I wish the new private island had a pool.

[wendlle]

I also imagine that keeping up a pool on an island is a bit more work than raking sand and straightening chairs, opening/ closing umbrellas.

And what happens if there’s a toileting accident in a substantially-sized pool? They would need a bigger water treatment facility to produce the amount of water needed (It would also close the pool for hours).

I can't imagine it's any different to resort pools.

 

[auntlynne]

 

[Dug720]

No.

But then again, public pools skeeve me out, so I really don't use any of them. Or slides or lazy rivers. I'm a natural water source kinda girl.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

While the idea is nice, Creating a permanent pool goes against Disney's pledge to minimize development on the island itself.

Also ironic in my mind to take a cruise to the most beautiful beaches in the world and complain that there's no pool on the island... The point is to go to the beach. If you are looking for a big pool, go on a line that offers that.

 

[yowcruiser]

Ok... so this is no Coco Cay, but as stated upthread, local residents were quite leery of developing the place in a way that would keep people captive and heavily transform the area... so from that perspective, this may be disappointing to some, but DCL appears to deliver what they said they'd deliver... and I don't think that anything would prevent them from further developing the place in the future... or maybe Castaway gets some sort of upgrades eventually... who knows...

But as to the question of a pool, personally, no, not disappointed - but do totally get some of the points made by proponents of such

 

[MomOTwins]

We are a pool-loving family and we like to sail from port canaveral and spend a night or two before (and sometimes after) the cruise at a disney hotel with a nice pool. That’s our pool time. I like that the island has a different experience from a built up caribbean resort. RCCL’s island makes me cringe because it just looks like six flags water park meets cancun all inclusive—Castaway feels like you’re escaping the world. But if I didn’t like beaches, I’d just stay on the ship and go for a swim onboard while everyone else is on the island. No crowds at the ship pools then.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

We are a pool-loving family and we like to sail from port canaveral and spend a night or two before (and sometimes after) the cruise at a disney hotel with a nice pool. That’s our pool time. I like that the island has a different experience from a built up caribbean resort. RCCL’s island makes me cringe because it just looks like six flags water park meets cancun all inclusive—Castaway feels like you’re escaping the world. But if I didn’t like beaches, I’d just stay on the ship and go for a swim onboard while everyone else is on the island. No crowds at the ship pools then.

I was trying to figure out a nice way to say "Coco Cay Sounds/looks like my own personal place of eternal misery" in my post above.

Bravo to you! Summed it up incredibly well.

I go to Castaway for the Beach. I am so excited to visit Lighthouse Point for the first time to enjoy the beach there! I dont need an amusement park behind/around me.

 

[asgur5]

Wow. I just love the Gilligan's Island feel. I can do waterslides at home. I can't do a deserted island at home.

Disney already has a deserted island. This should be different to provide a contrast.

Also its not exactly a deserted island. locals will also be visiting Lighthouse point along with Disney guests.

 

[MomOTwins]

Disney already has a deserted island. This should be different to provide a contrast.

Also its not exactly a deserted island. locals will also be visiting Lighthouse point along with Disney guests.

They did a lot of things differently on the Wish and got endless complaining about every little difference.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

To be fair, that’s what Castaway feels like to me. It’s never really been my thing. I wish they had gone with a plan that is notably different than Castaway so we’d have real choices, but this looks mostly like a clone of Castaway with a different layout and different design language.

Yup, this is what I am thinking. We last 2-3 hours at castaway and then back to the ship.

 

[Genie+]

I can't do a deserted island at home.

It’ll be much less deserted with 1000+ people

 

[scoobysgirl]

I can’t walk on sand or into/out of ocean. So, I am very disappointed. I have stayed on the ship and do use that adult pool, but I was hoping to be able to enjoy the new private island.

I can't walk on sand or into the ocean either. But I did go to Castaway Cay in November and used my scooter to get there. If you have family to help, they have sand wheelchairs that are free that can go in the sand. really nice to use and you can go right up to the water. I did enjoy the island very much so, as well as my family!

 

[DLgal]

And what happens if there’s a toileting accident in a substantially-sized pool? They would need a bigger water treatment facility to produce the amount of water needed (It would also close the pool for hours).

Numerous cruise ship private islands have large pools. It's not that hard. In a toileting accident, they simply chemically shock the water and it's good to go in like 30 minutes. These pools all have filter systems in place.

 

[tvguy]

It’ll be much less deserted with 1000+ people

We were on Castaway Cay on the Magic on a packed New Year's Eve week cruise. Never noticed any crowds. We spent the morning snorkeling. Ate, then spent the afternoon riding bikes.
Only time the ship felt crowded was on disembarkation morning. Disney was my 7th cruise and my first where there was not an organized system for getting guests off the ship. What a mess, 45 minutes lined up to get off the ship. Now, I understand that for some reason Disney cruisers like the chaos, but the previous year we took our kids on their first cruise on HAL and they really enjoyed waiting in our assigned public room, where they had juice and coffee and pastries until it was our groups turn to leave the ship.

 

[bobbiwoz]

OP here. I have enjoyed snorkeling at the snorkel beach. I have enjoyed Castaway Cay in the past. DH and I will look at the sand wheelchair in September.

I have enjoyed the pool on A Perfect Day at Coco Cay, and I will do in the future, October.

 

[asgur5]

They did a lot of things differently on the Wish and got endless complaining about every little difference.

Lol this is true. I kind of feel they asked DCL diehards whats they wanted in a new island and they all said they wanted another Castaway. But it would of been better to get somewhere that contrasted. Kids love lots of waterslides and pools. Seems like they didnt ask the kids.

 

[Kwami]

Lol this is true. I kind of feel they asked DCL diehards whats they wanted in a new island and they all said they wanted another Castaway. But it would of been better to get somewhere that contrasted. Kids love lots of waterslides and pools. Seems like they didnt ask the kids.

Kids also love swimming, sports, splash areas, beaches, and all of the other kid-friendly things already on the island. I can't imagine that too many kids will be disappointed, really.

Besides, Disney had to make a lot of environmental and aesthetic commitments to get this project going. I don't think that a clone of RCL's island would have worked out here.

 

[KashasMom]

Yeah, those darn laws of physics limit how big pools can be on a ship.

Yup, small ships have hardly any pools. Pools are a big "want" for us on vacation.

 

[KashasMom]

Not a fan of CC at all - to the point of not booking a cruise that goes there - (food is gross too) - but I wouldn't want to see a pool there or on any private island.

 

[TeamRiley]

This island looks so boring, sheesh. Looks like just a bunch of upcharge cabanas and some shade sails. Lame.

Perhaps a water park vacation would be better for you then.