Put on your walking shoes; it’s time to go to Banana Cabana! 

Located at Caribbean Beach Resort, Banana Cabana lies as close to center as it can, given the resort’s widespread layout. For those who are not familiar, Caribbean beach is geographically massive compared to most Disney resorts, and most access between points is complicated further by Barefoot Bay, the small lake that separates Disney’s Riviera Resort from the main Skyliner station – effectively splitting the footprint of the resort buildings vertically up the middle. If you drop off at Caribbean Beach from the Skyliner or start your day at the Riviera Resort, you’ll have quite a bit of walking to do to get here. As an alternative, try to catch the bus! It might loop for a bit, but you’ll get there. :)

Aesthetics & Vibe

At first, the bar building itself is unassuming. The lobby of this resort has a layout that does not lend itself to the idea that there is a bar right behind it, and at first we had to ask some cast members where to even find the place. 

From the perspective of someone just visiting this resort, it is almost as if the bar is facing backwards, like if the bar and the lobby were people, they’d be standing back-to-back looking in opposite directions. This makes it a bit difficult to find, but it ends up working out for the best since it focuses the scenery in view of the bar on Barefoot Bay rather than the lobby, which lends more to the tropical atmosphere this bar is going for.

Like other outdoor bars, Banana Cabana can be impacted a bit by the wildlife. Normally the issue with the open air is bees and wasps, but the problems at Banana Cabana are more with the local birds. We only saw a few bees by the beer taps while we were at the bar, but the birds were way more insistent. We actually got to witness a few families that had to literally fight off the birds once their food arrived! Empty tables with leftovers became a popular hangout spot for feathered guests. Of course, there’s only so much you can do with an outdoor layout so it is definitely something to be aware of.

Drink & Cast Member Experience

Banana Cabana is a tiki bar at heart, and specializes in rum drinks with sour, fruity, tropical flavors being the focus. In an era in which Disney resort bars are shifting to more unique menus, it is one of the last places that serves its previously widespread namesake drink – the Banana Cabana – which alone makes it worth the trip. 

The rum flight is different from most other bars on Disney property; it allows you to choose from a list of different labels for your three pours rather than offering a prefixed option. However, also unlike other bars, the size of the pours themselves pales in comparison. Additionally, these tiny pours were still served in full-sized plastic cups, and I feared that the breeze might knock over my rum!

The bartenders do a good job of keeping up with the pace despite having their work cut out for them. Banana Cabana also serves as the to-go bar and food for the pool, and the walk-up line for poolside drinks can grow massively out of nowhere. That, and the bar staff also runs food and drink – not only for the tables in the bar but also now and again out to the pool – so there were entire chunks of time in which we had nobody behind the bar while we were there.

Our Take

On the whole, Banana Cabana is a good spot if you’re after some beach vibes and fruity drinks with a distant view of the water.  If you like rum and outdoor views, this is the place!

It’s a bit out of the way unless you are actually intending to end up there, but it remains worth the trip as another bar on the books if you are looking to complete your collection.  Just make sure you don’t get lost on the way there!