Chairs on Castaway Cay before 5k

[jiminyC_fan]

I have no problem with chair saving on Castaway Cay. It’s completely different than on the ship. There are so many chairs. If your whole party is doing the 5K, go ahead and save chairs before the run. If the whole party isn’t running, just have the other people save your chairs so you don’t have to worry about it ... they can get off the ship at essentially the same time.

If you’re going to spend the entire day on the island, it makes no sense to me to NOT claim a spot right when you get off the ship. We always get off the ship and claim a spot as soon as we can and we are never in the spot ALL DAY. Isn’t that how most people do a beach day?? Seriously. We explore the island, ride bikes, eat at Cookies, snorkel, get character photos, try the slides, float on rafts ... are folks actually suggesting that we should pack up all of our stuff and store it (where???) every time we leave our chairs to do something? Do people really do this at the beach?

I totally agree with you. I am not going to pack up every time that I leave my chair and lug a bag and wet towel. That's just over the top ridiculous.

 

[over50visits]

I totally agree with you. I am not going to pack up every time that I leave my chair and lug a bag and wet towel. That's just over the top ridiculous.

Of course. I think the problem is some people leave for an hour or two or three (or more!) and believe they own those chairs and shouldn't have to act kindly. We've seen a lot of hammocks that stay filled with towels and bags for hours, with no one using them. That seems inconsiderate. Luckily, we have found that most people are basically good, and they make the cruises a pleasure.

 

[DCLPrincess]

I totally agree with you. I am not going to pack up every time that I leave my chair and lug a bag and wet towel. That's just over the top ridiculous.

I agree, I prefer to leave my stuff. I was on the Dream last week and there were plenty of chairs available all day long with umbrellas. Of course I don't need to be in the front. I actually prefer to be at the back of the beach.

Ha it’s funny what people find rude (I can be the queen of that) I agree to not save chairs but I feel at Cabanas especially the first day with kids!! it makes more sense to get everyone seated and then go get food. Although we would leave a parent and the kids at the table.

Last week the crew was telling people in cabanas to get tables and then food. I've never heard them say that before.

 

[ScooterScott44]

They already do. There is no such thing as “5K gets off first”.

That statement is sort of an urban legend thing. At one time, like ten years ago, the 5k did get off the ship a little early. At that time you did leave the ship prior to the other guests. The run started at the pier, not out on the island, and you ran out and then back to the ship. You were also expected to get back on the ship once you were done. It was common to have the first guests disembarking as the 5K was ending. That format and process was changed long ago.

Now the only time you will get off the ship early is for the Castaway Cay Challenge 5K. That is the pay event associated with marathon weekend. There is only one each year in early January on the Dream the Monday after the marathon. With that event, similar to the old version, you are expected to return to the ship. It may be possible if are doing the 5k from the later waves and you time things right, to finish near the tail end of the race so that the island is “open” so you do not have to return to the ship.

 

[Dug720]

That statement is sort of an urban legend thing. At one time, like ten years ago, the 5k did get off the ship a little early. At that time you did leave the ship prior to the other guests. The run started at the pier, not out on the island, and you ran out and then back to the ship. You were also expected to get back on the ship once you were done. It was common to have the first guests disembarking as the 5K was ending. That format and process was changed long ago.

Yes, I said that earlier. I did actually do it once when it was still standard operating procedure, and I know there were people in the room and crowd who simply peeled off and headed to the beach.

I have no doubt that as word spread via the internet, more people decided they would sign up simply to get off the ship early. There would be Activity staff at the front and at the back and the middle of the crowd, and I'm sure they were also keeping an eye for those who "went to drop a kid at Scuttles" or "just dropping stuff off" who never returned, and when a pattern was seen, it was no longer the standard. If there's one thing Disney is good at, it's figuring out when people are taking advantage of loopholes (ok, sometimes it takes a while - looking at you throw away room - but they get there).

 

[hnthomps]

I totally agree with you. I am not going to pack up every time that I leave my chair and lug a bag and wet towel. That's just over the top ridiculous.

I more sort of agree, and sort of don't. We go out early and claim 2 loungers for our family of 4 for the beach morning, with grownups alternating in the chairs while the kids play. The second chair has all the stuff and occasionally a child. We don't pack up our stuff when we are going to a quick activity, but we absolutely move our stuff if we are going to be gone for over an hour, and at lunch time! I think it's insanely rude to consider otherwise. It's perfectly easy to just grab our small bag of belongings and take it with us, even if we plan to come back to the beach (or 'a part of a beach') later in the day. If we need to leave our belongings somewhere for a bit (because we are going to be biking or whatever) we consolidate them all on to one chair in a less desirable location (away from the water, etc).

I know there are lots of chairs, but I think it's just basic courtesy. Take what you need, and not what you don't. I've seen so many people claim 4-5 chairs on the beach and then just...never use them. I don't get it.

 

[MrsSmalls]

Ha it’s funny what people find rude (I can be the queen of that) I agree to not save chairs but I feel at Cabanas especially the first day with kids!! it makes more sense to get everyone seated and then go get food. Although we would leave a parent and the kids at the table.

I’ve done this because when we head into Cabanas everyone seems to want to go to a different food station. That way everyone knows where they are going back to after they have their tray full.

 

[lilmc]

That way everyone knows where they are going back to after they have their tray full.

This is my thing. I don’t try to save more or too early than what is considered “fair” but with a family of four going in multiple directions with full trays in a buffet or in different activities and beach towels on 1 or 2 chairs, it’s easier with a meeting spot or “home base”. We don’t hold on the ship, but on the beach, our chairs do become our base.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Speaking as someone who got off the Fantasy last spring break around 10:30, I could not find more than one chair available and it was in the sun next to the cabana border. We walked the length of the beach looking for any chairs without towels on them. There were none. There were plenty of chairs without bodies and without stuff, but none without towels. Even the water chairs were stacked against people's loungers so they could have both. I will not leave that late again.

Now, after lunch, I was able to move my son and I into a shadier spot, but there still wasn't a ton of places until a lot closer to nap time and all aboard time.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The CC 5K doesn't get off the ship any earlier. Once the ship is cleared, everyone can get off.

That's not the way we've found it to be. The 5K people were taken to a dedicated gangway FIRST, then both gangways were opened for everyone.

That said, we've never had a problem finding loungers together, regardless of when we've gotten off the ship. True, there's only 2 of us, but still.....

 

[Sepo]

Decimation (Latin: decimatio; decem = "ten") was a form of military discipline used by senior commanders in the Roman Army to punish units or large groups guilty of capital offences, such as cowardice, mutiny, desertion, saving chairs indiscriminately at Disney’s Castaway Cay, insubordination, and for pacification of rebellious legions. The word decimation is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth".[1] The procedure was a pragmatic attempt to balance the need to punish serious offences with the realities of managing a large group of offenders.[2]

-Wikipedia

 

[mousefan73]

I’m all for saving chairs but in a realistic way Based off of what our day use will actually be. We are a family of four and we only take two loungers. Two adults and two kids. If I were to add up the time over the whole day were all four of us would want to lounge simultaneously It would probably be only 20 minutes. I’m not gonna hoard 2 extra lounges for thosefew minutes. I need a chair to put my stuff on. I’m not gonna put all my personal items in the sand that just gets too messy. I think it just comes to not being greedy don’t hoard chairs that you will use most if the day.

 

[girlsmom]

Decimation (Latin: decimatio; decem = "ten") was a form of military discipline used by senior commanders in the Roman Army to punish units or large groups guilty of capital offences, such as cowardice, mutiny, desertion, saving chairs indiscriminately at Disney’s Castaway Cay, insubordination, and for pacification of rebellious legions. The word decimation is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth".[1] The procedure was a pragmatic attempt to balance the need to punish serious offences with the realities of managing a large group of offenders.[2]

-Wikipedia

haha! at first I thought this post was a "spam" or something then I caught the "saving chairs indiscriminately at Disney’s Castaway Cay" part~

 

[apathetic]

That's not the way we've found it to be. The 5K people were taken to a dedicated gangway FIRST, then both gangways were opened for everyone.

That said, we've never had a problem finding loungers together, regardless of when we've gotten off the ship. True, there's only 2 of us, but still.....

It's probably done a little different depending on the ship and crew staff. I've done the 5K and found we were mixing in with non-racers as we got off the ship and walked to the start line. Other times, I've not participated and found myself mixed in with people doing the race even though I delayed getting off to avoid that. I think it is so popular now that you get a couple of hundred people in the 5K. So the ship tries to accommodate them but they have to respect everyone else who want to get off for the beach. This is why the race never happens when they say it will and can easily eat up the whole morning. That's why I quit doing it.

I've never had problems with recliners either. There are just too many. Hammocks on the other hand are always reserved. I've never actually seen people using them, just personal belongings reserving them.

 

[ScooterScott44]

That's not the way we've found it to be. The 5K people were taken to a dedicated gangway FIRST, then both gangways were opened for everyone.

It's probably done a little different depending on the ship and crew staff. I've done the 5K and found we were mixing in with non-racers as we got off the ship and walked to the start line. Other times, I've not participated and found myself mixed in with people doing the race even though I delayed getting off to avoid that. I think it is so popular now that you get a couple of hundred people in the 5K. So the ship tries to accommodate them but they have to respect everyone else who want to get off for the beach. This is why the race never happens when they say it will and can easily eat up the whole morning. That's why I quit doing it.

As I shared in a earlier post, greater than ten years ago and with the current Castaway Cay challenge the 5k was held before the island “opened”. That process is long gone except for one day a year. But the rumor still persists.

Since then there have been different ways the 5k is organized and it still evolves. Lately it seems it will depend on ship dock time, crew and staff and number of people doing the 5k. With the standard 5k expect to get off the ship as the island opens, not before. Depending on circumstances they may dedicate a specific gangway to help expidiate the larger group but that would be the only “special” privilege.

 

[DCLPrincess]

I really think it depends on the situation. For example when I was at castaway cay last week, there were 2 of us and we got 2 loungers at the back of the beach and left our stuff there all day, even when we went to lunch. All day long there were empty loungers in the shade all around us. I don't see any reason why that's a problem.

 

[daisyx3]

I’ve done this because when we head into Cabanas everyone seems to want to go to a different food station. That way everyone knows where they are going back to after they have their tray full.

On that first day I can guarantee we will get a table and then food, because although I can balance a plate or two and a drink, I can't do that if I am also rolling my carryon around. Usually one of us sits with the carryon while the other gets food and then we switch. However, last time we sat outside and early on most of our fellow passengers wanted to sit inside, so the outside wasn't in a lot of demand.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Speaking as someone who got off the Fantasy last spring break around 10:30, I could not find more than one chair available and it was in the sun next to the cabana border. We walked the length of the beach looking for any chairs without towels on them. There were none. There were plenty of chairs without bodies and without stuff, but none without towels. Even the water chairs were stacked against people's loungers so they could have both. I will not leave that late again.

Now, after lunch, I was able to move my son and I into a shadier spot, but there still wasn't a ton of places until a lot closer to nap time and all aboard time.

Did you look in the back, too? We tend to arrive mid-morning, set up at a lounger in the back, and there are always empty loungers, a lot of them, around ours all day. And yes, this includes when sailing Dream class. We only sail during peak season.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Did you look in the back, too? We tend to arrive mid-morning, set up at a lounger in the back, and there are always empty loungers, a lot of them, around ours all day. And yes, this includes when sailing Dream class. We only sail during peak season.

There was nothing. We walked around a few times. There were plenty that had towels on them in a "claimed" manner. I asked someone who was sitting there if maybe those were just provided or were they actually claimed. She said she assumed they were claimed, as there hadn't been towels on her chairs before she had gotten there.

Maybe it was just one of those really busy days when everyone decided the beach was where they wanted to spend the morning. But it was bad luck for us.