Do you have an upcoming cruise heading to Castaway Cay in the Bahamas? If so, then this guide to everything you need to know about Disney’s Castaway Cay is for you.

We have just returned from a visit on Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, Disney Wish, and have the most recent information about this private destination in the Bahamas. If you still have questions, drop us an anchor below and we will be happy to help make your trip to Castaway Cay a memorable one.

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Everything You Need to Know About Disney’s Castaway Cay

What Is Disney’s Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay is Disney Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas, formerly known as Gorda Cay. This exclusive port of call for DCL is located near Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. This 3-mile long island is just over 70 miles north of Nassau and covers 1,000 acres. 

In 1997, Disney signed a 99-year lease of this island with the Bahamian government and began transforming it into a magical cruise destination.

While Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay was the first cruise line destination when it was acquired in the 1970’s, Castaway Cay was actually the first private island where cruise ships could dock instead of tendering to shore.

Castaway Cay is still largely undeveloped with only 55 acres developed into Disney Cruise Line’s private resort.

There are also some interesting facts about Disney’s Castaway Cay that you might not know.

• There is an operational post office on the island where cruisers can mail postcards to friends and family back home.
• The island features an airstrip that was built in the 1960’s but later abandoned.
• Parts of movies like Splash and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl were filmed here.
• There are solar panels on Disney’s Castaway Cay to help supply the island’s energy needs.
• Disney Cast Members monitor and protect the nests of loggerhead sea turtles and are working to restore the coral reefs as well.

Of note, Disney has also begun work on a second island destination in the Bahamas. Located on the island of Eleuthera, Lighthouse Point will represent the natural beauty and rich culture of the Bahamas.

Getting to Castaway Cay, Bahamas

As mentioned above, Disney’s Castaway Cay is a cruise line private island. So, the only way to visit the island is to book a cruise that calls in this exclusive Bahamian port. Much like other private islands including Perfect Day at CocoCay, Great Stirrup Cay, and Half Moon Cay, Castaway Cay is only available to Disney Cruise Line guests.

Unfortunately, you can not get to Disney’s Castaway Cay without a cruise. You also can not stay overnight on Castaway Cay. Disney Cruise Line ships only dock in Castaway Cay for the day. Your cruise itinerary will dictate how long you spend at Castaway Cay. However, in general, your ship will spend approximately 8 hours in port.

The good news is that unlike other private islands in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay has a pier. Thus, cruisers can just walk ashore from the ship. Once on the island, you can choose to walk or take a complimentary tram.

There are four tram stops located around the island. There’s the Kargo Handling stop right off the pier, as well as the Scuttle’s Cove, Pelican Point, and Serenity Bay tram stops. Of note, you’ll need to transfer trams at the Pelican Plunge stop to the Serenity Bay tram which will take you to the other end of the island.

If you need assistance, there are complimentary strollers and all-terrain wheelchairs available as well.

How much does it cost to go to Castaway Cay? The even better news is that you can spend the entire day ashore without spending any money! There are several things to do on the island that will not cost you a dime.

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What’s Free at Disney’s Castaway Cay

When you think of a cruise line private island, you probably envision stretches of beautifully manicured beaches. Disney’s Castaway Cay is exactly that!

Family Beach is the largest of the beaches. Here, you will find plenty of lounge chairs, colorful umbrellas, and hammocks scattered throughout the area. This is also where you will find many of the activities like watercraft rentals, snorkeling, and swimming.

Located off this beach is In Da Shade Games. This shaded structure offers a variety of free games like basketball, billiards, ping ping, and more. Further down this beach set off in the distance near the teens area, you will find beach sports like volleyball and soccer. Again, these activities are complimentary to all guests.

Serenity Bay Beach is the adults only area on Disney’s Castaway Cay. This area is reserved exclusively for guests 18+ and is located the furthest away from the ship. Serenity Bay features most of the same amenities as Family Beach just minus the kids. It is a quiet spot to relax for a few hours.

While adults will love Serenity Bay, kids will love Pelican Plunge. Pelican Plunge is a water platform located just offshore of Family Beach. This activity is completely free and includes two slides, a drench bucket, and water cannons.

Do note that the minimum height for the Pelican Plunge water slides is 38″, and anyone under 48″ must wear one of the provided life vests. Further, to reach this 2,400 square foot floating platform, guests need to swim out to it.

If you are traveling to Disney’s Castaway Cay with younger ones, there is also Spring-A-Leak. This splash pad, located out near the beach sports, is perfect for toddlers.

Further, there are dedicated kids and teens areas on Castaway Cay in the Bahamas.

Scuttle’s Cove is for kids ages 3 to 12 years old. Here, your little ones will be supervised by Disney cast members from the ship for a complimentary day of fun. There’s also Monstro Point, a whale dig site where your kids can play in the sand.

Similarly, Hideout is for teens ages 14 to 17 years old. Here, teens can enjoy their own slice of paradise on Disney’s Castaway Cay without the adults.

Finally, what’s a visit to an island created exclusively for Disney guests without some Disney characters? That’s right, there are even character greetings around Castaway Cay throughout the day. Be sure to check the daily program for a listing of character locations and times.

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Food at Disney’s Castaway Cay

With all this sun and fun at Disney’s Castaway Cay, you are bound to get hungry…and thirsty! Luckily, there are plenty of food and drink options located on this private island. Most of these items are complimentary, minus the bars.

There is no need to buy soda or bottled water at the bars as there are fountain beverage stations throughout the island. If you bring a refillable Yeti-type water bottle, it will stay cold longer and save you from making multiple trips. These stations include water, soda, and even Vitamin Water and Powerade.

Additionally, there are water refill stations outside many of the restrooms.

There are also three food stations on the island that serve a free buffet-style BBQ lunch. Depending on what time your ship is in port, lunch is generally served from around 11:30 AM to 2 PM.

Each of these locations serves mostly the same items, including ribs, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, corn on the cob, fresh fruit, cookies, and soft serve ice cream. The Serenity Bay BBQ does have a few additional offerings like sirloin steak.

• Cookie’s BBQ is located on Family Beach closer to the ship.
• Cookie’s Too BBQ is also located on Family Beach but a bit further down the sandy stretch.
• Serenity Bay BBQ is the dining option located on the adults-only beach.

In addition to these BBQ spots, there are several covered seating pavilions around the island. These include Pop’s Props and Boat Repair, Dig In, Gumbo Limbo, and Grouper. If you prefer a little sun, there are three outdoor seating areas as well next to each of the buffet locations.

Drinks at Disney’s Castaway Cay

If you want to enjoy an alcoholic beverage during your time on Disney’s Castaway Cay, there are a few bars for that. Of course, these drinks will cost you extra.

The Conched Out Bar is located near Family Beach and is the closest option to Cookie’s BBQ. The Heads Up Bar is located on a small Boardwalk that overlooks Pelican Plunge. This is also a great spot to get photos of your ship.

The Sand Bar is located further down Family Beach and is the closest bar to Cookie’s Too BBQ. Finally, the Castaway Air Bar is located on Serenity Bay Beach. Each of these bars serves up frozen specialty drinks, cocktails, and beer.

There is also one additional drink spot on Disney’s Castaway Cay, Summertime Freeze. This Frozen-themed stand serves up-charge smoothie specialty drinks in souvenir cups. These are great frozen drinks that the whole family can enjoy.

Things to Do at Castaway Cay, Bahamas That Will Cost Extra

While there are a number of free activities, there are also things to do at Castaway Cay, Bahamas that will cost extra. Besides alcoholic beverages, other activities that are an up-charge include massages, equipment rentals, shopping, cabanas, and shore excursions.

If you plan to purchase any of these items, you might be wondering how do you pay at Castaway Cay. The answer is simple- your key to the world card (also known as your stateroom key card). Of course, you can also book shore excursions and other rental items ahead of time on the cruise line’s online planner.

Equipment Rentals and Boat Tours

Marge’s Barges & Sea Charters Dock is where you will want to head for parasailing, fishing charters, glass bottom boat voyages, and other adventures.

Gil’s Fins and Boats as well as Flippers and Floats are two stations on the island that rent snorkel equipment, tubes, and floats. The Windsock Hut is your go-to spot for float rentals at the adult-only Serenity Bay Beach.

In terms of equipment rentals, there are a variety of watersports activities available for 30 minute rentals at various pricing. Some of the options include aqua trikes, a banana boat ride, waterbikes, hobie cats, paddle boats, kayaks, and paddle boards.

Snorkeling

If you are looking to snorkel, there is a 22-acre lagoon at Family Beach. So, rent your snorkel gear at one of the huts or bring your own. Then, head to one of the two trails depending on your expert level, either beginners or discoverers.

Keep an eye out for sunken treasures, hidden Mickeys, and even former Disney parks’ ride vehicles.

Bike Rentals

Disney’s Castaway Cay also has bike and nature trails for you to explore during your visit. So, pick up a bike for an hour rental and set off along the airstrip to the nature trails.

During this leisurely ride, you will cover approximately 1.5 miles (over two trails) of mostly even terrain through some of the more undeveloped areas of the island. The Observation Tower deserves a stop, where you can climb to the top for unspoiled views of the island.

Stingray Adventure

Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure is another popular shore excursion option on the island. During this 60-minute activity, you will first participate in an up-close and personal feeding session with the rays in shallow water.

Then, you will have about 30 minutes to setoff on a self-guided snorkel amongst the 60 some rays that call this area home.

This is the perfect stingray encounter for all guests ages 5 and up.

Package Deals

If you are considering a few of these options, there are package deals available. These packages bundle some of the more popular items for a full day of fun at Disney’s Castaway Cay.

The Castaway Cay Getaway Package is a 3-in-1 rental package. This bundle includes snorkel equipment for the day, a float or tube rental for the day, and a 1-hour bike rental.

There is also the Extreme Getaway Package. This package bundles snorkel equipment rental for the day, a 1-hour bike rental, a float or tube rental, and the 60-minute stingray adventure.

5K Challenge

If you want to burn off some of those extra cruise calories, Disney’s Castaway Cay also offers a 5K Challenge. This Castaway Cay 5K is a great way to see the island quickly and get in some exercise.

This activity is free; however, it is no longer a group race. Thus, all guests can now run (or walk) the course on their own time. They can pick up a medal at completion to certify that they officially completed the challenge. Yes, it is now on the honor system.

Whenever you want to run, just head to the start line near the Bike Rentals and follow the 5K markers along the way. Some of the 5K path is shared with the bike path, so just be mindful.

Shopping

If you want to do a little shopping, Castaway Cay, Bahamas has a few options for you.

There are two main stores on the island where you can find all your Castaway Cay logo merchandise. Much of this merchandise is sold exclusively on the island and can’t be found anywhere else- not even on the ship.

These two shops are She Sells Sea Shells…and Everything Else! and Buy the Sea Shore. She Sells Sea Shells is located closer to the ship, nearest the Scuttle’s Cove tram stop. Buy the Sea Shore is a bit further down the island near the Pelican Point tram stop.

If you are looking for more authentic Bahamian arts and crafts, you’ll want to head to Bahamian Retail. This market area is also nearest the Pelican Point tram stop. Like the other shops on the island, Bahamian Retail accepts your key to the world card for payment.

Cabana Rentals

If you want to upgrade your experience on Disney’s Castaway Cay, you should consider renting a cabana. There are cabanas located on Family Beach and on Serenity Bay Beach.

There are 20 total cabanas on Family Beach. The Family Beach Cabanas are 325 square feet in size and are for party sizes over 6 guests.

Each cabana includes plenty of indoor/outdoor seating, a refrigerator, a safe, a ceiling fan, towels, sunscreen, a freshwater shower, hammock, fresh fruit and snacks, and unlimited bottled water and soft drinks. Alcohol beverage packages are available for purchase at Port Adventures.

These family cabanas also include snorkeling equipment, a float or tube rental, sand toys, and a 1-hour bike ride.

There is one Family Grand Beach Cabana, cabana 21, which is 650 square feet and accommodates up to 16 guests.

Finally, there are 6 cabanas at Serenity Bay. The Serenity Bay Cabanas are also 325 square feet in size and come with similar amenities.

Massages

If you want a little pampering while on vacation, you can also book a massage on Disney’s Castaway Cay. Massages are offered in an open-air cabana at Serenity Bay. Guests can book both 50 minute solo and couples massages. These services are available to book online prior to your cruise or at the Senses Spa once onboard the ship.

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Additional FAQ’s About Disney’s Castaway Cay

• Do cell phones work on Castaway Cay? Maybe. This will depend on your cellular carrier and your international coverage plan. If you take your cell phone out of airplane mode, you may incur additional fees. If the Bahamas is included in your international plan, then you can use cell service at Castaway Cay.
• Does the Disney Navigator app work on Castaway Cay? Yes. While you are off the ship enjoying your time on this private island, you can still view the Navigator app for the list of daily activities and such.
• Does the WiFi work on Castaway Cay? Yes. If you purchased a Disney WiFi package onboard the ship, the service extends to the private island as well. However, the WiFi signal can be spotty and works best closer to the ship.
• Do you need to take towels with you? No. As you get off the ship in Castaway Cay, there will be a stand that provides towels for you to use while on the island. There are also towel exchange stations around the island.

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