Trip Report: Caribe Royale Orlando – Inside the ‘pink palace’

You’ve probably passed the Caribe Royale Orlando Resort as you drove from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World. Caribe Royale’s recognizable waterfall and pink walls face the road just outside Disney’s welcome archway. Have you ever wondered what’s beyond the walls of this pink palace? We stayed here during our recent Disney vacation and discovered a relaxing oasis beyond its rose-colored facade.

But First, Theme Parks

Our family of four included my wife and I, along with our two young adult daughters (ages 23 and 26). We began our trip by staying at Disney’s Riviera Resort and moved over to Caribe Royale Orlando for the second half of our week.

Because this was our first Disney trip since the pandemic (January 2020), we spent our first three days aggressively touring the theme parks. First up was a late-night Disney After Hours party at Magic Kingdom. Day two included visiting Epcot for the Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic event. Our third day took us to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, followed by Top of the World Lounge – A Villains Lair at Disney’s Contemporary Resort for the Wicked Wind Down fireworks experience. Whew, exhale! It was an exhilarating but exhausting three days, and we were now ready for some downtime at Caribe Royale.

Caribe Royale Orlando Accessible Accommodations

We stayed in a private, two-bedroom accessible villa with a roll-in shower at Caribe Royale. One of the reasons we had not visited Disney World in four years was because immediately after our last trip, my wife Dana experienced a severe MS (multiple sclerosis) flare that diminished her mobility. She now uses a wheelchair outside of the house. Caribe Royale’s two-bedroom villa was not only spacious enough for our family of four adults, but, at over 1,200 square feet, it had plenty of room to maneuver her wheelchair.

Accessibility features included wide doorways, a large bathroom connected to the bedroom with grab bars next to the toilet, and a roll-in shower with rails.

In some hotels, accessible rooms have lowered beds that Dana struggles to get out of, but the bed in Caribe’s room was a standard height that worked perfectly.

In addition to the accessible features, our two-bedroom villa included a master bedroom with a king bed (that our daughters shared) and an ensuite bath with both a shower and tub.

The living space included a plush armchair, sofa (with queen-sized sofa bed), and 55” HD television. The villa also included a full-size, stocked kitchen with refrigerator, stove, microwave, coffee maker, blender, cookware, and dishwasher, next to a dining room with seating for six. The kitchen and dining room were handy for having breakfasts as well as keeping (and enjoying) our restaurant leftovers.

Last but not least, the villa had a full-size washer and dryer that we used to wash our theme park attire. We could have packed half the amount of clothes and brought home clean clothes at the end of our trip.

Poolside Relaxation

Our agenda for our first full day staying at Caribe Royale Orlando was to explore the resort and enjoy the amenities. We all slept on our comfortable beds late before going to the pool after breakfast. We received the Royale treatment with a poolside cabana reserved for the day.

When we checked in, our cabana attendant set up the cabana for us, and we were surprised by the layout underneath. The cabana had its own ceiling fan, plush seating for at least three or four people, a fresh fruit tray, a mini-fridge with cold soft drinks, and even a flat-screen TV if we chose to watch.

Outside in the sun were lounge chairs dedicated just for us. Our daughters were ready for a day in the sun, and I took a dip in the pool. We settled in to doze our afternoon away.

In less than an hour, a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area, clearing the pool. Our attendant assured us we could return to our cabana once the rain stopped. We placed an order for frozen drinks, quesadillas, wings, and a Smashburger from the Calypso’s poolside cafe and enjoyed lunch back in our villa. Alas, hashtag Cabana Life was not to be for us on this day, as heavy rains continued throughout the afternoon. Relaxation achievement was nonetheless unlocked as we rested and napped after our substantial lunch.

Stadium Club Dinner Competition

After a day of resting, we had some energy to burn and food to eat. We headed to Stadium Club, Caribe Royale Orlando’s latest restaurant concept. Stadium Club is a high-energy sports bar venue, but that description doesn’t do it justice. Caribe Royale attempts to recreate a live stadium experience inside with sports simulators, a DJ that syncs the music to the onscreen sports action, and elevated American sports bar fare. You feel as if you are sitting inside a luxury club box at the game.

We started the evening with a relaxed dinner, trying Stadium Club’s signature candied orange & rosemary bacon, the Royale cheeseburger (or should it be a “Royale with Cheese”?), lobster mac & cheese, truffle fries, and more. The food was delicious (in fact, my mouth is watering thinking of it all again). Afterward, we ventured to the sports simulators for a little friendly competition to burn off the calories.

We had a grand time and challenged each other to football, baseball, soccer, and, our family favorite, dodgeball against zombies. The simulators were a ton of fun, and a great family activity we could all enjoy together. There was even plenty of space for Mom to participate from her wheelchair. Best of all, we could continue our dinner over gameplay and split a fresh, hot, in-the-skillet brookie with ice cream. Yum! A perfect end to a rainy vacation day.

Final Thoughts

Caribe Royale Orlando is a hidden oasis, and a great option for families visiting Disney World. The two-bedroom villas allow much more space than a typical hotel room for nearly the same price as one of Disney’s official on-property resorts. Plus, you can save money by preparing some of your own meals (especially breakfast) and saving leftovers.

The owners have invested $140 million into renovating the upscale resort, including fully remodeling all of its 1,217 one-bedroom suites and a new lobby that gives an impressive arrival experience. Other new additions in the remodel include a sports court for pickleball, padel tennis, and basketball; a Starbucks lobby coffee shop; Rum Bar featuring Bacardí; a relaunched dining experience at the AAA Four-Diamond Venetian Chop House steakhouse restaurant; and the Stadium Club dining/entertainment sports venue that we enjoyed.

For more information or to book a room at Caribe Royale Orlando, get in touch with our trusted partner, MEI-Travel. They’ll handle the planning so you can focus on the memories. They offer free vacation-planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations. Visit MEI-Travel for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.