My family has been lucky enough to reserve a cabana 2 of the times that we have visited Castaway Cay. If you are not familiar with them, they are small buildings with one side open to the beach and lots of great amenities (more on that later). There are 21 cabanas on the family beach (4 were recently constructed) and 4 on Serenity Bay, which the adult-only (18 & up) beach. Cabanas can be reserved under the “port adventures” section on your Castaway Cay day when you log into your online reservation through DCL (details here). Because they are so popular, they are usually sold out immediately when the 120 day booking window opens for concierge and platinum cruisers. I have heard that the Serenity Bay cabanas are booked a little more slowly, and your chances of reserving one of those is probably better if everyone in your party is 18 or older. If you reserve a cabana, your stateroom host will leave wristbands and instructions for getting to the cabana in your room the night before your Castaway Cay day.
Here is a list of benefits of reserving a cabana:
- For the family cabanas, you get a private beach that is reserved for cabana guests only, with plenty of chairs, loungers and umbrellas for everyone. No one right next to you, room to spread out, fairly quiet, etc. Being a crowd-hater, this is probably my most favorite benefit. Serenity Bay cabanas do not have their own private beach, but share the main Serenity Bay beach.
- Tubes and rafts (stored right on the beach), snorkel gear (family beach only) and bike rentals are included in the price.
- Close and private shelter from wind, rain and sun
- an attendant to help you or bring you something at the push of a button
Here is a list of the things you will find inside the cabana:
- changing curtain in the corner for privacy
- fresh water shower
- fresh fruit bowl, small bags of chips (both times for us it was both regular & BBQ Lays potato ships), granola bars (Kashi brand)
- small refrigerator stocked with wet hand towels, Evian bottled water, and cans of Coke, Diet Coke & Sprite
- beach towels (nicer than the ones from the ship)
- 2 bottles of Coppertone sunscreen (we asked for & received more from the attendant)
- 1 set of sand toys (we asked for & received 1 more set from the attendant)
- ceiling fans
- music with the ability to control the volume
- golf cart transportation to/from cabana anytime you want to go somewhere
- private hammock
- safe for valuables
- magazines
- Pack & play for babies (if requested)
Before we get to the bad news (price!), I will show you some pictures of the 2 cabanas that I have stayed in which are #5 and #6 on the family beach. FYI, the cabanas on the family beach are numbered 1 through 21, with cabana #1 (the only handicap accessible one) being closest to Cookie’s Too BBQ. The last cabana on the family beach, #21, is the grand cabana, which holds 16 people and costs more. The cabanas on Serenity Bay are numbered 22 through 25.
Let’s start with cabana #5. These photos were taken in November of 2014. The entrance to the cabana area is right next to Cookie’s Too BBQ and is a little gate that looks like this:
Once you arrive at your cabana, you will be greeted with a personalized sign (LOVE this!):
The side of the cabana away from the beach looks like this. That is the door right behind us:
The inside looks like this:
Note the refrigerator and basket of towels in the back:
You get your own private hammock:
Your kids can have their own private sand area:
A great reading spot:
The path to the beach:
View of the cabana from the beach:
Cabana #6 is right next door and is exactly the same except that the porch is a mirror image of #5. Unfortunately my pictures of #6 aren’t as good because I didn’t think to take pictures of the cabana itself and I just had to choose from pictures that I took that day that happen to show parts of the cabana. Here are photos of Cabana #6 taken in October of 2013:
The path to the beach:
The Dream sailed by while we were there:
View from the beach. Cabana #6 is the one in the middle. Note the tubes and rafts stored right on the beach:
Now that I have shown you the good stuff, let’s talk about the bad stuff: Price! Cabanas are not cheap, and many people do not think they are worth the money. I think that they make sense for some people (those with young children, elderly, those who hate crowds, etc) but not for others, such as people who would be off doing other activities most of the day and not spending very much time at the cabana. Here are the current prices as of 5/1/19:
Family Beach cabanas Peak Season: $649 (+12% VAT tax) for the first 6 guests, and up to 4 more guests may be added for $50 (+12% VAT tax) per guest
Family Beach cabanas Off Season: $599 (+12% VAT tax) for the first 6 guests, and up to 4 more guests may be added for $50 (+12% VAT tax) per guest
Serenity Bay cabanas: $399 (+12% VAT tax) for the first 4 guests, and up to 2 more guests may be added for $50 (+12% VAT tax) per guest
Grand Family Cabana #21 (there is only one of these): $949 (+12% VAT tax) for the first 10 guests, and up to 6 more may be added for $50 (+12% VAT tax) per guest
Overall, my family loves having a cabana and we will do it whenever we get the chance. One way we offset the steep cost is to build up our onboard credit prior to the cruise using the tricks I outline here.
You can find links to more cabana reviews in the “Castaway Cay Cabanas” section here on my excursion page.
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Which cabana would be the most private in the family section? I’m guessing the last one before serenity section?
Actually, the last 4 cabanas on the family beach (#18-21) were just built within the last few years and thus do not have lush vegetation around them yet, which makes them the least private – at least from the other cabanas. They are the furthest from the “public” (i.e. non-cabana beach) though, so they will be quieter with fewer people actually nearby on the beach. The very last one (#21) is double in size so it holds twice the amount of people, but is also more expensive than the others. Here are some photos to give you an idea. The 4 last cabanas are on the left:
http://i1368.photobucket.com/albums/ag192/kary4110/P1030762_zps71fbbf70.jpg
http://i1368.photobucket.com/albums/ag192/kary4110/P1030763_zps97d0842a.jpg
http://www.disboards.com/threads/anyone-have-a-current-map-of-the-cabanas-on-cc.3481533/
Thank you. So they all are basically same interms of privacy except for the vegetation. The farther from 1 the farther from “public” but increased distance to bathrooms and food. 5-9 seems to be the recurring numbers of popularity
Yes, that is all correct. I agree with you about 5-9 being the overall best location considering all factors. And honestly, the beach in front of 1-15 or so is better than the beach in front of the higher ones. It is a more traditional beach with light surf rolling in, while further down it is more of a stagnant lagoon.
Hello! I’m wondering what time you get off of the ship, are able to check in to the cabana, and what time you check out of the cabana to head back to the ship and also how far it is away from the water park area and the dining? Thanks so much! Love your blog!
Thanks Christa! They usually start letting people off the ship about 9:45 and all aboard is usually 4:45. When you get off the ship, you can go straight to the cabana check in counter and they will give you a ride to your cabana on a golf cart. The cabanas are just a short walk from one of the 2 main dining areas. We usually walk over to get our lunch and then carry it back to the cabana to eat. It will be a farther walk to the water slides, but at anytime you can push the button in your cabana and request a ride on the golf cart. Hope this helps!
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised the price has increased considerably. We sailed Oct 2014 and ours was $550, just after a price increase. But it’s our one “shore excursion” during the entire trip – Mother’s Day, birthday, and Christmas presents for the year. If you are Gold, don’t give up hope – even if on the Dream. Not all Platinum nor Concierge guests want a cabana, and we were able to secure at our window opening the last three cruises. If you have a special celebration, you can provide the cabana staff (who are also the Concierge staff on board) any decor, and they will have it ready for you. We provided connecting Happy Birthday letters and it was already hanging in the cabana when we arrived. If anything goes awry with weather and activities i.e. parasailing, the staff will keep checking for you and make new arrangements on your behalf if an earlier session is cancelled. Last, if you have senior citizens in your group who have difficulty in the heat, this is a great way for them to be able to enjoy the island and be able to step away from the heat as needed.
Thank you so much for the informative information on the Cabanas. In 2012, I scored one of the higher Family Beach ones in December. I was so ecstatic. Turns out we really needed it. We had terribly cold and wet weather that day. I have cruised multiple times in December and knew the weather would be hit or miss. We were happy to have the shelter as a storm blew in. It was the first and only time I had ever scored a cabana with Disney. The one negative I remember was getting a golf cart for the ride to the buffet and back to the ship. The Cast Members did not come for some time and when they did, they were less than enthused to service us. I had an elderly parent with us. He could not have made the long walk without the golf cart after a long walk to get to the cabana in the morning just about took all his energy for the day. We are not needy folks. A ride to the BBQ and back to the ship at the end of the day was the only time we reached out to a Cast Member and we did tip them at the end of the ride.
We are going again in March 2017 and I have Cabana 5 secured. Yay! My question to you or any readers of your blog that have recently sailed – is related to the golf carts. We are not staying in concierge this time. You mentioned in your article above that you checked into the cabana station for a ride to your cabana in the morning and a ride to the BBQ and the ship was an option for you. Did it seem difficult to contact the Cast Members for the ride (lengthy wait time) and did they seem willing to do that for you? We were not offered a ride to the cabana in 2012 upon check in. We checked in and were sent on our way. So we took the tram and got off and walked.
I know it seems like a minor detail, but it is important to us based on our last experience. It will not make or break our trip, but going in with our expectations managed will assist us in knowing what we may or may not experience. Thank you for any information you can offer.
Hi Jeff! Both times we rented a cabana, we checked in at the little hut right next to the 2nd tram stop. I can’t remember if the golf cart ride was offered or if we asked, but both times we were quickly given a ride to the cabana with no issues. I suggest that when you check in, be firm but polite in requiring a ride for your party. We never used the golf cart for lunch, as cabanas 5 & 6 are a very short walk to Cookies Too. My husband and I walked over, leaving the kids in the cabana, and got food for all of us and brought it back where we ate in the cabana. I have heard reports of people pushing the button for assistance during the day and having to wait a long time for a response. I don’t really have any suggestions for this. I don’t think we have ever tried using the button. Both times, we stayed until the very end of the day when cast members were telling people it was time to leave. At this time, it was quick and easy to request a golf cart ride because they were eager for us to go so they could start cleaning. If you want to return to the ship sooner and no one responds to the button, my best suggestion would be for one of you to step out front to the sidewalk and try to flag down a CM who could use their radio to summon a golf cart. Like I said, Cookies Too is a very short walk away so you could definitely find someone over there. In addition, I suggest letting it be known very clearly when you check in that due to mobility issues, you will be needing a ride back to the tram station at the end of the day. Hopefully that will help things as well. I hope this helps and maybe some other readers will chime in with their experiences.
We’ve looked at 90 Days at midnight….Nothing for 2 cruises we have next week April 24 back to back (4 and 3 days) on Dream. Last time we cruised with 2 other families on the Wonder and we were very lucky to score the family cabana at 90 days. We loved it, and we would pay double for a cabana again. What are options to scoring a cabana from here on out? We look at the site constantly hoping someone will drop theirs and we have yet to get lucky. We are desparate. What can we do?
Eric, all you can do is keep checking the site as often as possible, especially right at the 3 day mark where people will be charged unless they cancel. You can also visit guest services at the beginning of each cruise and asked to be placed on a waiting list. The wait list is a long shot but worth a try. The odds are much more in your favor on the Magic & Wonder because the ships are smaller, thus less people trying for the cabanas.
We did not get a cabana and we had two cruises booked back-to-back (4 and 3 days on the Dream). All 4 adults were checking the website constantly from 90 days until we cruised. We also checked the website hourly in the few days leading up to the end of the excursion booking window. We were also 3rd on the waiting list at Guest Services for the first 4 day cruise, and 1st on the waiting list for the 3 day cruise at the end of our trip. We also learned that there are a total of 42 rooms in concierge, and concierge was completely sold out on both cruises for weeks leading up which is why Cabanas likely never opened to anyone non-concierge. Disney needs to build more cabanas as the demand is definitely there, and we were really disappointed.
I know, it is unfortunate that there are so few cabanas. The only suggestion I have is to sail on the Magic or Wonder as they have far fewer concierge rooms (I think about half as many) so you would have less competition.
Random question, but do you get to keep the beach toys and sunscreen that are provided??
Yes, you can!
Great, thanks! We’re concierge and hoping to book one for our cruise in December so I’m reading up on them 🙂
So Concierge and Platinum open at 120 days. What is the booking day for Gold and Silver?
Gold is 105, silver is 90, and first time cruisers is 75.
Thanks for the wonderful post!
We’re cruising in March 2018, and I’m really hoping to get a cabana. We’ve book a Concierge room, so hopefully we’ll have a shot. Our booking window opens in early November. Do you have any idea if concierge guests are usually able to get them if they book them right away (like midnight when the window opens)? Or, is there some secret back-channel where employee families (or something like that) are grabbing them all before concierge can even get them?
Thanks again for the informative post!!
Hi Corey! As a concierge guest, you should definitely be able to get a cabana. Here’s how it works. About 5 days before your booking window opens, you should get a call from shoreside concierge. If you don’t, then you should call them 2-3 days before. They will ask you what you would like for them to book for you. Give them 2-3 cabana choices, in order of preference, as well as any other reservations that you want (excursions, Palo, etc). They will put your choices into the computer system so that right at midnight when your booking window opens, they are automatically added. You don’t even have to do it yourself. I have done this personally several times and it has always worked. I admit I was nervous and stayed up until midnight to check, and sure enough, as soon as I logged in my choices were already reserved. Hope this helps!
Wow, that’s great to hear – I don’t even have to do it myself!
Thanks again!
Hi, Thanks so much for this helpful information. We are cruising on Disney Magic, May 2018 and have a concierge stateroom. I did A LOT of reading about DCL and was aware of the booking window so I called and spoke with the concierge staff (who are amazing) and they took my requests and I was notified today that we did get a cabana. Yeah!!Actually # 6 so your pictures were nice to get an idea where this one is located. My husband is handicapped so the information on the closeness to food, golf cart transportation, etc. was great. 🙂
You’re welcome Fran! I hope you have a great cruise and I know you will love cabana #6!
Hi! I have a crazy question have you ever heard of someone reserving two, right next to each other? We are traveling with another family and the other family did not book concierge, and I was wondering if I could reserve one for them. If not we will try for the Grand one, but we would prefer 2 separate.
Hi Melissa! I have read reports of concierge guests being able to reserve 2 cabanas, but to be sure, you should call shoreside concierge and ask. Policies tend to change over time and calling would give you the most recent information. Good luck!
Thank you!