In this series, I will be sharing my experience of travelling Walt Disney World solo in two days. I booked two nights at Caribbean Beach Resort in the Epcot Resort Area.
The magic starts even before landing at Orlando International Airport—be on the lookout for this special cloud formation over Lake Apopka!
Once arrived at MCO, be ready for a trek—the first of many whilst staying at Caribbean Beach Resort. You will go down to the end of the terminal and catch a trolley. This will then take you to the main airport. From there, find the escalators just past security. These will take you down…and down…and all the way to the bottom floor. Then if you fly Delta as I do, you will be walking all the way across the airport as Disney’s Magical Express is on the opposite side from the Delta terminal.
The wait time is practically none—less than 15 minutes or so around 1 PM. The agents are very helpful and will know how to pull up your Magic Mobile Pass.
(For iPhones)
• Open the app
• Go to the menu and select Magic Mobile Pass
• Save to Apple Wallet
• Open your pass in Apple Wallet
• Click on the three dots in the upper right corner
This will bring up the QR code for the agent to scan.
All aboard! Mickey is ready to whisk you off to your Disney Resort. The ride isn’t long—a mere 30 minutes to Caribbean Beach’s Old Port Royale.
We’re here! Old Port Royale is the main hub of Caribbean Beach Resort. To the left are bell services, and inside is the information desk, gift shop, and several restaurants. The bus stop is also to the left, past the guest parking.
Disney is complying with federal and local health authorities and requiring masks indoors and on all transportation.
Inside Old Port Royale across from the information desk are the Calypso Trading Post and CenterTown Market. CenterTown Market has two services—one grab and go (Bottled beverages, fruit cups, cereal and the likes)
The other side is a quick service cafe, which offers more meal options and also a few allergy-friendly meals as well. I will cover more of that soon.
Once outside Old Port Royal, to the right is the pool. Continue down the path to the boardwalk to find both Banana Cabana (the poolside lounge) and Sebastian’s Bistro (the table service dinner restaurant).
Feel like cooling down with some fresh air a bit? Both Banana Cabana and CenterTown Market have outdoor seating. Banana Cabana overlooks the boardwalk and pool, and CenterTown overlooks the marina.
The view across the bay is quite spectacular. Visible here are the Skyliner and Aruba Village. There are 5 Villages in CBR. Martinique is just to the right of CenterTown Market, while Barbados is on the other side of the pool. Trinidad (with the pirate themed rooms) is on the far side of Barbados. Across the bridge is Caribbean Cay island. Continue on and you will come to the Jamaica and Aruba Villages. I stayed in Aruba Village (building 55) on this visit. The walk from Aruba to Old Port Royal is about 10-15 minutes.
Each village has its own beach and pool. I found that Jamaica’s were quieter than Aruba’s at the time I was there, so it was a short walk down to Jamaica.
Don’t forget to watch where you’re stepping—every path is a lizard crossing!
The wildlife is always fun and interesting to watch…but a word of caution. If you do sit outside at CenterTown Market DO NOT leave your food unattended. They will steal your vegan eggs! This morning, for instance, I went inside for a fork…and came back to two birds sitting beside my breakfast tray with half of my container of eggs gone and the rest sandy from their beaks. The chef was very nice and understanding and gave me a new bowl. Which I then ate inside to avoid fighting the birds for them.
Inside, the rooms are fairly spacious with plenty of room, storage, dressing space and fluffy towels. The bathroom is divided by a sliding door with the tub and toilet separated further by a single door.
Also, don’t be shy to ask for a room key. The app sometimes malfunctions, and you’ll be making to trek to Old Port Royale after a long day of walking across parks and resorts.
Finally, CenterTown Market is very amenable to allergies. Their chefs are on top of things, and they’re all very friendly. I have 4 allergies so I do have to speak to the chef every meal, but it’s worth it. There is one chef in particular who is very knowledgeable about their allergy-friendly items. I was able to get several breakfast options, as well as two dinner options.
For my allergies (peanuts, gluten, dairy and onions plus vegetarian), here are a few things available to order:
• Island Bounty Platter (allergy-friendly waffles, eggs, and impossible sausage or fruit cup)
• Allergy-friendly Mickey Waffles (pure syrup is available in condiments) with a side of vegan eggs
• Impossible Market Burger (allergy-friendly bun, just lettuce and tomato)
Join me next time for my tour of Disney’s Boardwalk, Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts!
