I Spent A Day On Disney’s New Caribbean Island Destination

Disney adults are constantly looking for an excuse to get back to the happiest place on earth, and I’m no exception. Having racked up 10 trips in half as many years, I’d describe myself as a sucker for Walt’s world and have been known to fly more than 14 hours just to get my fix. Luckily, I never have to feel guilty for donning my Mickey ears: The company’s experiences are constantly evolving, making every visit feel brand new.

Disney Cruise Line and its Caribbean offerings are the latest on that long list of experiential developments. Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point — a new, 900-acre private peninsula on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera — opened earlier this summer, and is Disney’s second island destination reserved solely for its cruise line guests. How does it compare to Disney Cruise Line’s original Caribbean spot, Castaway Cay? Are the adults-only areas as serene and the drinks as uniquely themed? Did the area’s natural beauty shine through the Disney-ification of our surroundings? I paid a visit back in June, and here’s what I found out.

Getting There

As of June 2024, the Disney Magic, Fantasy, and Dream cruise ships all have sailings that will dock at Lookout Cay for a portion of their trip, with voyages ranging from three to 10 nights.

Guests can choose to tack on a trip to Disney’s parks before or after their cruise (or both, if you’re feeling flush with cash). Since we were traveling to Walt Disney World to preview Tiana’s Bayou Adventure after our voyage to Lookout Cay, we spent the night before our sailing at Marriott’s Le Méridian Dania Beach and, post-Disney bubble, tacked on a four night stay at the Moxy Hotel South Beach in Miami. I can’t recommend this enough: Sandwiching a Disney visit with non-themed activities only makes you appreciate the magic more.

Our voyage — three nights on Disney Cruise Line’s first ship, the Magic — docked in Nassau as well as at Lookout Cay. Day one of our sailing was spent mostly at sea, but by day two we had dropped anchors at Lookout Cay.

Waking up that first morning on the Magic we were greeted with views of the island, which can be reached via a half-mile long pier (the lengthy pier means Disney’s cruise ships can dock far enough away from the island that they don’t disturb or damage the natural seabed and wildlife that occur around Eleuthera).

Although that sounds kind of long, the 10- to 12-minute walk is manageable — just make sure to bring water and a hat to protect yourself from the sun. Guests with mobility issues were given the option of taking a golf buggy from the ship, which would drop them off at the tram terminal to be transported to Lookout Cay proper.

By the time we had disembarked the ship, walked the pier, waited for the tram, and taken the 10-15 minute tram ride to the main Lookout Cay hub, it had been about 45 minutes since we’d left our stateroom. Keep that in mind if you want to maximize your R&R time on the island, and plan to disembark as soon as the cruise director calls “all ashore.”

Relaxing On The Cay

Following our tram ride, we headed straight for Serenity Bay, Lookout Cay’s adults-only beach area. Disney Cruise Line fans will recognize the name — it’s the same one used for the adults-only cove on Castaway Cay, DCL’s original private island in the Bahamas.

The first difference we noticed was the location: Rather than being situated on the opposite side of the island from the family beach, as it is on Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay’s adults-only area is sectioned off at the far end of Disney’s private, albeit very long, beach.

Despite Serenity Bay’s proximity to the family beach, I was surprised by how quiet it was. We weren’t disturbed by children playing, and the area’s overall vibe felt secluded yet still accessible to all the major amenities like food, drinks, and watersport rentals.

If you want a little more atmosphere, grab a drink at the Blue Hole bar (this proved popular during our media-dominated preview sailing), or lie on one of the beds spread between the beach area and behind the sand dunes: You’ll find plenty shade depending on how much sun you’re hoping to catch.

In addition to protecting the sealife that surround Eleuthera, Disney Cruise Line aims to preserve the island’s natural ecosystems and foliage. Leaving the beach area untouched, bar the addition of loungers and lifeguard towers (what the conservation team refers to as “low density” uses) makes for a truly escapist experience. The ocean was the bluest I’d ever seen, and standing at the edge of the sand with a completely unobstructed view of the horizon was, by far, the peak of the day.

Eating on Disney’s Lookout Cay

Lookout Cay has three buffet-style quick-service restaurants, all of which serve the same or very similar items, ranging from Bahamian-inspired dishes to your standard theme-park fare. Open between 12 and 2 p.m., it’s your best bet for cuisine if you want to avoid taking the 40-ish minute back to the ship for a bite to eat.

I went for the grilled Bahamian-style lime and ginger marinated snapper and a selection of salads. The grilled pineapple & black bean salad was fresh and a little bit sharp, which paired perfectly with the fish, and the tomato cucumber salad with red onion and sherry vinaigrette gave my plate some added crunch.

Other options include chicken and seafood rice bowls, BBQ ribs, rotisserie chicken, and “Beach BBQ Burgers,” which come pre-constructed but can be made to order if you prefer yours sans certain toppings. Hot dogs, fries, and chicken sandwiches are also available if you favor more traditional fast food.

Like all Disney Cruise Line spots, lunch on the island is included as part of the booking cost, so you don’t have to worry about shelling out extra cash or choosing the most budget-friendly dish. Overall, the food was tasty and more interesting than I had expected — a significant step up from my 2022 visit to Castaway Cay.

Drinking On Disney’s Lookout Cay

Before we get into the booze, it’s worth mentioning the specialty coffee varieties available on Lookout Cay. After walking the pier from the ship to the island, guests can stop at a quick service window location called Mangroves & Go, where you can pick up a Junkanoo Latte (Illy cold brew with vanilla and lavender) or Bahama Brew (Illy cold brew with Hawaiian island coconut cold cream).

The drinks stand also serves your standard coffee beverages, all of which are made with a blend from Bahama Coffee Roasters (brewed on the island itself) and Dole Whip, so you can cool off right after that 10-minute walk from the ship.

Speciality cocktails on Lookout Cay were equally well-themed, with the highlight being the rum-based Eleuthera Euphoria ($9), a Dole Whip and rum-based drink that comes with adorably squishy pineapple gummy candy.

The specialty drinks start at $8.50, but the bar staff are well-versed in all the standard cocktails if you don’t find something you like on the menu (they rustled me up a margarita, no problem). Bars also serve wine (starting at $7.75 a glass), and beer or hard seltzers from $6.65.

My favorite part about the drinks on Lookout Cay, by far, was the reusable aluminum cups that you get, which make sure your bevvies stay ice cold in the Caribbean sun.

The Best Shopping & Activities

There are two main stores on the island, Disney T’ings, where you can buy your Disney-branded merchandise and Lookout Cay-specific souvenirs, and Treasures Of Eleuthera, which sells a selection of locally-crafted gifts like woven bags, art from Bahamian creatives, and freshly-ground coffee from Bahama Coffee Roasters. Both are located in Lookout Cay’s main hub, just a stone’s throw away from the tram stop.

Water sports aren’t in short supply, either. Banana boats and kayaks are both available activities at the Port Adventures kiosk, as are a variety of snorkeling excursions that suit all strengths of swimmers whether you prefer to stay in the shallows or take a boat out to deeper waters.

The natural reef that surrounds the island is entirely preserved and makes for an awesome snorkeling experience. Although I didn’t get to swim out myself, a friend said that her highlight of the day was snorkeling in the natural coral found in Lookout Cay’s waters — she was even able to spot a handful of angelfish.

Real Talk: Is It Worth Visiting?

Guests traveling with much older or younger people might want to consider the distance from the boat (popping back to your state room around lunch is much less doable than on Castaway Cay), but we found everything we needed — pain relief, extra SPF, antihistamines, etc. — was available on the island in some shape or form.

Still, it’s hard to find a downside to being stuck on a Caribbean island for the afternoon, and we couldn’t stop ourselves gushing over the view from Serenity Bay’s beach. Between the tasty lunch menu, sufficiently strong cocktails, and staggering natural beauty, our time at Lookout Cay was exactly what we needed: relaxing.