Spend the Day at Disney’s Castaway Cay

The fun and exciting options are plentiful at Disney’s Castaway Cay so, we have put together a helpful guide to help you navigate your way through Castaway Cay and make the most out of your time on the island.

Overview of Disney’s Castaway Cay 
Castaway Cay is Disney’s Private island and spans over 1000 acres. The island consists of multiple beaches, shopping, dining, an observation tower, a nature trail, a complimentary kids club, an adults-only beach, and so much more! So, let’s get into it!

Dining on Disney’s Castaway Cay

Cookie’s BBQ is the main restaurant on the island. It is an open-air buffet with plenty of great food options, even for those with special dietary needs. This location serves lunch, including BBQ, flatbreads, salads, and ice cream.

Cookie’s Too: This restaurant serves the same menu as Cookie’s BBQ but is located on another part of the island.

Serenity’s BBQ: Located on the Adult-only section of the island, this restaurant serves similar food to Cookie’s BBQ. Menu items include Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Ribeye steaks, salads, chicken, and a couple of other light bites.

Olaf’s Summertime Freeze: This location serves specialty frozen child-friendly drinks in a special keepsake cup.

Conched Out, Heads Up, Sand Bar, and Castaway Air Bar: These are the four bars on Castaway Cay that serve cocktails, mocktails, and Domestic Beer

Our Top Tips for Visiting Castaway Cay 

1. Bring your Key to the World Card, not cash or debit/credit cards. This card works on the island at every location.
2. Bring a reusable water bottle. You will save money on bottled water. There are plenty of water stations on the island.
3. Wear comfortable shoes. You may be walking around a bit on the island to get to your destination.
4. Restaurants typically shut down mid-afternoon, so we suggest eating on the island earlier in the day once you arrive at Castaway Cay.
5. Stroller rentals are free on Castaway Cay

Did you know you can run a 5K on Castaway Cay?! The Disney Castaway Cay 5K is a run or walk (whichever you prefer) with scenic views on the island that leads you to the Observation Tower, which has incredible views. You are able to do this at your leisure. This is a “fun run” for all ages and includes a really cool medal upon completion. On Castaway Cay, the 5K begins at the bike rental information booth. Don’t forget to wear your sunscreen!

For the holiday season, Disney Cruise Line celebrates big with holiday parties on select sailings, special festive eats and treats, beautiful and fun decor, and so much more! 

Beaches at Castaway Cay

Family Beach: This is the largest of the beaches on Castaway Cay. It’s also closest to the ship. You can partake in several different activities here, such as snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, or just floating the day away on a tube.

Serenity Bay: This is an adult-only beach for guests 18 years or older. It is furthest from the ship and very relaxing! There are cabanas available, but we suggest getting there early to be sure you get one. You can also book an open-air massage.

Sports Beach: You can rent water equipment here. You can also play games such as volleyball, tetherball, and soccer.

Rentals and Activities: The list of rentals and activities here is plentiful. The following is available at this location

1. Sand toys
2. Aqua Trikes
3. Hobie Cats
4. Power Catamarans
5. Glass-bottom boats
6. Water skiing
7. Fly Fishing
8. Fishing
9. Tubing
10. Floating
11. Biking
12. Sailboating
13. Kayaking
14. Snorkeling
15. Paddleboarding
16. Water cycling
17. Parasailing

Cabana Rentals: There are 3 types of Cabanas you can choose to rent on Castaway Cay. Family Beach Cabanas, Grand Family Beach Cabanas, and Serenity Bay Cabanas. The cabanas do tend to go quickly, so we recommend booking one as soon as your window opens – this will depend on your Castaway Club Status. They are not complimentary, and prices vary per cabana type. Cabanas include indoor/outdoor comfortable seating, a mini fridge stocked with bottled water, soda, fruit, and cool washcloths to stay cool, plush towels, granola bars and chips, and sunscreen.

Pelican Plunge: A great place to swim and slide on the water slide (the water slide is for guests 38 inches or taller)

Spring-a-Leak: This is a freshwater splash and play area featuring misters, splash pads, and dripping pipes. Guests under 48 inches must wear a complimentary life vest.

Teen Hideout: Teen Hideout is a beach area on Castaway Cay for teens ages 14–17. It has activities created just for teens, and some say it’s a great place to make friends. 

Character Greetings: Characters you can meet on Castaway Cay

1. Mickey Mouse.
2. Minnie Mouse.
3. Donald Duck.
4. Daisy Duck.
5. Pluto.
6. Goofy.
7. Chip & Dale.
8. Capt. Jack Sparrow.

Characters’ outfits have also recently been revamped. The new outfits are bright and colorful, inspired by Castaway Cay, a tropical oasis. The fab five (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy) roam the island, so be sure to bring your autograph books and have them handy! There is also a Pirate party at Cookie’s BBQ, with appearances by Captain Jack Sparrow and Chip ‘n’ Dale dressed in their pirate best!

TIP: For photos around the island and with characters, bring a waterproof phone pouch to keep your phone handy for taking photos and videos and protect it from water. 

Complimentary Kids Club – Scuttle’s Cove: This is for children ages 3-10 and is a hangout supervised by Disney counselors from the ship. There are so many fun things for the littles to enjoy, such as a 1200-square-foot soft wet deck with geysers, bubbles, pop jets, and a giant whale-bone excavation site.

Snorkeling Lagoon: This is a designated snorkeling area on Castaway Cay, located off Family Beach, and is one of the most popular activities on the island. If you’d like to partake in this experience, you can rent your snorkeling gear at Gil’s Fins and Boats or Flippers and Floats. This is such a fun activity where you can see an array of tropical fish and sunken treasures, and don’t forget to look for a Hidden Mickey!

Shopping at Castaway Cay: There are two main spots to shop on the island: “She Sells Sea Shells…and Everything Else” and “Buy the Sea Shore.” You can purchase many things at these two locations, including exclusive Castaway Cay merchandise, collectible pins, beachwear, and beach necessities (sunscreen, beach toys, etc.). We recommend packing your own beach essentials to save on spending more than what you would normally for these items.

Excursions on Castaway Cay: Excursions range from 30 minutes to a few hours, all the way up to a full day (for getaway packages). There are plenty of options to choose from, each with an additional cost. One of the most popular excursions for guests is Castaway Cay Stingray Adventure where you can feed and pet stingrays in shallow water as well as swim in deeper water to get a first close look at these beautiful creatures. This excursion is for ages 5 and up and lasts an hour. Snorkeling equipment is provided during this excursion for the hour. You will also get to learn fun facts about Stingrays from a Marine Specialist.

Wanting to escape to a beautiful oasis, aka Castaway Cay? Let us help book the Disney Cruise Line vacation of your dreams today!

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