There are more than 25 Disney World Resort hotels to pick from.
Each one offers something different for your Disney experience. You may be looking for the best bang for your buck, different transportation options, and the most immersive, or fun additional attractions. There’s a Disney hotel for everyone regardless of what you’re looking for. But we have to be honest, some are simply better than others (even though it’s hard to beat ANY Disney hotel). So we went to Yelp to find out which Disney hotel has the worst reviews, and this is what we discovered.
We searched Disney World hotels on Yelp and after scouring through all 240 reviewed locations (some Disney World hotels, many Disney World attractions (??), and LOTS of Universal Orlando hotels), we found the worst reviewed Disney World hotel (number 208 out of 240 listed reviews, just ahead of Ultimate Town Car). That resort turned out to be Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Now, we like the Caribbean Beach Resort, so finding this at the bottom of the list was a little surprising. Let’s see what the reviews had to say.
Reviews
It turns out that many people felt that the hotel was outdated, even having some electrical issues with outlets not working. Another big issue we saw come up a few times was the lack of daily housekeeping. Many visitors wished that cleaning services were offered more frequently, feeling the lack of it is a left-over result of the pandemic.
A lot of people discussed atmosphere and room concerns more than logistics or personnel issues, so it’s good to hear Disney service standards are kept up at this Moderate Resort!
Tour
Okay, so how about a tour through the rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort to give you a bit of insight into the hotel? When we stayed here, we stayed in the ‘Under the Sea’ room in The Little Mermaid-themed area, which we thought was a cute touch.
The Little Mermaid rooms are refurbished rooms at this hotel in the Trinidad section. The whole room has colors you would expect in a seaside house and it was beautiful.
There’s a Murphy bed behind the couch which helps with using the space efficiently!
The rooms also feature 5th sleepers to accommodate more occupants.
There are also lots of little updates in these new, refreshed rooms including USB and USB-C charging ports.
The bathroom is also very nice with a tub/shower combo. The shower and toilet are separate from the sinks so more people can be getting ready at once, which is really nice for those early Disney mornings!
There are also two sinks for added efficiency.
And you can find storage all over in the room!
These new rooms are definitely a glow-up for the hotel, but we’ll talk about that in a little bit.
Positives
So now that you’ve seen a new and improved room at the Caribbean Beach Resort, let’s go through the positives of staying at this resort because there definitely are many! We’re going to discuss three positives and then three downsides to help you make an informed conclusion.
First, probably the biggest perk of staying at this hotel, is that it is along the Disney Skyliner (it has its own station in fact)! The Skyliner takes you to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, so this is a pretty big deal.
Next, it’s right in a central location. It’s located right along Buena Vista Drive with easy access to Disney Springs, Typhoon Lagoon, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Blizzard Beach. That’s a whole lot of Disney World to be able to get to without having to leave the same road (or with just one turn).
The last positive is for those who wished their family had decided to go on a tropical paradise vacation instead of Disney World. By staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort, you get access to some beautiful beach views and hangouts! You can even visit the ‘private’ island Caribbean Cay.
Downsides
So for a fair review, we have to consider all aspects of this hotel, so here are three downsides to this hotel. It is probably the most spread-out hotel. It covers an immense amount of area, making your walk to the Skyliner station a potentially VERY long one.
Second, the Yelp reviews weren’t entirely wrong–there are parts of this resort that are not as updated as The Little Mermaid rooms. Some are a bit older and, you might say, mildly outdated. But they’re not all that bad.
Last, the food here isn’t usually something we rave about all the time. While the pool bar Banana Cabana is pretty tasty, the rest of it is pretty average. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just pretty standard Disney food. So don’t count it out as a good option if you’re staying here, we just wouldn’t make the extra trip to eat here.
Alternatives
Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons of staying at the Caribbean Beach Club as well as give you a quick tour of the new rooms, it’s time to discuss a couple of alternatives if you decide this isn’t the place for you (but if this is your dream hotel, that awesome too!).
Our first alternative suggestion is actually a Value Resort (Caribbean Beach is a Moderate Resort). If having easy access to the Skyline is something that calls to you, then you might like staying at Disney’s Art of Animation hotel! This is a super immersive hotel with sections themed for different Disney movies like Finding Nemo and The Lion King. And it’s located within walking distance to the Skyliner.
Our second alternate would be Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. This is another moderate resort that is honestly quite beautiful. It is also pretty spread out (you drive to the different areas of the hotel), but it’s worth it. There are bus stops all around the resort and it is usually a beloved resort by Disney goers– especially the French Quarter!
There you have it! A full overview of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. 51 people have said it’s their least favorite Disney hotel, but we’ll let you decide for yourself. Otherwise, consider one of the alternatives –Art of Animation or Port Orleans.
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What are you thoughts on Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort? Let us know in the comments!
The post I Stayed at the Worst-Reviewed Disney World Hotel on Yelp first appeared on the disney food blog.