If you have been fortunate enough to take a Disney cruise to the Bahamas, you probably visited Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. Many cruisers say the island is the highlight of their cruise.
Here are some interesting facts you may not know about the island:
- Disney does not actually own the island. In 1997, Disney entered into a 99-year land lease for the cay with the Bahamian government. The lease will expire in 2096.
- It took the Walt Disney Company 18 months to develop the island. The total cost was $25 million.
- Although the island is 1,000 acres large, only 55 acres are developed and used by Disney.
- The island is 3.1 miles long and 2.2 miles wide.
- Castaway Cay is located 225 nautical miles from Port Canaveral, which equates to 258.925 miles.
- Some Disney Cast Members actually live on the island year-round. They include custodians, landscapers, and others who maintain the island.
- There is an official Bahamian post office on the island. If you mail an item from the post office, it will have an official Castaway Cay postmark.
- Two water/sewage treatment plants are hidden on the island, out of view of guests. They actually turn seawater into fresh water for use on the island.
- Cay is pronounced “key.”
- The island was formally called Gorda Cay. Drug smugglers once used the airstrip on the island.
- Two submarines from the retired 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride in Magic Kingdom are submerged in the snorkeling area of the Family Beach. You can also find statues of Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse underwater in this area.
- Part of the movie “Splash” was filmed on Castaway Cay. The scene when Tom Hank’s character meets Daryl Hannah’s character was filmed on the island’s beach.
Source: Heimbuch, Jeff. "The Colorful Story of Castaway Cay" Disney Dispatch, 4 Feb. 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
