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The second (and last) port visit on our Disney Dream cruise was Castaway Cay, which is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. We were up early (what’s new) and watched the ship dock at the island. You could get off the ship starting at 8:30am, but we headed off to breakfast and got off the ship after that, probably around 9am or so?
As soon as we got off the ship we spotted Chip and Dale and L got a picture with them and then we all got our pictures taken in front of the ship. On our walk to the beach (there was also a shuttle, but we opted to walk) we also saw Captain Jack Sparrow, but Lucas took one look at him and said no way. We also got to see Mickey and Goofy and got some great pictures. The lines were short and the Disney photographers always made sure to get a couple of different shots. And, of course, you were free to take as many pictures with your own camera as you wanted.
During the walk to the beach, we discovered a spot with strollers, wagons and wheelchairs that you could borrow (for free) for use on the island. We grabbed the last wagon and it turned out to be a great decision. The wagon to passenger ratio was super small and we were lucky to get one. Lots of people commented on it and asked where we got it. So if you want one, get off the ship early.
We found a nice spot on the beach and spent a few hours playing. The beach was beautiful and there were plenty of chairs and open spots to settle in. L had a great time in the water with some new friends we met. B turned into captain of the kids and was out in the water playing so that L could play (safely) too. He’s the best and the other parents thought he too. Oh, I forgot to mention there were spots all around the beach to grab towels you could return them on the island or when you were getting back on the ship. We rented an inner tube and a floater thing, which set us back $12. I hate when places nickel and dime you, so I wasn’t too pleased about this. But what can you do?
There were a few different restaurants to pick from for lunch, but we picked the closest one to where we were sitting. I am guessing they were all fairly similar, so I doubt it mattered where we ate. There was a fair selection of items including hambugers, hot dogs, bbq chicken, corn on the cob, fresh fruit, chips, cookies, etc. And there were self-serve ice-cream machines and fountain drinks / milk too. Everything was included, so you could grab whatever. The food was fine. Not amazing. Not horrible. Just standard stuff you’d have at a bbq. And, although it was crowded, there were plenty of places to sit.
There are lots of things to do on the island, including renting bikes, playing volleyball, at the splash pad or going on the waterslide (we didn’t even go see it since I know L would have been too little). There is also an adults only beach, which we saw from a distance. It looked amazing and had some of the bluest water I have ever seen. They have yoga in the beach in the morning there and I am so going next time! We decided to go on a walk to the lookout tower on the other side of the island.
Did I mention it was over 90 degrees out and it was a super long walk? B and I seem to love hot weather vacation activities and went on a similar trek in St. Lucia when L was just over a year old. Anyways, we arrived at the look-out tower and determined that we were far away from the boat. Very far. And also that it was hot out. Everyone we saw going to the look-out were riding bikes, but whatever, we wanted to walk. We should have just ran the 5K they have in the morning right after the ship docks ;). I think we had been on the walk to the lookout for 10 minutes when we realized just how lucky we were to get the wagon!
After the long (and even hotter) walk back to the beach area, we dropped off the wagon and headed back to the ship. I think we maybe waited 3 minutes in line to board the ship, which was nothing. I could have sat on the beach all day, but I am glad we got to see more of the island. Don’t say I didn’t warn you if you decide to walk though!
In case you missed any of my other posts from our 4day/3night cruise on the Disney Dream back in May, here they are:
Disney Dream Ship Review
Disney Dream: Port Review-Nassau
I am thinking about doing a similar series of posts on our Disney World trip in May and all the tips / tricks / recommendations I have on going to Disney with toddlers. Stay tuned!!
