Mouse Extra

When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the Disney Company operated two hotels on property.  They were incredibly beautiful places, but they were also incredibly expensive.  Most families had to stay outside Walt Disney World in one of Orlando’s or Kissimmee’s many unimpressive chain motels.  Driving back and forth to the theme parks really took away from the feeling of being inside a magical place.  Only the lucky few could afford to stay “in the bubble”.   On October 1, 1988 that all began to change as the Caribbean Resort opened its doors.

The first of Disney’s moderately priced resorts, the Caribbean Beach is a huge complex with buildings sprawling all over lush grounds.  Different areas are themed to islands in the Caribbean and all surround a gorgeous little lake called Barefoot Bay.  The center of it is Old Port Royale and it offers a tropical themed market, restaurant, and a pool that looks like an old Spanish fort.  Imagineers had worked the kind of magic we all came to love.  It was a far cry from those off-site motels.

But what made it so special was that it was only a short bus ride from the gates of Epcot Center and the Magic Kingdom.  We were in the bubble and it didn’t cost a life’s savings to be there.  For many families it was the first time they could afford to stay in the bubble, and now they wouldn’t want to do it any other way.  If Disney wanted to keep people on Disney property and not be tempted by the competition, this was the key.  An affordable way to stay at the Mouse was all we ever needed.

What followed was a flood of hotels on Disney property for budgets of all sizes.  Staying in the bubble was once a dream and now many of us fans can’t imagine how we did it any other way.  That is a huge part of the Walt Disney World experience and it took off when the Caribbean Beach Resort opened.