Are now you more or less excited for Lookout Cay?

[dreamer17555]

Curious after the preview how guests are reacting to Lookout. Anyone changing plans to visit or now planning to skip it?

 

[msec]

The long walk in full sun on a pier with no shade or benches is making me re-think our upcoming cruise to Lighthouse Point- not my idea of a relaxing beach day….

 

[JAM9842]

We get on the Fantasy today to go to Lookout Cay and I am very excited!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I have mobility issues especially on sand, and cannot get in/out of ocean, so I never have been that excited once I learned there was no pool. However, I did want to take a cultural tour. It will be a one and done visit. We are going there in September.

 

[Cheburashka]

I was never excited about it, because I've seen how poor Imagineering has been over the past 10 years, and how Disney has systematically reduced offerings and services, especially post-Covid. I don't like the Wish. So my expectations were low but I at least held out some hope for the new island.

I was hoping this would at least have an all-ages waterslide like Pelican Plunge on Castaway, a partially shaded bike path, an observation tower, etc. It doesn't seem to have any of those nice features that Castaway has.

It doesn't seem to be much of anything except a desert island. If you don't have a cabana, what's the point in going? I don't like just sitting on the beach in the sun. You can only swim for so long.

We're booked on a 3-night getaway cruise headed there in early September. Only booked it because no 3-night to CC on a non-Wish ship was on offer. I'm looking forward to Nassau more than Lighthouse Point.

Sigh. I wish Disney would stop designing new things because they're not good at it anymore. I wish they would just maintain what they have.

 

[katyringo]

I am more excited. It's our first Disney cruise in March 2025 and I specially chose an itinerary that went to both CC and Lookout cay. What I saw today is exactly what we are wanting from a Disney island:

Small touches of Disney
Beautiful beach
Food options
Kids play area

All included in the cost of the cruise. I feel like it just screams relaxing.

I feel I'm the odd man out, but I love that pier. Being from the Midwest where our cruise will be the first time my kids see the ocean, how cool is it to dock basically in the middle of it?! And the view of the ship when you look back from the end of pier? I love it.

I also feel people just forget that this is brand new and probably not done.. I would expect us to see some things added to the pier for shade and maybe some benches. But it's also possible they don't want people hanging out on the pier for safety/keeping ocean free of trash reasons.

 

[CamColt]

I'm about the same, with mid level excitement. I'm more just curious to see it all and explore it to see what it has to offer for me.

My usual day at CC involves me sitting in a hammock or lounge chair, having lunch, then going for cocktails at the Heads Up Bar. I have done parasailing twice and the stingray adventure once, but other than those times, I just want to relax on the island. With that said, first I want to see all the island has to offer, then see if I can have the beach experience I enjoy there.

As noted above, I have not been overly thrilled with some of the recent DCL creations (Wish and probably the Treasure too), so I'm not really sure what to feel about this. I want to go and make a decision based on my experience.

 

[Husker Mike]

While I'm not a fan of the long pier (and I'm sure there is a good reason why it's that way), I do love the idea of another private beach that can be included on a Disney cruise. We did a double-dip Castaway cruise last year and loved it, and I suspect a cruise that hits both Castaway and Lookout will be amazing because it's two different beaches. And all included.

Yeah, you can hit many fine beaches on other itineraries, but they come at an upcharge (several hundred dollars for a family) and typically require a bus ride. I suspect that we'll be looking at this hard when it comes time to book our next DCL cruise.

 

[randumb0]

That pier is waaaayyyyy too long. Where is the shade? What happens if it starts raining while you're on the beach?? What if there's a thunderstorm? You have to walk 20 mins? What if you have mobility issues?

 

[dreamer17555]

Besides the pier, I am a bit sad that they no longer have a space for teens on the Island. Hideout was used by both Vibe and then taken over by Edge at CC and there is really nothing on this island for older kids. That splash area is amazing for little ones but is a big downgrade compared to Pelican Plunge at CC.

I am also sure guests on the larger ships are not going to love beach chairs behind the dunes. I was really surprised they only had two rows deep for ocean front seating.

 

[DisneyAuntie12]

I would say same excitement (medium), with some pros and cons that balance out.

I did feel a small sense of letdown initially. But I think that’s just because Disney has kind of trained its audience to get ready for a Wow Factor. In entertainment, including the parks, we get used to things being bigger, better, more high tech, more exciting, newer, etc. So I don’t know what I was expecting but subconsciously I think I was expecting something along those lines. Not a big water park like some of the cruise lines are doing, but something that made me go “Wow, look how far we’ve come since Castaway Cay was built!”

On reflection, though, that’s not necessarily what a tropical vacation is about. Hawaii is one of the most magical places I’ve been to and it’s not because of razzle dazzle… there’s just something about the place. It’s not something you could easily describe or show in a picture, you just have to be there. So I’ll wait for more reports from people who have been there and had time to soak up the atmosphere.

Some of the details focused on local culture look pretty great. The costumes, music, colors, etc. I haven’t had time to watch videos yet so it’s hard to get a feel for how much of that there is or how it’s spaced throughout from pictures alone.

Also, I saw on Reddit that Lookout Cay is in Stage 1 of a Stage 3 opening? No idea what that means but I’ll be curious to see what Stage 3 looks like.

 

[takemetomickey]

That pier is waaaayyyyy too long. Where is the shade? What happens if it starts raining while you're on the beach?? What if there's a thunderstorm? You have to walk 20 mins? What if you have mobility issues?

I was thinking this too, if it starts raining that’s a loooong walk back in flip flops with kids. (It’s also a long walk with kids in the heat with a beach bag!)

Yes, those with mobility issues can request assistance but why not just make the whole thing more accessible so people don’t need to have to make uncomfortable requests.

I wish the tram ran the length of the pier.

 

[shoes99]

I have mobility issues especially on sand, and cannot get in/out of ocean, so I never have been that excited once I learned there was no pool. However, I did want to take a cultural tour. It will be a one and done visit. We are going there in September.

We are also mobility challenged. Looks like we will have to rent an ECV from Special Needs At Sea for $175+ just in case. We do have an accessible cabin on the Dream Nov sailing out of Pt Everglades.

 

[kathi]

We sail on the 14th and I'm less excited, unfortunately. The lack of shade pretty much everywhere is giving me a headache just thinking about it. The lack of chairs/umbrella right on the beach is also a big disappointment. Why would anyone want to sit behind the dunes where you can't even see the water. I'm sure we will still have a great time because we will be together and it's a cruise. I'm a huge Castaway fan, and what I've seen so far with everything being so spread out and far from the ship, it's just not what I was hoping for. I also have not seen much in the way of vegetarian options for food on the island - which stinks. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised when we get there.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We are also mobility challenged. Looks like we will have to rent an ECV from Special Needs At Sea for $175+ just in case. We do have an accessible cabin on the Dream Nov sailing out of Pt Everglades.

We have an accessible cabin on the Magic, so we are out of Pt Everglades, too!

I wonder if there will a place for me to leave the ECV so I can go on the cultural tour.

 

[Ladyfish77]

I think DCL will find more people stay on the ship after the initial season when most want to see the island for the first time. I love the water, and the beach looks amazing but they really don't have much in the way of water activities to keep people interested. Perhaps they plan to add more, as it's obviously still a work in progress. I will be interested to see how things progress over time.

 

[Mags2002]

There a

We sail on the 14th and I'm less excited, unfortunately. The lack of shade pretty much everywhere is giving me a headache just thinking about it. The lack of chairs/umbrella right on the beach is also a big disappointment. Why would anyone want to sit behind the dunes where you can't even see the water. I'm sure we will still have a great time because we will be together and it's a cruise. I'm a huge Castaway fan, and what I've seen so far with everything being so spread out and far from the ship, it's just not what I was hoping for. I also have not seen much in the way of vegetarian options for food on the island - which stinks. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised when we get there.

There are chairs and umbrellas on the beach side too

 

[Mags2002]

Besides the pier, I am a bit sad that they no longer have a space for teens on the Island. Hideout was used by both Vibe and then taken over by Edge at CC and there is really nothing on this island for older kids. That splash area is amazing for little ones but is a big downgrade compared to Pelican Plunge at CC.

I am also sure guests on the larger ships are not going to love beach chairs behind the dunes. I was really surprised they only had two rows deep for ocean front seating.

Tweens and teens will have their own activities run with Counselors

 

[JM_97]

About the same. I was always intrigued (but never blown away) by it since it's a new experience and DCL has a tendency to be repetitive.

I still want to see how things play out in real life. This was literally the first time ever that people got on the island since Disney bought and developed it, so I'm going to give it time before forming a true opinion.

 

[dreamer17555]

Tweens and teens will have their own activities run with Counselors

Do they still have an actual space? Activities mentioned were sand building and scavenger hunts