Castaway Cay – What Can You do for FREE on Disney’s Island Hideaway!

Castaway Cay – What Can You do for FREE on Disney’s Island Hideaway!

Disney’s Castaway Cay is located off Freeport Bahamas. It has a rich and somewhat sorted history. But I digress. I’ll tell that story in another post.

Disney Cruisers get to enjoy a fantastic place in the sun full of fun! This island paradise was purpose build by Disney Cruise Line for their guests. There is plenty to do. Some of the Port Adventures and Shops are run by locals that live on surrounding islands. Because they are run by 3^rd party companies, they may not always be available. Some offerings may be closed due to lack of staff due to Covid or other reasons.

The Island has 1 pier and only 1 ship can dock at a time. The Island is designed to accommodate the guests of the 1 Disney Cruise Line ship at a time. This is to reduce the impact guests and services have on the environment of the island. Over 85% of the island is kept in its natural state.

You walk directly off the ship onto the island. No tinder necessary and it is easy. You still have to follow all rules and regulations of getting off the ship at any port of call. At this time, there is a virtual queue for disembarking at ports. You will have to show your Key to the World Card when you get off and when you return. Take both your Key to the World and your ID for each member of your party. You will not need ID for children, other than their key to the world card. You can also head directly to the Family Beach for some beach fun!!

If you purchased the

Just like the ship, Castaway Cay is broken into Kid, Tween, Teen, Family and Adult Only areas. If you wish to check your children into the youth activities area they will be supervised while you Serenity Bay (the Adult Only Beach) to grab a drink and a few minutes of quiet.

First thing you can do is the Castaway Cay 5K run!!! It is free and all guests receive a Castaway Cay 5K medal. You can choose to preorder the Castaway Cay 5K Premium Package for an extra charge. Premium Package must be ordered before you sail and includes a Disney Castaway Cay 5K cinch sack, water bottle and hat. This is open to all guests 10 and older.

It is a short walk to the shuttles, or you can walk to the beaches yourself it really is not that far. The first shuttle drops you off by the Family Beach and Shops. You will also find the Snorkeling Lagoon there as well. I HIGHLY recommend the Snorkeling!! Lots of hidden treasures. The water goes really deep but then switches up to shallow so you can relax. You never have to swim far to find a shallow area. Pelican Plunge is also in this area. Pelican Plunge is floating water play area with waterslides that drop you into the ocean.

Cookies BBQ serves lunch and snacks. Cookies BBQ is near the Family Beach. You will find a beverage station and soft serve ice cream there as well. This is all included, just as it is on the ship. Cookies II BBQ is down at Quiet Cove, the Adult Only beach. Cookies II BBQ is for adults only. There are several bars on the island, and they cost extra. You don’t have to go to the Adult Area to get a drink.

You can take a long walk and go from the ship down an “abandoned” airstrip and walk to the lookout tower. You can ride the shuttles to Serenity Bay and continue the walk to the tower from there if you desire. Down that same path is the Tween and Teen area where they can play beach volleyball and other sports. In the main area near the Family Beach is a shaded area with games and activities.

As you can see there is MUCH to do for free on Castaway Cay!!!

My personal favorite things to do are snorkeling in the Snorkeling Lagoon and relaxing at Serenity Bay. The shops are always fun to look at. There are things that are exclusive to Castaway Cay, and they can’t be found anywhere else. There are also a couple of shops run by local merchants from the Bahamas. Many unique and fun things made by local artists to be found there.

For those with Disabilities Castaway Cay is full accessible. There are cement paths to accommodate wheelchairs and scooters through the entire Island. There are also Beach Wheelchairs available on a first come first served basis. Disney has done their best to make the island accessible and accommodating to all who come. The ships crew helps with handling things on the island while the ship is at port, so the service is the same and if a need arises help is there.