CBR, not worth it

[mickeyman42]

Just got back from a week at CBR and thought I would share our experience. I will start by saying that we live on this board and research everything to the point of obsession, so we knew what we were getting into, but without ever staying there before you can never really know what a place is like.
we booked a pirate room as part of the free dining promo. it was nice but after the initial "wow" factor it felt like any other hotel room. also, TS is far from OPR, and i mean far. we are used to the mega resorts in mexico and the dom rep. and we still could not believe how far it was, and like I said, we researched it here and thought we knew what to expect. We drove to OPR when we needed to, drove, like in a car, and yes we love to walk the resorts, we are not lazy. I also thought that the really close buildings were not that close, compared to other resorts.
the pool was okay, but again, after the initial "wow" it was still only a pool.
overall we liked CBR, but found that the resort features were so far away and spread out that we didnt use the resort as much as we had planned. I would probably classify the pirate room as "everyone should try it once, but once is enough."
actually the best way I can sum it up is this, if we weren't crazy disney fans, obsessed with reading every message board and knowing the difference, you would have had no trouble convincing me that CBR was a value resort (we have stayed at ASMu twice). I didnt feel any difference in service or atmosphere at CBR than when we stayed at the all-stars. now when we went to the poly and GF for dinner, we noticed the increased service level, everywhere. big step up, may have to try that next time. we found that CBR was far, far closer to a value than a deluxe, and not even close to being in the middle. still love disney though!

[luvdiznee]

I love the theme and the layout of the resort. I've enjoyed walking to/from our building and taking a rest on the hammocks they have.

The food maybe is OK, but that's why there are so many restaurants at The World. As well as many resorts to choose from. :mickey:

[disneymom15]

It's been several years since we stayed there. It was nice, but I didn't like how spread out it was. We wouldn't stay there again. I would recommend POFQ. We've stayed there a few times and liked how small it was.

[Reedy Creek Buccaneer]

CBR is a big resort for sure, but I am curious to what areas of service you thought should have been better? I am getting ready to go in May to CBR.

[BraddyB]

Sorry you didnt have a good time there. People should be warned ahead of time that the Pirate rooms are far away from OPR. When we stayed there we avoided the main pool and used the quiet pool next to our room. It was less crowded and most of the time it had maybe 4 people in it.

Comparing CBR to GF or Poly thought isnt quite fair. Its like comparing a Honda to a Mercedes or BMW. You are looking at double if not more to stay there.

[CanadianWDWFan]

It's been several years since we stayed there. It was nice, but I didn't like how spread out it was. We wouldn't stay there again. I would recommend POFQ. We've stayed there a few times and liked how small it was.
:ditto:
We did enjoy it, but we feel that there are better moderate resorts out there. We got a free upgrade to a prefered room so we were within a very short walk to the main building. Driving around the resort we got to feel how big it actually was. CSR was another big resort. The food court we did enjoy it, nice selection.

POFQ for us was a huge surprise as to how small it was and the food selection was pretty good.

[Bohms4]

I agree. I've stayed at all of the moderate resorts and CBR is definitely my least favorite.

[FriendsofMickey]

We stayed at CBR years ago and found that though it was okay, it was definately not our favorite.

The resort is very spreadout. It also seemed like it was so far from MK (which with kids - they were almost 3 at the time- is a big deal).

[JakeontheCob]

Ok someone needs to defend the CBR. :blush:

We stayed there two years ago and really liked it. I found that with it being so large, it was actually quiet. I also thought the landscaping and the calypso music piped in was a great mood setter.

In fact, we enjoyed our stay so much, we are staying there again in a week.

We have a car so the size of the resort was not an issue for us. I actually liked having things spread out a bit, made it seem larger than say when we stayed at the Pop and everyone is on top of each other.

I will say the food court was not the best, but I don't plan to eat there too often so not worried about that really. As for the pirate rooms, I think they placed these where they did so they could actually have guests in those buildings. I have read on Intercot numerous times how far away from everything the pirate rooms are, so if we wanted to stay in those rooms, I would not expect to be close to anything.

Again though, this appeals to me as it means less people directly under foot.

I will say that all the reviews I read of CBR make it seem like a love or hate resort. Some people love it, others can't stand it.

I am a lover of CBR. Sorry you did not enjoy your stay.

[Mousemates]

I agree. I've stayed at all of the moderate resorts and CBR is definitely my least favorite.

:ditto: in fact, it's our least favorite resort on property, since we enjoy the theming of the values far more than the rather "anywhere else in Florida feel" we get at the CBR.

[ShinynewJB]

As for the pirate rooms, I think they placed these where they did so they could actually have guests in those buildings.

Exactly right. It's just business. They're not going to use any of the preferred location buildings, that are already raking in the dough for 'em.

I also just wanted to say that - while it is a big resort and a lot of walking is to be expect - I love CBR :mickey:. Here's why:


The theming is really relaxing.
I personally enjoy the gift shop(s) and food court in Old Port Royale.
The beaches and hammocks are a nice touch you don't get with other mods or values. I love sitting on the deck chairs and watching the sun set (a great time to take photos of the resort, by the way).
I think the location is spot on. Obviously it's closer to Epcot and MGM, but most places in the resort seem equidistant.

However, there are your obvious downsides:


Indeed, you can get unlucky and be put quite a walk away from Centretown. (However, we remedied this on our last trip with an enquiry to our rep. Next thing we're moved to one of the newly rennovated Nemo themed rooms.)
Theming isn't for everyone. That one is down to personal preference.


Obviously everyone is welcome to their own opinion, but I thought I'd argue for the other side. :)

[btharvey]

Comparing CBR to GF or Poly thought isnt quite fair. Its like comparing a Honda to a Mercedes or BMW. You are looking at double if not more to stay there.

The comparison was already made equating CBR to All-Stars ... I think that Poly was mentioned to show that it was almost a shock to go to Poly, not a bridged stepping-stone from Moderate to Deluxe.

I'm afraid I agree with many of the posters ... CBR is large, it's plain, and the service we've seen there just doesn't come up to the other Moderates we've seen -- CSR and (if you can call it a moderate 'cause it's so different) Ft. Wilderness have much better service, though not Deluxe-level.

[BraddyB]

Maybe I hit the lotto the week we stayed there. We didnt have a far walk to OPR, our room was always clean. Everyday we had towel animals. We didnt really have to wait long for a bus and they usually weren't full. I found the people in food court and the gift shop very nice.

I am sure everyone has a different opinion. I would never stay at Ft Wilderness, nothing wrong with it, just not my cup of tea. I've been to the GF for dinner, have no desire to stay there.

The only way if someone will know if they like it or not is if they have done it.

[Mickey'sGirl]

Honestly, although it isn't my favourite moderate, it has one of my favourite gift shops, and a very decent food court. Good thing Disney has so many different resorts to cater to all of our different tastes! :thumbsup:

[CleveRocks]

we found that CBR was far, far closer to a value than a deluxe, and not even close to being in the middle. still love disney though!

Have you ever stayed at any of the other Moderate resorts? Because I've never thought of the Moderates as a step up in service from the Values; rather, I see them as a step up in terms of amenities.

There are things all the Moderates, including CBR, have that the Values don't. THESE are the differences between Value and Moderate, not service. The things that the Moderates have that the Values don't include:
*refrigerator included in the room
*pool slide
*pool towels at the main pool
*ceiling fans
*two sinks (except at CSR)
*multiple bus stops within the resort (except POFQ, not necessary)
*covered bus stops
*table-service restaurant (except POFQ)
*default room charge limit of $1,000
*314 sq. ft. rooms (340 at CBR, compared with 260 at the Values)

I may be missing something, but you get the point. It is THOSE amenities that you paid extra for.

[sara114]

I also have to defend the CBR. I don't really expect the service to be where they wait on you "hand and foot". My reason for staying in the moderate is to have some quiet areas that you cannot find at the value resorts. I enjoy the quiet pools located in the different areas around the resort. The main pool is great for some people, but I like the quiet one better. I never thought about covered bus areas...but that is a plus. I have stayed at CBR 3 times and prefer it over the value anytime. I have AKL booked for April and CSR booked for October. I will be able to judge the difference in moderates and deluxe after that.

[Crow]

Ive stayed at most of the resorts except the most expensive..(see my signature)
CBR isnt my fav mod, but it was on a list of possibles of my gf and its been a few yrs since ive been there. I did stay in Jamaica last time & liked the location. I will give my feedback when i get back. And the service isnt the noticeable diff w me from Pop to mod its the amenities.
my fav mods are CSR & POFQ

[Sylvia]

Another fan of CBR here.

CBR was our first on-site resort. Until CBR opened in 1989, we always stayed on International Drive. By 1988, we were getting disgusted with the noise, crowds, etc., along the drive and were ready for a change. When CBR opened, we decided to go for it. We absolutely loved it and that during that first stay, we explored every nook and cranny of the resort. We've stayed at CBR at least 10 times (each vacation is approximately 2 weeks long) since then.

Our first island was Barbados; a few stays later we moved to Martinique; and finally, to Aruba. The last time we stayed at CBR with Mom was in August 2001; she unexpectedly passed away in January 2002. To this day, I still remember the fun we had on that trip. She loved the fact that she could find a quiet place to sit, relax, and people-watch.

I may stay at other resorts on occasion, but CBR will always be my favorite. I love the colorful, island atmosphere.

And, as others have said - Isn't it great that there are so many different choices so everyone can enjoy their own special Disney resort atmosphere?

[ransam]

i have always wanted to stay here. we almsot did one year, but just couldn't pull the trigger for the price over a value.

[jonahbear2006]

I agree. I feel that there are Value Resorts and there are Deluxe resorts and then there are these resorts in the middle where they get a little bit more money out of you for the same value resort you couldve gotten for half the price. We really hated moderate and I would rather not waste my money so for us it is all or nothing. We either stay at a deluxe villa or camp. the inbetweens just upset us and make us feel ripped off.

[forever a child]

As for the pirate rooms, I think they placed these where they did so they could actually have guests in those buildings. I have read on Intercot numerous times how far away from everything the pirate rooms are, so if we wanted to stay in those rooms, I would not expect to be close to anything.

I agree that this was a marketing strategy..and a good one too. Now they can charge more money for something that no one was really interested prior to the "make over."

CBR is the only moderate we have not stayed in and I am looking forward to it some day. I really think the rooms look lovely. I especially like the nemo rooms that look so bright and cheerful!

The more I have visited new resorts...the more I like each one for it's own distinct "feel". I may have personal preferences...but I do like the variety. For me it has meant that each of our vacations has been different and unique and I can remember them because they have been at different locations. There have been things I have liked and disliked about each. Once I have had the pleasure of visiting all of the resorts (looking forward to starting on the deluxes once DD is in the CP so I can afford them!) then I will be able to better evaluate the different levels of resorts and service!

I have never really considered DVC because I like to visit the different resorts. That may change later on...but for now...that is half of the fun of our vacation! :mickey:

[Auroring Good Time]

CBR is my least favorite on Disney property and I've stayed at quite a few. We have had service related issues while staying there on three occasions. Once with luggage delivery, once with Magical Express pickup, and once with a medical issue. None of these times was the urgency or seriousness of the situation addressed and we basically had to blow up at the manager to get something done.
I'll stay at a value resort first before staying there again.

[CleveRocks]

There are things all the Moderates, including CBR, have that the Values don't. THESE are the differences between Value and Moderate, not service. The things that the Moderates have that the Values don't include:
*refrigerator included in the room
*pool slide
*pool towels at the main pool
*ceiling fans
*two sinks (except at CSR)
*multiple bus stops within the resort (except POFQ, not necessary)
*covered bus stops
*table-service restaurant (except POFQ)
*default room charge limit of $1,000
*314 sq. ft. rooms (340 at CBR, compared with 260 at the Values)

I may be missing something, but you get the point. It is THOSE amenities that you paid extra for.

The one thing I forgot is hot tubs. Every Moderate resort has a hot tub near the main pool, the Values don't have one. Also, the environment at the Moderates is lush landscaping, while the environment at the Values is mostly hardscaping (concrete).

In addition, 2 of the 4 Moderates (CSR and POFQ) now have queen-size beds standard.

It's a pretty long list of amenities that differentiate the Moderates from the Values. You do get what you pay for in terms of amenities.

[CleveRocks]

We have had service related issues while staying there on three occasions. Once with luggage delivery, once with Magical Express pickup, and once with a medical issue.
The problem with your Disney's Magical Express pick-up couldn't possibly have been the fault of CBR. The resorts are completely uninvolved in the DME transportation process. They don't control it, they can't control it.

[CanadaLovesDisney]

Personally our family LOVES CBR. We have stayed maybe 8 times! This past trip we stayed in Barbados and finally felt the true resort size. It was a long walk to the food court for breakfast but we could use the extra few burned calories after all the ice-cream :)

[caroleco]

We have stayed at the Poly,way too much money for the amount of time spent at a resort. we have stayed at values 6 times and last week we stayed at POR. Too spread out, service terrible. I'll take a value anyday.
Next spring we will be at Pop

[caroleco]

And whats up with dme, we were at the airport at 3:20 for a 6:310 flight. Next time its a taxi

[CleveRocks]

And whats up with dme, we were at the airport at 3:20 for a 6:310 flight. Next time its a taxi

Do you live in Canada by any chance? Because international flights get picked up 4 hours before flight time, as opposed to 3 hours before flight for domestic flights.

If yours was a domestic flight, then someone made a mistake in scheduling you so early ... pickup for domestic flights ranges from 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes before flight departure. In the future, if you're flying a domestic flight and get scheduled for a DME ride that's more than 3 hours 20 minutes from your flight time, call DME immediately at 866-599-0951 and ask to have a later time assigned. Don't bother asking this at the resort front desk, as they aren't involved in DME and they can't give you permission to catch a later bus.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Because I've never thought of the Moderates as a step up in service from the Values; rather, I see them as a step up in terms of amenities.

There are things all the Moderates, including CBR, have that the Values don't. THESE are the differences between Value and Moderate, not service. The things that the Moderates have that the Values don't include:
*refrigerator included in the room
*pool slide
*pool towels at the main pool
*ceiling fans
*two sinks (except at CSR)
*multiple bus stops within the resort (except POFQ, not necessary)
*covered bus stops
*table-service restaurant (except POFQ)
*default room charge limit of $1,000
*314 sq. ft. rooms (340 at CBR, compared with 260 at the Values)



My thoughts exactly. We really enjoy the added amenities we get at the moderate resorts as compared to the values.

We really enjoyed our two stays at CBR. I have two young boys so that could be what made the pirate rooms special to us. My boys never got tired of those pirate rooms. On our last night my youngest said he was going to miss his pirate bed when we got home. My boys also love the pool area at CBR. Yes, its mainly just themeing, but all WDW pools are just that. My kids actually would pick this pool over any other pool in WDW, including the pools at WL, Poly and BC, which are all places we've stayed in recent years.

If anyone does their reseach, as OP stated they did, then you would know that by booking a pirate room you are booking a room in the section that is farthest from everything. The two times we stayed at CBR my kids were 9 and 7, then 10 and 8. At no point did they ever complain that the walk to the pool was too long. My youngest dosen't like to walk, and at 9 years old he wanted me to rent him a stroller in WDW just last week, yet he managed just fine at CBR without complaint. We did not think the walk to the food court or the pool was as long as so many people make it out to be. To us it's a nice, beautiful relaxing walk. We do tend to prefer a smaller resort, with things less spread out, but when we stayed at this resort we knew the deal, and we didn't find the walking to be bad at all since we were expecting it.

To the OP, sorry you didn't enjoy your stay, but that's the great thing about WDW. There is a wide variety of resorts, there's something for everyone!

[ShinynewJB]

It was a long walk to the food court for breakfast but we could use the extra few burned calories after all the ice-cream :)

I wish more people thought like this. A slightly extended walk isn't going to ruin your vacation. Just enjoy it! Especially when the landscaping is as nice as it is at a Disney moderate. :)

[pox24]

We tried CBR once and will never return. We also were 100 miles from everything.

[BraddyB]

We tried CBR once and will never return. We also were 100 miles from everything.

Seriously 100 miles, CBR didn't look that big to me. :fresh:

[Dsnygirl]

:vacation: Another CBR fan here...

Maybe it's because it was the very first resort we stayed at... maybe it's because we're from Central NY, and we want to feel like we're in the tropics if we're headed to Florida... maybe it's just familiarity now that we've stayed there 3 times. But whatever the reason, CBR is our favorite place to stay, even after having checked out other resorts.

We almost bit the bullet and tried POFQ for our upcoming trip -- but after visiting it w/ friends in January, I really found that it wasn't the right "feel" for us. Too formal, too small, not enough tropical feel for our blood... but that certainly isn't to say it's not right for others, or that CBR is better -- just different!

We love the winding pathways at CBR... the hammocks, the island, the lighthouse and marina... we really enjoy the pool theming, although I will admit I'd rather be at Stormalong Bay or the Poly's pool anyday. ;) We always request to stay in Jamaica, so we're right across from Port Royale and the pool... and it's a lovely walk across Caribbean Cay.

We find it to be very relaxing, very quiet and very peaceful... and we've never had a problem with the CM's there, in fact, it's been the opposite. Many have gone out of their way to be helpful, and one wonderful CM actually offered to drive us (with a Disney van, not his own vehicle...) to our "next resort" when we did a split stay so we wouldn't have to take a taxi to get there.

So, I'm sorry your visit was so unpleasant, but I'd give CBR another chance and try a "regular room" next time in a better location.... I haven't heard many good things about the pirate rooms, anyway... they sound a bit uncomfortable and cramped, from what quite a few have said.

I hope your next resort stay is a better one!

[caroleco]

Do you live in Canada by any chance? Because international flights get picked up 4 hours before flight time, as opposed to 3 hours before flight for domestic flights.

If yours was a domestic flight, then someone made a mistake in scheduling you so early ... pickup for domestic flights ranges from 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 20 minutes before flight departure. In the future, if you're flying a domestic flight and get scheduled for a DME ride that's more than 3 hours 20 minutes from your flight time, call DME immediately at 866-599-0951 and ask to have a later time assigned. Don't bother asking this at the resort front desk, as they aren't involved in DME and they can't give you permission to catch a later bus.

We are from New England. Rhode Island

[CleveRocks]

We are from New England. Rhode Island

Yeh, someone made a mistake in scheduling your return DME ride too early. Should it happen again in the future, call DME immediately and get your pick-up time changed to a more appropriate time.

I'm assuming the trip you're referring to wasn't in the late-summer/fall of 2006 ... back then, for a brief time after the British "Gatorade" bomb scare when they first implemented the "3-1-1" rule for limiting the amount of liquids allowed inside the cabin, DME was scheduling domestic fliers 4 hours before flight time because security was taking forever to get through. But then once the security lines got back to normal, DME moved its scheduling back to normal.