Dos & Don’ts of Disney’s Castaway Cay (23 Helpful Tips!)
Disney’s Castaway Cay in The Bahamas is a tiny island, but it’s packed with so much to do that you might have a hard time deciding how to spend your time. Measuring 3.1 miles long and 2.2 miles wide, it offers tons of activities like bike rentals, water play areas, parasailing, fishing, a stingray interaction experience, and more. Here are some Castaway Cay tips from family travel experts to make the most of your visit.
This website sometimes receives compensation, hosted travel, or products related to blog posts. This article may include affiliate links at no extra cost to consumers. As an Amazon Associate, we earn money from qualifying purchases.
1. Don’t forget your stateroom key.
The most important item to bring to Castaway Cay is your stateroom key. You will not be able to disembark or reboard the ship without it. Most other necessities, like sunblock and sand toys, can be purchased on the island.
2. Do take the tram.
It’s a surprisingly long walk from the ship to the beach. Thankfully, you can hop aboard a handy and complimentary shuttle to get around the island.
3. Don’t bring a stroller.
There are free strollers, wagons, and joggers available on the island. There are even special wheelchairs made specifically for use on the sand for physically challenged cruisers.
4. Do choose the right beach.
There are three beaches on Castaway Cay: Family Beach, Sports Beach, and Serenity Bay.
Family Beach
If traveling with babies and young children, Keryn Means of Twist Travel Magazine advises sticking to the section of Family Beach closest to the ship. She says this area offers “a bit of space with a less rambunctious crowd.”
A little further along the shore on Family Beach, you’ll find Pelican Plunge. This is a waterpark structure floating in the ocean. Cruisers must swim out to the platform to play. Choose from two water slides here including one dark tunnel and an open air slide. Sliders must be at least 38 inches tall, and those under 48 inches must don a complimentary life vest.
Sports Beach
Active cruisers should head to Sports Beach. If sitting still on the sand all day sounds ho-hum, this is the place to be. Sand volleyball and tether ball reign supreme here.
Serenity Bay
Meanwhile, cruisers aged 18+ can spread out on Serenity Bay. This is the mellow adult-only beach on the island. (Psst…the food is better at the Serenity Bay BBQ!)
5. Don’t miss live entertainment and games.
Family Travel Magazine‘s Jodi Grundig advises seeking out Castaway Cay’s live entertainment and game options. Meanwhile, cruisers aged 18+ can spread out on Serenity Bay. This is the mellow adult-only beach on the island. Fun to be had at this pavilion includes foosball and pool tables, giant checkers, and chess boards.
Grundig says, “We love sitting on Family Beach by the island’s Gazebo because we can easily walk over and see things like a character dance party and the Island Vibes DJ performance. There’s also usually a basketball free throw competition and ping pong tournament at In Da Shade Pavilion.”
6. Do work off your vacation calories.
If you stay active, there’s no reason to feel guilty for indulging in dessert during your Disney Cruise. Good thing there are lots of exercise options on Castaway Cay.
Take a yoga class on the beach. Swim or snorkel off your lunch. Play volleyball or tetherball at Sports Beach. Rent a paddleboat, kayak, or aquabike from Gil’s Fins and Boats. Play ping-pong, basketball, and other games at one of two Game Pavilions.
Your family can also explore the 1.5 miles of bike trails aboard a beach cruiser. Adult bicycles, child seats, and kids’ bikes are available for rental.
7. Do go snorkeling.
Kirsten Maxwell with Kids Are a Trip says snorkeling at Castaway Cay was the highlight of her family’s day on the island. For kids, Maxwell recommends bringing “full-face snorkeling masks so they don’t have to mess with the separate pieces.”
If you forget your gear, you can buy or rent masks and fins on the island. Life vests are provided free of charge and are required for snorkelers.
8. Don’t pay for bottled water.
Why pay for water when you can hydrate for free? Plenty of coolers are situated throughout the island where you can get a complimentary cup of cold filtered water.
Non-alcoholic drinks like sodas and fruit juices are also available free of charge at bars located throughout the island. Adults aged 21+ can purchase beer, wine, and tropical beverages like frozen mojitos, too.
9. Do pack your running shoes.
Kimberly Tate, author of the Stuffed Suitcase blog recommends participating in the Castaway Cay 5K. She and her family have participated in these 3.1-mile races on the island. They’re open to walkers and runners of all levels.
Tate says, “We all earned medals and still had time to hit the beach for sand play and snorkeling afterward. This is perfect for families looking for more than just beach time.”
Keep in mind the run is for ages 10+. All participants receive a souvenir medal made of rubber material.
10. Don’t take cash or credit cards.
Debra Muccio, founder of Finding Debra, says there’s no need to lug your wallet around. “I had heard rumors before our trip that you needed cash or credit cards to shop at the few Castaway Cay souvenir stores. This turned out to be not true. Souvenirs were bought using our stateroom key loaded with our credit card information.”
11. Don’t wait to buy Castaway Cay souvenirs.
You will be disappointed if you wait to purchase Castaway Cay gear and memorabilia on board the cruise ship. You can only purchase Castaway Cay souvenirs on the island.
12. Do make a splash on Castaway Cay.
The Spring-A-Leak splash pad will keep children content for hours. Located near Family Beach, fountains bubbling from the ground incite joy and giggles from toddlers, preschoolers, and young grade schoolers.
13. Don’t waste time eating on the ship.
There’s no sense wasting beach time eating on the ship when the food is tasty and free on the island. Choose from three places to eat: Cookie’s BBQ, Cookie’s Too BBQ, and a “secret” Serenity Bay BBQ. Expect simple fare like hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh fruit, soft-serve ice cream, potato salad, and soft drinks.
The restaurant at Serenity Bay is solely for grown-ups and offers bonus entrees unavailable at the other two. Think deliciously seasoned grilled steak.
If you’d like to eat lunch on Castaway Cay, don’t wait till it’s too late. The restaurants typically shut down for the day at 2 pm.
14. Do book a shore excursion or activity.
Castaway Cay excursion options include a jet boat tour, snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking, and jet ski rentals.
Monica Young of My Life is a Journey says, “Although most activities do have an additional fee, the experiences can be so memorable, such as feeding stingrays, which is a cool activity for the whole family. For adults, I recommend booking a massage on the beach.”
15. Do rent a float.
Cruisers can rent inflatable inner tubes on Castaway Cay. Water toys like these provide oodles of fun for children or a relaxing way for grown-ups to laze about in the water. Your fabulous flamingo pool float may be confiscated by Disney, so it’s better to leave your own pool floats at home.
Keep in mind that the only floats you can bring to the island are “coast Guard approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) and flotation sewn into the bathing suit for safety,” according to Disney Cruise Line. These are life vests, which are available for free on Castaway Cay.
16. Do find Disney characters on the island.
Photos with your favorite Disney characters like Mickey Mouse make wonderful souvenirs of your time on Disney’s private isle.
Margie DQ of DQ Family Travel says, “You can check the Personal Navigator schedule the night before or right when you get off the ship to find character meet-up times and locations. Some of our cutest family pictures are with a Disney character in island gear with a beach background.”
17. Don’t get stuck without a beach chair.
Plan ahead to nab a beach chair. Robin Hutson of Luxe Recess says, “Unless you take the tram early in the morning to the Family Beach you won’t get a spot, as this section fills up first.”
She continues, “If you enjoyed a leisurely morning on the ship and disembark after 10:30, get off at the first tram stop near the Snorkeling Lagoon. There will probably still be many beach chairs, loungers, and umbrellas. If you’re lucky, you may even snag a hammock!”
18. Do book your private cabana in advance.
Cruisers who want to make sure to have space and amenities on shore should rent a private cabana. Be forewarned that they are not cheap!
Castaway Cay cabanas do come with a slew of amenities, though. Expect snacks, unlimited non-alcoholic beverages, sunblock, sand toys, snorkeling equipment, free float rentals, and a one-hour bike rental.
Be sure to book your cabana online far in advance. The island has a limited supply, making cabanas a hot commodity.
If you can’t nab one at first, check the Disney Cruise Line website regularly for cancellations. You can also try to book a private cabana with Guest Services as soon as you board the ship.
19. Don’t forget about free childcare on Castaway Cay.
Trips with Tykes Editor Leslie Harvey recommends taking advantage of babysitting services on shore.
She says, “Although there is plenty to do as a family together, parents may also want some time to explore the island together or enjoy a tropical drink at the bar sans kids. Scuttle’s Cove takes kids ages 3 to 12 and offers the same high-quality supervision, security, and fun you can find at the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab on board the ship.”
20. Do relax on Castaway Cay.
You could get Castaway Cay fever trying to squeeze too many activities into one day. Instead, pick a couple of must-dos to please everyone in your crew. The point here is to unwind island-style.
21. Don’t wait to plan your Disney vacation.
Research shows travelers may enjoy planning their vacation more than the actual trip. So, start planning! You can read more about Disney Cruise Line on CruiseDirect.com. I also suggest buying The Unofficial Disney Cruise Line 2024 guidebook. It’s packed with helpful tips for making the most of your time at sea and in ports of call.
22. Do book your Disney Cruise early.
Typically, the farther in advance you book your cruise, the better price you will pay. For assistance with booking your Disney Cruise, visit Get Away Today. On top of the best information, you can get bonuses like extra on-board credits and Mickey and Minnie plushes when you mention Travel Mamas sent you. Book your Disney Cruise now!
23. Do get more cruise tips.
Here’s how to choose the best Disney Cruise for your family.
Before your vacation, look at what to pack for a Disney Cruise.
Learn what to do if you get sick on a cruise.
Sailing with children? Read these tips for cruising with kids.
Save these Castaway Cay tips!
Considering a Disney Cruise? Keep these Castaway Cay dos and don’ts for future reference. Just pin the image below to Pinterest. Go ahead and follow Travel Mamas on Pinterest while you’re at it!
Do you have any questions or additional Castaway Cay tips? Share your comments and questions below!
A note from the Travel Mama: Thank you to Disney Cruise Line for inviting me to sail on Fantasy and Dream. My family has also paid full price to sail with Disney.
If you reserve floats are they available when you get back from doing the 5k??
I don’t know if the float rentals are available before the 5K because the races typically start very early in the morning. Once you rent a float, it’s yours for the day. If you leave it sitting on the beach for a very long time, though, it might blow away or be picked up by a Disney cast member, or I suppose by a fellow cruiser. You might want to just wait until the race is over.
Hi,
I am taking the family to Cozumel on our first Disney Cruise. Can you tell me why no one is booking the Cozumel and Jamaica excursions? By the way, I LOVE your website.
Thank you for the kind words, Michele! Cruisers might be more interested in exploring on their own in some ports or booking excursions directly with local providers. The nice thing about booking through DCL, though, is that if your excursion is delayed for any reason — the ship will wait for you if you book through them. Otherwise, you may miss the all aboard time.
Wow Colleen, I am truly amazed at your blog here. It is not only informative but beautiful to look at as well as wonderfully written. This is the first one I have read all the way through. Great job my cuzie. Love you.
LOL! I am glad that I finally got you to read a whole blog post! 😉 Love you, too!
Omgoodness, what a phenomenal review! This just sealed the deal for us to take our son, especially since he’s been asking. Thinking this will be an ideal 13th birthday present. Thanks so very much! 🙂
What an INCREDIBLE birthday present! Have a wonderful time on your Disney Cruise!
Hey,There is a splash pad area that is definitely fun for your toddler & I bet your 8-year-old would love it too. You can rent bicycles for the whole family and put the baby in a child seat. The family beach is fun for all ages of course, too!
All the cabanas are sold out for castaway cat during our port stop in April 2019. Can we be wait listed for cancellations?
HI Jeannette – I did some research on cruise discussion boards and there appear to be a couple of ways to score a cabana, even if they are sold out for your cruise. One cruiser recommended calling Disney Cruise Line every day leading up to your cruise to nab any cancellations. A few other vacationers suggested visiting or calling Guest Services the minute you board to be placed on a waitlist for a cabana. Good luck!
Is there anywhere on castaway to fish from shore, or is it allowed?we are going down for the first time next week, and not sure time will allow for an entire excursion, but would like to fish a little. Any advice would be appreciated.
Hi Mike – It doesn’t look like fishing from the shore is allowed on Castaway Cay. There are, however, a couple of fishing excursions that you might enjoy. Hope you have a great time no matter what you decide to do on the island!
Hey All,
Going on my first Disney Cruise in January around the Bahamas, (We are from Ireland) we are massive Disney Fans – just returned from Disney World Orlando and will ring in the New Year in Disneyland Paris.
Our son is recently turned 4, my husband and I are very keen on snorkelling, my excursions are not available to book until next week but I was wondering if anyone knew if it would allow us book the snorkelling for our son, or will the system stop him as he is under 5?
Also can you book the kids club in advance? Our son is so sociable and loves kids clubs – on a recent trip to Dubai he told us he wasn’t ready to be collected as he was having too much fun!
Hi Catherine –
Disney is very strict about age limits on their excursions so you won’t be able to book snorkeling for your child. You could bring along your own snorkeling equipment but beware that the sunken boats are very far from shore so you should probably plan to stick close to shore instead.
You can sign your son up for the youth club in advance. Go to “My Cruise Reservations” on the Disney Cruise Line website. Look for “View Activities” after you’ve logged in with your reservation number. Then look for “Child Reservation” and go from there. Note: online registration varies depending on whether you’ve cruised with Disney before. Since you are first-timer, that will be 75 days prior to your cruise.
Enjoy all of your Disney adventures!
Thank you for this detail-filled post, Colleen! We are looking into trying something new next year and eyeing on the Disney Cruise as one of the things to choose from. It looks like we may be heading for the Disney Cruise after reading your post. We are really excited for this trip and could not have been happier to come by your article.
How exciting, Elizabeth! I hope you have an incredible time on your Disney Cruise! (And I’m sure you will!)
Hello! Thank you for the advice!!! We will be going on our first cruise next year for the Halloween on the High Seas Bahamian Cruise. Looking to get my hands on the Passporters you mentioned (the 2018 edition), I looked online but only place I can find a PDF file is on their website. Anyway to get my hands on a hard copy?
Hi Stacy – It looks like they’ve switched to offering just the digital version of PassPorter. The good news is that the online version, according to their website, is always up-to-date! If you want a paper version at a decent price, it looks like you’ll have to go with the 2015 version: https://amzn.to/2KFnGd4 Have a wonderful time on your Disney Cruise!
Is this exclusively a port for the cruise ship? No other way to visit Castaway Cay? Thank you!
Hi Debbie – You must be a passenger on a Disney Cruise to visit Castaway Cay. (Worth it!)
Hi, there, what activities you would recommend for a 1 1/2 yo boy? His brother is almost 8 and litlle fellow thinks that he can do everything that older brother dies. I want this to be fun for everyone, if you will. TIA
There is a splash pad area that is definitely fun for your toddler & I bet your 8-year-old would love it too. You can rent bicycles for the whole family and put the baby in a child seat. The family beach is fun for all ages of course, too!
Hello.. will be sailing this year and wanted to know Are life jackets provided for children at castaway?
Floatation vests are provided to guests at the Pelican Plunge slides off of Castaway Cay for both adults and kids but you can’t wear them on the beach. You can buy or rent floatation devices like innertubes or arm floaties, or bring your own.
We are looking to book a cruise with either a one day or two day at Castaway. We are two families with 7-8 year olds. Would two days at Castaway get boring for us? Have never been to Nassau Bahamas, but there are options to stop in Nassau as well if you have any recommendations.
Becky – It really depends on how your family likes to vacation. For a lot of Disney fanatics, their favorite day of the cruise is at Castaway Cay. It’s really a beach day with fun splash fountains, waterslides, sporting fun and bicycles for rent. Personally, if I had never been to Nassau, I would choose that over another day on Castaway Cay because I love exploring new things. One thing is for sure, there’s lots of fun to be had on Castaway Cay!
I will be cruising on the fantasy in November with 4 under 4 and we were thinking about renting a cabana. I was wondering if they are too far away to keep an eye on the little ones at the same time? Will it be worth the money if they are playing in the water? It is hard to tell how far they are from the shore. TIA
Hi Barefoot cruising – There is a bit of a distance between the cabana and the water, with the beach in between. But you can pull your included, cushioned loungers down to the water if you like. I found this article all about renting a cabana at Castaway Cay to be helpful: https://blog.touringplans.com/2014/12/18/10-reasons-cabana-castaway-cay-worth-trying-get/ Enjoy!
Are you allowed to walk on and or off the ship with an alcoholic beverage from a bar on the ship or at castaway cay? I read the Disney cruise site and I don’t see any limitations on that.
Ooh…that’s a good one to ask Disney Cruise Line directly. Their phone number is: 1 (800) 951-3532 or you can email them here: https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/help/email/ Cheers!