We Were Among the First to Visit Disney Cruise Line’s NEW Island Destination

Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is the newest Disney Cruise Line island and joins the other exclusive Disney island Castaway Cay. Only guests booked on a Disney Cruise Line itinerary featuring a stop at this island get to experience these offerings and the top notch Disney customer service.

This newest Disney island features new entertainment inspired by local Bahamian celebrations, multiple family and adult only beaches, recreational activities, all you care to enjoy buffets, plus extended offerings to interact with characters.

We were hosted by Disney to see this amazing new island for the first time and share all the amazing beauty of Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. While we were hosted by Disney, all my opinions are strictly my own! As an avid theme park fan that very recently enjoyed Castaway Cay, I have some helpful commentary on what makes this new island different. Keep scrolling for amazing pictures of this beautiful island destination and our thoughts on this newest Disney Cruise Line destination.

Disney's Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Review

Let's get the initial bad news out of the way first…. the walk to the island! You may see one common compliant amongst those experiencing Lookout Cay for the first time and that is the large walk from the cruise ship to the island itself.

In order to protect the conservation efforts of the island, Disney had to build a pier that stretched far into the ocean for the cruise shops to dock. I applaud Disney for this effort to avoid the impact to the environment but this was a pretty brutal walk! The walk takes 10-15 minutes from the ship to the shore.

After you successfully make this trek (here's my plea for Disney to add in some transport options in the future!) you will encounter the first part of Lookout Cay. This initial destination includes a souvenir pop up, a coffee stand, restrooms and the security area. You will also find cabana rentals in this space.

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This is where you will board the trams to take you to the main part of the island where the main beaches are along with all the central shopping, eateries and adult beach options. There were 8 trams running which hold about 70 people. The ride to the other side of the island takes 10-12 minutes.

You can easily see the newness of the island as the drive on the tram took us past plenty of newly planted palm trees. Over time, these will grow and really add a lush look to this path which currently feels a bit lackluster.

Once you take the tram ride, you will arrive at the main hub at Lookout Cay. This is where you will see the main shopping area along with bike rentals and a place to order drinks. This area is totally removed from where you docked and is not walkable. Though the temperature for the island was listed on Apple weather as 82 degrees it felt far hotter.

One of the unique things about Lookout Cay is the way they have mapped out the layout to connect all the major spaces with wooden pathways which is convenient to avoid trekking through the sand.

This is also where you can find the Goombay Cultural Center which is the main hub for the most popular entertainment option RUSH! A Junkanoo Celebration. This is also a space where you can create your own Junkanoo headpieces and learn more about the Bahamian history of this celebration.

The Goombay Cultural Center offers guests the opportunity to participate in special programs and interact with local artists to learn about and celebrate the beauty of The Bahamas.

Watching RUSH! A Junkanoo Celebration was one of the highlights of the day! The performers did an amazing job and we enjoyed seeing an authentic representation of this important Bahamian celebration. It's great to see this type of entertainment incorporated into the island as this is one of the things Disney does best.

The beaches are beautiful and pristine with white sands and turquoise waters. My teenager even said he liked these beaches MORE than Castaway Cay largely because there are more waves than the isolated coves of Castaway Cay which creates calm and still water.

I saw a strong effort to incorporate safety with lifeguards patrolling on jet skis along with life guards stationed on the beach. Occasionally, we would also see boats go past to keep on an eye on guests.

There is snorkeling available in a similar style to Castaway Cay where you rent your equipment and snorkel on your own. My son enjoyed this activity with a group of other teens and they commented on how clear the water was and how easy it was to spot fish. As of now, there's no Disney-like scavenger hunt in the water like Castaway Cay offers.

Disney collaborated with artists, historians, and cultural ambassadors in their design of Lookout Cay. The recreational and water areas all incorporate bright colors to honor the music and spirit of the local Bahamian street parade, Junkanoo.

The architecture of the island is a slam dunk with these impressive structures adding vibrancy and color to the spaces.

The family beach also offers a water play area bursting with color including two sliders, water drums, and water fountains. The beautiful turquoise water and white sandy beaches complement the design of the buildings quite well. There is a distinct cohesive aesthetic here which is similar in some aspects to Castaway Cay but also very different.

It's hard to give a full opinion on Lookout Cay without bringing up Castaway Cay so let's dive into that compare and contrast!

👉🏻Read our full guide to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point for everything you need to know!

Castaway Cay vs. Lookout Cay

It is hard not to compare Lookout Cay with Castaway Cay right off the bat. Since Castaway Cay is Disney's other private island, I found myself constantly playing the compare and contrast game.

During this initial visit, Lookout Cay paled in comparison to Castaway Cay when judging holistically but I think this is largely due to the newness of Lookout Cay. Over time, it will grow into its own. Castaway Cay is already a well-established destination with lots of offerings so this is something to keep in mind if you find yourself doing your own comparisons. Personally, I still prefer Castaway Cay for those who have to pick one or the other for their sailings but I think Lookout Cay is a beautiful secondary option that will only improve over time.

Just like Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay has both family beaches and adult only beaches offering cabanas and poolside beverage options. You will also see similar activities devoted to the youth groups taking place although there didn't appear to be a dedicated teen space for the Vibe club that Castaway Cay boasts. Again, this will come in time.

As I mentioned above, the RUSH! A Junkanoo Celebration really stands out on the island here. It is totally different than anything that Disney attempts on Castaway Cay.

Most of the food options are similar to the all-you-care-to-enjoy food options at Castaway Cay along there was some Bahamian-inspired dishes. There are two food locations on the island split between the family beaches and the adult-only areas. Seating did appear to be more limited but there are also more locations to enjoy lunch, you just have to trek between them to see what works best.

There are also plenty of specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic offerings available too.

There are plenty of similarities between the two islands but also some key differences. Some of these differences are also reflected in the initial growing pains of the island which I think will only continue to improve over time. For instance, there are currently no kayaks, paddleboards, or aqua bike rentals offered like you see at Castaway Cay.

There is the option of snorkeling or bike rentals but that seems to be the main option available for guests to enjoy. During our day on the island the bike rentals were not yet being offered.

The layout of the island was the main difference and not necessarily a good one. Castaway Cay's layout just makes for an easy day while the layout of Lookout Cay felt more difficult. There is less shade and the spaces themselves are in further proximity to each other.

However, remember my previous comment, there are plenty of palms that were recently planted all over the island so I think this will eventually become the lush landscape that we appreciate about Castaway Cay. It's in the early stages and it needs time to really flourish! Despite that, we had a wonderful time on the island and were in awe of the beauty and the work Disney has done to incorporate cultural elements into their designs.

Overall, I think Lookout Cay is a great addition to the Disney Cruise Line destination options and is something that will continue to improve over time. You cannot beat that exclusivity of Disney customer service that follows you from the ship to land. Disney even went above and beyond after we walked the length of that pier handing out glasses of water and cool towels. The beauty and cultural designs of the island set this destination apart and I cannot wait to see how it continues to evolve over time.

👉🏻Read our review of what a Disney Cruise is like from a frequent Disney theme park goer!

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