• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to home navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Top 10 Party Games
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Play.Party.Plan

Adding fun and creativity to everyday life

  • Fun Ideas by Occasion
    • Baby Shower
    • Bridal Shower
    • Birthday
    • Game Night
    • Movie Night
    • Super Bowl
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Graduation
    • Summer
    • 4th of July
    • Back to School
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s Eve
  • Games
    • Adult Games
    • Baby Shower
    • Bridal Shower
    • Birthday Party
    • Bingo Games
    • Board Games
    • Card Games
    • Christmas Games
    • Dice Games
    • Disney Games
    • Group Games
    • Holiday Games
    • Kid Games
    • Minute to Win It
    • Outdoor Games
    • Party Games
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Teen Games
    • Trivia Games
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Main Dishes
    • Party Food
    • Sides
    • TikTok Recipes
  • Free Printables
    • Crafts
    • Gift Tags
    • Kids Activities
    • Party Printables
    • Printable Games
  • Travel
    • Caribbean
    • Cruises
    • Disney
    • International
    • Travel Tips
    • United States
  • Popular Posts
    • Girl Baby Showers
    • Bridal Shower Games
    • Bachelorette Games
    • Diaper Cake DIY
    • DIsneyland Food
    • Dunkaroo Dip
    • Fun Math Games
    • Saran Wrap Game
    • SeaWorld San Antonio
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Work With Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter
  • Join the Free Party E-Club!
Home Travel Disney Cruise Tips for Visiting Disney Castaway Cay with Kids

Tips for Visiting Disney Castaway Cay with Kids

By: Britni Vigil
9/25/2017Updated: 8/11/2020
This post may contain affiliate links. Privacy policy.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Disney Castaway Cay tips and tricks

If you’re lucky enough to have booked a Disney Cruise with Castaway Cay as one of the port stops, you’re in luck. Disney’s Castaway Cay is a private area owned by Disney and used solely for the Disney Cruise Line guests.

With a beautiful beach, great entertainment, and food included in the price of your cruise, it’s a wonderful addition to any cruise. And it’s not just great for adults, Castaway Cay has plenty of fun for kids or all ages, even as young as preschoolers and toddlers! 

 Disney Castaway Cay is one of our favorite ports 

I recently went on two different Disney cruises (Disney Dream and Disney Wonder) with my husband and 4-year-old son, both that stopped in Castaway Cay. I’ve shared tips for Disney Cruises with kids before and now I wanted to talk specifically about Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas!

I’ve been on over 10 other non-Disney cruises before and can say without any doubts that Castaway Cay is one of our favorite cruise line owned private islands ever. It’s fun for both kids and adults and easy on your budget!

7 Reasons Disney Castaway Cay is Great For Families

  1. There’s a kids club and a private area for adults.
  2. Fun play areas for both older and younger kids.
  3. There’s a huge beach with a walk-up entry.
  4. Amenities like strollers and life jackets are available.
  5. Food and drinks included are included.
  6. There’s fun Castaway Cay entertainment.
  7. It’s Disney themed.

What is Castaway Cay?

First off, let me get one thing straight – while it looks like you would say it Castaway Cay (kay), it’s actually pronounced Castaway Key. It took me a long time to figure out that it wasn’t just people with accents pronouncing it wrong, they really do pronounce it key. Get that straight first so you don’t sound like you have no idea what you’re talking about.

Castaway Cay is a private island in the Bahamas that is privately owned by Disney and used solely for Disney Cruise Line guests. Many of the Disney Cruises out of Florida stop at Castaway Cay at least once and some itineraries stop twice. It’s basically a great big tropical area on the beach that’s been themed and designed Disney Cruise style to be a place for families to have fun, relax, and enjoy good food!

You can learn more about Castaway Cay and find cruise itineraries that stop there here.

Castaway Cay is a beautiful private island owned by Disney

Castaway Cay is Disney's private island in the Bahamas

The Castaway Cay Kids Club – Scuttle’s Cove

I wrote an entire post about Disney Cruise Line kids clubs and how awesome they are. The Castaway Cay kids club, Scuttle Cove, is pretty much an extension of the onboard kids club. You can drop kids off, check them in using their kids club bracelets, and leave them for the entire day.

There’s an entire area dedicated specifically to to the Castaway Cay kids club that includes access to water activities, outdoor fun, and more. We never actually left my preschooler at the kids club on Castaway Cay because we love hanging out with him at the beach, but I love that the option exists. Others we talked to did leave their kids, and they had a blast, so it’s definitely a great option.

And while your kids are at the kids club, take advantage of the adults only area, Serenity Bay, on the far side of Castaway Cay. We’ve never been over there but hope to on our upcoming Merry Time cruise in December! We’ll have my husband’s parents with us to play with my son, so I’m hoping to enjoy a little peace and quiet at the adults only beach.

Signs at Disney Castaway Cay pointing where to go

Things to Do on Castaway Cay with Kids

If your kids don’t go to the kids club, there are still plenty of other fun things to do on Castaway Cay. Disney has built a handful of play areas just for kids Castaway Cay including the Pelican Plunge, a 2400 square foot floating platform with water slides and another play area that’s out in the middle of the ocean!

There is also a splash area for younger kids, a lagoon for snorkeling, and the beach of course! You can also just walk around and enjoy all of the other amenities that are on the island or book one of these Castaway Cay excursions.

If your kids are older and you want to do something active, Disney also offers a Castaway Cay 5k first thing in the morning. You can’t sign up until you’re on the ship but I’ve heard it’s super fun and you get a medal that’s exclusive to people who finished the race! You can see how much fun the Castaway Cay 5k is in my friend Jana’s post!

Pelican's Plunge at Castaway Cay has water slides for kids  If you’re planning your first time on a Disney Cruise or even considering a Disney Cruise, you need to read this post. Tons of tips and tricks, packing ideas, and secrets to the magic and wonder of Disney cruise lines and Castaway Cay. Who knew Disney Cruises were so cool for adults, teens, and even preschoolers! I’m definitely trying out the door decor and fish extenders on our next cruise!

The Castaway Cay Beach

Speaking of the beach, it’s gorgeous. It’s a typical Bahamas white sand beach with beautiful turquoise water and best of all, it’s shallow enough for kids to play in even for a few hundred feet. I took one of the complimentary chairs, plopped it in the sand at the edge of the water, and watched my son play for hours!

If you’re sans kids or want to leave your kids at Scuttle’s Cove, there’s also an adults only beach – Serenity Bay – that can be reached by the free trams provided on the island. We never went, but I’ve heard it’s as relaxing as can be, and I love that Disney offers that option!

Disney Castaway Cay beach is absolutely breathtaking If you’re planning your first time on a Disney Cruise or even considering a Disney Cruise, you need to read this post. Tons of tips and tricks, packing ideas, and secrets to the magic and wonder of Disney cruise lines and Castaway Cay. Who knew Disney Cruises were so cool for adults, teens, and even preschoolers! I’m definitely trying out the door decor and fish extenders on our next cruise!

Disney Castaway Cay Food

In true Disney Cruise fashion, the majority of the food provided on Castaway Cay is complimentary and available all day long. Not only did they provide delicious BBQ food with tons of sides and family-friendly options, they had a huge fresh fruit bar open the entire time we were on the island. And free juices, sodas, water, and ice cream!

Yes, I said ice cream!

The only food I found that was an additional cost were frozen drinks. If you’re going to splurge on a frozen drink, might as well get it in a collectible coconut shell!

Just like on the ship, you can use your cruise card to purchase anything on Castaway Cay as well – drinks, souvenirs, and excursions – so there’s no need to bring your actual wallet off the ship.

Drinks at Disney Castaway Cay are free other than frozen ones

Fruit available at Disney Castaway Cay

 
Castaway Cay Only Entertainment

Since the majority of the guests get off the ship in Castaway Cay, Disney has an entire lineup of entertainment available throughout the day. During our day in Castaway Cay, they had a dance party with Minnie and friends, character meet and greets, and even fun photo opps.

It’s definitely worth checking out your daily agenda to see what’s happening that day. It’s Disney, so it’s sure to be something magically fun.

Disney Theming on Castaway Cay

Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to walk around the island and explore. Disney has really outdone themselves in the details, shops, and theming throughout the island.

I loved the FROZEN inspired trading post, nautical Mickey decorations and more. And you know there are plenty of hidden Mickeys to be found!
Frozen themed shop at Disney Castaway Cay

Other Things to Know About Disney Castaway Cay

  •  There’s a free tram that takes you all over the island.
  • Strollers and life jackets are provided if you don’t want to bring your own.
  • There are plenty of chairs, shade, hammocks, and areas to relax.
  • There are shops with souvenirs to purchase.
  • The cruise docks right on the island, so it’s quick to get on and off!

If you have the chance to book a Disney Cruise that stops in Castaway Cay, do it. It was easily one of our favorite things about Disney and proves once again why Disney is so magical!

Disney Castaway Cay tips and tricks

Want More Fun Ideas?

Want more fun ideas like this one? Enter your first name and email address in the form below to join the Play Party Plan community! You'll receive weekly recipes, party ideas, games, and more directly to your inbox!

Loading

you may also like…

  • Disney Cruise
    Disney Cruise Kids Club for Preschoolers
  • Crafts
    DIY Matching Disney Shirts
  • One of the cutest Disney fish extender gifts ever
    Disney Cruise
    Free Printable Disney Fish Extender Gifts
  • Awesome ways to celebrate pirate night on your next Disney cruise! Everything from fun costume and outfit ideas to products you don’t need to bring with you! I know my kids will love the pirate and princess party!
    Disney Cruise
    Fun Ways to Celebrate Disney Pirate…

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!
rate this recipe:




text here

Reasons to love Dish Network including a large number of DIsh Network channels
Previous Post
29 Amazing Things You Probably Didn’t Know About DISH Network
One of the cutest Disney fish extender gifts ever
Next Post
Free Printable Disney Fish Extender Gifts

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm
Britni

I love sweet treats, my family, games, and anything fun!

Read More

Ideas By Theme

Baby Shower Birthday Bridal Shower Disney Game Night Holiday Just For Kids Movie Night Outdoors

Popular Party Ideas

Bridal Shower Games

woman blindfolded with her hand in a plastic cup

Party Games

Kids Board Games

Blindfolded blocking is one of the best baby shower games

Baby Shower Games

Top Recipes

slice of chocolate dr pepper cake on a white plate

Best Party Foods

Wooden spoon stirring a batch of homemade Chex Mix

Homemade Chex Mix

cropped-best-buffalo-chicken-dip-recipe-11-of-14-e1609965122832.jpg

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Slice of peanut butter pie on two plates with a blue napkin

Reese's Pie

Free Party Ideas E-Club

Loading
As Featured On
connect
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter
  • Play
    • Board Games
    • Kids Activities
    • Minute to Win It
    • Scavenger Hunts
  • Party
    • Food
    • Games
    • Printables
    • Themes
  • Plan
    • Disney Trips
    • Easy Meals
    • Family Travel
    • Gift Ideas

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Back to Top
  • Contact
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 · PLAY PARTY PLAN · Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window