Castaway Cay Is Disney’s Private Island
Most Disney Cruise Line Caribbean and Bahamian cruises have a stop at Disney’s private island – Castaway Cay (pronounced key) in the Bahamas. The Disney ships can dock at the island, allowing cruisers to walk off the ship directly onto the island.
Castaway Cay History
The island was originally called Gorda Cay. The island has an airfield that was actually used to smuggle bootleg alcohol into the United States in the
The Walt Disney Company purchased a 99-year land lease in 1997. It was the first private island in the cruise industry where cruisers do not have to tender from the ship. (A tender means the ship cannot dock at the port and passengers transfer to a smaller boat and are taken to the dock on it.)
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When Disney planned their 2 larger ships, The Disney Dream and The Disney Fantasy, they enlarged the dock at Castaway Cay to accommodate the larger ships.
Castaway Cay is another Disney-class location! #DisneyCruise #CastawayCay #Cruise #Disney Share on XWhen you leave the ship, they will have beach towels for you to use. Your Key to the World card can be used to purchase from the retail shops on the island. The crew living on the island have everything ready for you from lounge chairs and beach umbrellas to great food, entertainment, and cold drinks.
What to Do On Castaway Cay
There is SO much to do on Castaway Cay, so get a cup of coffee and read on!
The island is themed to look like buildings were built after a shipwreck. They may look a little like Gilligan’s Island structures, but be assured they are clean, quality built and well maintained like other Disney facilities.
- Take lots and lots of pictures. Act like a tourist! You will be glad you have pictures of everything. Like other Disney destinations, the island has many themed structures and they make great photo backgrounds.
- The first building is the Post Office. Here you can purchase postcards and stamps. You also have a couple of postcards in your stateroom that you can use instead of buying more. You will need cash for this (any other purchases are on your key to the world card). Address one postcard to yourself. It is a fun souvenir to get your postcard with special Bahamian postage just for Disney Cruise Line.
- Pick a lounge chair and umbrella. There are many more chairs than people the ship can carry – but the umbrellas are not as plentiful. If you need some shade, try to go to the island as early as you can and grab a spot.
- There is a family beach, adult beach, sports beach, and a teen hideout beach area. I am also glad to say, there is a private beach area for the ship’s crew. If they happen to have the day off, they can enjoy the sand and sun.
- Shop at the gift shops. The shops are the only place you can purchase Castaway Cay branded items. You use your KTTWC to pay. Send any items you buy to your stateroom if you don’t want to carry them around.
- Take the plunge! Pelican Plunge is a 2,400-square-foot floating deck. At this water-play area and platform, take a ride on one of the 2 twisting water slides that carry you into the lagoon. You do have to swim to the platform. This attraction is not just for kids!
- Cruisers age 18 and over simply must visit the adults-only Serenity Bay! Just like it sounds, it provides perfect peace and quiet for adults and has shallow crystal water. We usually take chairs to the edge of the water and just chill You will see fish and we even have seen a stingray a few times.
- Or, rent a tube or float (very reasonable price). These can also be used at the family beach.
- Play soccer or volleyball on the sports beach.
- Get your picture made with Disney characters on the island.
- Eat lunch on the island. There are two Cookie’s BBQ buffets on the family beach. Serenity Bay also has a BBQ which includes rib-eye steak.
- BBQ locations include free soda stations which include sodas, milk, iced tea, and water. There is also a soft-serve ice cream station.
- There is a bar at Serenity Bay that sells alcohol and soda (additional charge) or waiters will take your order and deliver to you on the beach. Just remember to tip them. The island also has three other bars.
- There is a kids club area called Scuttle’s Cove. It is a bunch of activities supervised by counselors from the ship.
- There are other excursion activities, for an additional charge. They include parasailing (which I highly recommend), watercraft excursions, bicycle rentals to explore the trails, snorkeling equipment rental, fishing, and cabana open-air massage. There are more not listed here – just check the Port Adventure website.
A little More
A couple of other points – go to the island – don’t stay on the ship and miss this gorgeous fun place! If you plan to do excursions like parasailing, it is best to book online as soon as you can.
So, if you have the chance to visit Castaway Cay, you will be so glad you did!
If you have been to Castaway Cay and have more comments, please let me know by commenting on this post or use my Contact Me page. I would love to hear from you!
More from my blog:
11 Must-Have Things To Take To Disney’s Private Island Castaway Cay
What you may not know about Disney Cruising
Is a Disney Cruise Worth The Price? YES!
We are longtime Disney cruisers, having taken 15 cruises so far. We have sailed on each of the 4 Disney ships and have been to Alaska, Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas, Southern Caribbean, Canadian Coastline, and a special Mexican Mayan itinerary. If you have any questions, please contact me. I love to talk about Disney cruising!
Update: Disney now has 5 ships and we have sailed on the new Wish. Watch for a post about The Wish.
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