Ahhh, the lazy days of summer – I WISH THEY WOULD GET HERE ALREADY!! It’s been unusually cold here in southern Mississippi…….I wonder how warm and nice the weather is in the Caribbean this time of year?
Speaking of the Caribbean, when you place that word in the same sentence as “Disney”, you have just gained my full attention. There’s just something about those 2 words spoken together that gets me all giddy. First, there’s a chance you’re referring to my FAVE ride of all time, Pirates of the Caribbean. Love the ride, can’t wait for the 4th movie to come out with the talented Mr. Depp.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho….well, you know the rest.
Then there’s the possibility you are referring to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (CB) – my favorite place in all the “World” to stay. It is a vacation inside of a vacation. The rooms are nice – the property….even nicer. At 200 sprawling acres, with a 45 acre lake, it is the largest resort in all of Walt Disney World. It is so spread out, you will, at times, feel you are there all alone, and who doesn’t want that?!!?!?!?
The shops are fantastic, the food court is wonderful, the rooms are great, and some have recently been upgraded to feature a “pirates theme”, including pirate ship beds. Behind the shops/food court is a large patio, complete with umbrella tables and chairs, overlooking the lake. There are also various spots around the lake complete with sand and hammock for some quiet relaxation time, or water craft rentals for some time out on the water.
Now what makes Caribbean Beach (CB) better than a value resort (VR)? Well, I’ve stayed in both, so I will give you the MOST VALUABLE differences, in my humble opinion…..
VR – stand in a central herding stall rope line out in the Florida heat, waiting on your bus to arrive. At the parks, you will walk allllll the way to the very end of the bus stations to catch your particular bus, doesn’t sound like a big deal, but on Day 2, when your calves are screaming for mercy at the end of the day – BIG DEAL, trust me.
CB – covered pavilion with benches to sit on, ceiling fans & drink machines while you wait. Each section of the resort has it’s own bus stop, so no walking forever to one centralized locale. At the parks, you’re closer to the front of the bus stations, which equals less walking, which equals less of a chance that you will snap and someone will be seriously injured after they’ve complained they didn’t get to ride Space Mountain that 5th time that you promised them.
2) ROOMS:
VR – The basics. Two beds, a bathroom, a small table & chairs, smaller room, and Mickey soap. And it can be a long walk to the front of the resort to get to the pools, food courts, and to catch the bus.
CB – Stretch out roomy. Two beds, a bathroom with TWO sinks (what guy traveling with chicks isn’t happy about that?) a decent sized table with chairs, a refrigerator, a TV armoire with additional storage underneath, lush tropical landscapes, and again, closely located bus stops just a stone’s throw from your front door. You can stop trying to pronouce “armoire” now.
3) POOLS:
VR – Usually two of them, often full to capacity (thanks to all those “special rates”) & often loud.
CB – Big & roomy with water slides. Beautifully built and much quieter than VR. At your request, you can be far enough away that you can’t hear the noise from the pool.
This is, by far, the quietest resort in which we’ve ever stayed. Even the lobby is better in CB. Everything’s better there. We decided to “venture out” and stay at Coronado Springs last time. We realized quickly we were spoiled to CB, spent most of the time comparing and feeling that, for us, CS could not stand up to CB…..
If you can spring for the upgrade from value (usually around $30 per night extra), this resort is worth it’s weight in gold – or should I say, golden silence. There’s not too much relaxing to be had inside the parks. Isn’t it worth it to have that quiet tropical feel in the evening? Yo Ho, Yo Ho……a quiet time for me!
DeAnna, along with her husband and teen-age son, lives in Wiggins, Mississippi, and has a passion for all things Disney. She is always eager to share the knowledge she has gained from her many trips to Walt Disney World, and has helped numerous people in their vacation planning to realize it’s not an unattainable dream. Her must-dos on every trip are Pirates of the Caribbean, Rockin’ Roller Coaster & a stolen moment of quiet with her “Boyz” (as she affectionately calls them) having a pastry from Boulangerie in Epcot World Showcase’s France. Disney is so much a part of her life, that she & her husband were married in front of Cinderella’s Castle, and she says it doesn’t get any more magical than that………
As avid followers of the ABC talent show, American Idol, my family has really enjoyed participating in The American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We have had lots of fun being part of the audience and have been lucky enough to see some very talented contestants as well. We love having the opportunity to vote for that talented someone who could actually end up with a dream ticket to try out at a real American Idol audition.
