Caribbean Beach Resort v Port Orleans

[BigG007]

Wife, DD, DS & ME
:cloud9:
Are about to book a 2 week break in either Caribbean Beach Resort or Port Orleans

do you have any advice on which one we should go for?

Aug 07 can't wait

:mickey::mickey:

[BronxTigger]

You could do a split stay: one week in each!

[BigG007]

I like that idea :thumbsup:

[faline]

Of the two resorts, I'd choose Port Orleans. An added plus is the boat to Downtown Disney.

[LuckyMum22]

Our family has recent experience with both CBR and POFQ. We all would stay at POFQ in a heartbeat but are not willing to go back to CBR for even a value resort price! We loved the feel of POFQ. There was just something about CBR we did not like. I think the size and the way it is spread out and just the overall atmosphere. We liked the service and the way POFQ was kept up. CBR felt dirty and like the staff just didn't care. There was no elevator at CBR and at POFQ we had an upper floor room and there were elevators. It seemed quieter at POFQ. I think bus service was easier at POFQ as well.
The idea about splitting your stay is a good one but I might even think about splitting between Riverside & POFQ instead of CBR but if you are like us you want to try them all!

[RAIDER]

Well i have only been to the CBR and i found it very relaxing .... There are alot of things to do on the site such as cycling ,boats and shows etc . They have private pools within your own complex that your staying and you relax with the tropical surroundings
The food halls were reasonably priced ..I would deffintley go back again ...:thumbsup::mickey:

Have fun with whatever place you choose :beer::marg:

[DDuck66]

I know that a lot of people do not like the CBR because it is spread out. That is one of the reasons that we like it. We usually stay at Jamaica which is directly across the bridge from the shops and food court. It is far enough away to not hear the noise, but close enough for a short walk for snacks or package pick up.
The rooms are set up more like a condo than a motel. Each building has only two floors and the rooms are hidden from each other by some really nice landscaping.

[Wrigley]

I would recommend CBR for sure! It is one of my favorite resorts. I love the Old Port Royale's food court and all of the swimming pools! Each set of buildings has it's own "quiet" pool and they never seem to be very busy. We request to stay in the Martinique group of buildings because of it's proximity to Old Port Royale and it was the first bus stop. The resort is spread out nicely so it never seems overcrowded. :thumbsup:

[Pocahontas]

I've only stayed at CBR and my family really enjoyed it. We esp. liked having a quiet pool near our room. We would swim at night after a day at the parks and were usually the only ones in the pool.

[Seasonscraps]

I just came back from my first stay at CBR and would not likely return. The rooms are really nice but the resort is just huge. Our room was in Aruba which was almost a 10 minute walk to the main pool, gift store, food court. I thought the main pool area was kind of small for a resort this size. I did like how the food court/market place was arranged and there was plenty of tables at breakfast time. Maybe we missed it, but I would have enjoyed a lounge for a drink in the evening.

On the other hand I LOVE PO! I have stayed at Riverside several times and lucked out getting rooms that are not too far from anything. I enjoy the food court, Boatrights and the River Roost (Yahoo! Bob Jackson!). The boat to DTD is very pleasant. I stayed at the FQ once and loved that it was a smaller resort and only prefer POR b/c of the sit down dinner option.

[OctDisney]

We have stayed at both the CBR and POFQ and really liked both of them. They are both very different resorts and if I was staying 2 weeks, I would definitely do a split stay.

Yes, the CBR is a little more spread out, but with the lake it is very nice walk to Port Royale.
Of course the river is nice in the morning as well.

I would say the food court at CBR is much better than at POFQ.

Both have fun pools with POFQ have the advantage that you can also go to POR.

Bus system is about the same at both. Can be a hassle at times.

I do think staying 2 weeks in one place is a bit much, so I would definitely split stay.

[JohnnyJayhawk]

I think that room location at CBR has a lot to do with whether or not people like the place. We stayed there for the first time this past April, and we liked the resort. Our room was a short walk to both the food court and the bus stop. We only did one meal there (breakfast) and the food was good.

This was only a short trip for us (four nights), but it seemed like a good place for a long trip where there would be down time at the resort (pools, beaches, boats, playgrounds, hammocks, etc.).

The idea of a split stay seems like a hassle to me. I'd rather be relaxing or at the parks than repacking, moving, and unpacking again.

[SurferStitch]

DH and I have stayed at both (in fact, due to our ignorance and lack of knowledge, we stayed at POR twice), and we definitely liked CBR much better than POR. In fact, we downright didn't like POR at all.

At CBR, our walk to the main building was only about 5-7 minutes, and we were across the one part of the lake from it. It was a nice walk in the morning to go to breakfast, and very relaxing. We were a short walk from our bus stop (about 90 seconds). Our room was clean, bright, and beautiful.

The reason we stayed twice at POR is because after we already had a December trip booked with another couple, we booked a week for that September (when they had the 7 nights for the price of 4 deal). We figured we would stay at POR then so when we went in December we would know our way around.

Well, both times we had dark, dingy, musty smelling rooms. We were in the mansion section, second floor both times. Floors were dirty, and we NEVER walked barefoot in them. Bathrooms looked like they were never cleaned. Walls were marked up, carpeting had stains, and everything smelled like a musty basement, and we were on the second floor! Our window was coated in thick spider webs in the corners. The AC never really worked well, either. Changing rooms didn't seem to help, either.

The CM's also left a lot to be desired, especially at the main desk. Everything was an effort to them, and they made it clear that you were putting them out with even the easiest requests.

So, we will never stay at POR again. We would, however, happily stay at CBR again. We really loved it there.

[Martino]

Hi there little brother of mine!:babyroll:

Now you know that I told you we had such a nice time at POFQ, we absolutely loved it there last Christmas!:santa2:

Everything was cool from the rooms, food court, pool etc. Buses close by to all the rooms too!:goofy:

We did take a trip to the CBR which also looked really nice, but there are a lot of bus stops around the resort, and as you will not be booking directly with Disney it is unlikely that you will get any choice of which block to stay at. If however, you are still thinking of taking a hired car then you should not have any problems. :car: The boat ride from either POFQ of POR made a nice change

You know how much we like to fit in on a Disney Holiday, I wouldn't recommend staying at the 2 resorts, too much to pack up after 1 week with 4 of you on a 2 week vacation, which ever one you choose I am sure you will all enjoy, after all at the end of the day you're at DISNEY!!!:D

[CaptSmee]

I have stayed at both and will never stay at Port Orleans resort ever again. The resort is huge and sprawling and it shares it's buses with it's sister resort making transit times even longer.

Caribbean Beach is big, but it's beautifully themed, exotic looking and has an internal resort shuttle that gets you around the resort instead of walking after being in the parks all day. We have stayed there twice and loved it each time.

[RocknRoller94]

CBR is my choice because of theming and its food court. It has many swimming pools and the service is great. The food court is (although indoors) made to look like a Street in the Caribbean. It has a "building" for all of the different types of foods, such as fruit, meat, etc.. It is located in the Old Port Royale building. The rooms at the CBR are nicely sized, and have a relaxing feel. A wonderful Disney resort. Still, the POR is a great place ,too.

[Lisaj13]

Just a note to say that there is quite a bit of size difference between POR and POFQ.

POFQ is a small resort. There is one bus stop, one pool, one laundry area. Personally, this is one of the reasons I like it. I walked around the grounds during my stay in October, and I don't think your room location would matter too much, you're still close to everything. I also loved all the greenery. There was a heat wave last October, with temperatures in the 90s (30s for us Canadians), and I felt cooler just coming back to the resort.

My kids loved the pool (well so did I) and the jacuzzi, and the boat to Downtown Disney was great, a lovely and relaxing way to travel.

I'm sure you'll have a great time wherever you stay.

[shan-ash]

I like the idea of a spilt stay as well:party:

[EmmMOM2]

I have been to CBR and PO-riverside. I liked the boat ride to downtown at PO it was a nice change of transportation from the buses. I would prolly go with the PO, i also liked the resturaunt they had their called Boatwrights. IT was southern type cooking, great for breakfast and their food court was nicely done as well. Very relaxing overall

[Donalds Duckie]

It always comes down to personal preference.

I have never stayed at POFQ but I visit for beignets (yum!) and take the bus back to the park. I've stayed many times at CBR, always in Jamaica and Aruba, and I love this resort. I personally enjoy the walk over the bridge to Old Port Royale. I've stayed at The Poly, Yacht Club, and soon the Contemporary, but I always stay at CBR when I don't stay deluxe.

As stated in a previous post, the reason I like CBR is the size and that it is spread out. I live out in the country so I'm used to wide open space, no crowding, and I'm used to allowing time to drive to town or even walk to my mailbox on the road.:mickey: If you live in the city or a subdivision you are probably used having close proximity to restaurants, shops, pools, etc.

At POFQ the buildings reminded me of apartments whereas the buildings at CBR remind me of condos. CBR does have a bus stop at every village. POFQ has a single bus stop but that bus continues on POR and makes 3 or 4 stops before continuing to a park or DTD.

CBR has a very nice quiet pool and laundry facility in each village and I tend to use the quiet pool far more than main pool. The food court at CBR is much larger with more selection.

POFQ is smaller and more intimate and, I'm sure, more convenient to ammenities within the resort.

I, too, suggest you split your stay and see which resort you prefer! I did a Pop/CBR split stay in 2004 and it worked out well.

Have a great trip.

[garymacd]

Of the two resorts, I'd choose Port Orleans. An added plus is the boat to Downtown Disney.

Don't forget the beignets! You can't get them anywhere but Port Orleans.

[mttafire]

Id do with POR. Its mighty nice to be close to dtd and Its just plain tough to beat either pofq or por.:mickey:

[droopy d.]

We've stayed at both and we prefer PO. It is a nicer resort, better pools and food court. CBR seems more like a higher priced value resort to me.

[luvdiznee]

For two weeks, I'd split the stay between both as well. But if you have to choose just one, I vote for CBR. Very nice, spread out resort. Lot's to do. And lots of room to do it in. Plus you can get a nice relaxing view on the hammocks of the fireworks. :cloud9:

[Sinewiz]

I've stayed at both and quite frankly it comes down to personal tastes. I probably slightly prefer PO because it has a bit more of a laid back type of atmosphere that appeals to me while CB is more upbeat and festive. That said, they are both excellent resorts and you can't go wrong at either.

The fact that you are there for a full two weeks I would absolutly suggest you split your stay between the two so you can experience the best of both resorts. :thumbsup:

[CandleontheWater]

I really don't like POFQ all that much for the same reasons people seem to love it. I don't like that it is such a small resort, I think it feels cramped, like all the guests are just piled on top of one another. I also think the food court and shopping leaves something to be desired.

As for CBR, I think its great. I love the tropical feel and the great theming and the spaciousness of the resort. I really, really love the pool as well. Its my second fav. pool after SAB. I just think the caribbean fort theming is awesome. Its almost like being in Puerto Rico. I'd definately suggest CBR over POFQ.