You know how Oprah loves bread? Well, I love Disney. I mean I LOVE Disney. And I really love Disney cruises. Taking a Disney cruise is probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, so much so that I’ve done it five times now. That’s right, folks—I’m a gold Castaway Club member! (What! What!) Disney Cruise Line offers excellent service, exotic destinations, and four top-of-the-line cruise ships. (The Wonder and the Magic are my faves.) With a growing number of cruisers turning to DCL, Disney is meeting the demand by adding three more ships to their fleet over the next four years. And I am all kinds of excited about it!
One of the high points of many Disney cruises is visiting Castaway Cay (pronounced “Key”), Disney’s private island. Located in the heart of the Bahamas, this secluded island boasts stunning scenery, serene crystal water, fun excursions, cabanas, a family beach, and an adults-only beach, just to name a few things.
I have found that when cruising on the larger Disney ships, like the Disney Fantasy, Castaway Cay gets very crowded. With three additional, even bigger, ships on the horizon, it’s no surprise that Disney set out in search of a new island to handle the extra traffic.
That’s where Lighthouse Point comes in. Lighthouse Point is located at the tip of Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Unlike the previously deserted Castaway Cay, this beautiful island is already inhabited. This will make it easier for Disney to hire staff, bring in supplies, and develop the part of the island used for DCL activities and attractions.
Currently, only ten percent of Castaway Cay is developed, and it has not had any notable upgrades since it opened for business in 1998. With a larger island, a readily available population to solve staffing solutions, and an airstrip, Lighthouse Point already holds more possibilities for what Disney will be able to do.
Residents of the island were not nearly as happy as I am, though, about this upcoming Disney locale. Over the last few months, a petition has gained nearly fifty thousand signatures to stop Disney from developing Lighthouse Point. That became a moot point in spring of 2019 when Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that Disney’s purchase of the Lighthouse Point area of Eleuthera was official and that Disney will be developing seven hundred acres of the property. In addition, Disney will be donating a 190-acre plot, which the government will turn into a national park.
The current opening of Disney’s Lighthouse Point property has not been made official but is planned for sometime between 2021 and 2023 to coincide with the release of Disney’s three newest ships.
I, for one, couldn’t be more excited. I have already promised my son a graduation trip on the new Disney ship that will be released in 2021. I only hope that Lighthouse Point will be open by then! (Fingers crossed!) I will definitely keep you updated.