As you may know, Caribbean Beach Resort is undergoing a refurbishment that is affecting the entire Resort, from dining options to the guest check-in area and far beyond.
Caribbean Beach Resort Concept Art ©Disney
Disney is now releasing concept art for what the results of this renovation will yield, and we are excited to finally be learning more about the refreshed dining options — and more! — coming to Caribbean Beach Resort!
But here’s the weird part…all of this “news” seems verrrrry familiar… . Read on.
Shutters
You remember Shutters, right? The Table Service restaurant at Caribbean Beach Resort? No? Well, perhaps that’s because it hasn’t provided the most memorable of Resort dining options over the years. However, it sounds like that may change once the Caribbean-inspired Shutters reopens on the waterfront of Old Port Royale.
Caribbean Beach Resort Concept Art ©Disney
Shutters will transport guests to a beachfront home in the islands, with large open shutters allowing the sunlight to drench the dining room. The spot will celebrate the “natural beauty of the Caribbean” with design elements including floral motifs and handmade items.
Centertown Market
Look for Centertown Market to once again offer a Quick Service option to guests within an indoor street market setting. The space will be accented with colored light pendants made from glass bottles, and further elements will include shutters, wooden light posts, awnings and, of course, seating.
(What’s that? This doesn’t look all that different from what was there before? Agreed… .)
Caribbean Beach Resort Concept Art ©Disney
So, while you’ll obviously be welcome to stay and dine, a Grab n’ Go market will also be available featuring on-the-go options and specialty coffee.
Banana Cabana
You know we love Banana Cabana, Caribbean Beach’s pool bar! The refreshed spot will serve food along with drinks, which we can look forward to enjoying in an immersive “island life” setting. Here is a look at the bar’s previous look before it closed for the refurbishment.
Former Banana Cabana
Seating areas will be flanked by cabana-style drapes while re-purposed steel drums will deliver light to a large central community table formed by a wooden boat.
Old Port Royale
Old Port Royale will become the “port of entry” for Caribbean Beach Resort guests.
Caribbean Beach Resort Concept Art ©Disney
This location is within easy access to all of the Resort’s soon-to-be enhanced dining offerings, as well as to the Calypso Trading Post merchandise location.
Our Thoughts?
So… from what I’m reading, Shutters will basically be the same, but just opened up to the water. Centertown Market seems to be exactly the same. Banana Cabana will basically be the same, but will serve some food.
The biggest change on the horizon is that it sounds like Old Port Royale will be the check-in and registration area now? Which would be great, if that’s the case, to have one central lobby area with food offerings in the same building.
Look for these “updates” to be made in Summer 2018. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
What are your thoughts on the updated Caribbean Beach Resort? Please let us know with a comment!
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My husband and I really like Caribbean Beach Resort having stayed there 6 times for at least a one week period each time. This last visit( Nov.20th through Dec,7th) was very interesting as the construction area was just yards from our room. We did not hear much building noise but the tantalizing peeks through the tarp cover got our curiosity up. We want to see what they are doing back there, It looks amazing. Can hardly wait to come back and see the progress and the finished product. Something new to look forward to.
Kelly — So fun! I can’t wait to ride the skyliner!
We’ve been huge fans and regular guests at CBR since the resort opened in 1988, so we were concerned that everything which makes the resort so unique and special to us would disappear. So glad to hear the current refurbishment will expand the island atmosphere, especially that OPR would not be completed demolished (as some posters elsewhere erroneously claimed), but would be expanded and improved.
Seeing the concept art photos of the newly refurbed OPR, as well as knowing the remainder of the resort will still be the island paradise it has always been, eases the pain of the loss of Barbados and the Custom House. We’ll miss arriving at the Custom House to start our island vacation, but arriving at the Port of Entry seems to be a great alternative.
Just wondering, if somewhere there will be an homage to the lost areas of the original resort. There are so may of us whose first rooms were located in Barbados, so it would be wonderful to know that Disney recognizes that there are many “old timers” (from 1988 thru today) who are sad that their first CBR room is only a memory.
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Hi, Ret! We echo your sentiments about the nostalgia of early visits. As for whether there will be an homage to the lost parts of CBR, we haven’t heard — but we hope so!
Isn’t there going to be a new restaurant, “Spy Glass Grille”?
Cindy, that’s the expectation shared by some folks online, but we have had no official word from Disney yet! We’re keeping our eyes peeled of official word!
We stayed at the CBR the week of January 8 and the construction did not bother us at all. We were in the Jamaica Building and the room was quiet and comfortable. We ate breakfast several times in the temporary building and the food and service was what you learn to expect from Disney.
The cast is buzzing about the gondola transpo and the reopening of check-in. I am looking forward to returning.
We haven’t stayed at the CBR since our honeymoon in 1991. We have stayed at other WDW Resorts and don’t know why we haven’t been back. We are planning a vacation in the next two years and plan on staying there then. Hopefully the construction and the skiliner will be completed by then. Keep the information updates coming.
Jo Ellyn, I’m so glad to hear you had a nice stay! We’re buzzing about the Skyliner, too!