Cruises Caribbean Take a Photo Tour of Castaway Cay, Disney's Private Island By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Instagram LinkedIn Suzanne Rowan Kelleher is a nationally recognized family travel expert and an award-winning travel writer and editor. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/06/19 Disney Cruise Line Caribbean sailings with Disney Cruise Line include a day at Castaway Cay, Disney's 1,000-acre private island in the Bahamas. Each guest's cruise fare includes access to the island and youth areas, a barbecue lunch buffet, non-alcoholic beverages and self-serve ice cream. Guests can use their ship stateroom key cards to charge incidentals such as alcoholic beverages or rentals for bicycles, snorkel gear, or watercraft. 01 of 18 Follow the Signs to Island Fun Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Only about 55 acres of the island is developed, and all the facilities are within walking distance of the ship. (Get oriented with these maps of Castaway Cay.) Got little ones? A fleet of strollers and wagons is available to roll your kids and gear around the island. There is also a tram to bring guests from the beach areas back to the ship. Continue to 2 of 18 below. 02 of 18 Bring the Kids to the Beach Suzanne Rowan Kelleher The crescent-shaped family beach is in a well-protected cove so there's no big waves or rip currents. There are plenty of umbrellas, chairs and hammocks at no charge. You can also rent tubes and floats for fun in the swimming lagoon. Continue to 3 of 18 below. 03 of 18 Take the Pelican Plunge Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Within easy swimming distance of shore, Pelican Plunge is a 2,400-square-foot floating platform with two curvy water slides that drop you with a splash in the ocean. There are also water cannons and other fun ways to get wet, and a lifeguard is always on duty. Continue to 4 of 18 below. 04 of 18 Keep Your Kids in Sight Suzanne Rowan Kelleher If your kids love the Pelican Plunge, grab some lounge chairs on the lovely family beach right next to it. The kids can get to the water slides and still stay within your sight. Continue to 5 of 18 below. 05 of 18 Meet Your Favorite Disney Characters Kent Phillips/Disney Cruise Line There are opportunities to meet Disney characters on Castaway Cay, just like on the ship. Consult your "Personal Navigator" leaflet or the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app to find out where to find your favorite characters on Castaway Cay. Continue to 6 of 18 below. 06 of 18 Give Your Teen Some Chill Time Suzanne Rowan Kelleher This picture tells the story. The Hideout is a secluded retreat for teens (ages 14-17) where they can hang out, listen to music, or play beach volleyball and soccer. Teens can also explore Castaway Cay during the optional Wild Side excursion that includes snorkeling, biking and kayaking through the island and finishes with a big lunch. Continue to 7 of 18 below. 07 of 18 Take a Break from the Sun Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Getting too much Vitamin D? Take your kids to In-Da-Shade, an outdoor game pavilion with a giant checkerboard, pool tables, foosball, Ping Pong, and basketball hoops. Tweens (ages 11-14) will often have scheduled time here, supervised by youth counselors. Continue to 8 of 18 below. 08 of 18 Let Kids Join the Club at Scuttle's Cove Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Do your kids love the Oceaneers Club on the ship? Scuttle’s Cove is the island equivalent, with supervised youth activities for kids ages 3 to 12. It features a 1,200-square-foot water play area with a soft wet deck and an array of pop jets, geysers and bubblers. It also connects to a Monstro Point, a dig site filled with artificial whale bones. Fun activities at Scuttle’s Cove include: Gotta Get Soaked, a team challenge with water balloons and bucketsWater Mania, water play for younger kidsCaribbean Beach Party, sand castle challenges and bubble games Continue to 9 of 18 below. 09 of 18 Give Little Ones Some Splash Time at Spring-A-Leak Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Your little ones can splash around safely to their hearts' content at Spring-A-Leak, a splashpad with fountains and geysers. There is bench seating for adults around the perimeter of the area. Continue to 10 of 18 below. 10 of 18 Pet a Stingray Matt Stroshane/Disney Cruise Line One of the most popular and memorable shore excursions on Castaway Cay is the stingray experience. Adults and kids 5 and up can stroke debarbed Southern Stingrays during a demonstration and then snorkel in a stingray lagoon with the docile creatures. (Price: $45/adult and $36/child age 5 to 9.) Continue to 11 of 18 below. 11 of 18 Explore on Two Wheels Disney Cruise Line You can rent bicycles on Castaway Cay for $10 an hour, enough time to explore the island on the designated bike trails. Fun fact: Before Disney bought the island in the late 1990s, it was a stopover for drug runners. Some of the bike path follows a wide ribbon of tarmac that used to be an airstrip. Continue to 12 of 18 below. 12 of 18 Sneak Away Without the Kids Suzanne Rowan Keleher If your kids want to spend time in the supervised youth clubs, take advantage of the opportunity to relax at Serenity Bay, the adult-only beach on the island. Continue to 13 of 18 below. 13 of 18 Enjoy an Empty Beach Suzanne Rowan Kelleher While the family beaches are fun and action-packed, the just-for-adults Serenity Bay is rarely crowded and much more quiet. The beach is reserved for guests age 18 and up. Continue to 14 of 18 below. 14 of 18 Pull Up a Chair to the Water's Edge Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Pure bliss. Continue to 15 of 18 below. 15 of 18 Pose with the Fab Four Suzanne Rowan Kelleher It may not be a national monument, but Mount Rustmore is an iconic destination on Castaway Cay. This is a popular meeting spot and a fabulous photo op. Continue to 16 of 18 below. 16 of 18 Say Hello to Captain Jack Sparrow Suzanne Rowan Kelleher You might spy Captain Jack Sparrow walking along the beach. He's happy to chat and pose for pictures. Continue to 17 of 18 below. 17 of 18 Get a Picture With Olaf at the Post Office Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Send a postcard to a friend—or even to yourself as a souvenir. The island's post office has special Bahamian postage with a "Castaway Cay" postmark. And remember to get your photo op with Olaf from "Frozen," who sometimes stands sentry outside. Continue to 18 of 18 below. 18 of 18 Admire Your Ship Suzanne Rowan Kelleher At the island's watersports beach, you can rent sailboats, kayaks, Jetskis, standup paddleboards and more. That's the Disney Dream in the background. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit Share Pin Email