ByMatt Roseboom
Learn about Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point —the newest Disney Cruise Line beach destination in The Bahamas —and discover answers to commonly asked questions.
Disney Cruise Line (DCL) opened a brand-new tropical beach destination, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, on June 10, 2024. Like the existing Disney Castaway Cay destination, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is in The Bahamas, but the two locations have many differences.
We were invited to visit Lookout Cay during a special preview on June 7, 2024 and talked to the people behind its creation.
Here are the most frequently asked questions and the answers you may want to read before booking your next Disney cruise.
FAQ: What to Know about Lookout Cay
Is the whole area Lookout Cay and Lighthouse Point, or is Lookout Cay only one part of Disney’s property?
The full, formal name for this new destination is Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. It’s comprised of 900 acres of land located at the southern tip of the island of Eleuthera. On the island, Disney is one tenant among other businesses and local communities. So far, less than 16% of the Lookout Cay acreage has been developed, and 25% has been donated to Bahamian people.
How do you pronounce the name?
Despite being spelled like “kay,” in both Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, the “Cay” is pronounced as “key.”
What are the differences between Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay?
Lookout Cay is approximately 100 miles southeast of Castaway Cay. The main difference between the two destinations (besides the layout, which we will get to next) is the storyline of the islands. Disney made up a story behind Castaway (see below), but Lookout doesn’t have a story. Guests are just visiting the real-life island of Eleuthera, and the area has some Disney touches, characters, etc.
Here’s the story of Castaway Cay, as seen on a sign on the island:
Three explorers set sail to the scattered islands of The Bahamas in search of fame and fortune. They brought along their families and a diverse crew. Through mild mishap and extreme good fortune, they located the objects of their desire: sunken treasures and the secret of youth. Though cast away on this island, they had no desire to leave due to the breathtaking beauty of this tropical paradise. Visitors to this island can still see the original structures built by the explorers and take part in many of the same pleasures our castaways enjoyed years ago. Disney Cruise Line welcomes you to the island paradise of your dreams, Castaway Cay.
The layout difference on Lookout Cay is what most veteran DCL guests will notice. When disembarking from your ship on Castaway Cay, you take a short walk to a tram stop, then take an approximately five-minute tram ride to the beach. (You can walk the whole way if you want to skip the tram.) There’s also another tram that takes you to the adults-only area, Serenity Beach.
When developing Lookout, to protect the coral reefs, Disney built a long, open-trestle pier/bridge from where the ships dock to the island. It’s about a half-mile long and takes about 10-15 minutes to walk. Upon completing this walk, you arrive to where the family cabanas are located, but if you haven’t rented one, you’ll need to board a tram and take a 10-minute ride to the other side of the island. This side of the island has the adults-only Serenity Beach next to the family beach and other facilities.
So with Castaway Cay, you can be on the beach in about10 minutes. With Lookout Cay, if you don’t rent a cabana, your journey from the ship will take about 30-45 minutes.
Both destinations’ beaches are beautiful, but Castaway seems to have more chairs and umbrellas directly facing the ocean. Lookout has some seating sections that are farther away from the water.
What is there to do at Lookout Cay?
Like Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay has restaurants for lunch, bicycle rentals, snorkel rentals (though no Disney props are under the water at Lookout like they are at Castaway), beach chairs and umbrellas, private cabana rentals, kids’ water play areas (both supervised and unsupervised), a nature trail, Disney characters, stores, and bars. Lookout also has a Junkanoo show and a family dance party with games featuring some of the characters.
How much money are the cabana rentals, on average?
The prices for cabana rentals at Lookout Cay vary. Starting rates begin at $475 a day. For the very first official cruise to the island, one guest we spoke with paid $962.50.
Take a look inside both styles of Lookout Cay cabanas —one on the adults-only beach, and the other on the family beach —in our video tours:
Is Lookout Cay Disney’s private island or a private area of Eleuthera?
While Disney Cruise Line purchased the land, their agreement with the government of The Bahamas provides all citizens and residents of The Bahamas access to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point for non-commercial purposes. So no, Lookout Cay is not a totally closed-off private area only for Disney Cruise Line guests (with the exception of the supervised Sebastian’s Cove kids area, which only DCL guests can access).
Is there a lighthouse on Lighthouse Point?
Yes and no. If you walk down to the end of the nature trail, you will see a one-story concrete building. Many people think this the remnant of a lighthouse, but it was actually once home to a living facility and outdoor kitchen, and was used to guide ships in. Besides that structure, the area has what Bahama officials call a “light station,” but it’s not on Disney property. Disney has said they are working to provide safe access to visit it.
How are the bugs?
As with any topical island, there are bugs on Lookout Cay. So far, the only insects to cause noticeable problems for many guests are flies around the dining areas. We saw flies swarming one of the food stations. It appeared some food stations and food plates attracted more flies than others.
To combat this, Disney has small spinning fans you can put on your table to try to scare the flies away from your food while you eat. We asked Disney about the issue and were told they are aware and are working on potential solutions.
Why is the pier/bridge from the ship to the island so long?
Disney told us, “As part of our commitment to protecting the natural environment, the location and length of the open-trestle pier was designed to protect coral in the area.”
Why aren’t there any benches or shade on pier/bridge?
That’s a very good question we don’t have the answer to. We asked Disney and they told us they don’t have additional plans to share.
Is transportation available to and from the ship on the pier/bridge?
Disney says guests with mobility issues may inquire at Guests Services on their ship about available options. They ask all other guests to walk the pier to reach the shore.
All Things Lookout Cay
We’ve been covering Disney Lookout Cay throughout its development process and grand opening. Check out our previous coverage for behind-the-scenes interviews and videos from ashore this all-new Disney destination:
Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point welcomes first guests
Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point sneak peek with creatives
Mickey and Minnie debut Bahamian-inspired costumes for Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
Full Tour of Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
Attractions Magazine
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