Best Cabana for Lookout Cay?

[sugliac]

Staying in Concierge in the Fall and almost time to make requests. I am looking to see which cabanas are best, especially for a view of the ship! Any other comparisons would be super helpful. Would love to hear people's experiences!!

 

[bbn1122]

I’m sure your get a response for someone who’s been to Lookout Cay. But what I saw from many of the videos I looked at and the map of the island, the family cabanas are in the area just near when you get on the trams. There looks like there’s at least 20 of them and from what I could see from one of the videos they have their own food, 2 bathroom areas and their own bar but you have to take the tram to everything else, I asked one person who had a cabana over there about the water and beach. Because from other peoples videos, the water looked the water is a lot rougher. She said it was fine for adults, but she doesn’t think it would be good for younger children because it was choppy. It does not have the calm, crystal clear and white sand beaches that you have been seeing in all the videos and photos.
The other cabanas are in the adult area, and I believe they’re only five or six. The beach area looks gorgeous.
OK that’s what I kind of have figured out from watching many Vloggers videos, etc.

But like I said, I’m sure someone who actually had a cabana. It will give you some information. Have a wonderful cruise. I will be on a cruise that stops there in late February.

 

[ShaneDJ]

- Mabrika Cove cabanas (family cabanas): view of the ship, rocky beach, and isolated from the kids' play areas

- Serenity Bay cabanas (adults-only cabanas): best beach, kids not allowed

Some of the vlogger videos said that the beach on that side of the island (in front of the Mabrika Cove family cabanas that look at the ship and pier) is rather rocky and the water can get rough. Not good for kids to swim in. (One vlogger called the water there "floating only"). And they said the sand under the water there is NOT soft (it has shells and rocks).

Because of how rocky it is on the Mabrika Cove beach (in front of the family cabanas), the vlogger said the "lower number cabana the better"...and that the rocks get really bad at cabana #15 and above.

The Serenity Bay (adults-only) beach area is described as having "gentle waves" and "sugar soft sand". Unfortunately, Serenity Bay is on the opposite side of Lookout Cay...and kids are not allowed.

So it sounds like the beach in front of the adult cabanas is much better (and safer for kids) than the beach in front of the "family" cabanas.

If that is accurate, then that is another miss by Disney on Lookout Cay.

 

[Lucien Franciosa]

Another consideration, and quite different from the cabanas on castaway cay, is the adult cabanas on LC Serenity Bay do NOT have a direct line of sight to the ocean's edge, nor do they appear to have chaise loungers directly on the beach. Instead they are 'behind the dunes' and your lounges are also behind the dunes. To get to the water, you have to cross over one of those dune bridges, which means you walk past other cabanas to get to them. I admit this has dampened our enthusiasm a bit, but not enough to cancel it. On the positive side, this might mean they are a bit more private without people walking down the beach and claiming the seats in front of you (like CC).

This does NOT apply to the family cabanas at Mabrika cove. Those DO have direct beach access and lounges on the beach itself.

Photo by Chris Gray Faust

 

[MomOTwins]

- Mabrika Cove cabanas (family cabanas): view of the ship, rocky beach, and isolated from the kids' play areas

- Serenity Bay cabanas (adults-only cabanas): best beach, kids not allowed

Some of the vlogger videos said that the beach on that side of the island (in front of the Mabrika Cove family cabanas that look at the ship and pier) is rather rocky and the water can get rough. Not good for kids to swim in. (One vlogger called the water there "floating only"). And they said the sand under the water there is NOT soft (it has shells and rocks).

Because of how rocky it is on the Mabrika Cove beach (in front of the family cabanas), the vlogger said the "lower number cabana the better"...and that the rocks get really bad at cabana #15 and above.

The Serenity Bay (adults-only) beach area is described as having "gentle waves" and "sugar soft sand". Unfortunately, Serenity Bay is on the opposite side of Lookout Cay...and kids are not allowed.

So it sounds like the beach in front of the adult cabanas is much better (and safer for kids) than the beach in front of the "family" cabanas.

If that is accurate, then that is another miss by Disney on Lookout Cay.

I saw this too and I thought right away this seemed crazy. I would not let my kids swim in that water—they’d get sliced up on the rocks. Plus the video I watched commented there are sharks in the water and they have a lookout posted to keep an eye on if sharks get too close. What the heck??? I will be happy to stay on the free family beach with the soft pink sand.

 

[Dug720]

I saw this too and I thought right away this seemed crazy. I would not let my kids swim in that water—they’d get sliced up on the rocks. Plus the video I watched commented there are sharks in the water and they have a lookout posted to keep an eye on if sharks get too close. What the heck??? I will be happy to stay on the free family beach with the soft pink sand.

Sharks live in the ocean. Even Castaway has warnings up and small sharks have been sighted at Serenity Bay. You go in the ocean, you're going in their home. Same with jellyfish, sting rays, etc. They live there. We're only visiting.

 

[Lucien Franciosa]

I saw this too and I thought right away this seemed crazy. I would not let my kids swim in that water—they’d get sliced up on the rocks. Plus the video I watched commented there are sharks in the water and they have a lookout posted to keep an eye on if sharks get too close. What the heck??? I will be happy to stay on the free family beach with the soft pink sand.

That was one person's opinion on the cast member on the jetski. They have that at CC too at Serenity bay. I think an equally plausible reason for the cast member patrolling the beach area at LC was as a lifeguard. That portion of the beach is choppy.

 

[MomOTwins]

Sharks live in the ocean. Even Castaway has warnings up and small sharks have been sighted at Serenity Bay. You go in the ocean, you're going in their home. Same with jellyfish, sting rays, etc. They live there. We're only visiting.

That was one person's opinion on the cast member on the jetski. They have that at CC too at Serenity bay. I think an equally plausible reason for the cast member patrolling the beach area at LC was as a lifeguard. That portion of the beach is choppy.

I know there are sharks at serenity bay. Kids aren’t allowed there and I won’t swim there because of it. What seems crazy to me is that they chose the beach with the choppy rocky water and deeper water with sharks for the FAMILY premium cabanas and put serenity bay on the beach with soft sand and clear shallow waters where you can see far away to know there are no sharks. Seems like they had them flipped.

 

[WiscMomof2]

This was last May first thing in the morning on the family cabana beach at Castaway Cay. It was clearly a very young shark, but still. Maybe it got caught in the net and somehow made its way through to the shore. Island workers came and removed it. Sharks are everywhere!

 

[sugliac]

All very helpful thank you everybody! If people have more photos or thoughts, please feel free to share. No bad opinions here!

 

[DMickey]

I would love to hear experiences from the food at the restaurant at lookout cay cabanas. I have seen photos of crab legs and shrimp and didn't know if they were recent ones.

 

[professorandmom]

We were lucky and snagged cabana 12 on the family side. You don't use the tram at all (we brought a wagon to traverse the pier and make it to the cabana and were very glad we did)

beautiful view of the ship
water and sand were not rocky or rough (perhaps we had a calm sea day)
there was a curtain that could be drawn to offer a quite nap space (we had an 18 mo old) or changing area...we didn't see that in other's videos
food was extremely close (food is inbetween cabanas 10 and 11 I think)
VERY VERY quiet
bathrooms were close

However, you are NO where close to the characters, splash pad, shows, shopping or other cruisers

So, it depends on the vibe you are going for if you need/want a family cabana

Let me know if you have questions

 

[DMickey]

We were lucky and snagged cabana 12 on the family side. You don't use the tram at all (we brought a wagon to traverse the pier and make it to the cabana and were very glad we did)

beautiful view of the ship
water and sand were not rocky or rough (perhaps we had a calm sea day)
there was a curtain that could be drawn to offer a quite nap space (we had an 18 mo old) or changing area...we didn't see that in other's videos
food was extremely close (food is inbetween cabanas 10 and 11 I think)
VERY VERY quiet
bathrooms were close

However, you are NO where close to the characters, splash pad, shows, shopping or other cruisers

So, it depends on the vibe you are going for if you need/want a family cabana

Let me know if you have questions

Thank you for your reply! We have cabana 11 on the family side and sounds like its a good location.
I am curious to know about the restaurant that is close and if they served shrimp and crab.
We will take advantage of the golf cart ride back after a long walk to get there!

 

[professorandmom]

Thank you for your reply! We have cabana 11 on the family side and sounds like its a good location.
I am curious to know about the restaurant that is close and if they served shrimp and crab.
We will take advantage of the golf cart ride back after a long walk to get there!

Unfortunately, I did not see any shrimp or crab but I didn't spend too much time there. The food area will be next to you...I was worried about noise being so close but there are so few folks that it seemed quiet (both noise and density of people) all day. You'll love the day!
FYI, on our visit the golf cart pick up time was incredibly (IMHO) early, perhaps 2:00. I think we had to leave by 3:30 and so we walked using the wagon

 

[DMickey]

I didn't realize there was a pickup time for golf carts. That does seem early. When do they want everyone off the island?
Thank you for sharing your photos! It looks amazing!

 

[professorandmom]

I didn't realize there was a pickup time for golf carts. That does seem early. When do they want everyone off the island?
Thank you for sharing your photos! It looks amazing!

Unfortunately, I don't recall the official all aboard time...but it was the same at CC - CMs start encouraging folks to pack up and begin moving toward the boat LONG before the deadline.

Glad the photos were helpful. It was a magical time. We had heard Minnie walks the Cabana beach - no such luck for us. Also, out cabana had only 2-3 sand toys and no buckets or shovels...a quick request resolved that. ENJOY