Disney’s Castaway Cay is the private island for Disney Cruise Lines and the island oasis for family fun of all ages and generations.
Whether you choose to complete the exclusive runDisney Castaway Cay 5K, swim in the crystal blue waters, snorkel, relax on the adult-only beach with an ocean-view massage, or take photos at the best spots, Castaway Cay offers it all. Cruising with just your kids or with your multi-generational family, you’re sure to have fun with these 7 best Castaway Cay activities.
7 Best Castaway Cay Activities
Disney-immersed family fun is something Disney lovers come to expect from Disney. When you choose to cruise with Disney Cruise Lines, the magic you experience in the parks is carried through to the high seas. In dining quality, family memories, character experiences, and more, every Disney fan’s wish does come true on the Disney Cruise Line.
We recently sailed aboard the Disney Dream as part of the invite-only 2018 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration (DSMMC) Land and Sea event. This 7-day event included 3 days in the parks and 4 days aboard the Disney Dream, where we sailed to the Bahamas and spent 2 days at sea, 1 day at Nassau, and 1 day on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.
The previous year, we sailed aboard the Disney Wonder as part of the 6-day 2017 DSMMC event, which was 2 days in the parks followed by 4 days aboard the Disney Wonder, where we also sailed to the Bahamas and spent 2 fun days at sea and 1 day at Castaway Cay.
All of the Disney magic you have come to expect—and then some—comes to life on Castaway Cay. That Disney magic you expect and the attention to detail in the theming you see in the parks is carried out in Disney’s private island Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. You can spend a day at one of the most fun Bahamian beach locations I’ve ever experienced. Here are 7 of my family’s favorite things about Castaway Cay.
1. CASTAWAY CAY 5K
Whether you are a family of legit runners, you like fun runs, or simply want to try something new, you can sign up for the runDisney Castaway Cay 5k. Unlike other runDisney events, the only way to participate in the Castaway Cay 5k is to take a cruise to the island, so this is an almost once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s also a fantastic Castaway Cay activity for the family.
In 2017, we completed the Disney Castaway Cay 5k as a family. My then 71-year-old mother, 11-year-old daughter, and I power walked our way through the Castaway Cay 5k fun run, making it a multi-generational activity.
It was a first 5k for both my mom and daughter. If you want to talk about making multi-generational memories the Disney way, this is one way to do it! This year, my twins were old enough to do the event with us (you have to be 10 years old) so they, my now 12-year-old daughter, and I did the Castaway Cay 5K. Grandma sat this year out.
2. HAMMOCKS FOR THE WORLD. BEACH CHAIRS AND UMBRELLAS ARE GOOD, TOO.
Select a beach access area. There are beach chairs with umbrellas available. Closer to the walkways, there are also hammocks scattered throughout. We camped out at a spot with a hammock both years. We had so much fun the first year, the girls insisted we grabbed hammocks again this year.
So we did. It was bliss. I took a lovely 2-hour nap in a hammock last year. Simply blissful. This year, there was also napping and chilling. Pro tip: arrive early or you may have a hard time finding chairs and hammocks.
3. CABANAS
If you prefer the cabana life, there are private cabanas available for rent on Castaway Cay. There are a very limited number of cabanas available, so you need to book them early.
Last year I tried to book one, but they were all sold out by the time we were booking activities. Pro trip: I recommend booking them online the moment you are available to book activities.
4. PELICAN PLUNGE
Who doesn’t want to play on a playground in the water?! This is your chance if you’ve never done it. Pelican Plunge is a 2,400-square-foot play structure right in the ocean!
Climb and slide away as you would on any land play structure, complete with two water slides and a dump bucket for all the water fun you can imagine. What a blast! My girls loved it. The only downfall is that if they spend too long climbing the ropes, they’ll walk away with some sweet blisters. Ask me how I know. We had a few sore sets of little hands. Yay for first aid and bandages.
5. SCUTTLE’S COVE
Are you looking for a place to send the minis for a bit so you can explore sans kids or experience a shore excursion that the minis are just too young for? Scuttle’s Cove is the Castaway Cay kids club where your minis can be cared for as much of the day as you want or need.
We dropped my 9-year-old off while we did the Castaway Cay 5k last year, and she loved being able to play beach volleyball and play on the splash pad. There are other activities, too, and they’ll feed them if you opt to leave them during the lunch hour.
The Scuttle’s Cove kids’ area is conveniently staffed by the same Disney Cruise Lines counselors as on the ship at the Oceaneer Club, so your children will already have a rapport built with the staff if they’ve visited the club on the ship. It’s is a nice way to ease the transition from ship to the island so everyone has a great day.
6. ADULT-ONLY SERENITY BAY & CASTAWAY CAY CABANA MASSAGE
Are you traveling without kids or looking to leave your kids in the Scuttle’s Cove and have some adult time? You should definitely check out the adult only Serenity Bay. We took a quick jaunt over to the Serenity Beach to check out the luxury and peacefulness that is the adult-only beach at Serenity Bay. Grab a drink at the Castaway Air Bar or a bite to eat at the Air Bar BBQ.
Do you love the idea of relaxing on the beach and pampering yourself with spa treatments? You can book an open-air cabana massage overlooking the ocean at the Spa on Serenity Beach. Swedish massage for singles or couples is available on Castaway Cay. These don’t fill up nearly as quickly as some of the other activities, but it’s still worth booking in advance for the best selection if this is on your to-do list for Castaway Cay Activities
7. EQUIPMENT RENTALS AND SHORE EXCURSIONS
If you want to explore Castaway Cay, you can rent almost anything you can imagine to explore the area. Snorkels, goggles, float tubes, you name it.
You can rent a bike to explore the island or rent snorkels to explore the water. We had friends that saw sea turtles and stingrays while snorkeling. There are several locations on Castaway Cay to get equipment rentals, including Gil’s Fins and Boats and Flippers & Floats.
If you want even more adventure, you can book an excursion such as swimming with stingrays, snorkeling, parasailing, fishing, and more. Pro tip: rentals can run out so you may want to book early.
Have you been on a Disney Cruise? What was your favorite Castaway Cay activity?
Jana
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