Welcome back to the Banana Cabana!!

This watering hole in Disney World’s Caribbean Beach Resort has been a well-loved bar for many years. Personable bartenders, cold drinks, and close proximity to the Fuentes del Morro pool always made Banana Cabana a welcome and relaxing oasis.

Caribbean Beach Resort, however, began a massive Resort-wide refurbishment (or, in Disney terms, a “reimagineering”!) last year. And Banana Cabana — along with the Resort’s table service and quick service dining options — was closed for a reimagining of its own.

And, as you’ll soon see, it’s received quite the treatment. It’s basically been transformed into an entirely new space!

So we couldn’t be more excited to see — and say “Welcome back!” to — the newly reopened Banana Cabana Pool Bar!

Atmosphere

Banana Cabana was previously located in its own standing area directly next to the resort’s main pool. And while it still resides right next to the pool, it’s now also tucked next to the new Sebastian’s Bistro in Old Port Royale facing Barefoot Bay.

The change is immediately striking. Banana Cabana was previously a setup of a simple bar surrounded by stools with tables and umbrellas surrounding it. And while it was a fun place to sit and chat for a while, it was much more about keeping guests right by the pool. (Check out the old look here.)

And though you can still see the pool right in view…

… the new Banana Cabana has a more all-encompassing feel meant to provide an experience all its own. The two-walled space invites guests in to stay and linger awhile, even within the hubbub of the Resort’s main area.

The wide open entrance allows for plenty of light to flow in throughout the day, while fun lighting accents add to the charm in the evening.

We love the steel drum light fixture hanging from the ceiling.

The assortment of seating gives this space a cool, homey, welcoming and laid back feeling — perfect for vacation and imagining time in the islands!

That hanging couch is my new house by the way.

Now we’re more than ready to take a sip (and bite!) or two!

Drinks

The Banana Cabana Menu includes drinks and food — and we were pleasantly surprised to learn you can order off the Sebastian’s Menu from the bar during lunch and dinner hours!

Specialty cocktails include a Frosé, Bourbon Breeze, Poolside Iced Tea, and of course, a Banana Cabana!

There is also a wide variety of island themed featured cocktails making decision making here a very difficult task!

After reading the menu we decided to try the returning signature drink, the Banana Cabana (we couldn’t resist that one — see our previous look at it here) and the Pink Guava Colada.

The Pink Guava Colada is made with guava infused rum and Disney’s own new Select Single Barrel Rum, all blended together with guava and then mixed with Cream of Coconut and Pineapple Juice.

This was smooth and sweet. We really loved this one. If you’re wondering about the sweetness, don’t be, it is sweet, but not too saccharine like some blended drinks can get.

The Banana Cabana is made with Mango Rum, Coconut Rum, Creme de Banana, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, and Grenadine. If that isn’t the Caribbean in a cup we don’t know what is!

This is definitely a pool drink that is strong in flavor (and alcohol). There is an interesting and unique spice that comes through in the aftertaste making this a fun drink that matches the new atmosphere of the Banana Cabana.

If you’re stumped on choosing just one drink, you can go with three rums in the rum flight! 🙂

Banana Cabana has a lot to choose from for those looking for a non-alcoholic drink as well.

Beer and Hard Cider are, of course, available as well, along with Hard Sparkling Water.

Eats

We’re really impressed with the amount of and variety of appetizers. Plus, you can order off the Sebastian’s Bistro menu during lunch and dinner hours if you’re looking for a meal in this relaxed atmosphere during lunch and dinner.

We decided to try the Conch Fritters, Caribbean Pull-Apart Rolls and the Marauders Snack. All of these items are also available at Sebastian’s Bistro on their appetizer menu as well.

The Conch Fritters have a great breading on them that really help pronounce the conch flavor in these fritters. We would liken them to grown up hush puppies!

The chili-mayonnaise dipping sauce added more tang than heat to the dish. These are a great option.

The Marauders Snack includes Tostones, Arepas, and House-made Crackers along with three dipping sauces — Black Bean Hummus, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo.

The Black Bean Hummus has a kick to it with some spice and is the standout of the three dips. The Guac is pretty standard, but very fresh, and we the Pico de Gallo was fine, of not remarkable. At one point, a server brought by some additional tostones for dipping.

Even so, we thought this was small for the price, and we wouldn’t rush to order this again.

The Caribbean Pull-Apart Bread is a healthy serving of four of pull-apart rolls with Guava Butter, Mango Chutney, and Jamaican Jerk Oil. The Chutney and Jerk Oil were kind of forgettable for us, but that Guava Butter — awesome. It is mildly sweet, and extremely addictive. They should sell it in the gift shop!

And the pull-apart nature of the bread is just plain fun.

Though it’s soft bread, of course, the break-aparts are like chips in the sense that they give the dish a fun snacking quality.

They are light and airy, making it a bread choice that doesn’t completely fill you up, leaving room for more food… or drinks 🙂 .

Overall

We love the vibe, look, and overall feel of this new location. While I adored the old Banana Cabana, this new incarnation is a stand-alone lounge that really benefits the guests of Caribbean Beach Resort. Finally. Even though this is a moderately-priced resort, Banana Cabana would be welcome at any Deluxe resort pool for sure.

The menu options are diverse and fun, even if they’re not all home runs. And I love that you can order from the Sebastian’s menu here — that’s well in line with the “pool bar as eatery” vibe we’re getting from places like Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge and Cabanas at the Swan and Dolphin. I, personally, love it.

The drinks are fun, island drinks that we would love to have sitting in the Banana Cabana or poolside. I’m glad we still have a few signature items here as well.

It was worth the wait during the refurb to be rewarded with this new location. We can see ourselves kicking back and enjoying a drink and a few apps here frequently.

Keep watching our posts as we update these throughout the day with more menus, photos, and reviews from Caribbean Beach Resort’s newest restaurants and bars!

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