Your Guide to Disney's Castaway Cay
With only one stop at Disney's private island on most itineraries you want to make sure you don't miss anything! The only way to get to the island is by taking a Disney Cruise! You can find pricing and availability here.
Pronounced "Castaway Key" this private island paradise will soon become one of your favorite places in the entire world! The fun can be found on 55 acres but the island itself is 1000 acres! It used to be called Gordas Cay and was used as a stop for bootleggers and drug runners.. Pirates life from the beginning right?? Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl was actually filmed here!
When you arrive at the island you will be impressed by how seamless it is to get to the island! They have built a pier and you will walk right down the gangway and onto the island. Even if you aren't an early riser you will want to be up in time to watch the ship arrive and the island come into view! I love eating on deck at Cabanas (The Buffet) on these mornings - pro tip sit at the very back! You could also order room service and watch from your balcony if you have a verandah room.
Once they are ready for guests you will hear an announcement with which gangway is open, head to deck 1 and it will be either forward or aft where you will walk off the ship. Pelican Point is where you will be headed and you can either take the tram or walk. It is a well paved walkway and the walk is pretty easy. A great way to really see the island! Once you get to Pelican point you will find all the family activities or you can catch the shuttle down the airstrip to the Adults Only side of the island.
There are two family beaches and plenty of chairs to go around. However if you would like a cabana they are available for the day. When you book with me I will help you snag one of these the second they open! The waterslides are on the second family beach. It is surprisingly deep at the base of these slides so be sure to grab a life jacket if you need it! You also can rent floaties for the day if you want to just lounge in the water for the day!
There are some port adventures (excursions) you can do on the island. Parasailing, Glass Bottom Boats, Snorkel Rentals, Bike Rentals to ride to the observation tower, there even are some stingrays you can interact with in the water! I usually suggest unless there is something you are dead set on, for your first visit don't book anything. Just soak in all the island has to offer. Call me cheap but one of my favorite parts of this port is that you could not spend a penny extra and have a wonderful time!
Just like onboard the ship, there are also areas on Castaway Cay for your kids to hang out and be supervised. I love this aspect of a cruise vacation because you know your kids are having a good time and you can go over to the calm of serenity bay with other adults in your group!
Characters are at certain spots at certain times as well as the post office is only open for a few hours. Be sure to ask a cast member for exact times on these the day of!
Speaking of not spending any money on the island. The food is included as well as sodas, water and drinks that are included onboard. There even is a soft serve ice cream machine that is included! Make sure you grab a chocolate chip cookie, may be the sun talking but they are my favorite Disney treat! There are 3 Cookies BBQ, Cookies Too BBQ and the Serenity Bay BBQ. Hot off the grill items are served including burgers, hot dogs, ribs, ribeye steak, chicken, fish and corn on the cob. There also are some sides like breads, potato salad, coleslaw, crisps and couscous. There are veggie burgers available on request and of course your dining room servers will be able to address any dietary concerns and be sure there is food available for you!
There are four bars on the island where you can purchase cocktails and other alcoholic drinks There is also Summertime Freeze where you can purchase non-alcoholic smoothies and cocktails. We grabbed some Pina Coladas (virgin is available) on our last cruise in these cute souvenir cups!
One of my favorite things to do on any Disney vacation is browse the shops! Be sure to check out the small shops on the island and no worries if you buy something and don't want to haul it around all day! They will keep it for you and you can pick it up onboard in the gift shop. Bring your key to the world card - cash is not accepted.
If you want to be one of the first people ashore be sure to sign up for the 5k! I also recommend showering off before you head back to your stateroom. It is amazing how much sand you will bring home with you even with a quick shower on the island! If you are traveling with kids note there are changing tables in the bathrooms. It is not uncommon for the day to start out gorgeous and end up cloudy and rainy by the time you are about to board the ship for the day. Take all your pictures early for the best skies and light!
This is a great broad guide for your Disney Cruise! I would love to help personalize it for YOUR family! Everybody's needs and wants are different and Castaway Cay truly has something for everyone.
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