New Little Mermaid Rooms have arrived at Caribbean Beach Resort! Replacing the Pirate Rooms, these ones come with a 5th sleeper and easy access to the Disney Skyliner. We recently had the chance to stay at one of these newly renovated rooms and we are here to share everything you need to know about them. If you’re looking for a Caribbean Beach Little Mermaid Room, we’re sharing all the details, photos, location, and how to get one.
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Caribbean Beach Resort
Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World tends to be a bit of a polarizing resort. People either love it or hate it. We are people who love it. We love the laid-back vibe. To us, the beaches are fantastic. We love the access to the Skyliner. But we’ve also stayed at Walt Disney World’s worst resort rooms here. And if you follow us, then you know what we are talking about. Yep, I’m talking about those blasted Pirate Rooms at Caribbean Beach Resort. Dark, dank, completely unfunctional, full-sized beds. All in all, they were just awful.
Now I’m not saying it’s because of me, but is it a coincidence that Disney announced they were getting rid of these awful rooms just a month after I wrote about how much I loathed them? Of course, it’s a coincidence and has nothing to do with me. But it’s fun to pretend, right?
Truth is, Disney was having a difficult time getting these rooms booked. They were uncomfortable, felt cramped, and were more expensive than standard rooms. On top of that, they’re located in Trinidad, which is far from almost everything. They attracted families with smaller children due to the smaller beds and pirate theme, but with it being so far from the main pool and Old Port Royale, most people just didn’t find it worth the upcharge. So when they announced these rooms would retire, we all rejoiced at my house and wondered what would come next. Enter the Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach Resort!
New Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach Resort
The new Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach Resort offers a lot of firsts for a moderate resort. This new type of room is a 5th sleeper and is a great option for families. A couch with a pull-down bed makes the room seem super spacious when not in use. And the 5th sleeper bed is a nice bench when not being used. New artwork can be found throughout the room including above the couch, above the 5th sleeper bed, by the coffee station and in the bathroom.
While we haven’t been super impressed with some of Disney’s design decisions lately, we are loving the thought that has gone into these rooms. They really attempted the whole “Be Your Guest” concept and excelled. There are plenty of USB and regular outlets. The room has plenty of drawer and closet space. There is even a coffee table that opens up to act as a table and extra storage as well. The bed height is large enough to keep luggage under and keep the floors clear.
For guests with smaller travelers, there is a stool in the bathroom to help them reach the sink. These little touches make all the difference in a guest’s experience, and we love that Disney has incorporated these additions in these rooms.
Location of Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach Resort
The Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach is currently only located in Trinidad. We’ve got a few hints that more rooms like these could potentially come to the preferred area of the resort in Martinique. But for now, guests who want to stay in these new rooms at Caribbean Beach will have to settle for Trinidad.
Although most people don’t tend to love how far away Trinidad tends to be from some things, it’s actually not that bad of a section to be in. The Skyliner is not too far, there is a quiet pool in the middle of the island, a laundry room near that, a small bus stop, and SpyGlass Grill offers most of the same food that can be found at Centertown Market. One benefit we love about this location is that it puts you very close to the Joffrey’s at the Skyliner. So if you love being close to a coffee shop, then this location is great for that. And since it’s not near all the hustle and bustle, it’s pretty quiet. Which is great for families who may have little ones who need to nap during the day.
What is a 5th Sleeper Room at Walt Disney World?
5th sleeper rooms are rooms that have 2 queen beds and a pull-down bed for a child. There is no published weight limit to these. But it’s generally recommended that they be used for someone under the age of 18. If you’re a smaller adult, you may also be able to fit as well. 5th sleeper rooms can actually sleep 6 if your kids are the right ages. Up to 4 adults, 1 child under 18, and an infant who could sleep in a crib. 5th sleepers accommodate larger families with small children. And it’s great that they’re adding more of these types of rooms.
If you have a party of 6 who doesn’t fit these criteria, then these room types won’t even show up in your searches. But if you do, then you can save a lot of money by not having to book 2 rooms or a suite.
Pros of Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach
First of all, we love a new room. Disney resorts aren’t cheap, and sometimes the rooms feel a bit old and tired. Even if they’re not. It’s just the way it goes with a resort as large as Walt Disney World. So having a shiny new room always feels like a treat! But there are other benefits to these rooms besides being new.
The room itself feels super spacious when the Murphy bed is up. And the couch gives it a more luxe feel. The coffee table, which opens up for storage, can also be used as a table if you decide to eat in your room. There are plenty of outlets. And the new showerheads are in line with the other refurbished rooms at Walt Disney World. We love the bright colors and fun artwork.
We love the easy access to the Skyliner. Trinidad 34 is only about a five-minute walk to the Skyliner. Since we were mostly visiting for the Flower and Garden Festival, this was super convenient for us. We also loved how close this was to Joffrey’s. Which made it easy to get a special coffee in the mornings if we wanted something more than the coffee in the food court. And SpyGlass Grill has plenty of food options and a drink refill station for your refillable mug.
Trinidad has all of its own conveniences, so if you don’t need the main building, it really is a nice area. And it’s less busy. Being able to do the laundry, go for a swim, get food and coffee, and visit the beach in a less crowded area of the resort is definitely a perk.
Cons of Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach
These rooms are great, but by no means perfect. Although we loved the location for the Skyliner, it’s pretty far from other things. Centertown Market, the main food court, is about a 15-minute walk from Trinidad depending on which building you’re in. The main pool is about the same. So if you have little ones who want to be in the really cool pool, you’ll need to make the long trek there. And that might not be too fun, especially when it’s hot.
The air conditioner in our room was louder than anything. And as much as I’d like to say this is isolated to our room, I don’t think that’s the case. It’s a problem we’ve noticed in many of the rooms at Caribbean Beach. I totally get that it would be a huge expense and undertaking to replace these air conditioning units, but wow, they are loud! If you are traveling with someone who is a light sleeper, you may want to reconsider staying here. It’s more of a white noise, but it’s still noise.
Since these rooms are a little further from the main building, Wi-Fi is also a bit spotty in this area. If you need to work on your trip, be ready for a slow connection, or take your work closer to the main building.
One thing we noticed that could be a downside is that usually, the Murphy bed in the refurbished rooms is a regular mattress. The mattress on the Murphy bed here is more like a foam mattress maybe? We kept calling it a “camping mattress” but regardless, it’s not a regular spring mattress like the queen bed is. So, if you’re traveling with someone who has a bad back, you might need to let them sleep on the regular queen. It didn’t affect our trip, but it’s important to note, that it wasn’t what we were expecting.
Transportation for the Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach
As stated earlier, these rooms are close to the Skyliner. Which makes it easy to get to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You’ll really only be closer to the Skyliner station if you happen to be in the far buildings of Jamaica.
Though it has its own bus stop, Trinidad is the last stop on the route. So when you’re going to the Parks, you may need to be prepared for standing. Or you may need to wait for another bus if the bus fills up before it gets to that stop. Alternatively at night to go home, you’ll be on the bus the longest. This isn’t a huge deal, but sometimes those buses are packed to the brim and all you want to do is get out of there and get back to your room. You can always get off the bus at another stop, but then you’d have to walk a bit to get back.
How do the Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach compare to the Little Mermaid Rooms at Art of Animation?
Many fans wondered why Little Mermaid for the theme when Disney already has Little Mermaid Rooms. Well, first of all, the theme fits perfectly at Caribbean Beach. Sure, Little Mermaid is actually a Danish story. But most people don’t know, or even care about that. With an island theme, Sebastian’s Bistro as the main restaurant, and a light, breezy color palette throughout the newer areas, Little Mermaid makes the most sense of any Disney IP. But just because there are two Little Mermaid Rooms now, doesn’t mean they’re not both great.
The Caribbean Beach Little Mermaid Rooms, first of all, are 5th sleepers. If you’re a family of 6, you’d usually have to book a Family Suite. And those can be expensive. But with the right ages of children, this room type will actually show up in resort searches for you. That’s a big difference from the Little Mermaid Rooms at Art of Animation. Those sleep 4, plus an infant that can sleep in a crib. So for families with smaller children, these new Little Mermaid Rooms may be perfect for you.
Another thing to notice is that the style is completely different than those at Art of Animation. While the rooms at Little Mermaid are super cute, they can also be looked at as a bit more childish. It is an animation-themed resort after all. The decor in the new rooms at Caribbean Beach is more subtle and bright. And Ariel is actually not even anywhere to be found in the artwork. So it’s really more of a “grown-up” take on how Little Mermaid Rooms should look.
And since the second queen bed is a Murphy bed that pulls down, that makes these rooms better for couples who don’t need a second bed. Since King Bed rooms are typically harder to get since there are fewer of them, that makes these a nice alternative to those as well. Generally, the room is more spacious as well.
How can I request a Little Mermaid Room at Caribbean Beach?
According to a Cast Member, I spoke with, you cannot currently request or specifically book this type of room. However, in order to book this room, you need to start with a 5th sleeper. During online check-in, you’ll be prompted to choose a room close to Old Port Royale or near the Skyliner. You’ll want to choose a room near the Skyliner. For reference, our Little Mermaid Room was located in building 34. But many of the 1st-floor rooms in the Trinidad area have been renovated.
Are the Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach worth the cost?
As of right now, the price isn’t really different than other 5th sleepers at Caribbean Beach. Since there is no way to specifically book them, you just pay the same price as you would normally for this room type. I do think these are worth the current cost! I anticipate once inventory is complete for this room type, Disney will upcharge on these as they did with the old Pirate Rooms. But we won’t know until that happens. I find it highly unlikely that they’d raise prices before that, seeing how you just have to book a 5th sleeper and hope for the best. But it’s Disney, so who knows?
So for now, these are definitely worth the cost as they are by far the nicest rooms you will find at Caribbean Beach. The location isn’t the greatest, but we heard a little rumor that there is potential for this room type to be coming to the preferred area of the resort, which would give guests the best of both worlds. We’ll have to wait and see if that actually happens!
As with all resort reviews, if you’re a park open-to-park close kind of person and spend almost no time in your room, then you’re better off booking a Value Resort and skipping out on the cost of these.
New Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach Review
Overall, we really enjoyed these rooms! They’re bright and fresh and feel more like a deluxe room than a moderate one. The location was great for us since we wanted to use the Skyliner for most of our trip, and we didn’t really need access to most of the things at the main building. If you plan to spend any time in your room, these are a great choice for your next Walt Disney World vacation! Check out all the Pros and Cons of Disney’s Caribbean Resort to see if this resort works for your next Disney trip!
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
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