Disney Castaway Cay- Disney Cruise Line's Private Island (2024)

Disney has its own private island called Castaway Cay which is reserved specifically for Disney Cruise Line Guests. Similar to the ship, there are places to have fun, relax, eat, and be entertained on Castaway Cay. Today we're going to look at all of the different offerings that are available to Disney Cruise Line Guests on this island paradise.

Disney Cruise Line is known for its excellence. The staterooms are spacious and designed with families in mind. The dining options are endless with 24-hour room service, poolside snacks, casual dining, and upscale restaurants. There is marvelous entertainment to enjoy such as Broadway-caliber musicals, character experiences, and fireworks at sea. Children can visit youth clubs that are themed and geared towards each age. Adults can enjoy alone time at nightclubs and lounges. The pools and waterslides provide fun in the sun while you're still on the ship.

Add in the perk of Disney's own PRIVATE island just for Disney Cruise Line guests, this makes the possibility of booking a Disney Cruise even better. You can already begin reviewing the 2024 Disney Cruise Line and 2025 Disney Cruise Line trip dates now. Keep reading for our full guide to Disney's private island Castaway Cay. Our Content Director recently experienced Castaway Cay during her recent Disney Dream cruise and this guide provides an overview of the island plus tips and photos from her experience.

Disney's Island Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay is a tropical paradise that's reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line Guests. There is fun for all ages at Castaway Cay.

Guests ages 18+ can escape to the adult-exclusive beach, Serenity Bay, for peaceful relaxation.

Guests of all ages can enjoy the Castaway Family beach, snorkeling, watercrafts, fishing, parasailing, youth clubs, biking, and so many more activities! A barbeque lunch is provided for Guests on their day(s) at Castaway Cay. If you're looking for a specialty drink, co*cktail, or beer to enjoy, you can head to one of the bars located on the island. Shopping locations are also available for your beach needs or Castaway Cay exclusive merchandise!

Disney Cruise Line makes a strong effort towards island preservation including work to restore the health of the coral reefs and protecting endangered loggerhead sea turtle nests. There is also an active commitment towards environmental sustainability with the use of solar panels and recycling efforts.

Disney Castaway Cay is one of the most famous Disney Cruise Line stops since it is pretty extraordinary that Disney has their own island!

Castaway Cay Tram

After the ship docks and you get off, you will have the option to walk or take a tram to your desired location. Castaway Cay provides trams from the ship docking area to the beaches. The trams run 8Am to 4:45PM and come every six minutes.

We decided to take the tram on the way to the beach but walked on the way back since so many guests were lined up at the end of the day. The walk really isn't too bad! The trams are convenient if you have smaller children as your day at Castaway Cay may include some walking especially if you plan on renting any equipment or going back and forth from the beaches to other areas.

Castaway Cay Beaches

There are two different beach areas at Castaway Cay: Castaway Family Beach and Serenity Bay.

Castaway Family Beach is for all ages and there are plenty of chairs, loungers, and hammocks for everyone to enjoy. If you plan on renting any kind of equipment later in the day, you might want to grab a spot thats on the end closest to the ship as this is also where the rentals are located. This way you're not walking back and forth!

Serenity Bay is an area that is exclusively for adults (Guests ages 18+) for those that wish to enjoy the beach child free.

Dining on Castaway Cay

With all of the food that's available on Disney Cruise Line ships, it's understandable to wonder what your food options will be for your day(s) at Castaway Cay. Don't worry! You won't have to head back to the ship for your food. Lunch is provided on the island for you to enjoy. Better yet, this food is included in the price of your Disney Cruise! Besides dining locations for lunch, there are also spots where you can purchase specialty drinks, co*cktails, and beer.

There are three locations where lunch is served: Cookie's BBQ, Cookie's Too BBQ, and Serenity Bay BBQ.

Cookie's BBQ is located at the family beach near the snorkeling area and Cookie's Too BBQ is located at the family beach near Pelican Plunge.

Serenity Bay BBQ is located at the adult-exclusive beach, Serenity Bay. As a reminder, Guests must be 18+ to visit Serenity Bay and must also be in this age range in order to dine at Serenity Bay BBQ.

At each location, lunch is served buffet style in an open-air dining location. The buffet is all-you-care-to-enjoy so you can have as much as you'd like from 11:30am to 2pm. On the buffet you'll find fresh fruit, salads, cooked vegetables, bread, hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, BBQ pork ribs, chicken, and fish (Cajun-spiced Maji Maji).

Guests who are 18+ and dining at Serenity Bay BBQ also have the opportunity to enjoy ribeye steaks!

For dessert, there is a dessert bar with various pastries as well as a soft serve ice cream machine. Inclusive drinks for your meal are located at the drink stations, which have a variety of soft drink options.

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Specialty Drinks on Castaway Cay

Not only are there drinks on Castaway Cay that are inclusive to your cruise price, but there are also specialty drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) available for purchase at a variety of locations.

Olaf's Summertime Freeze – This location sells smoothie specialty drinks and souvenir cups. Usually the souvenir cup is an Olaf sipper, but we've also seen a Sven sipper before! Water and soft drinks are also available. Here's a look at the specialty drinks that are on the menu.

• • Worth Melting For – Fresh Passion Fruit, Pina Colada and Blue Curacao (non-alcoholic syrup)
  • In Summer – Zico Coconut Water, Pineapple Juice, Fresh Lychees and Ginger
  • Let It Go – Strawberry, Mango Puree and Orange Juice
  • Olaf's Flurry Freeze – Odwalla Bar Sweet and Salty Almond, Vanilla Yogurt, Orange Passion Juice, Tropical Citrus Vitamin Water
  • Frozen Heart – Orange Passion Juice, Tropical Puree, Zico Coconut Water and Blue Curacao (non-alcoholic syrup)
  • Ice Palace – Fresh Banana, Pineapple Chunks, Mango Puree and Zico Coconut Water
  • Sven's Carrot Delight – Core Power Vanilla, Coconut Cream, Orange Passion Juice and Bolthouse Carrot Juice
  • Kristoff's Ice Harvest – Odwalla Natural Lemonade, Tropical Puree and Zico Coconut Water
  • Warm Hugs – Llly Mocchacciono, Fresh Strawberry, Coconut Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream
  • Arendelle Water – Llly Cappuccino, Coconut Cream and Salted Caramel

Sand Bar, Conched Out Bar, Heads Up Bar, Castaway Air Bar – These bars all sell frozen specialty drinks, co*cktails, and beer. While Castaway Air Bar is located at the adult-exclusive beach, Serenity Bay, you can find the other bars at the Castaway Family Beach.

There are also Cast Members that walk along the beach who can take your order and bring your drinks right to your beach chair.

Castaway Cay Kid Recreation

There is ton of fun to be had by kids on Castaway Cay, but there are some areas that are designed with them specifically in mind. Some of these areas are JUST for them.

Spring-a-Leak– This is a splash pad water play area that's full of fountains and misters.

Scuttle's Cove – Scuttle's Cove, one of the two youth clubs at Castaway Cay, is for ages 3-12. Your children will be under the care of trained Disney Cruise Line counselors during their here. While at Scuttle's Cove, children will be able to participate in activities, play in the water, and dig around Monstro Point. They'll dig their way through whale bones to find other fossils and treasure.

Pelican Plunge – This floating platform provides fun for both kids and adults. Children must be at least 38 in. tall order to play here. On the platform, you'll find two waterslides and a giant water dump bucket.

Teen Hideout – The second youth club on Castaway Cay is the Teen Hideout. This is a beach area that's exclusively for 14-17 year olds. During their time at the Hideout, teens can play games or relax with their peers.

One of the fun things about Castaway Cay day for the kids in the youth clubs is that it's tradition for the tween youth club (Edge) to surprise the teen youth club (Vibe) with a surprise “teen camp invasion” at one point during the day.

Castaway Cay Family Recreation

Most of the activities on Castaway Cay are ones that can be enjoyed by the whole family. While some are geared a bit more towards the younger crowd and others exclusively for adults, these activities are here to please cruisers of all ages.

Character Meet and Greets – Just like at the Disney Parks and the Disney Cruise Ships, character meet and greets are available on Castaway Cay! The Fab 5 (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy) will be around in their beach attire. You can also see Chip and Dale, Captain Jack Sparrow, and more. Characters aren't only out for photo ops, but they are also there for dance parties on the island! Characters also come out for a send off when it's time for you to return to the ship.

Make sure to stop by the iconic Mount Rustmore for a picture!

In Da Shade Game Pavilion – Take a break from the sun and enjoy some fun in the shade at In Da Shade Game Pavilion. Here you'll find a variety of games such as basketball, pool, ping pong, and foosball.

Sports Beach – For more active things to do, you can head over to the Sports Beach! Organized sports such as volleyball, tetherball, and soccer take place here.

Snorkeling Lagoon – The snorkeling lagoon is split into two different trails: Discover Trail and Explorer Trail. Choose which trail you want to follow based on your experience and comfortability. There's lots to see during your snorkeling adventure, so keep your eyes peeled! Not only will you be able to enjoy beautiful sea life, but there's also a lot of hidden (in plain sight) Disney treasures. While you're snorkeling, look for the statue of Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid, ride vehicles from Dumbo and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a Mickey Mouse statue, and so much more!

Equipment Rental and Activities

Castaway Cay has a lot of equipment and activities that are available for you to rent and enjoy. There is a wide variety of activities for you to choose from for both the land and the sea!

Marge's Barges & Sea Charters Dock – Parasailing, Fishing Charters, and Jet Boat Tours

Gil's Fins and Boats – Multiple watercrafts are available for your enjoyment here such as Kayaks, Sailboats, Paddleboards, Paddleboats, Aqua Trikes, and even a Banana Boat! You can also rent snorkel gear here.

We experienced paddle boarding during our last cruise on the Disney Dream for Marvel Day at Sea and this was one of our favorite experiences from the cruise. The water is so still and beautiful. While you are standing on your paddle board, you can see the water clearly beneath you. We saw a few starfish out on the water and enjoyed just paddling around the area by the boat.

This is a dedicated water space marked with buoys for guests to paddle in and there's no swimming allowed.

Bike Rentals – Enjoy a leisurely bicycle ride throughout the beautiful tropical island of Castaway Cay. This activity is great for the whole family. Cruisers ages 3 and up are able to participate.

Castaway Cay Stingray Adventure – This adventure gives you the opportunity to swim with, feed, and pet stingrays. You will be able to spend about 60 minutes with these gentle giants.

Flippers and Floats – Here you can rent Inner Tubes, Snorkel Masks, and Fins. You can reserve these floats in advance but they have an abundance of floats so they honestly will not run out!

Castaway Cay 5K

There used to be an organized group race on Castaway Cay that was very similar to a runDisney race. The 5K race course still exists, but rather than being an organized group race, it is now an activity that you can do at your own pace.

You can choose to walk, jog, or run the 3.1 mile course. After you finish, you'll receive a Castaway Cay 5K medal. This is a free activity and Guests of all ages can participate! The course does allow you to see corners of the island you wouldn't normally which also includes a lookout tower you can climb.

Cabanas on Castaway Cay

Cabanas are available to rent on the beautiful island. They are located in more secluded areas so you can be away from the hustle and bustle of the busier areas. There are three different types of cabanas that can be rented. All cabanas come with unlimited soft drinks and bottled water, fresh fruit, chips, and granola bars. To relax, there is both indoor and outdoor seating as well as a hammock. For your fun in the sun needs, there is sunscreen, towels, damp wash cloths, and a freshwater shower.

Castaway Family Beach – These cabanas come with sand toys, snorkel equipment, float and tube rentals, bike rental (one hour), a call button for Cabana Service, and a safe for your valuables.

• • Family Beach Cabanas
    • $797.50 for up to 6 Guests
    • $50 plus tax per additional Guest (10 Guests maximum)
  • Grand Family Beach Cabana
    • $1,127.50 for up to 10 Guests
    • $50 plus tax per additional Guest (16 Guests maximum)

Serenity Bay – These cabanas are for Guests who are 18 years of age or older and do not come with additional amenities.

• • Serenity Bay Cabanas
    • $493.90 for up to 4 Guests
    • $50 plus tax per additional Guest (10 Guests maximum)

Castaway Cay Shopping

There are two shopping locations on Castaway Cay: Buy the Seashore and She Sells Seashells and Everything Else. At these shops, you'll be able to find Castaway Cay exclusive merchandise, sand toys, and beachwear. Available merchandise includes hats, clothing, and pins.

There are also two locations selling Bahamian arts, crafts, and clothing.

The apparel store has a wide variety of clothing items especially if you need a last minute item for your trip.

Sea Ya Real Soon

Castaway Cay is such a fun part of Disney Cruises. As you can see, there are so many things to see and do on Disney's private island. Cruisers of all ages are sure to enjoy their day(s) at this tropical paradise with all of the adventures and activities that are created with everyone in mind.

Don't forget to head over to Get Away Today for the best rate on all of your Disney vacations. Let their agents take care of planning your vacation while they save you money at the same time.

Castaway Cay Q&A