The free spirit of the tropics greets you at the Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s original moderately priced resort. Within easy distance of both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this large and sprawling resort is popular with families.

AMBIENCE AT DISNEY'S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

The bright, sunny colors of the buildings and rooftops are your first sign of the laid-back lifestyle you’ll find at the Caribbean. After you check in at the Customs House, you make your way to one of the six “islands” that encircle 45-acre Barefoot Bay. Lush tropical foliage, hidden courtyards, and white sand beaches are the setting for your lively Caribbean adventure.

RESORT LAYOUT AT DISNEY'S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

The 2,112 rooms are well spread out among the six exotic “islands” of the Caribe—Aruba, Barbados, Martinique, Jamaica, Trinidad North, and Trinidad South. Each island has a cluster of stucco, pitched-roof buildings without elevators that make up the “village centers,” all painted in their own distinctive colors. The rooms in the two-storied buildings have bright colors and oak furnishings. The beds (one king or two doubles) have posts carved into pineapples, the symbol of hospitality. Guest rooms have double sinks in the separate vanity area with under-sink shelves and a privacy curtain, a table and chairs, an armoire with TV, a set of drawers, and a ceiling fan. There are no balconies or patios. Guest rooms here are the largest of all the moderate resorts at 340 sq. ft. Amenities include a coffeemaker, refrigerator, toiletries, housekeeping, limited room service, and voice mail.

DINING AT DISNEY'S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

The Caribbean Beach offers a table-service restaurant, as well as a breezy food court and the ubiquitous pool bar. All are available in Old Port Royale, also called “Center Towne,” housing the eateries, shops, main pool, and marina. The food court’s hours are 6:00 am–11:30 pm. Banana Cabana, a pool bar located at Old Port Royale, offers a variety of snacks, specialty drinks ($9.75+) and beer ($6.00–$8.00) during pool hours. Bluerunner is a limited room delivery service—typical menu items include domestic beer ($6.75), wine ($7.50+ for small bottles), 16” pizza ($13.99–$17.99), and cheesecake ($4.29). Shutters, the table-service restaurant, serves Caribbean-flavored fare for dinner only—see the restaurant’s description on page 255.