Disney Cruise LineDisney Lists

Day 5 – Castaway Cay Day!

Today was the day that we stopped by Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. Castaway Cay is simply gorgeous. Before we got off the ship, though, we had a question and answer session. We first met with Trent, who is the cruise director, and Lisa, who is in charge of hotel operations. We talked a lot about what makes a Disney Cruise special. One of the things that was mentioned was rotational dining. There are three sit down restaurants for dinner, and guests are assigned one each night. Your wait staff moves with you to each restaurant, so they get to know your likes and dislikes. For my family and me, this has been one the highlights of our cruise.

 

Next we got to talk about Marvel Day at Sea with Dan, who is the Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Entertainment, and Tony, who is the Show Director. We learned what it took to put together the incredible day that we celebrated on Wednesday. The show and the whole day was made for adults to enjoy as well as the kids. They realize that most people on the cruise are not going to be diehard Marvel fans and know the universe well. They said that they want to make it fun for everyone, but they will through in special nuances for the super fan. Also mentioned was the appearance by the late Stan Lee in the Marvel Heroes Unite show. The piece that he was in was used last year, which was of course before his death. Disney asked for permission to continue to use his segments out of respect. It was agreed that including the segment was a fitting tribute to his legacy.

Before heading to Castaway Cay we grabbed a quick breakfast at Cabanas. This is the buffet restaurant that is open for all three meals. Our nighttime server had recommended that we check out the view, since Cabanas is on the ninth deck. We ate with Castaway Cay in the distance.

We then headed back to our room, grabbed a bag, and went to Castaway Cay. This was so much easier than when we stopped at Grand Cayman. We were able to walk right off the boat. Disney has some characters along the way to greet us, which always adds to the fun.

 

 

For a no obligation, FREE Quote with new bookings contact our sponsor Magical Vacation Planner by calling: 1(407)442-0289 Or for a free no obligation quote with new bookings you can fill out the form by Clicking HERE!

It was a sunny, but cool day in the Bahamas. The package that we were given when Disney hosted us with this cruise opportunity included snorkeling and float rental, but we decided that the temperature was a bit too low for that. The package also included bike rentals for an hour. We decided to take advantage of that one. I hadn’t ridden a bike in over ten years, and it was fun! There is a bike trail on the island, and it leads to an Observation Tower. That gave us a beautiful view of the whole island, and we could see the Disney Magic off in the distance.

There are two main places to eat at Castaway Cay. They are Cookie’s and Cookie’s Too. They offer mostly BBQ and burgers. Our main server had put in a special order because of dietary restrictions, and they were able to make it up for us.

We walked around Castaway Cay for quite a while to enjoy the beauty. I can see why it is highly rated among cruisers. There is plenty to do if you want to, but if you want to relax and do nothing you can do that as well.

I’d also like to mention the Castaway Cay 5K. If we didn’t have the media event first thing in the morning my daughter and I would have participated in the race. You can run or walk, and everyone who participates in it received a medal. It’s included in the price of the cruise, but you need to sign up at Guest Relations.

Dinner tonight was Animator’s Palate. Even though we ate there last night, that was Marvel Day at Sea themed. Tonight, we had the whole experience. There are black and white Disney “drawings” on the walls all throughout the room. The pictures will change from time to time. Then, just before dessert, the pictures started to fill in with color. A few minutes later the pictures turned into a show, with scenes from animated classics. Then, there was a surprise guest. Sorcerer Mickey arrived! The show also included the serving staff, and it was awesome. This was by far my favorite meal experience of the trip.

Tonight there was a show called Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic. It was about a young girl named Anne Marie who dreamed of learning to fly. With the help of Peter Pan and several Disney characters such as Elsa and Ariel, her dream became a reality. The standout song was Circle of Life from The Lion King. The performance blew me away.

At the end of the evening we headed to the atrium for ‘Til We Meet Again. It was a chance to see the characters, including the casts of the shows, one last time. It ended with a “see you real soon” from Mickey.

Now it’s time to pack up. Breakfast is at 7:00, and we get to see our servers one final time. I am not looking forward to saying goodbye.

PaulaK

I grew up in Western Massachusetts. When I was nine my family went to Disneyland and I was hooked. I grew up, attended New England College in Henniker, NH and eventually moved to Virginia. I worked as a disc jockey, married and became a full time mom when our daughter was born. Fast forward several years. In 2010 we moved to Central Florida and my Disney obsession grew. I now work as a freelance writer and spend my spare time in the parks. Under the name Paula Brown I penned the novels Dream Wanderers and The Coffee Cruiser. I also… More »

Related Articles

Back to top button