort and peace of mind. Perhaps that age never really goes away... Anyway, for our family, it clearly ain't broke, so do I really want to go and fix it? No. Needless to say, we are now booked for our 4th family trip to CBR. And truth is, I am looking forward to it.

[pook@wdw]

The CBR is fabulous! The large themed pool is great for the kids, but each "village" has it's own private pool which is not usually crowded. If your not into much walking, consider trying to get in a "village close to "Old Port Royale" (the main hub). I believe these are Martinique, and Trinadad North. Although, the walk or ride from the other villages are very scenic and great for a casual stroll. You may spend a little more time on transportation, but overall, we very much enjoyed our stays there.:thumbsup:

[ryca1dreams]

We are staying at CBR this Sept. I think I understand the layout, but I don't understand the busses. :confused:

Are there two sets of busses that service CBR, or one? (Internal and external) If I get one the bus, does it go all the way around or does the bus just hit half the villages each time? Thanks for any info on the busses.

[Darbylew]

We really like CBR. The tropical theme is so
nice. The main pool is great. I like the food at
the food court. We always ask for a room near
the food court and main pool. There are quite
a few bus stops at the resort. I have never used a bus to go around the resort so I don't
know anything about one. I am sure that you
can get that information from the resort or
from the Disney reservations. :mickey:

[rnin02]

There is an internal resort shuttle that is basically on a continous loop of the resort. Then there are the other busses to go the different parks and DTD.

[MinnieMommie]

We stayed at CB 1 time many years ago. I really enjoyed CBR very much and would stay there again. We stayed at POFQ 1 time and like it there as well. There are advantages and disadvantages to each but my preference is CBR. Love the theming, the quiet pools, the waterfront and great food court. :mickey:

[CleveRocks]

We are staying at CBR this Sept. I think I understand the layout, but I don't understand the busses. :confused:

Are there two sets of busses that service CBR, or one? (Internal and external) If I get one the bus, does it go all the way around or does the bus just hit half the villages each time? Thanks for any info on the busses.
It's really very simple.

Each village has its own bus stop, plus Old Port Royale has a bus stop (OPR is the site of the food court, main pool, shops, etc.). Every bus going to a park or DTD will stop at every one of those stops. A Magic Kingdom bus will go ONLY to Magic Kingdom. An Epcot bus will go ONLY to Epcot, etc.

So, for example, a bus going to Magic Kingdom will enter CBR and make its first pick-up stop at Martinique. From there, it will make stops at Old Port Royale, Trinidad North, Trinidad South, Jamaica, Aruba and finally Barbados. After that, it will leave CBR and go directly to Magic Kingdom. DTD buses follow that same order.

Buses going to Epcot, MGM and Animal Kingdom start at Jamaica, but follow the same loop in the same direction, clockwise. So after the first pick-up at Jamaica, an MGM bus will make stops at Aruba, Barbados, Martinique, Old Port Royale, Trinidad North, and finally Trinidad South. After that, it will leave CBR and go directly to MGM. Epcot buses and AK buses follow that same order.

Now, in addition to the above, there is one internal shuttle bus that does NOTHING BUT make a continuous loop of CBR's bus stops. In addition to the above 7 stops, it also stops at the Custom House, the site of the front desk and associated services. The Custom House is directly across from Barbados. So the internal shuttle bus makes 8 stops.

Buses heading to any of the parks make 7 stops -- park buses don't stop at the Custom House.

I hope this clears things up rather than adds to the confusion.

[ryca1dreams]

No I think that cleared it up. Thanks.