Welcome BACK, Carla!
It's so good to see you asking another great Walt Disney World Resort vacation planning question to us hEAR at the Disney Parks Moms Panel, even during these not-so-magical times. I'm so, so sorry that your original vacation plans had to be reconfigured, but I'm happy to assist with your backup plan!
I stayed in a 5th sleeper room at
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside two years ago with one of my best mom-friends plus our two toddler
Mouseketeers, and I actually really liked the set up! It took a bit of conscious unpacking of where we wanted to put everything, but there were plenty of drawers and ledges that even with all of the sippy cups and snacks, we made it work without feeling cramped at all. The 5th sleeper rooms at
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort will be of a similar size and layout, if not identical, to Riverside that the main differences between these two resort hotels, to me, boil down to the pool and transportation options:
Pool: The main pools at both of these resorts have great theming, water slides, and a watering hole with fun refreshments for all ages. The pool area at Caribbean Beach also features a fun pirate-themed water play structure meant for smaller kiddos! But, something neat for guests staying at Riverside is that they also have privileges to swim at the sister
Disney Port Orleans Resort hotel, French Quarter, which also has a pint-sized water play structure. There's a 10-minute walkway connecting the two resort hotels, and don't forget your Resort Refill Beverage Mug that comes with your
Disney Dining Plan as it will work at all Resort Hotel Quick-Service Beverage Islands. And Pro Tip: French Quarter also has Mickey-shaped beignets that are simply a must-try snack.
Transportation Options: You'll need to utilize a
Disney Resort Bus to get to a few, if not all, of the Disney Theme Parks from both Riverside and Caribbean Beach. But in addition to wheels, you can boat to
Disney Springs from Riverside. OR, for any even faster way to zoom around, Caribbean Beach hosts the main transfer station of the brand new
Disney Skyliner, which allows guests to soar in the sky like Peter Pan to both
Disney's Hollywood Studios and
EPCOT.
I really don't think you'll go wrong by staying at either Disney Resort Hotel, Carla. And if you have any more questions about your upcoming Disney Days, We're All Ears!
~Kristen