Family Cabanas on Disney’s Castaway Cay

My family just sailed on the Disney Wish in January 2023, and we were lucky enough to have our second experience with a cabana during our Castaway Cay day. I love Castaway; it’s Disney’s first private island, and my family had a fantastic time during our visits. However, a cabana isn’t for everyone! They’re very popular, and for my family, they’re a perfect fit—but should you try to snag one? Read on to find out!

First off, these cabanas are hard to come by. I’m not trying to brag; I’m just trying to temper your expectations. There are only 25 cabanas on the island; 21 on the family beach (one is the ‘Grand Family Cabana’) and four on Serenity Bay, which is the adults-only/18+ beach. Surprisingly, you may have a better chance of getting a Serenity Bay cabana if you’re open to it since the family beach is the most popular for the typical Disney crowd. If you want a family beach cabana, your best bet is to book a concierge cabin for your cruise. Concierge cruisers get to submit their requests 125 days before you sail, while the rest of the boat has to wait—even the Platinum Castaway loyalty club cruisers! Requests are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, so even having a concierge stateroom (especially on the Disney Wish) doesn’t guarantee you a cabana.

The second thing to consider is that these aren’t the most economical choice for your day since you can get off the boat and enjoy a ton of complimentary or lower-cost activities on the island. There is a LOT to do, so if your family wants to try it all or do more than hang out at the cabana, it may not be worth it for you to commit to one. We are a pretty classic beach bum squad; we love to sit in the loungers or move a chair into the water, the kids want to splash around and play in the sand, and we like some privacy plus smaller crowds. The cabana works for us because we aren’t going to do much except be happy to be hanging out at the beach.

What’s included? That’s the best part! You’ll have a typical experience getting off the boat in the morning, so you can walk the pier and see the characters/take some pics. Then, hop on the tram or walk to Pelican Point, where you’ll check in and enjoy a private golf cart ride to the front door of your home away from home for the day. If you want to snorkel, pick up your gear (it’s included in the cabana cost) before you check in! Cabanas are stocked with a mini fridge with sodas and water, cold towels, and a fruit plate. There will also be a snack basket with chips and a few other snacks. In addition, you will have towels, sunscreen, sand toys, a closet with a safe, and a dial to pick the music, plus a call button for requests (this is for drinks or to arrange a golf cart, NOT for food delivery). A couch and chairs are inside in the shade, sun loungers on the deck, and an outdoor shower to rinse off. Heading down your path to the beach will be your own hammock, a pen holding tubes and beach mats, and at the water will be a set of loungers and chairs for your time by the water in your little stretch of sand. Also included in your cabana rental is a one-hour bike rental, but we’ve never left the beach long enough to use it. If you are cruising with a baby, they will set up a pack-and-play in the shaded area for your little one, which is sweet. Once you’re ready to head back to the boat, hit your call button, and a golf cart will pick you up and whisk you back to the boarding ramp on the pier! This may be one of my favorite parts of getting a cabana because usually, at this point, I am ready for a nap and a shower, so a super easy ride back to board is lovely (and takes a little bit of the sting out of having to leave).

What is not included in a cabana rental? Access to a separate dining area or food delivery. Just like everyone else, if you want to eat on Castaway, you’ll have to trek to the nearest buffet and load up a tray. We usually send one or two adults to grab a few trays to bring back to the cabana and then take the whole crew for an ice cream break later. There are cabana hosts (your concierge hosts, just outside!) who will come around and ask for drink orders; these are an extra charge, just like on the boat. There is not a bathroom in each cabana, but there are ‘private’ bathrooms for the cabana area and a private changing area in each cabana. 

What do you think? Are you going to try for a cabana on your next Disney cruise?

Share Our Post To Social Media!

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin

Post By

Subscribe

Receive Notifications of Our Newest Posts!

Fill the form to subscribe to our mailing list!