Dreaming of a Private Cabana on Castaway Cay

Ever dream of being on a tropical beach with the blue ocean beckoning you to play, a hammock for you to take a snooze and feel the tropical breeze, and an attendant who checks on you to make sure you have everything you need? If so, a private cabana on Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Cay may make your dreams come true.

With the expansion of the Disney Cruise Line fleet, Disney made a few enhancements to the already wonderful Castaway Cay by adding private cabanas that guests could rent for their day at Castaway Cay. There are 21 private cabanas—17 on the newly expanded family beach and 4 on Serenity Bay, the adults only beach.

This little spot of paradise does not come cheap with the daily rental of $499 for the family beach and $399 for Serenity bay. The maximum guest capacity is 6 per cabana, with the option adding guests at the family beach for $50 per person.

At the family beach, your cabana rental will include a well stocked refrigerator with non-alcoholic beverages for you and your cabana mates, fresh fruit, chips and snacks, towels, sunscreen products, sand toys, snorkel equipment, floats and tubes, and bike rental. You can also push a button to page an attendant to bring you anything else you might need or to get you access to a bar attendant. Did I tell you that portions of the expanded family beach are reserved just for cabana guests? Guests are encouraged to take any unused sunscreen products and beverages with them as they return to the ship.

At Serenity Bay, the cabana rental includes all of the above except the sand toys and snorkel equipment.



Each cabana has its own hammock and fresh water shower located outside the cabana.



When you reserve your cabana, either on-line prior to your cruise, or at the Port Adventures Desk, you are given a layout of the cabana along with bracelets the night before your Castaway Cay day. Upon arriving at the island, guests who have reserved a cabana check in at the special desk for cabana guests and are then driven to your cabana on a golf cart. A golf cart and attendant will also pick you up at your request so you can make your way back to the ship or to other amenities on the island.

Sounds amazing doesn’t it? Yes, except for the price. For us, as a family of 3, the cost is exorbitant, but if we find cabana mates who are willing to share the cost and space, it makes the price more reasonable and more equivalent to other port adventure costs. $499 shared among 6 people is about $83 per person making the cost more in line with say, parasailing which is $79 per person.

Also, from what I am hearing and reading on the web, all is not paradise for the cabana guests. Steel drum music is piped into the cabanas on the family beach with no guest control over volume or being able to turn the music off. My prediction will be that guest feedback will bring a change, as Disney Cruise Line asks for feedback from all guests on every cruise. Other reports indicate that the cabanas on the family beach are quite a ways from restroom facilities.

The cabanas on Castaway Cay are a series of private rentals the Disney has been offering for guests to enhance their experiences while cruising or at the Walt Disney World Resort—specifically at both of Disney’s water parks. Guests can reserve shade structures with similar amenities as the cabanas at both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Also, other premium spots can be reserved at either water park for a fee. A way to profit? Maybe. A way for guests to relax and be assured that details, such as finding a spot on a beach or at a water park are already taken care of? Yes, that too. Is it worth the price? What do you think?



Enjoy the video tour of a slice of paradise below: