As yesterday revolved primarily around food, today we’ll be taking a long look at Disney’s newest exclusive destination—Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. (Don’t worry—we didn’t starve.)
On Day 3 of our sailing, we made our much-anticipated arrival at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, located on the island of Eleuthera. Unlike Disney’s Castaway Cay, which is an uninhabited private island, Eleuthera is partially developed toward the northern side and has a population of approximately 10,000. The southern half remains mostly undeveloped and is home not only to Disney’s Lookout Cay, but also to Princess Cays, Carnival Cruise Line’s private destination, just a bit up the shoreline. Fret not—they’re far enough apart that you don’t have to worry about any cross-contamination!
Disney’s Lookout Cay opened to guests in the summer of 2024. Since the itineraries that port here are primarily shorter sailings, this is only our second visit. On our first experience last summer, we had a very windy day and only spent a short time walking around to check it out. Today, however, we had absolutely gorgeous weather—the perfect opportunity to really wander, explore the area, and spend some quality time relaxing by the beach. There was plenty to see and do.
As the map above shows, the dock for Lookout Cay is located on the western side, while the beach and festivities are on the eastern shore. Just like parking at the Disney Parks, a tram is provided to take you the short distance across.
Is it a long walk from the ship to Lookout Cay?
Before we dig in much deeper, let’s talk about the elephant in the room—the long pier to get to the tram stop. As you can see in the photo below, it’s a decent walk from ship to shore, and there’s absolutely no shade along the way.
At just under a half mile, it seems daunting. There’s been a lot of negative feedback about it since the island began receiving guests last summer. But after experiencing it for the second time, I honestly don’t get all the fuss. Yes, in the middle of summer it’s hot—but there always seems to be a nice ocean breeze to help cool you down, and the water is crystal clear, perfect for spotting sea life along the way. There’s no rush—just take the approximate 10-minute stroll and relax.
Disney has been thoughtful about the experience: water coolers are placed along the pier, and there are even a few photo stops where you can snag that perfect family picture with the ship in the background for the annual Christmas card. Small wagons are available so parents can pull the littles and/or beach supplies. For guests with mobility concerns, courtesy golf carts can be requested for transport to the island. On the return trip to the ship, those same carts were accepting all passengers—no questions asked—after a fun day of beach activities.
So why did they extend the pier so far in the first place? Great question—with a relatively easy answer. Disney has always been a leader in conservation efforts, and this is no different. The waters surrounding the island are home to many natural coral reefs. In order to minimize the environmental impact of dredging, Disney built a pier that stretches out to deeper waters in the Exuma Sound, where the ship can dock safely. The alternative? Using tender boats to get from ship to shore—just like we saw the Carnival Freedom doing as we made our way across the pier.
It really is a double-edged sword. Either guests will complain about having to walk, or they’ll complain about waiting in line to cram onto tenders like sardines. I will say that, while I’m not an engineer, I do see a missed opportunity in the design of the pier. While it appears wide enough to accommodate a tram for one-way traffic, it’s a little tight to support two lanes. It is divided, with golf carts on one side and pedestrian traffic on the other.
The other challenge if trams were introduced would be the lack of turnaround space at the end of the pier. Maybe this could’ve been solved with an extended loop from the pier’s end back to the main drag, or possibly a monorail-style tram with drive cabs on both ends. It’s most likely too late for that now, but I have no doubt Disney has heard the feedback and taken it into consideration. They’ll take the necessary action—or inaction—as they see fit.
Disney’s Lookout Cay Beaches & Entertainment
Now that we have that out of the way—this destination is beautiful. With its famous pink sand beaches, calm waves rolling in, and sunny, warm mid-70s temps, you couldn’t have asked for a better setting. Since it’s only March, the water temperature was on the cooler side, but that’s to be expected.
There were chairs and loungers spread along the length of the beach, with plenty of access points from the surrounding boardwalks. Private cabanas were available to book for the day, but those always go quickly as the pre-booking window opens prior to sailing. If you didn’t want to be right on the beach in the middle of all the hustle and bustle—sandcastle construction and playful splashing included—there was also an abundance of lounge chairs on the opposite side of the dune. This provided a calmer, more subdued atmosphere while still offering a gorgeous view of the water.
If you’re looking for alternatives to sitting on the beach, there’s plenty to choose from.
Lighthouse Point offers:
- A toddler splash pad at Sebastian’s Cove, which is an island extension of the Oceaneer Kids Club and has youth counselors overseeing the fun
- Rush Out Gush Out, a family water play area with a few small water slides
- A beach volleyball court
- Biking and nature trails
- The Goombay Cultural Center
For added fun, there are also plenty of excursions available for booking, featuring activities like snorkeling, banana boat rides, cultural tours, kayaking and paddleboarding, and sea cruises.
And of course, it wouldn’t be Disney without a few gift shops!
Throughout the day, various demonstrations took place in the Goombay Cultural Center, including music, art, and crafts—giving guests the chance to learn more about the local customs and history.
Lunch was provided ashore at two locations: True-True BBQ and True-True Too BBQ. Say that five times fast! It was your basic BBQ assortment—ribs, burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, fruits, and such. All pretty good, nothing spectacular. Jumbo chocolate chip cookies were available as the perfect comfort food chaser.
If visiting Disney’s Lookout Cay keep a sharp lookout for rodents! You’ve been warned!
Here are some pictures of what you can expect from around Lighthouse Point:
With a patch of clouds making their way overhead, we decided to head back to the ship in the mid-afternoon to beat the rush. Since there were still a few hours before all aboard, it was pretty quiet—which meant we had the Concierge sun deck almost entirely to ourselves.
For those who chose to stay aboard, there was still a steady flow of activities to choose from:
Dinner at the Royal Palace on the Disney Dream
Everyone should dine like royalty—and tonight, we did! After spending the first two evenings in Enchanted Garden, we moved to Royal Palace for dinner. Two of my favorite appetizers, soups that are hard to choose between, and a solid selection of entrées made this one of the best menus of the cruise. I doubled down on the Iced Lobster and Shrimp along with the Fried Brie (the same I enjoyed on night one), followed by French Onion Soup and the Chateaubriand Roasted Filet Steak.
I waffled between the French Onion and Potato Leek soups, and honestly, you can’t go wrong—both are always delightful. As you probably know by now, I like my steak tender and juicy. And once again, they delivered. With just a touch of ground pepper and a pinch of salt, the flavors popped, and you could cut it with a butter knife.
Once again, the dessert menu presented a dilemma—so I went with the Grand Marnier Soufflé and took a Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brûlée back to the room.
A Tale as old as Time!
The second featured Broadway-style musical was the classic Beauty and the Beast. If you’ve visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios—this isn’t that. More closely resembling the 2017 live-action rendition, this production is a combination of live actors and the use of marionettes. It can only be seen on the Disney Dream or Disney Treasure, and it’s one I always look forward to, no matter how many times we’ve seen it.
An amazing performance and cast—many of whom have Broadway lineage. Mrs. Potts would have made Angela Lansbury proud, Lumière delivered a performance Ewan McGregor only wishes he could pull off, and Belle fully lived up to her name. The underappreciated role that I’ve always felt can make or break the show is LeFou. This performer channeled his inner Josh Gad and definitely held his own.
While there was an unscheduled intermission that lasted about 3–4 minutes due to a technical issue with the stage, it didn’t detract from the performance. In fact, as a former choir boy, I found it fascinating to watch how seamlessly the cast stopped mid-song and exited the stage. It was clear they were trained for it, and whatever cue they received was executed with precision.
We’ll spend the evening and tomorrow drifting at sea, with no rush to return to dry land. Thanks again for checking in—I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point!