Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be fun but also complicated — especially when you’re trying to choose between 25 resort hotels. If you’ve narrowed down your choices to these two resorts, how do you make your final selection?

Well, we’re here to walk you through the similarities AND differences between Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

Whether cost, room size, location, pools, and/or restaurants are most important to you, we share the information that you’ll need to make an informed decision. After all, we want you to stay at the hotel that is best for your traveling party!

Let’s get started and look at all the details so that you can plan your Disney trip with confidence.

There’s no doubt that Disney vacations are expensive, and no one wants buyer’s remorse when it comes to what can usually be the most EXPENSIVE part of your Disney trip. We’ll dive deeper into the details of these resorts by breaking down our analysis into five categories:

• Common Ground
• Theme/Rooms
• Pools
• Food
• Transportation

It takes a lot of research to plan a Disney vacation, but we’re here to help.

Common Ground

Before we mention their differences, let’s take a look at what Old Key West and Caribbean Beach have in common. First, both have a relaxed vibe with an overall coastal atmosphere featuring tropical decor and landscaping.

Each resort has a large layout that consists of a central lobby building with outer buildings housings the actual hotel rooms.

But what about cost per night? Caribbean Beach Resort is a moderate Disney hotel with standard rooms and thus, it has more reasonable prices.

For Old Key West, that means that for the cheapest room at the cheapest time to visit, you can expect to pay around $457 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts), and it goes up to $3,081 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts) for the most expensive rooms at the most expensive time to visit.

For Caribbean Beach, that means that for the cheapest room at the cheapest time to visit, you can expect to pay around $258 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts), and it goes up to $551 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts) for the most expensive rooms at the most expensive time to visit.

Extra Theme Park Hours Benefits for Disney World Resort Hotel Guests

Theme/Rooms

One thing these Resorts share in common is that they are both LARGE! So much so, in fact, that they each offer an internal bus system that guests can take around the hotel to get to the main Bus Station THEN travel from there to the theme parks!

Of course, where the sprawling grounds may lead to more walking (and bus riding) than you might anticipate, the grounds at each resort also feature lovely water views, scenic strolling paths, and swaying palm trees.

At Old Key West, the shimmering waterways lead to Disney Springs, while Caribbean Beach is home to Barefoot Bay where guests can partake in catch-and-release fishing.

Both resorts have bus transportation to Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.

These large resorts boast beautiful landscaping, but they do have some differences!

Old Key West

As a Deluxe Villa Resort, this hotel offers many unique perks. Villas can be booked by Disney Vacation Club members or cash-paying guests, and because of the immense size of Old Key West, rooms are often available!

Opened in October 1991, Old Key West features a relaxed, beach vibe (minus the ocean). Picture yourself vacationing at a Caribbean-style guest house in small neighborhood-type structures. Exteriors are painted in soft hues reminiscent of the Florida Keys. Guests return here year after year because of the laid-back atmosphere and large rooms.

Yes, this resort offers generous square footage in each studio or villa. Studios are furnished with two queen beds and a kitchenette. Take note of that balcony! Two-bedroom villas sleep up to nine people. The one-to-three-bedroom villas have a full kitchen, as well as washer and dryer. Rooms were last renovated in 2019.

Speaking of spacious accommodations, the 3 Bedroom Grand Villas at various Disney Vacation Club properties can sleep up to 12 people! These rooms typically come with 3 bedrooms, 3 (or more) bathrooms, a (very large) full-sized kitchen, living area, dining area, and a balcony. These rooms are available first for DVC members to book, so they’re pretty difficult to score and pricing is not readily available to the public (unless you call Disney to book for a specific date).

If you’re looking for convenience, these amenities might make your trip a whole lot easier!

Caribbean Beach Resort

You’re on ISLAND time at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort! The atmosphere is whimsical, bright, and colorful. With its relaxing island vibe, this Resort sets a calypso tone for a vacation within a vacation!

The spirit of the Caribbean is alive and thriving at Old Port Royale, the Resort’s main building. This “port of entry” is where guests check in; it also serves as the hub for dining and shopping.

Five distinct villages are situated around the shores of Barefoot Bay. The villages are named after Caribbean islands — Trinidad, Barbados, Martinique, Aruba, and Jamaica, and these colorful quarters are where the Guest Rooms are located.

Standard and Preferred Rooms feature two Queen beds, a King bed, or two Queen beds and a child-size pull down bed. These rooms can accommodate up to five guests depending on the bedding options.

The color scheme inside the rooms is a bit more muted than outside, opting for breezy corals, blues, and rattan accents to keep the island theme going. Unfortunately, these rooms do not have balconies.

Alas, the famed Pirate Rooms of yore are no more. However, you should know that some of the rooms in the Trinidad area are currently receiving a makeover!

Take a complete Photo Tour of a Caribbean Beach Resort Standard Room here!

Initially Disney announced that the rooms would be refurbished and decorated with “characters from under the sea.” More recently, Disney has provided a bigger reveal with a look INSIDE these new rooms with theming inspired by The Little Mermaid!

You can take a closer look at these upcoming rooms here.

Results

What type of accommodations do you prefer? Both offer a relaxing atmosphere in large, spread-out resorts. Yet, there is a sense of Victorian community at Old Key West, especially with repeat Disney Vacation Club guests.

If you need square footage, Old Key West might be better for your family. 

If you want the most recently refurbished rooms, try Caribbean Beach as renovations will hopefully be completed in 2023. And just a reminder, Caribbean Beach Resort Rooms can sleep up to five guests, depending on bedding options.

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Pools

When the weather is HOT or you just need a break from park queues, head to your resort pool! After all, the pools have their own unique features and special theming. Feature pools at Walt Disney World hotels usually have at least one slide and also offer poolside activities. Look at the hotel’s recreation schedule for more information. Some Disney resorts are so spread out that they also offer leisure pools. These swimming spots are family-friendly with at least one whirlpool spa. Leisure pools are quieter than the more crowded and active feature pools.

Note that poolside towels are always complimentary.

Old Key West

Sandcastle is Old Key West’s feature pool near the Hospitality House. Here, a 125-ft. waterslide traverses through a large sandcastle. Guests will love the decorative dolphins that spout water into the large pool. There’s also a relaxing whirlpool spa as well as a dry sauna located inside the nearby lighthouse. Small children will enjoy the kiddie pool. Keeping with the Florida Keys atmosphere, there is also a sandy “beach”!

At this property, there are three leisure pools — Old Turtle Pond, South Point, and Miller’s Road.

Caribbean Beach Resort

Ready to channel your inner Pirate? Then your destination is the zero-entry Fuentes del Morro pool at Caribbean Beach Resort!

Of course, calling it simply a “pool” is not doing it justice. Themed like a colonial Spanish fortress, this water area also includes not one, but TWO waterslides and water-spraying cannons!

Wee pirates can enjoy a water play area just for them, complete with mini slides. And a whirlpool is also available for less splashing, and more RELAXING.

Guests at the Resort may also swim in any of its five leisure pools.

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Not only is the Fuentes del Morro pool and shipwreck play area completely epic, but it also boasts the nearby Banana Cabana pool bar (which we’ll check out more in our “Food” category).

10 Hidden Secrets About Disney World Pools

Food

Park days can be exhausting. Whether you’re taking a whole day to enjoy your resort, or you are relaxing after a shopping excursion at Disney Springs, once you’re at your Disney World hotel, you might not want to get back on a bus or boat for nourishment. So, you’ll want to know about the best options at your Disney World resort!

Take a look at the menus and decide which resort has the food that best suits your family.

Old Key West

Olivia’s Cafe is a relaxed and casual Table Service restaurant featuring flavors inspired by the Florida Keys.

It’s open for brunch and dinner.

Good’s Food To Go is Old Key West’s Counter Service option serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is unique with its outdoor setting made for more of a “to-go” style. However, Old Key West lacks a quick service food court with indoor seating!

The Conch Chowder is a guest favorite.

Gurgling Suitcase is a charming little bar where guests can also order full entrees from Olivia’s Cafe.

We love this little oasis.

Turtle Shack Snack Bar offers sandwiches, pizza and salads to be enjoyed poolside.

Grab a bite and spend some time at the pool!

Click HERE for our Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Old Key West Resort!

Caribbean Beach Resort

When Caribbean Beach Resort received its aforementioned makeover, the dining options received a makeover, too. Caribbean Beach offers five dining options for guests.

Centertown Market is the Resort’s primary Quick Service location. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and serves up classic favorites like burgers and chicken strips alongside Latin- and Caribbean-inspired dishes such as Yucca and Jerk Chicken Bowls, a Rum-Mango Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich, and Fish Tacos.

Tucked inside this large eatery you’ll also find the Centertown Market Grab & Go filled with baked goods like morning pastries and cupcakes, quick bites like sandwiches and salads, and a coffee bar serving hand-crafted beverages.

Spyglass Grill is your other — much smaller — Quick Service option. Though you’ll find some seating, it’s primarily a walk-up window for grabbing a quick Caribbean-inspired breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

While we’ve enjoyed some tasty meals here, its primary purpose is providing a place to eat for guests closer to the Trinidad area of this sprawling Resort.

Sebastian’s Bistro is the Table Service restaurant at Caribbean Beach Resort. It features an all-you-care-to-enjoy meal!

The family-style dinner served here is inspired by Caribbean and Latin cuisine.

Banana Cabana is NOT your average pool bar! Sure, you can grab a tropical frozen drink to bring to the Fuentes del Morro pool.

But you can also stay put for quite a while to enjoy some appetizers (like Caribbean Pull-Apart Rolls or Jerk Chicken Wings), a full entrée, or some seriously scrumptious Pineapple-Coconut Bread Pudding!

All this in a setting complete with plenty of seating (including swing chairs) in a shaded open-air setting complete with a steel drum chandelier. We LOVE it!

We’ve got one more spot for you… Caribbean Beach is one of the few Resorts with its own Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea kiosk. And this one is conveniently located at the Resort’s Disney Skyliner Station!

Grab your cuppa joe before hopping onto a Skyliner gondola to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios!

Click HERE for the Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort!

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First, we’re going to warn you — Old Key West has slim pickings, especially for counter service meals. However, you’re not far from Disney Springs, which has a ton of dining options. And if you are spending a lot of time out at the parks (or staying in a large villa so that you can prepare meals), this category might not be as important to you as others. If you plan on a vacation mainly at the resort and have no interest in Disney Springs, you may want to dine at the popular Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West as it offers table-service for brunch and dinner.

When looking at the variety of choices, Caribbean Beach wins this category. Also, guests staying at Caribbean Beach can take the Skyliner to several other resorts for more quick service options!

Transportation

Are there any transportation differences with these hotels? Both resorts offer bus transportation as well as one other mode of Disney transport.

Old Key West

If you are driving to Walt Disney World or renting a car once you get to Florida, Old Key West offers the convenience of parking right in front of your villa. And with all the walking that you’ll do on vacation, this might be the right choice for your weary feet. This is especially helpful when traveling with grandparents, young children, or anyone with mobility concerns.

To all theme parks, you’ll have to take a bus.

Caribbean Beach Resort

Caribbean Beach Resort used to be limited to Disney Bus Transportation.

And while guests can still find Bus service for several destinations, that all changed in a BIG WAY in 2019 with the addition of the Disney Skyliner, connecting EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios with four Disney Resorts.

In fact, the Skyliner station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach is the HUB for the gondola system! 

All three Skyliner lines come and go from the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station, and any transfers that happen from line-to-line occur at this station.

From here, guests are able to travel directly to and from Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts, Disney’s Riviera Resort continuing to or from EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Find our Guide to Disney World Transportation HERE

Results

Again, this is an easy win…. And the win goes once again to Caribbean Beach Resort, which has earned major bragging rights in this category thanks to the Disney Skyliner!

The Winner!

So, where do we think you should stay? Sorry, that decision has to be up to you. It depends on the people in your traveling party and what your plans are during your stay at Walt Disney World. If larger rooms or shopping at Disney Springs are important to you, opt for Old Key West. 

You may also want to consider that Old Key West (except for three buildings) does not have elevators. If this is an issue for you, perhaps you should choose Caribbean Beach.

If you’re looking for a convenient way to get to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then Caribbean Beach might be the one to book!

Overall, these are both wonderful resorts, although Caribbean Beach Resort definitely has bragging rights for lower cost as well as transportation and dining options.

Where did you decide to stay? Share with us and your fellow readers!