Disney Cruise Line has announced that Castaway Cay, it’s private island in the Bahamas, will be expanded and enhanced to provide guests with more water-based family activities, conveniences and beachside luxury. The 1,000-acre island was designed by Disney with one-of-a-kind areas and activities whilst preserving its natural beauty.
Expanded Family Beach
The Castaway Family Beach will be extended by more than 213 meters for beachgoers to enjoy the pristine sand and warm, azure waters of the lagoon. Together with the longer beach, guests can look forward to new Flippers & Floats beach rentals providing essential equipment such as snorkels, masks and fins, as well as a new Buy the Sea Shore merchandise store complementing the She Sells Sea Shells & everything else store.
As an added convenience, the new Cookies Too located in a covered pavillion near the beach serves barbecue buffet and a variety of snacks, including island-spiced rotisserie chicken, burgers, grilled fish, salads, flatbreads, ice cream and complimentary soda. For adult guests, the Sand Bar offers cold beers, mixed drinks such as Castaway Cay’s signature Konk Kooler and other beverages.
New Water Feature and Water Play Areas
Guests can slide and splash at a new water feature called the Pelican Plunge, a 223-square meter floating platform adorned with various flotsam and jetsam. Featuring an enclosed corkscrew slide and a 13-meter open slide, guests are twisted and turned before ending in the clear waters of the lagoon. The platform also has a giant “bucket dump” to deliver hundreds of gallons of water onto waiting guests, while the 4 water cannons test guests’ marksmanship skills.
On the island, a brand new water play area called Spring-a-Leak is being developed. In the form of a storm-ravaged beach dwelling, the 223-square meter structure offers guests a sensory experience with dripping pipes, broken plumbing and hissing meters. At its centerpiece is a splash pad giving the impression of water pooled on the ground as water jets squirt and douse guests.
Disney will also add a new water play area at Scuttle’s Cove for young guests as part of supervised youth activities on the island. The soft, wet deck area is 112-square meters and provides freshwater fun with its array of jets, bubblers and geysers
New Beach Cabanas
For a quiet time at Castaway Cay, 20 new private beach cabanas are available. Each 30-square meter cabana is furnished with comfortable cushioned chairs, chaise lounge chairs, side tables and dining table. There is also a refrigerator, lockable storage unit, outdoor shower and sail cloth providing shade.
The majority of these exclusive cabanas will be located on the far side of the Family Beach, although Disney will place a handful on the nearby adults-only Serenity Bay Beach. There will also be 3 new massage cabanas offering panoramic views of the sea.
Other Enhancements
Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure, where guests can swim and interact with stingrays, will be moved to a new location with a larger area within the lagoon. At Hide Out, a new secluded area on the island, teenage guests can gather, relax and enjoy themselves in their own exclusive space. Disney is also adding a new In Da Shade Games Pavillion for guests to escape the sun and play indoor games such as table tennis and foosball.
To handle the increased traffic from these improvements, the island’s tram paths will be expanded and a new Pelican Point tram stop constructed near most of the new attractions. On the water, an expanded Marge’s Barges & Sea Charters Dock will be able to handle more excursion boats for offshore activities, while the Cruise Ship Dock will allow Disney Cruise Line’s ships to moor directly on the island.
The additional facilities are scheduled to be completed by summer 2010 in time for special 5-night cruises aboard the Disney Wonder with 2 stops at Castaway Cay and cruises by the new Disney Dream, scheduled to enter service in early 2011. Disney Cruise Line sails to Castaway Cay on all voyages originating from Port Canaveral, Florida.
For more information, visit disneycruise.disney.go.com.