Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort: 1989 Photo Report

As mentioned in my post of May 1, our 1989 trip to Walt Disney World was a first for many reasons: we had our children with us, it was our initial experience staying on the property, and Disney-MGM Studios had just opened their gates.

The first moderately priced property in Florida, one that was designed, owned, and operated by the Walt Disney Company was the beautiful new Caribbean Beach Resort. Althought it actually premiered about six months before our visit, it was still new and fresh when we arrived.

Unlike today's prices, the expense for staying at this new moderate resort was well under $100. In fact, I believe we paid $69 for five of us in one room. It was a splurge, (we had come on 4 out of 5 free airline tickets), but what a treat it was! The room was large enough for our young family with two double beds and one small crib for our youngest daughter who was under three. Perfect!

The marina was fronted by a pretty lighthouse with mini speedboats available for a reasonable rate. The beach was small but nice, yet it was the pool (below) that caught our eye.

Typhoon Lagoon would soon open, but for three preschoolers, the sight of a fortress and waterslide into a large swimming area was more than enough to thrill them. We spent a good number of hours both day and night enjoying ourselves.

The whole area was just beautifully designed and maintained. From the approach to the main lobby to the island buildings themselves, the theming was as consistent and lovely as the larger and much more expensive and therefore, out of reach, Grand Floridian or Polynesian Resorts. Much attention to detail here!

No on site restaurant existed then, only a decent sized food court. This was more than enough for us and provided a great quick stop for a light breakfast and late night snack. Besides, we planned to enjoy some pretty special meals at all three parks.

Over the years, I have been enticed each trip to consider returning to the Caribbean Beach, but with so many other resorts availble, we like to try something new everytime we can afford to stay on the Walt Disney World property. It will always hold a special memory for us. It was a time when our kids were young and impressed by the World around them, each day more magical than the one before.

(Photos copyright Mark Taft.)