Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Last Thursday Norwood and I took a trip to the Islands. We made our way to the Epcot resort area where found the gate to our evening island adventure. Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort sits on 200 lush acres complete with pools and lakes. This resort encourages you to sit back in your beach chairs let the cool breeze off the lake take you away to your very own private beach destination. Below is and outline of the resort and our own experience at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort…

Resort Location:
CBR is located in the Epcot Resort area, a handy thing to know if it is your first time there. Be sure to pay close attention to the signs once you enter the Epcot resort area.

Resort Recreation:
CBR offers 6 large pools. The main pool, Old Port Royale which is a big attraction for many fans of CBR is closed for refurbishment until sometime in September 2008. They also have an arcade, shopping and various activities such as crafts, bingo, and scavenger hunts (at check in the give you a list of activities and schedule). (For a list of services and amenities please see the moderate resort guide)

Resort Dining:
There are two dining options at CBR (besides pizza delivery to your room). One is the Market Street Food Court where you can get things such as burgers and fries, sandwiches, pizza and smoothies. This is also the place where you can purchase the drink mug and fill it up at the soda fountains for no additional charge for the duration of your stay.

Your other dining option (dinner only) is an open air restaurant called Shutters at Old Port Royale. They offer a menu with Caribbean flavors. The price range is listed in Disney dining guide as anywhere from 15-35 dollars per person.

Resort Rooms:
CBR offers several room type choices which include: standard, water view, standard King size bed, and preferred location. (For a general pricing guide please see the moderate resort guide)

Resort Pictures from our stay:
Below are just a couple of pictures from our stay at CBR…






For more pictures of CBR click here

Our Impressions of CBR:
We were impressed by the security at the gate, they were friendly and informative. The cast members at the check in desk were also friendly and helpful as you would expect from any Disney Cast Member. We were surprised at the size of the resort and how long it took to get to Trinidad South (where we were staying). Our car definitely came in handy for this resort experience, although I did see many others using the bus transportation available. We were somewhat disappointed that there were no characters roaming the resort (at least during our stay and none of the cast members mentioned that the characters roamed the resort areas). The rooms were just a little smaller than I expected but they were clean and inviting. Old Port Royale pool being closed was of course disappointing and unfortunately we could hear as we walked around the resort power washing going on.

We both were unfamiliar with Disney Resorts so we went in not knowing what to expect. Personally I wanted an experience that was more Disney and more on site entertainment than what Caribbean Beach Resort offered, but I can say that the resort was peaceful (except for the power washing) and on beautifully kept grounds. If you want a get away from Disney than the Caribbean Beach Resort is definitely a good choice.

Kilimanjaro Safaris- Animal Kingdom (Africa)

Those adventurous enough to enter the Harambe Wildlife Reserve will embark on a two week Safari. Various types of animals live in the reserve so get your cameras ready to take lots of shots.

The trip starts off with a nice drive through the reserve viewing the animals that are out. At time the ride is bumpy yet peaceful. But beware there is action on your trip. Not to give too much away but a bridge almost breaks and the group encounters poachers! It is exciting and a great opportunity for picture taking. Here are a couple of my favorite shots from our last Safari…

The Eagles Have Landed!

Week three of the “Sounds Like Summer Concert Series” kicked off with “Hotel California” a tribute to the Eagles. Much like the other two bands this summer, Hotel California paid great attention to the costuming details and sound of the Eagles. Norwood and I played their CD on the way to Epcot yesterday and when we arrived at America Gardens it was like we never left the car. Hotel California drew a large, very excited audience for their opening night shows. If you are an Eagles fan, make sure you do not miss this tribute band. They are at the America Gardens in Epcot June 23- 29 with show time of 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45.

Here are some photos of the band from last night to give you an idea of the show that they perform. Enjoy!








For more pictures of Hotel California and the rest of the "Sounds Like Summer Concert Series" bands go here.

IllumiNations Reflections of Earth –Epcot

Surprisingly in all our years to Disney Norwood and I have never once stopped to see the fireworks at any of the parks. I know… the horror!! Well the other night after the last “Sounds Like Summer Concert Series” show we decided to stick around to see what all the noise we hear from our house looked liked. Wow, I did not know fireworks could be so amazing!

To begin the show a narrator comes on the speakers all over the park and tells you that one of his favorite things to do is tell stories around the campfire and he hopes we enjoy his story tonight. All the torches around the lagoon go out and the light show begins. The fireworks start off small and as they progressively get bigger and more colorful, the Earth comes out onto the Lagoon and displays images of accomplishments and natural beauty of several regions of the world. Also during all this the buildings in the countries light up. It really is an amazing sight. Here are some of my favorite fireworks moments…





A little tip… people tend to pack in at the front of the park to watch the lights, but it is not necessarily the best place to comfortably view the fireworks. Norwood and I noticed that China was remarkably empty during the show so we settled in there. Although we could see the Earth our view of it was at times obstructed by the trees in the middle of the Lagoon. However, I do not feel that I missed any part of the show while viewing it from China. So the next time you are at Epcot for IlluiNations maybe try out a place in the back of the park, more space to enjoy yourselves.

Want to see more fireworks at Epcot? Check out my Epcot Photo Set.