Disneyville: A Disney World Podcast
Welcome to Disneyville, where we discuss our love for Disney World (and a bit of Disneyland, Disney Cruise, and beyond) with a mix of humor, insight, and even some history! We play games, we explore Disney history and extinct attractions, we rank our favorite rides and restaurants, and help you keep the magic alive until your next Disney trip! Become an honorary Citizen of Disneyville, where we’ve been Keeping a Happy Place Happy since 2023.
Disneyville: A Disney World Podcast
Disney's Castaway Cay: The Ultimate Guide
Discover the wonders of one of Disney's private islands, Castaway Cay (or is it KEY?) in this jam-packed episode. We dive into the interesting history to its transformation by Disney into a destination for families & friends alike!
We explore the food options, what's included on the island, what to pack (and what to NOT pack), and everything there is to do on the island — from renting bikes to enjoying the sandy beaches. We also discuss the serene, adults-only area known as Serenity Bay.
Throughout this episode, we share our unique experiences and personal tips to help you navigate your day at Castaway Cay, making the most of your visit. Join us, and you might just find yourself planning your next Disney cruise! Don’t forget to check out our newly launched merch and connect with us on social media for more updates. We’d love for you to engage with us — become a citizen of Disneyville!
Book your next trip to Disney with Tyler's expert travel agents from People Mover Travel by your side!
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Jessica’s Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itsjessicabraun
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Welcome to the Disneyville podcast, episode 39.
Jessica:This may be our specialist, nope, most special I'm sorry everyone, grammar police out there Truly our most special episode yet Because we have a very exciting announcement. Some of you guys may have guessed, based on the last episode A couple times.
Tyler:Yeah, maybe the last two episodes.
Jessica:What are we announcing today? Tyler.
Tyler:We have officially Officially Launched Disneyville merch.
Jessica:Not the way I taught you. Okay, if you're watching, you can see I'm wearing I'm trying to show you without the mic in the way I'm wearing the Disneyville sweatshirt yep with our magic logo.
Tyler:We call this that has the castle and the castle and then I have the hat on, and so this also has the magic logo, which includes the, the little castle and all the stuff. But I was like I was looking at, I'm like I don't know that I would wear it with you all the like as a guy wearing it, with all the sparkles and stuff like that. And so I was like can? I was looking at it, I'm like I don't know that I would wear it with all the like as a guy wearing it, with all the sparkles and stuff like that. And so I was like can we do something a little bit more subtle?
Jessica:Classic too. You were wanting it to be kind of classic.
Tyler:So we're doing a classic logo version as well. That basically is yeah, go ahead. It's just the word, it's just Disneyville.
Jessica:Why can't I do this? Hold on, I'm trying to cover up. There we go, it's just that, and bigger and centered. And here's the thing we were really picky and we'll only talk about this for quickly, cause I know some of you guys aren't interested, but for those that are, we were really picky about what we were launching and feeling it and making sure it all felt high quality. So everything right now that we have launched is embroidered. The hats we have t-shirts that have the logos on them. Some of them, if you don't want it in the center, can be on, like the left area, um, and we have both logos on all of the things. So sweatshirts, t-shirts and hats and hats so that's it for now.
Tyler:Eventually, yeah, we have other ideas down the road, oh yes, but right now we're like let's do it, let's do the a launch, make sure everything goes well, a but then also just do like the classic things, the things that will probably always be there, and then down the road we might oh yeah, we've got things.
Tyler:Tyler has a note that is long yeah all of the ideas we have, so so I'm wearing the the magic logo today, but I actually just ordered the classic logo one today. That just has the word on it, which I think is cool, so yeah, so yay, yay for that um to shop it.
Jessica:I guess we should share that with you. Huh, uh, you, you can go to our website, which is welcometodisneyvillecom slash shop. You will see it all there, and then, on top of that, you could also we'll have the link, like on our Instagram, which is, of course, disneyville podcast. We'll pop it on to this video. If you're watching the video version on YouTube, we, of course, will have it linked below too. So, yay for merch.
Tyler:We finally did it, you guys On the website. If you could just go to welcometodisneyvillecom, You'll find it.
Jessica:You can't miss it. We have it right in front of you.
Tyler:You'll find it so anyway, okay, very, very exciting, many, many. Well, I guess two years in the making, however long it's taken us to get here but today we have an awesome, awesome topic. That is, if you can tell we've switched out. If you're watching the video version, we've switched out our shelf back here, so you might have some guesses. Also the title of this video when you clicked on it, or this podcast we are talking about disney's castaway k. Now here's the question we forgot to. We forgot to do something on our, our instagram.
Jessica:I was gonna ask we might have to pause.
Tyler:We'll ask here as well do you say castaway k or castaway key? Also piggybacking on that, do you say caribbean or caribbean? I say it differently depending on whether I'm talking about the movie or the ride. I say differently depending on my mood I think I always say castaway key. I will say that I've never yeah, I don't say castaway Cay, well, but see, here's the problem.
Jessica:I think I used to, probably when I first.
Tyler:Here's the problem I don't know, I've heard of it I have in my head ever since we said we were going to do this episode the Cocomelon. Lane song stuck in my head with it's a great day on Castaway Cay, oh wow. So that's because day and cay, those have to rhyme.
Jessica:So that's because day and K, those have to rhyme. So here we are. Apparently, disney at some point made merch and it was a rhyme, and it would only rhyme if you pronounced it. If you pronounced it, castaway Cay. Really I can't remember where I was recently that I saw it, so I'm like how funny.
Tyler:But the other part, castaway Cay 5K, like that's supposed to rhyme, right? So the Castaway Cay 5K, well, the plot doth thicken. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. So anyway, let us know.
Jessica:So shall we delve in to some fun things about Castaway Key, all right, so let's give you a little primer. I know many of you guys know this, but some of you may not. So for us, let me back it up even more. We never tried Disney.
Tyler:Cruise Line, really until we had was our first one when I was pregnant with our oldest, so we had a baby moon and that's when we did it. Now I had been on it before as a travel agent. I did like a ship tour, but we had never been like actually on Disney Cruise Line until our baby moon.
Jessica:Yeah, and I think that a lot of people that are Disney parks people eventually want to try Disney Cruise Line. But I remember back in the day I would listen to podcasts and I would always be annoyed when they would do a Disney Cruise Line episode because I'm like I don't care.
Jessica:So some of you guys are maybe feeling exactly that way. I totally get it. That is exactly how I felt. I get it, but I think the reason, a big part of the reason we ended up falling in love with Disney Cruise Line, beyond the obvious Disney things, was Castaway Cay.
Tyler:Yeah.
Jessica:And what's funny is the first time we ever did it, though remember it was too windy and we couldn't dock.
Tyler:That's right. Oh, I forgot about that.
Jessica:We never. We just got to like look at it, we never. It was awful.
Tyler:I forgot about that.
Jessica:But then, of course, eventually we did, and one of the trips we did was a double dip where you got to go to Castaway Cay two days. That was amazing, that's apparently we learned later, a very popular one. Now they of course have their new private island, lighthouse Point, and that I've seen they have itineraries where you go to both Lighthouse Point and Castaway Cay. So someday maybe, but we have been to Castaway Cay so many times. It is now one of two of Disney's private islands in the Bahamas.
Tyler:Yeah, and it's, it's. It was one of those things that I am so glad now that we've done it because, like I said, like you said, we used to listen to these podcasts all the time and I was like I don't get it, I don't know what you guys are talking about. I whatever. If you're watching the video version, if you guys are watching the video version, I have a lot of b-roll that we could put over here throughout this episode to show you what we're talking about and give you an idea. But I will say, like that is one of the things, like when I'm daydreaming a lot of times, like I'm daydreaming about being on castaway I actually am like like there's something about.
Tyler:I don't know what it was. It was funny is the first couple times we went like genevieve was too young, hated the beach, hated the sand was like scared of the sand didn't like like she just sat there and ate her.
Jessica:Ate her she was like an old lady. She yeah, she had, like her towel over her. She wanted to be in the shade, which was fine, of course, but yeah, she just wanted her snacks didn't want to touch sand, didn't want anything to do with the ocean. It was so disappointing.
Tyler:It was still such an enjoyable thing, even though it was like we just disappointed for her oh but it was so magical, so it's. It's a relatively long stretch on this island and I was just looking up a couple, couple fun facts here. Um, so before we we really dove into um, so come to find out, oh I it. It auto-corrected. Now I forget what it was called. So it used to be called like go to k or go to key, something like that, and it auto-corrected. Now I don't know what it actually was.
Tyler:Thanks, apple, but for a long time it was actually an island for misfits. It was not a very nice island, I guess I'll just say that. And then it was eventually bought by Disney in 1997. It was like a drug runner island. Oh Gotta find out.
Jessica:Disney said well, let's clean this up, jeez. So in 1997, gorda, gorda okay, I did.
Tyler:Yeah, it did say it changed it to go to god. I'm like I know that's not crazy. Um so in 1997 disney cruise line bought it sorry.
Jessica:I just saw the history you found. Wow, that's crazy.
Tyler:So yeah, in 1997 disney cruise line bought it, flipped it literally. They flipped it upside down.
Jessica:No, I'm kidding I was like what I love, that I believed that, though I'm like oh, of course they did Excuse me.
Tyler:So there is a little bit of movie history here. The movie Splash, starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, had a little scene that was filmed here when they first meet. Apparently it was filmed on this island back when it was, uh, the old Island, before Disney bought it, Isn't that kind of cool. So that was filmed there. And supposedly a lot of cast members have brought up that pirates of the Caribbean curse of the black Pearl, was filmed there in part. But a bunch of other people have looked into it and they were like this is not true, or it was like that the black Pearl was like sailing in front of the Island and then they used like CGI to basically make over the island. So it was used, but like not really. So if you hear a cast member saying that it might be true, ish, but it's like what's that do with the glint in your eye.
Tyler:Anyway, here's a little taste of Tinseltown for you.
Jessica:Ooh and Tinsel taste.
Tyler:Tinsel taste, that's okay.
Jessica:We'll. We'll go into more of that later, but that's a little couple, little fun facts to get us started there. Thanks for the history teaser, or the fun fat whatever.
Tyler:Whatever they are, tinsel time.
Jessica:It's linda belcher. Yeah, but tinsel taste what?
Tyler:because you gave us a taste of taste of tinsel got it okay, all right, so oh and they signed a 99 year lease. That was the last thing I had written down oh, okay, so we got a while at least.
Jessica:How many are we in? It is one of those ports where, if you've ever been on a cruise, sometimes you'll pull up to a port and you have to get on little dingle boats. Tenders, dingle boats, I think you meant dingy A and B. Dingle boaty.
Jessica:Okay, so this is one that you don't have to get on a dingle boat, you get to just walk right off the boat, right onto the island which is nice and it's all paved to get to where you're going, which is really nice, especially when you're dealing with like kids and if you've got a stroller, which I think usually we don't like we, when they were really little we might bring like our travel stroller. It folded up, but I don't know that we even brought it like to the beach. I don't remember doing that, but you could. You could because the walkways paved.
Tyler:So if you really wanted to you, absolutely could I think I remember, uh, folding it up and putting it on the tram to get back.
Jessica:So I think we did at least one at least once and actually it was nice because it can hold, like the towels and stuff, yeah. So anyway, you absolutely can, if you were curious about that. But yeah, you walk right off and then it's kind of a longer walk on this paved walkway to get to the actual beach area and restaurants, basically where all the action is. But they also have a free tram, open air tram that you can hop on. Again, you fold your stroller but you can hop on and it'll have multiple stops on the island to take you around because it's not humongous, I think the island it said it was like three miles by two miles right overall, yeah, so it's not like
Tyler:the craziest biggest island, but if you're walking it, I mean I would say at a leisurely pace from the ship to the far, far reaches of the main family beach area. It's probably a 18 minute walk.
Jessica:Yeah, 20 minute walk, it's not terrible, but it's not like it's not short yeah, but you're once you hit the first family beach area, I mean that's maybe 10 exactly.
Tyler:So there's basically two you get off the ship and there's a decent walk. If you walk it or you can get on the tram and have the tram take you. You go over a little bridge that says like welcome to castaway key and it makes you so lots of good picture spots. There's a couple spots right there where sometimes the characters will be meeting. We've we've met goofy there, we've met donald and daisy playing in the sand.
Tyler:Yeah they have a couple different ones right off that little area, so you can kind of then keep going and there's two rounded beaches not unlike a buttocks, if you will and um, it goes around these two different family beaches. I like the further beach, yeah so if you can, I would say, get on the tram and take that over. Yeah, we've walked it a lot of times because we did have the kids and I guess I know we had the stroller, at least one.
Jessica:We were just like it's just easier, just because again yeah, but also if it's like usually by the end of the day, when we're heading back, we're like our feet are tired, we're tired, the sun was hot, we're just tramming it, but yeah. So either way, you can do either way, and I feel like we never have waited long for a tram, like maybe a minute, they're just constantly going.
Tyler:Yeah.
Jessica:One of, I think, the most important things to know is what is actually included on the island. Right, and as we were kind of writing this script for today's episode and I was doing a little recon on some other sites to make sure we didn't miss anything A lot of people as I was searching for it we're asking this exact question what is actually included on the island, like what's free?
Tyler:What are you?
Jessica:paying for, because with Disney a lot is included. So you know we've paid a lot, but at least so towels are included. But the biggest thing to know is that you have to get those towels as you're getting off the ship to go to the island.
Tyler:Yeah.
Jessica:Because they will not have towels to grab once you're past the ship area. I we like. I watched a few people one of our first times when we knew like, oh, we need to actually get the towels. Now I watched a few families not grab them and I heard someone say, oh well, we'll get them later on. And at the time I wasn't sure. I'm like, oh yeah, maybe they do have them. And then I paid attention and they don't. And so I was like, oh man, man, that family's probably really regretting that. So, anyway, really important to know, because, unless you're bringing your own towels from home, which would take a lot of room in your luggage- which is a little bit.
Tyler:I'm not gonna lie. It's a little bit of a pain because why can't we get two towels? Per person, typically like one to lay out and then one to actually dry you off and so I'm like so you know, I'm carrying this giant stack of towels, like all the if you're walking all the way down to the other end, so it'd be nice if they had them, just like I mean a lot of places do that why not roll them up and offer them over there?
Jessica:I know?
Tyler:I know I feel like they'll collect them over there.
Jessica:There's areas where you can put your dirty towels closer to you don't have to bring.
Tyler:Yes, I don't remember that. I thought you had.
Jessica:I remember there being like a big bin, remember. Well, either way, I might not be right on that. Okay, no one, nobody trust I might not be right.
Tyler:So yeah, I'll have to look. I feel like you had to bring it back. I feel like there was like a big bin.
Jessica:Anyway, okay, not really important. You'd figure it out while you're there because you'd already have your towels. So that's important to know. The towels are included, but make sure you grab them on the way out. They have so many, like you can grab as many as you want. Chairs and umbrellas are beachy that we've ever been, you always have to pay a rental fee.
Tyler:Yeah, yeah, and there's a lot. I don't think we've ever really struggled to find chairs, just keep walking.
Jessica:If you're like, oh no, they're all, just keep walking, keep walking because there's tons and we've had parties like six or eight people and it's fine.
Tyler:We've always been able to find everybody, so it's easy, yeah yeah, they already have the umbrellas up like they're comfy.
Jessica:it's just, it's the disney way they they've done that well. So the other things included food, water and soda, ice cream. We'll talk about that more here in a bit, but all of that's included. Obviously, alcoholic drinks, specialty drinks you'd be paying for, and then, of course, the tram, as we said, is included as well.
Tyler:Yeah, it's basically the way to think of it is it's an extension of the ship, because it's like you know, you get off at it.
Jessica:These are the other ports obviously they're real places, they're real towns, but this is basically an extension of the ship. Yeah, it's just a created beach version of right, so food is included everything you're already getting on the ship.
Tyler:You're going to get there too. You have to pay for alcoholic drinks on board. You have to pay for them here, but food, otherwise is y'all included towels, that kind of stuff is all there, and actually it's the same cast members that work on the island so you're gonna see the same people that you see on the ship.
Jessica:You're gonna see the same cast members out there making food and doing all the things yeah, which is kind of cool because every once in a while we'll have familiar faces that we've chatted with yeah like oh, hey, we can you know it's just. Yeah, it's nice to see familiar faces out there too so on the food front, there are two main restaurants.
Tyler:One is cookies and one is cookies to T O O and they serve the exact same things. And I got to say there it's one of those places that you go up and it just smells so good. They've got these huge grills going with. I mean burgers and brats and all these amazing things like jerk chicken and things like that. They've got all these sides, like classic picnic sides. They've got baked beans barbecue stuff. They've got anything you would ever go to like a barbecue they would have.
Jessica:They've got individually wrapped chips. Fruit.
Tyler:Cookies, but they have all. You can eat ice cream, just like they do on the ship Soft serve ice cream and it is so good, there's nothing better man.
Jessica:Oh, especially after you've been swimming. I mean truly yeah, that's like deeply ingrained in all of us since childhood, right. So they usually will have a specialty flavor too. Last time I think it was banana. I read online someone said the mango is their favorite. I'm like, oh my gosh, they've never had. So definitely look out for that. I think you can usually do like swirl with that too.
Tyler:Yeah, now, what do you think about the food on castaway key?
Jessica:I will say this it's not my favorite, but I'm always so hungry that I'm, and I'm happy, so it's one of those things that I'm like, okay, it's maybe not the best food I've, I'm licking that plate clean. I'm so hungry and it's it's not like terrible.
Tyler:Yeah, I was going to say it smells so good and I think the food is okay, but it's also like my favorite meal because, yeah, I don't know, you're just out there, you're sitting under the things they've got built. They've like, you're just so happy to be there and like that's it. They got fans going the food is like not great, but it's also my favorite Like, but it's also my favorite Like. Yeah, it's like rose colored glasses for the whole thing. I know.
Jessica:Um, and I think they had hot dogs for the kids. I'm thinking of what I would be curious about, as you know, with young kids, they had hot dogs, they had chips, cookies. They seem to be pretty content with that. But so I did not know this cause we've not had a lot of opportunity to go over to the adults only section. Much yeah.
Tyler:I went over there one time because I did the 5k and where it ends I could see it, so I I popped over there and and and walked around for a minute.
Jessica:I know your mom has been a decent amount, but with the kids it really is. So, first of all, the adult area is called Serenity Bay. It's on the farthest end of the Island. Again, tram goes there. Tram will be very clearly marked for Serenity Bay, but it's 18 and over, so like we can't even bring the kids over there. But if you were getting any spa treatment, that's where that would be. Like, I mean, on the day of spa treatment they mark that when you're booking it. But they have a restaurant back there too. I had no idea. It makes sense that they would. And again, I heard it's the exact same food, but they maybe have a couple of extra items. Oh, I know, fancy, you let us know. Oh, I know, fancy you let us know. Do you know that? That that's true? What are the extra items?
Tyler:I want to go over there so badly, like I said, just to just sit there for a little bit.
Jessica:You know what. We'll talk about the kids club here in a second. But they have a kids club on the island and a lot of people were saying just put your kid in the kids club, then you can go over lay in a hammock. We could do that whoa. So yeah, well, our yeah, yeah, we'll get to that here in a second, yeah, but yeah, we can maybe try it.
Tyler:Like you, never, the second you get there you're like, oh, ready to go back, but maybe for a few minutes yeah, you're never too far from them, you know yeah, that's true. This is one place where there is so so, so much to do. I mean there's. You would never run. You could run all day and never do all of it. You could rent bikes, you can rent snorkeling equipment, you can rent kayaks, you can rent the big uh aqua trikes. Yeah, um paddle boats. There's just. There is a never ending gear.
Jessica:Did you say that yeah?
Tyler:there's so much stuff that you can rent and do like water sports wise here. It's crazy rental fees.
Jessica:I don't remember them being astronomical considering you're on a private island and whatever I can. They had plenty available like they're not going to run out. That is one thing. You can rent some of this stuff ahead of time, like under the port adventures, but you really don't have to when it comes to those things right.
Jessica:Do it if you know you want to do it, you might as well do it ahead of time, because then there's no. You know you'll definitely be good, but I have never seen them come anywhere close and we've been on, like with the disney wish and that being sold out and that island was packed and they were you know, there was never, there was tons yeah.
Jessica:That is, but there really is so much fun stuff to do and what's so cool is you could also just have take the option of just laying there and reading a book and then floating in the ocean and do nothing, and do nothing, and both are acceptable.
Tyler:Yeah, you know. So if you're, you know real go-getter.
Tyler:They have what's called the castaway k 5k, and so they're the last time I did it we were. The idea was that I was going to go run it, come back and let jessica go and run it. Well, here was the thing I had to walk all the way to the beginning and it was like a one mile walk from the ship to where you actually start it. Then I, I did the 5k, got lost, finished it and had to walk a mile back. So really it was like a five and a half mile venture and it took me cause I figured I'd go out. I was like I'll get there, maybe like a five minute walk.
Tyler:10 minute walk do 25 minutes and then be back it. I was gone for like an hour and a half, so by the time it was all said and done, you were like we don't. You didn't have time to go and do it yourself no, because it also started raining that too I forgot, so we were like it just wasn't in the cards and so we decided.
Tyler:So point of my story is we'll get to that, but the the castaway k5k is really fun. It's fairly well marked. I got messed up at one point because I'm a doofus, but it's pretty easy, and then after you do it, you get a little rubber, uh metal if you will, and so it's fun to do. They didn't like verify that I did it or anything. I think they used to do it where everyone started at the same time and it was like an event I think it was like 8, 30 yeah and nowadays it's just you just go and do it, so you can do it throughout the day.
Tyler:I saw people doing it all day. So if you want to go with your family, what I think we'll do in the future is all get off, get a spot, you do it, I'll do it maybe again. All right, but I got first dibs, oh 100. That's why, yeah. But the cool thing is, as you're going, in the middle there's this big like thing you can climb up and so you can go to the top and you have this awesome view of the whole island. You can see most of it. They have all these like wetlands and stuff like that, and I remember just sitting up there, I saw these cool birds and like you could see the ship in the distance as well. So it was really cool to sitting up there, I saw these cool birds and like you could see the ship in the distance as well. So it was really cool to be up there and like have like literally a bird's eye view of the entire Island. It was. It was a very different perspective that you get when you're on the beach.
Jessica:So I haven't gotten to see that yet, so that's on my bucket list.
Jessica:So we also have been wanting to rent bikes and what is so cool? And we were investigating this last time we were there and we're like, okay, for sure they have every kind of bike you'd want. They have, you know, obviously, adult bikes, they have kid bikes, they have bikes with training wheels, they have bikes like adult bikes with the kid. You know, like if you have a toddler, it's not that you could put the kid on, that's already attached, so you can all go.
Jessica:We are doing this next time we can all go, just ride around as much or as little as you want, but you can ride back to where that is right, right and get on there so I I vote. We knock both of those off our bucket list.
Tyler:That sounds so fun and you get to see the old air strip there, which is cool because I don't think it's in use anymore but when they were smuggling stuff maybe, maybe, um, and maybe they use it like if there's an emergency or something, I bet they actually just use it maybe, but it just didn't.
Tyler:It didn't seem all that nice. I don't know. Maybe I don't know, maybe they still use it, but the you get to like run down it, which it's funny because it's it's so long when you're running it just seems like you could see so far, like I have to go all the way down there. Gosh, you always want a course with a lot more turns, because then it's you're like I don't know, you feel like you're doing something that's funny.
Jessica:I think I would prefer a big, long straightaway, but maybe I won't. I'll report back. Boy, I got a lot to do on our one day at Castaway, I know right.
Tyler:What's cool, though, is there's about 1,000 acres apparently on this island, and only 55 acres is actually developed. The rest is all set aside as like a nature preserve, which I think is really cool. I love that, like the view that you're going to get up there is not going to change much, and when you get up there you see how green it all is and how big the Island is versus how little the little beach area is.
Jessica:That's so cool, though. I love that Well, and I always wondered, you know, is there like a weight limit for a smaller Island, like it's like, how much could they develop it before? It's like, why didn't they just expand Castaway Cay? Do you know what I mean? That was one of my first, but I'm like, hey, I'm excited to eventually one day try this new private island.
Tyler:I wrote it down here. It says so. Disney Cruise Line does its part to preserve the pr with clear turquoise waters, white sand beaches, swaying palm trees. There are Castaway Cay researchers restoring the health of coral reefs and they're transplanting long-spined sea urchins and fostering their growth, and they also protect and monitor endangered loggerhead sea turtle nests on Castaway Cay.
Jessica:That's so cool. Well, there you go, there's your answer.
Tyler:That is so so cool, and they also use solar panels in the backstage area and they're used to fuel water heaters for bathing, dishwashing, laundry and all that kind of stuff. And there's a few cast members that actually live on the island too and they use those, uh as well.
Jessica:Oh, so pretty cool that you're blowing my mind with that. I didn't know anyone lived on the island.
Tyler:They have a, from what I understand and don't quote me on this, but obviously all the maintenance people that like actually live on the island.
Jessica:Do you think they just like stay there for a couple days and then have a couple days off, like that would be crazy to just live there? You're not living there full time.
Tyler:I don't know. I don't know how that works. Maybe Amazon Prime delivers to the ship and then the ship is out. Maybe that's what the landing strip three people, I don't know. I don't know, maybe it's 50. I have no clue. I should have done more research on that.
Jessica:So I mentioned Port Adventures. Of course that's Disney Cruise Line's name for excursions.
Tyler:Short excursions, right yeah, short excursions, port Adventures.
Jessica:It does sound more fun. Some of there. We've never done any of these. We have too much fun with all the other stuff. I'm like, oh, I just. But they have a glass bottom boat adventure, which I think you can do with most age kids, which is cool, like probably if you had like a little baby and you want to. That was one thing we always struggle with. There's only so many options for when you've got like smaller, smaller kids, so that would probably be one you can do. They have jet skis, stingray adventures. They of course, have snorkeling, but again, you don't necessarily have to sign up for that ahead of time. I also learned if you had your own snorkeling gear, you can bring it with you and use it in there. The only requirement is that everyone in their snorkeling bay that they have roped off wears their vests. They're they're free, but like you have to wear a life which I did not like because I.
Tyler:So I, I did the, you, you did it a little bit last I did a little bit.
Tyler:I didn't go all the way out, yeah so the way it works is right in the crack they have this little separate area oh, between the two beaches that's just for snorkelers, and they've got all kind of buried treasure out there and, um, there's like the, a couple of the uh, the old submarines from 20 000 leagues under the sea are out there. They have a big um Eric statue. Oh my gosh, that looks. That's like life size. There's all kinds of fish out there, there's all kinds of cool stuff out there, but you have to go. So I don't like, I don't like snorkels, I don't like fins, I don't like any of that kind of stuff. Don't you just want to float around? I just want to go swim. I feel like I.
Jessica:I'm a pretty strong swimmer but I like to be free in the water.
Tyler:I don't like all this stuff, yeah, and so I know you kind of feel the same way. You feel claustrophobic in like a mask and all that kind of stuff. I'm like I'll just go give me a pair of goggles and I'll just go, because I also feel like like I couldn't get down very easily, like I don't know, the life jacket. I feel like I was able to, I could. Was it a life check?
Jessica:because I was able to go down lighter. But it's a how I was able. I don't know, that's what that's what, like, multiple sites said, I think maybe it was, I don't remember the way either way, you guys can verify if you were going soon or if you've been recently, um, if they make you wear the jackets.
Tyler:But I'm pretty sure because I was able to get down, I remember, but it was just I don't know. But anyway, but that my whole point, I guess, is that that area is really cool. So if you do want to snorkel out, there's all kinds of fun stuff to find out, that's cool.
Jessica:So another thing that would technically be for kids, but I feel like anyone could enjoy it. They do have a height requirement for, I think, the slides, but they have this in the water playground where there's like ropes and stuff. They have a slide into ocean but it's kind of roped off Like you're not, you're in the ocean but it's you know what. I mean it's kind of protected. Um, there was a name for it. It is called Pelican plunge. It's like a little miniature water park in there, which is such a cool idea. We haven't gotten to explore a ton yet, but this might be our trip, because now our oldest is like a swimmer yeah, little miss thing, and the last time we were there we had our just floaties.
Tyler:I think my mom had maybe rented like tubes or something for the day, yeah, yeah and so we were just all kind of floating in. But we were in the area and just floating and watching kids and adults just jump and play and run and it was so fun so fun that was.
Jessica:Another favorite memory of mine was, yeah, just getting like it was. I think it was just like an inner tube and we were just sitting on it and floating. I was like I want to rent that again. That was so relaxing yeah.
Tyler:Ooh. And then what our kids at that age did love, though, was the spring elite area, which is like a little splash pad they have right behind the second beach kind of. It's right past cookies too, I think. Right, it's close to where you pick up the bikes and stuff. They have this little splash pad area with I don't know just it's very big. No, it's just some jets coming up and stuff like that. I think our kids the last two times have spent a lot of time.
Jessica:They really enjoyed that, which is funny because it's the simplest one I think we've ever been to, but they just love it but they love it, and especially if you and is comfortable in the water. We've been there, Trust me. We've seen it all with these two girls. That was kind of a game changer for us where they could enjoy the water but in a way that kind of felt more safe to them.
Tyler:You know Right, right.
Jessica:We're entering, obviously, the area of like let's talk about kids stuff. So we talked about the Spring of Leak. There's also the kids club on the island Right, so the Oceaneers Club that they're already enjoying on the ship continues outside. They can check in there. They call it Scuttle's Cove. I wish they did a little preview where you could go, and I don't know how that would work, but because I think our oldest has not really wanted to go in it ever. But in fairness to her, she was not super comfortable with water and I think she was scared that there'd be a bunch of water.
Jessica:Now she is yeah because I think as you're going in, there's like water, like a little splash pad or something maybe, but they play games with them, I mean just like they do in the ocean years club. They really keep you engaged and they have a bunch of sand play in there too. So even if they're not comfortable with water at all, they can avoid water at all costs in there. But it looks like I want to go in and explore it.
Tyler:I want to go in and see. I know I bet there's probably some videos on YouTube of it. You're right, we'll have to look it up, Maybe show it to her before we go. But I'm like dude, I want to go back and see what's back there. I know.
Jessica:It sounds awesome. So they also have a game pavilion in the shade. It's got ping pong, pool, basketball. So again, especially if you have older kids that would rather do something like that, they have a sports beach that has volleyball, tetherball. I didn't realize that. Tetherball and soccer, I know, wouldn't that be fun? Yeah, who wants to end up with a bloody nose?
Tyler:We had a tetherball court in our backyard as kids and court.
Jessica:You know what I mean. It was just a pole with the thing on. I ended up with a bloody nose every single month. It just my sister would pummel it into my face oh goodness so yeah they have the life jackets for kids everywhere.
Tyler:Oh, yeah island, so that's good. Um, they do sell sand toys, so if you're looking to buy some, they have. They have, I don't know, maybe six, maybe not even that many three to six little gift shops no, there's two's two. Well, but there's also like but there's also the little one that's more yeah. Like if you're walking back behind the beach, there's like the, there's two main ones. Okay.
Jessica:But then there's it kind of feels like more cause they have stuff outside of it too. So it almost feels like a bizarre.
Tyler:Yeah.
Jessica:But then they also have an like bahamian wares like I. I don't know if they're actually made. You know what I?
Tyler:mean yeah, yeah, so there there's the disney specific branded stuff, and then there's also there's two disney ones, or there's just and then one's farther down, just to kind of spread it out gotcha but it does feel like more as you're walking through. It's like it feels like multiple, multiple shops I swear we walked from like a couple different shops, but maybe we didn't but you can buy sand toys there, like you mentioned.
Jessica:And again, I have another note for disney. I'm sure they're not watching or listening, but I wish you could rent sand toys. Yeah, it doesn't have to, you know, five bucks. But I hate. We bought them once because we were like we didn't want to have to pack them, but we got little kids that just want to play in the sand, so you kind of need them in that way. But then you're stuck with. I mean, they're kind of cool sand toys, like in in a nice bag.
Tyler:But I'm like now we got to bring them home, so we did, but it just took up a lot of room. So or if you pack them on the front end, you're like well then, either way, you're packing a lot of stuff. I mean, it's like, yeah, so I wish they.
Jessica:You could just rent a little bag of sand toys. Let's talk about what else there is, just for adults. So we already mentioned Serenity Bay 18 plus. Someday, someday, this is where the spa treatments would be. As I mentioned, get a massage Someday, beachside, oceanside, like think about that, your mom's done it.
Tyler:Yeah, a couple times.
Jessica:Lucky, lucky. Well, there's bars all around, including definitely at serenity bay, I mean, but they have them all around. You can get mocktails, cocktails, beer. You can even order didn't say not your mom, but someone we were with didn't they get like a bucket of beer once?
Tyler:or something like yeah, she and I shared a bucket of beer but did you have to order it before?
Jessica:did you just order from, I think, we?
Tyler:were sitting there and I think somebody came over and she and I were both going to get a Corona. Yeah, and the guy was like, if you are going to get two.
Jessica:That is the perfect beach beer.
Tyler:He was like if you're going to get like four Coronas, like if we were each going to get two, it was a better deal to get the bucket To get six, Something like that. Yeah, and so it was like the same price. I don't know what it. We ended up getting a bucket to share, um, and that's I think that's probably the move.
Jessica:For that?
Tyler:If you were, yeah, multiple people were wanting to also pick up the bucket at the bar as well.
Jessica:But I think they yeah, they definitely come around, which is cool. I had to look that up Cause I'm like, I feel like I remembered one of the times that I was pregnant. I remember getting a uh, virgin pina colada, it was, so I think I got two, it was. So I love the flavor of that anyway and it was so cold and refreshing. So, yeah, they will come around and take your orders for drinks and stuff like that, which is really cool. Again, you're not buying. They don't give you food like that. You have to go to those restaurants that have the included food and, speaking of that, let's talk about. We talked a little bit about the food. The way it's set up there at all the barbecue places is buffet style. Yes, it's set up there at all the barbecue places is buffet style, yes, so you know you can go back as many times as you want. You have to find your own table and chairs. They're almost all under like protection.
Tyler:You know what I mean like kind of in like a little picnic shelter, but I mean a large picnic shelter they're huge, yeah, and I think I don't think we've ever really had too much trouble finding a seat.
Jessica:I feel like that's one no, we might have waited a minute like one of us kind of hang back.
Tyler:Yeah they'll announce when the food is ready, or maybe they just tell you on the app or whatever?
Jessica:Yeah, on the app.
Tyler:And then, yeah, I think we usually wait about an hour because I think it probably gets pretty long, but I don't think we've ever even really waited all that long in the line or waited to get a seat. I thought, you meant waited an hour for food. I'm like no, we.
Jessica:Yeah, I don't know when would be the busier time, because I guess maybe right when it opens would be 1130. But that's the other thing to keep in mind. I wanted to bring it up. It took me a while to find this answer, but I did find the answer. So if you are wanting to bring snacks with you on the beach, because if the lunch isn't open until 1130 and you're able to get off there around 8, 830, maybe you ate an earlier breakfast, or maybe your kids are early risers and they already ate way earlier, so they're going to be hungry. Um, or you just like to snack on the beach, because I know I do. Uh, you can bring snacks off on castaway key specifically, but they need to be pre-packaged. You know factory sealed snacks, same with water. It's supposed to be sealed. They will usually sell water on your way out, like you can buy them when you're like about to do you remember that?
Tyler:Am I making that up? That sounds right.
Jessica:But again you can get water and stuff on the island on the island, so you don't necessarily have to stress, but it is kind of nice. Like for the girls especially it's nice to have some already.
Tyler:But yeah, you can bring some snacks. You can't have a snack.
Jessica:Yeah.
Tyler:That's going to be your whole morning.
Jessica:That's the whole morning, so that sets the tone for the day. Necessities you can get a lot at those sundry shops If you forget SPF. You broke a flip-flop once. We could not find flip-flops for you.
Tyler:We did learn that the hard way and so I ended that. Vlog you, if I, we can make it below.
Jessica:Yeah, but swim gear? You could buy beach towels Maybe, if you did forget towels in the beginning and you don't want to go back and you just want to buy one.
Tyler:Yeah, we bought a nice. It's one of my favorite towels.
Jessica:We bought it cause we were we didn't need to stress.
Tyler:They've got hats um. They've, of course, got bathrooms everywhere they have showers.
Jessica:This one.
Tyler:They have castwick key specific merch. Oh my gosh, I got this shirt at the castwick key there. It's pretty incredible I went back and forth if you're watching the video version, you can see it here but we've been back and forth so many times like am I gonna buy it? It was a kind of expensive, but I'm like now I am so glad I bought this. This is one of my favorite shirts and I wear it like even in Disney World.
Jessica:Oh, yeah, it's like it's you know and people that know. No, they're like oh my gosh, is that a Castaway Key shirt? Um makes me very, very happy but what's cool is the Castaway Key merch that they offer in the gift shops on the island. They do not offer any of that on the ship right, we verified.
Jessica:Yeah, so if you want it, buy it. Yeah, one thing that drives me nuts is sand in between my toes. When I don't want there to be sand between my toes, they have rinsing off stations all over the place near the bathrooms and stuff like that, so you'll be able to rinse off. You can dry off. We always recommend bring a fresh, dry outfit head to toe. Don't forget your undergarments. You need everything head to toe. That way you're not having to get back to the ship and you're all wet in your suit and getting back on the cold ship. Bring dry clothes for everyone.
Tyler:It's one of my biggest. My biggest pet peeves is being in a wet bathing suit for longer than I absolutely have to.
Jessica:Yeah, can't stand it.
Tyler:You're like. You know your t-shirts gets all wet. You know it's awful. I want to be in dry clothes.
Jessica:Right. So here's another thing you can do, but you probably won't be able to, and that is rent a cabana. Yeah, I've never heard of anyone that's been successful. I think there's only 20 total, but it's like one of those things you pay for and the people that have the earliest access to do it, like the highest levels of the castaway key club membership.
Tyler:Yeah, those are the ones that are getting it so, or if people that are concierge level, I think, also have earlier access. They get the earlier access. So, like depending on how many disney cruise lines or disney cruises you've been on your castaway key membership, you get more and more. Now they have the new with 25 plus, I'm like, unless you've been on 25 disney cruises with this new pearl level, I'm like you're not gonna get one.
Jessica:I don't know what I don't know how to tell you this, but you're gonna get one so, or you could spend 75 000 and get one of the concierge level rooms. That's also an option and then still pay to get these are your options? Folks just sit on a chair all right, so let's share what my little packing list, because I'm the packer of the family. Well, you pack your own, but you know what?
Tyler:I, I pack my own and you pack the girls yeah.
Jessica:Here's what you absolutely must have on the island, and if you forget any of these, I'm so sorry. No, I'm kidding. All right, bring a bag that's going to hold everything. That's the thing I almost always forget. So don't forget your sunglasses, your SPF, and hats, hats and hats, hats, hats. Even if you don't like wearing a hat, bring a hat, because it gets so sunny there. You guys Even just walking around some kind of flip-flops, crocs, water shoes, whatever you want. Don't forget your room key cards. The good news is, you'll know before you get off the ship, because they won't let you off. Sure, maybe a waterproof little bag for your phone wallet room keys yeah, there's so different kinds.
Jessica:yeah, it doesn't have to be tiny, but you could get the smaller ones. I have a bigger one actually. I bought on Castaway Key.
Tyler:Yeah.
Jessica:It's waterproof fish, it's not. You know it zips up but it's, you know, a book to read if you're into that. Sand toys, if you brought them. I did learn that they have foldable sand toys on Amazon. I will be bringing those the next time so that I can pack them. A dry change of clothes for everyone or maybe a cover-up water, if it's sealed, snacks.
Tyler:If they're sealed, I mean, at the end of the day you can go back to the ship whenever you want it's a trek to get over there, but I will say one of the coolest things is you can see the ship and the way it's all laid out, the way it's docked. You get to see your ship over there and it's just beautiful.
Jessica:It genuinely looks like a painting.
Tyler:It does not look real the only thing I would add to that list is, if you have one, be sure and bring like a GoPro or the Insta 360 or something like that, because some of my favorite footage I have is those are waterproof cameras. That's why I'm bringing them up and just floating around and getting footage, and whether you're snorkeling and getting footage or whether just filming your kids splashing around. Highly recommend. Or get one of those little clear things for your phone where you can film underwater.
Jessica:Yeah, all right. So we asked you guys on Instagram. We got to go get our sweetie off the school bus. In like five minutes we're going to blast through these we're going to blast through.
Jessica:I'm so sorry. We don't have more time, so we asked you guys on our Instagram, which is Disneyville Podcast, if you want to follow us over there, what hidden gems on Castaway Key, whatever you want to share about it. So let's share some of you guys' responses. That is hilarious. Christy Almanza said accidentally doing a 5k and a half because I was not paying attention to the arrows. That's you. I did the exact same thing.
Tyler:It was like one of the signs was turned weird, and I thought I was supposed to go. So I ran the same loop again.
Jessica:Oh my gosh Rach Young 55 says biking to the lookout point. Okay, we have got to do that, yeah all right.
Tyler:Caitlin b hicks said pelican plunge is so fun, but it is a workout to swim to it. And then she said the snorkeling underwater statues. I have memories of swimming very far out with my grandpa.
Jessica:That's so cool, love that aj cadmus said jack sparrow appeared out of literally nowhere on castaway Key and took pics with us. I have heard tell of him popping in. I've heard a lot of times he appears in the adult section. I'm like man, come on, that's so cool.
Tyler:Queenie said cabanas are worth it if it's in your budget. Gave us a great home base for relaxing and playing.
Jessica:How did you get?
Tyler:it Queenie, queenie tell us, your secrets.
Jessica:Queen, did you get it? Queenie, queenie, tell us your secrets. Queenie, oh my gosh, what the northern prepster said. My sister got married there and her wedding is how I met my now husband that just gave me the goosebumps oh, my first of all. Wow, a wedding there.
Tyler:How wonder, how special, oh my gosh elena underscore c said definitely snorkeling and finding all the sunken disney treasures. Yes, it's so cool kelsey sieg.
Jessica:Siege, sorry. Um said swimming with my daughter during a light rain. We were, almost by ourselves, magic. Yeah, it's always like randomly raining. I will say in cast wiki I feel like, but it'll be so fast and it's kind of weird, but it's memorable too.
Tyler:So taylor ash underscore. Lynn said the strawberry and banana swirl ice cream. That is all.
Jessica:Becca K Nectal said is it K or key? I've never been and I just don't understand. I don't know.
Tyler:I get you. I thought for years.
Jessica:It was just key, but I guess I might be wrong.
Tyler:London, tanya Ferris said running the 5K yes, nice, it's so fun. You've got to do it this time. I'm so excited. I will.
Jessica:I've got a long list of things to do, so we're going to stop there. But man, what an episode. There's so much to say. Someday we will do a Lighthouse Point one, when one day we get to finally see it. I don't know when that day is, it'll be a while.
Tyler:And also, if you like, Disney Cruise Line stuff here. Soon we will have an episode on the Disney Treasure.
Jessica:Because we will be going on it here soon.
Tyler:So get excited about that. We are jazzed.
Jessica:We are counting down the days. Yes, we'll have vlogs, of course, to come to Absolutely so don't forget to shop our merch. We're so excited about it. Definitely check out. Welcome to Disneyvillecom slash shop to see what we have to offer. We're so excited and thanks for your support all the way. By the way, yes, also.
Tyler:All right, I got to go.
Jessica:All right, see you guys, love you guys, bye.