Castaway Cay

On all of Disney’s Caribbean itineraries the last port of call is Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay (pronounced: Key). I have been there a total of four times. I live in California and am used to the occasional day on the beach. That having been said, the four times that I have been to Castaway Cay are, hands down, the best four beach days that I have ever had.

If you manage to roll out of bed early enough, you can watch as the ship as she pulls up to the pier on the island. Disney spared no expense to make the whole experience just as Magical as possible; this includes a dock for the ship. No tendering here, you are free to come and go as you please. If the Captain backs the ship in, you can even enjoy breakfast at Beach Blanket/Topsiders buffet while they park the boat. In any event, you want to eat a big breakfast; there is A LOT to do on the island.

As you exit the ship, there is a large bin of beach sized towels available. You can then climb aboard the short shuttle to the beach. If you prefer, you can walk. I usually like the walk in the morning (it is about eight to ten minutes) and ride back. I walk because I get a better look at the Flying Dutchman. When Disney was done filming the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, they had the brilliant idea of anchoring the Dutchman at one end of the bay. It is close enough to get great pictures, but you cannot board, or even swim out to her. It is really cool that the real movie prop is there at all and not in some warehouse somewhere collecting dust.

The tram drops you off right near the family beach. This is where I have spent the majority of my time. Castaway Cay has several beaches. There are plenty of lounges and sun umbrellas everywhere. As I stated before, there is lots to do. I usually rent snorkeling equipment and swim around watching the fish watch me. There are quite a few things that Disney has for you to swim around and explore. They even have a statue of Mickey Mouse and the movie prop of the Nautilus (from 20,000 leagues under the sea). The Mickey Mouse statue is tethered to a white buoy near the lifeguard station.

A few hours swimming around will build quite an appetite. Time for lunch and arguably the best burger my wife and I have ever had. After a week of fancy gourmet food three times a day, this barbequed burger really hits the spot. If you still need something a little on the fancy side, there are lobster burgers at the adult beach, Serenity Bay. They often have other good stuff too, ribs, chicken, hot dogs. Try the potato salad. If you are anything like me, I don’t really care for the stuff, but I eat it there. It tastes like a baked potato with sour cream and all the trimmings. Finish it all off with a Mickey ice cream bar and they may have to force you to get back on that ship.

By early afternoon I am usually too tired to do much else on the island. Not that there isn’t a lot more to do. There is some shopping at She Sells Sea Shells and Everything Else. There are a few other little merchants along the walk from the family beach to the teen beach. Ask any cast member, they will point you in the right direction. There are bicycles and jet-skis and all manor of water toy available. Resist the temptation to try to do everything. It simply can’t be done. My kids tried to talk me into parasailing. I said “Yea, right. I’ll wait right here for you”. One thing that they did talk me into was the banana boat ride. That was a blast! A banana boat is a long yellow inflatable raft that you sit on, two abreast, while being towed behind a ski boat, real bumpy, lots of fun, not too much money. One banana boat ride solidifies the requirement of a shower, a beer, a lounge chair on deck nine and contemplation of just how to manage to afford to do it all again next year.