Disney Cruise Line plans big changes at private island Castaway Cay

mercedes · September 1, 2009

It's makeover time for Castaway Cay, the Disney Cruise Line's private island in the Bahamas.

Disney today announced the 1,000-acre hideaway will be getting an expanded family beach area, new water play areas, private beach cabanas and more in a major overhaul.

The changes, to be completed by next summer, come as Disney prepares to roll out its first new ship in a decade, the 2,500-passenger Disney Dream. The Dream and a sister vessel, Disney Fantasy, are scheduled to debut in early 2011 and 2012, respectively, in an expansion that will more than double the line's capacity.

“The numerous enhancements and additions planned for Castaway Cay will take the already extraordinary guest experiences on our private island to the next level,” Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz says in a statement.

Details of the changes announced today:

-- Expanded family beach. The white-sand Castaway Family Beach will be extended by more than 700 feet and infused with new amenities. Additions include a new family lunch buffet in a covered pavilion, a beach bar and a beach rental stand with inner tubes and snorkel equipment.

-- New water play areas. A new floating water play area called Pelican Plunge, anchored just off shore, will have two large water slides (a corkscrew and a 140-foot-long open slide), a giant “bucket dump” and four water cannons that shoot water up to 20 feet. Another large water play area on land, dubbed Spring-a-Leak, will have dripping pipes, broken plumbing and hissing misters designed to cool off visitors. A third new water play area, Scuttle’s Cove, is aimed at the youngest visitors taking part in supervised youth activities on the island and includes an array of of pop jets, geysers and bubblers.

-- New beach cabanas. The 20 new private cabanas will be 325 square feet and include a large front patio deck, cushioned chairs, chaise loungers, a dining table, refrigerators, lockable storage units, an outdoor fresh water shower and sail cloth for shade on deck. Most of the cabanas will be at the far side of Castaway Family Beach, with a handful on the adults-only Serenity Bay Beach. Amenities included with a beach cabana rental include non-alcoholic beverages, suntan lotion and fluffy towels. A variety of a la carte services and packages will be offered, including special food and beverage options.

Disney also is moving the Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure to a different location in the lagoon, adjacent to the existing Gil’s Fins & Boats beach rental. Once complete, passengers will be able to swim and interact with stingrays in a larger area within the private lagoon.

Disney also is adding a new teen-only area called Hide Out; a new shaded game pavilion with table tennis, foosball, billiards and basketball; three new massage cabanas at the adults-only Serenity Bay Beach; additional tram paths and an expanded boat charter dock.

All Disney Cruise Line itineraries out of Port Canaveral, Fla, include a stop at Castaway Cay. Disney offers three-, four- and seven-night itineraries to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.