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For nearly 30 years, Disney has been taking guests across the sea and giving them a cruise experience to remember. Disney Cruise Line launched its first ship, the Disney Magic, in 1998, and since then, more gorgeous ships have been added to its impressive fleet.
Disney Cruise Line now consists of Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wonder, Disney Dreams, and Disney Wish. There are also more ships on the way — Disney Treasure, Disney Adventure, and Disney Destiny.
Credit: Disney Cruise Line
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And there are so many wonderful places guests can go when sailing on a Disney cruise ship. Guests can sail to the Western, Eastern, and Southern Caribbean, as well as Northern Europe, the Norwegian Fjords, the Mediterranean, the British Isles, Bermuda, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and so much more.
The most popular Disney cruise destination is the Bahamas, which is so popular that Disney actually has two private ports. For years, there was just one port — Castaway Cay — where guests could enjoy Disney characters, food, and drinks while relaxing on a private beach.
Credit: Disney
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Then, on June 6, Disney opened its second private island area — Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point features a cultural center, as well as various port adventures. For those who just want to relax, but do so in luxury, there are premium cabanas. There are also a variety of games and activities for guests young and old, as well as delicious food to enjoy as you take in the gorgeous ocean.
Credit: Disney
When Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point opened, Disney Cruise Line guests were ecstatic to be able to experience a brand-new island getaway. However, there was one thing that they did not expect when they disembarked — a REALLY long walk from the ship to Lighthouse Point.
While guests were expecting to walk down a pier before they reached their destination, they did not expect to be required to walk half a mile while lugging anything they wanted to bring with them.
The walk down the pier took us about 16 minutes. Then the tram ride to the other side of the island took about 15 minutes, not counting about 10 minutes for us to get on a tram. So allow about 45 minutes from getting on the ship to getting to your destination. #LookoutCay
The walk down the pier took us about 16 minutes. Then the tram ride to the other side of the island took about 15 minutes, not counting about 10 minutes for us to get on a tram. So allow about 45 minutes from getting on the ship to getting to your destination. #LookoutCay pic.twitter.com/HPBaz23ngf
— Attractions Magazine (@Attractions) June 7, 2024
To say that a lot of guests were frustrated would be an understatement. While Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is absolutely stunning, they were aggravated by what they saw as a clear oversight by Disney. But, instead of getting mad about it, they decided to approach it with some humor.
Many Disney fans remember Bob Chapek, the wildly unpopular CEO who was in charge of Disney for less than three years. During Chapek’s tenure, he became known as the CEO who was solely focused on cutting costs and raising prices. He was also responsible for getting rid of the popular Magical Express bus and the free FastPass Program.
So, what better way to show their frustration than by renaming the annoyingly long walk after a CEO almost no one liked? And that is why fans gave the pier along Lighthouse Point the name Bob Chapek Pier.
Credit: Screenshot Google Maps
Disappointed guests have been repeatedly asking Disney to do something about the pier. Obviously, Disney can’t make the pier any shorter, but guests are asking for trams to take them to Lookout Cay, or even just some shade. The Bahamian sun can get incredibly hot, and having to walk that far can be tough, especially in the warmer months.
Disney has not said if it plans to add shade to the pier, or if tram service will be coming in the future.
Do you think Disney should do more to make the walk down the very long pier less of a strain on guests? Let us know in the comments!
