Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point with Toddlers and Preschoolers
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is Disney’s newest private island destination. If your Disney Cruise itinerary includes a stop in the Bahamas or Caribbean, there’s a good chance you’ll spend a day here. Our family has visited Lookout Cay a few times now, and both of our kids, currently ages 5 and 2 ½, have really enjoyed each visit.
Much of how we prepare for a day at Lookout Cay is the same as Castaway Cay. If you’re looking for packing tips, beach day essentials, or advice for visiting Disney’s private islands with toddlers and preschoolers, be sure to check out our Castaway Cay guide here.
While the two islands share plenty of Disney magic, the overall experience at Lookout Cay is a little different. The biggest difference is getting from the ship to the island, and once you arrive, the layout, theming, and atmosphere have their own unique feel. In this guide, we’ll walk through what to expect from the moment you step off the ship until it’s time to head back onboard.
Getting to Lookout Cay
Before getting off the ship, take a minute to make sure you have everything you’ll need for the day. Everyone in your group will need their Key to the World card to get off and back onto the ship, and adults will also need to have a photo ID with them. While we usually use our DisneyBand+ around the ship, we’ve actually found the Key to the World cards easier to manage once we’re on the island, especially since adults already need to keep a photo ID handy. We simply tuck everyone’s cards into a lanyard, and they’re easy to grab whenever we need them.
Reaching Lookout Cay is still a straightforward process, but it does take a little longer than walking to Castaway Cay. Knowing a few things ahead of time can make the walk more comfortable for families with young kids, especially on warm days.
Walking to the Tram
Once you step off the ship, you’ll make your way down the pier toward the tram stop. The walk takes about 15 minutes and is roughly a quarter mile long. It’s completely flat, so it’s easy to do with little ones. We actually enjoyed taking our time since the views back toward the ship are beautiful and make for some great photos.
Since the pier doesn’t have any shade, we’d definitely recommend sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and comfortable shoes, especially on warmer days. Those little things made the walk much more enjoyable for our family.
As you leave the ship, you’ll also see complimentary wagons available to help guests make the walk to the tram. During our most recent visit, there seemed to be plenty of availability, and we regularly saw Cast Members bringing more back to the ship. If you’d like to learn about some of the other complimentary items Disney offers during your cruise, we’ve shared the ones our family has found the most helpful here.
That said, if you’re worried about wagon availability, we’d still recommend bringing a lightweight umbrella stroller if you have one. It folds up easily for the tram ride, and we find it much more useful once we’re on the island.
On our last visit, our youngest actually wanted to ride in the wagon to the tram stop, so we used the stroller to carry some of our beach gear instead. Once we arrived on the island, we were glad we had the stroller for walking between different areas, browsing the gift shops, and heading back to the tram at the end of the day.
Riding the Tram
At the end of the pier is the tram stop, where you’ll catch the tram for the rest of the trip to the beach. If you borrowed one of the complimentary wagons for the walk, you’ll leave it here before boarding since they aren’t allowed on the tram. Strollers are welcome, but they’ll need to be folded before you get on.
While waiting, there are covered benches to sit on, restrooms if you need them, and even a small merchandise stand to browse. The trams are quite large and run often, so during our visits we never had to wait very long before another one arrived.
The ride itself only takes a few minutes and is actually a fun way to start your day on the island. Along the way, you’ll hear a short story about the island of Eleuthera where Lookout Cay is located, along with a little background about the culture and some of the things you’ll see once you arrive.
As far as we could tell, it was possible to keep walking instead of taking the tram. We didn’t notice any signs saying you couldn’t, and we even saw someone running along the tram route. For families with young kids, though, we think taking the tram is the better option. It’s a pretty long walk with hills, and unlike Castaway Cay, there isn’t much to see along the way. During our visits, everyone chose to take the tram.
Exploring Lookout Cay
We got off the ship just before 9:00 AM, boarded the tram about 15 minutes later, and were settling into our spot on the beach about 10 minutes after that. Even though it’s a bit farther from the ship than Castaway Cay, we never felt like it took very long, and knowing what to expect made the whole process feel easy. Once we were settled, it was time to start exploring the island.
Choosing Your Spot and Getting Settled
After getting off the tram, be sure to grab your complimentary beach towels. This is the only towel station you’ll pass before reaching the family beach, so it’s much easier to pick them up now than realize you forgot once you’ve already found a place to sit.
From there, it’s time to find your spot for the day. During our visits, we found it’s a little harder to find natural shade at Lookout Cay than at Castaway Cay. The landscaping is still fairly new, so there aren’t as many large trees throughout the beach. That said, there are a few tucked-away spots with a little more shade if you know where to look.
Our favorite spot was just past the Rush Out Gush Out water play area, tucked between the Watering Hole Bar and Sandsational Smoothies. The vegetation in that area provided a little extra shade, it was close to a restroom, and it was directly across from one of the entrances to the water play area. It honestly ended up being the perfect home base for the day, and it’s the first place we’ll check the next time we visit.
Since there aren’t lockers on the beach, we kept our valuables tucked away in our beach bag while we were in the water. We also like bringing a waterproof phone pouch so we can get some great photos while enjoying the water play area or the ocean.
Like Castaway Cay, the family beach has groups of lounge chairs, upright chairs, and umbrellas spread throughout the sand. We found the sand to be soft, the water easy for little ones to play in, and the waves fairly gentle during our visit.
If your kids will be spending time in the water, we’d also recommend picking up a complimentary life jacket sooner rather than later. Disney offers a variety of sizes for both kids and adults, but during our visits, the smallest children’s sizes seemed to be the first to disappear. If you’re worried about availability, you can bring your own from home, but we generally use the ones provided by Disney without much issue.
Once we had everything set up, the kids couldn’t wait to head across the path to the Rush Out Gush Out water play area.
Rush Out Gush Out Water Play Area
The Rush Out Gush Out water play area is one of the highlights of Lookout Cay for families with young kids. It’s like a playground and splash pad combined, with interactive water features, climbing areas, and a couple of smaller water slides.
Our older son absolutely loved it and kept asking to come back throughout the day. Since our toddler wasn’t quite ready for the slides, he was just as happy exploring the water features and climbing around the play structure. The slides aren’t very big, so it’s a great place for kids who are starting to build confidence before trying larger slides.
Compared to Castaway Cay, this play area is noticeably bigger, and both of our kids ended up spending more time here than we expected.
If you’re following little ones around, definitely wear a bathing suit and keep your phone tucked away in a waterproof pouch because it’s almost impossible to stay dry. Our kids also wore water shoes, which seemed to help since some of the steps became a little slippery when everyone was running from one area to the next.
If you’re visiting Lookout Cay with young kids, this is definitely one area you’ll want to make time for.
Other Activities Around the Island
Since our kids always seem to make a beeline for the beach and the Rush Out Gush Out water play area, we honestly haven’t spent much time doing some of the other activities around the island. That said, if your family is looking for even more to do, there are a couple of other options worth checking out.
Sebastian’s Cove kids club offers another place for kids to spend some time, and Disney also hosts the Fun in the Sun Beach Bash where families can play games with some of the Disney characters. If you’re looking to do something a little different, there are also optional Port Adventures, equipment rentals, and a nature trail to explore around the island.
Even though we haven’t made it to any of these yet, they’re definitely on our list for a future visit once the kids are ready to take a break from the water.
Food, Drinks, and Shopping
If you plan to stay on the island for lunch, Lookout Cay has two complimentary BBQ locations for families to enjoy, serving a variety of options, including cheeseburgers, rotisserie chicken, seafood, and plant-based dishes. Soft drinks, water, juice, and soft-serve ice cream are also included.
Our family usually heads back to the ship for lunch instead. Since our kids are pretty picky eaters, we haven’t found many options they’ll eat on the island, so we like getting off the ship early and spending the morning exploring Lookout Cay before heading back onboard to eat.
To help hold everyone over until we get back to the ship, we pack a few of our kids’ favorite prepackaged snacks to bring with us. If you decide to do the same, just be sure to follow Disney’s customs guidelines for what foods can and can’t be taken off the ship.
If you’re looking for a specialty drink, there are several bars throughout the island where you can purchase cocktails and other drinks. Just like Castaway Cay, you’ll use your Key to the World card to make purchases, and they’ll be charged to your stateroom account.
Before making our way back to the tram, we always like to browse the gift shops. Our family has started collecting Christmas ornaments from our trips, so we’re always on the lookout for an island-exclusive ornament to add to our tree. We also like checking out the Lookout Cay shirts and pins, and if you enjoy browsing local artwork, be sure to stop by the Treasures of Eleuthera shop, which features pieces created by local artists.
If you’re thinking about picking up the Disney Cruise Line sand toy set for your little ones, just keep in mind that it’s a little bulky to travel home with. We bought one during an earlier visit, and while it was a lot of fun to use on the island, it’s not something we pack for future cruises because it takes up quite a bit of space. That said, it still gets plenty of use at home. The ship makes a fun toy on its own, and we still pull out the sand toys to use with kinetic sand and Play-Doh. For our family, it’s been easier to bring our own collapsible silicone sand toys when we travel.
After you’ve finished shopping, I highly recommend taking a few extra minutes to look around and take in some of the details and theming that make Lookout Cay unique.
Theming Around the Island
Even though they’re both Disney private islands, Lookout Cay has a completely different look and feel than Castaway Cay. It’s more spread out, with wider walking paths and more space between buildings, giving the island a more open feel.
As we walked around, we noticed fun details everywhere, from the turtle shell-inspired rooftops to the bright colors and bold patterns throughout the island. Disney also created several characters inspired by animals that live on the island, and there are some great Mickey and Friends photo opportunities scattered throughout.
We had a lot of fun just walking around and noticing all of the little details.
Final Thoughts
Lookout Cay has become another one of our family’s favorite stops during our Disney cruises. It’s similar to Castaway Cay in a lot of ways, but getting to the island takes a little longer. Once you know what to expect, though, it’s easy to navigate with young kids and we never found the extra walk to be a big deal.
Take your time walking from the ship and enjoy the beautiful ocean views along the way. Young kids will have fun playing at the Rush Out Gush Out water play area, spending time at the beach, and exploring the island. Whether you’ve booked Port Adventures or are planning a relaxing beach day, I hope this guide helps your family plan your own visit to Lookout Cay and enjoy it as much as ours does.