ThrillGeek was recently invited by Disney Cruise Line to experience their new island destination in the Bahamas, Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. I wanted to share some of my opinions on this new Disney Cruise Line destination from the perspective of someone who has been to their other island several times, Castaway Cay.
Arrival/Transportation
One thing that a lot of people noticed when we were posting photos from our ship, was that, unlike Castaway Cay, it is a bit more of a hike to the activities on Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point via a pier guests have to traverse once off the ship on Lookout Cay. But is it really a major difference? Let’s take a look.
Once you have debarked the ship, you are then required to take a walk down a pier until you get to the mainland. This pier looked daunting at first, but we timed it and it took us approximately 15 minutes to walk from our ship to the mainland area of the island. I had my 9-year-old son with me and we stopped along the walk and took several photos as well.
I did some rough measuring on Google Maps and, for those who have been to Castaway Cay, you can either take the tram to the island’s main area or walk. The walking distance from the ship to the main area of the island is approximately 2,700 feet. As you can see above. So just over half a mile.
At Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, once you walk the pier to the mainland, you then have another tram ride to the opposite side of the island which takes about 13 minutes. Just from the boat to the mainland is approximately 2,900 feet. But again, you then have another tram ride to the park that takes about 10-15 minutes.
NOTE: We did notice once you get to the Goombay tram stop, there are strollers and wagons available. They are free of charge and are first come, first served. So we highly recommend if you have little ones, look into one of these strollers or wagons.
The one thing I DO like about Castaway Cay is if you decide to walk to the main part of the island, they’ve always had characters out along the beach you could pose for photos with. Over at Lookout Cay, it is just a cement pier. There were no shade structures, but I guess that is due to hurricane/storm preparedness.
Activities/Beaches
Once at the main area of Lookout Cay, guests are greeted by a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy, from family beaches to adults-only beaches, there was definitely something for everyone at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
One thing that I did notice that stood out at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point was the kid’s areas, which were far superior to the ones at Castaway Cay.
The main kid’s water play area, called Rush Out Gush Out, features a variety of slides and hands-on fun for the little ones to enjoy. This area was a hit with my 9-year-old son.
There’s another area for the little little ones to play in called Sebastian’s Cove. This area features a variety of less intense fun for the little ones to enjoy.
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point wins in this category because the main kid’s area at Castaway Cay is Pelican Plunge, which is a 2,400-square-foot floating platform in the ocean with two slides and a giant water bucket dump. The one thing about Pelican Plunge is your kid has to be a pretty good swimmer to make it out to the floating platform. Swimmers must be 38 inches tall to access the area and life vests are required for guests between 38-48 inches tall. These are available in both child and adult sizes right near the entrance to Pelican Plunge.
So if you want less stress in dealing with kids’ areas at a Disney Cruise Line destination, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point definitely wins in my book.
As far as beaches, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is without a doubt the most gorgeous beach we’ve ever seen in the Bahamas. The blue water, the rockwork around the edges of the beach. It was all perfect. The adult beach, AKA Serenity Bay is just as gorgeous. No photos can do the beaches at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point justice.
Some of the entertainment highlights at Lookout Cay include the RUSH! A Junkanoo Celebration at the Goombay Cultural Center takes place throughout the day. This cultural celebration of the Bahamian culture features local Bahamians dressed in detailed costumes and paraded around the island. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy get in on the fun as well during the RUSH! A Junkanoo Celebration.
Another kid-friendly option for entertainment on Lookout Cay is the Disney Fun in the Sun Beach Bash. This fun-filled activity features fun games for the little ones including Goofy’s Good Day Limbo, Pluto’s Pineapple Ring Toss, and Chip-n-Dale’s Water.
One experience that we thought was better at Castaway Cay was the snorkeling experience. While the beach at Lookout Cay was far superior to Castaway Cay, the snorkeling experience at Castaway Cay features unique things to look at while snorkeling, including a shipwreck and even some hidden Mickeys.
Disney Cruise Line clearly went with a less intrusive experience on Lookout Cay to preserve the beach/wildlife in the area, including corals. Which is great.
Getting around the island
Another thing I wanted to touch on was general walking around each of these Disney Cruise Line destinations.
One thing that I noticed about Lookout Cay was that much of your traveling between the areas was done on raised walkways, which is what I am guessing is to maintain the land and not disturb the vegetation below. One of Disney Cruise Line’s missions with Lookout Cay was to disturb as little land as possible. And I think we see that with these raised walkways, which allowed easy access to all areas of the island.
Lookout Cay’s adult-only beach is a lot easier to get to but is also less “private” than Castaway Cay’s adult-only beach. It is pretty much an extension of the family beach. Castaway Cay’s adult-only beach, you pretty much have to rent a bike or take the tram to get to.
Disney’s Castaway Cay is fairly compact overall and had fairly easy access to the amenities the island offers via a main walkway along the main family beach. Lookout Cay is a bit more spread out allowing for guests and visitors to enjoy the views of the property more.
Characters
If you’re looking for unique character experiences, both Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay offer a variety of options, especially in character meet-and-greet locations.
At Lookout Cay, guests can meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, and Dale, all wearing distinct looks created by Bahamian fashion designer Theodore Elyett. (Above image)
The several times we’ve visited Castaway Cay, several characters made appearances throughout the day in certain areas, including the Gangway, the Post Office, the Island Pathway, Scuttle’s Cove, and Mount Rustmore.
Food/Beverage
The last thing I wanted to briefly touch on was the food options at Lookout Cay/Castaway Cay. Although fairly similar, there were a few differences I wanted to share.
Both Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay have 3 dining locations. Castaway Cay has Cookies BBQ and Cookies Too BBQ, both which are on the Castaway Family Beaches while Air Bar BBQ is located over on Serenity Bay, the adults-only beach.
Lookout Cay has True-True BBQ, True-True BBQ Too, and Serenity Bay BBQ. Both True-True BBQ and True True BBQ Too have a similar BBQ-style buffet lunch option, with a few Bahamian-inspired dishes, including Pan-served Bahamian Pigeon Peas & Rice with Marinated Chicken Pan-served Seafood Jambalaya, and Freshly Grilled Bahamian-style Lime and Ginger-marinated Snapper Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
Lookout Cay does offer a non-alcoholic drink option for the little ones, and those not wanting any alcohol called Sandsational Smoothies, which is a similar offering to Castaway Cay’s Summertime Freeze, which offers a variety of frozen beverages. We tried the Tropical Teaser and purchased the fantastic pineapple-shaped souvenir cup. The smoothie was very flavorful and hit the spot on a hot summer island day.
For those wanting an adult beverage, both Lookout Cay and Castaway Cay offer several bars, including Bow & Ribbon Bar, Watering Hole Bar, Reef & Wreck Bar, and Blue Hole Bar, which is located in Serenity Bay, the adults-only beach.
Overall, I enjoyed Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Disney does have some tweaking to do with some things but I think over time it will be another great destination that joins the amazing Castaway Cay.
If you’re looking for better options for the little ones, Lookout Cay may be your better choice. If you want the most gorgeous beaches you’ve ever seen, Lookout Cay is also for you. You won’t find a more gorgeous beach in the Bahamas. If you’re looking for everything to be closer by, easier to access, and a better snorkeling experience, Castaway Cay may be for you.
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Clint Gamache is the owner of ThrillGeek. He started ThrillGeek to share his love of theme/amusement parks and pop culture with the world. You can find him at Halloween Horror Nights. Also, be sure to follow him on Twitter @iamcg83