Does Anyone Else Feel Like Disney Was Shafted on the Lighthouse Point Deal?

[ChicosWife]

I saw the details of the deal yesterday and it seems that Disney got the short end of that stick! Hundreds of millions of dollars for a portion of an island (not even the whole island), has to donate back hundreds of acres back to the state, has to employee a high percentage of the locals (I get that), has to increase ports to the Bahamas (why is that only a DCL responsibility), it is not just open to the DCL cruisers, but the locals as well (Why? What is the point of a "private" island, if anyone can go?)

I think that last part is what bothers me the most. Disney can't market this as a second Castaway Cay if anyone can be there. Now, it boils down to just being a new port to visit, not a private island getaway.

Anyone else feel this way?

 

[DahliaRW]

I saw the details of the deal yesterday and it seems that Disney got the short end of that stick! Hundreds of millions of dollars for a portion of an island (not even the whole island), has to donate back hundreds of acres back to the state, has to employee a high percentage of the locals (I get that), has to increase ports to the Bahamas (why is that only a DCL responsibility), it is not just open to the DCL cruisers, but the locals as well (Why? What is the point of a "private" island, if anyone can go?)

I think that last part is what bothers me the most. Disney can't market this as a second Castaway Cay if anyone can be there. Now, it boils down to just being a new port to visit, not a private island getaway.

Anyone else feel this way?

I have a sneaky suspicion that there will be a private fenced off area that only cruisers can access (plus approved Bahamian merchants) and that there will be areas open to anyone, cruisers and locals alike.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I have a sneaky suspicion that there will be a private fenced off area that only cruisers can access (plus approved Bahamian merchants) and that there will be areas open to anyone, cruisers and locals alike.

How large is the island? If it's good sized, then DCL's portion could be as large as Castaway Cay. How far is it from other islands, and how many locals would have access to pleasure craft to just go visit the island every day? Would they want to socialize with the cruise passengers, or would they be more likely to go to the National Park part of the island that DCL will be establishing?

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Disney is a mega corporation, and mega corporations aren't in the business to lose money or provide jobs programs. They're in the business of providing a high quality product and turning a profit. As such, I have full faith that LP will be amazing. Aulani isn't an entire island, I don't expect LP to be much (if any) different in quality.

 

[ChicosWife]

I have a sneaky suspicion that there will be a private fenced off area that only cruisers can access (plus approved Bahamian merchants) and that there will be areas open to anyone, cruisers and locals alike.

I was thinking maybe they could only access the amenities when there are no ships in the port?

 

[ChicosWife]

Disney is a mega corporation, and mega corporations aren't in the business to lose money or provide jobs programs. They're in the money of providing a high quality product and turning a profit. As such, I have full faith that LP will be amazing. Aulani isn't an entire island, I don't expect LP to be much (if any) different in quality.

Good point. My thing is that it is being perceived as a second Castaway Cay and to me, at this point, it doesn't seem that way. Although, I would love to be pleasantly surprised! I am sure that DCL won't let us down on this one. The deal just seems that Disney was held hostage on the details, but what do I know.

 

[Starlight0229]

The island where Lighthouse Point is located is a long, narrow island with over 10,000 residents. It's also home to another cruise line's "private island". They originally wanted to by a different location (which would have been a separate island much like CC) however the environmental impact study showed that it would not be feasible. Lighthouse Point was the only other available option because they are limited to acquiring privately owned land. I wouldn't expect them to allow public access to everything while there is a ship in port, it would eliminate a lot of the conveniences such as using you KTTW to make purchases and cause issues with lunch service. They will probably have areas that are public and possibly open the amenities when there isn't a ship scheduled. I'm sure they'll figure out the best way to retain the magic and meet the obligations from the agreement.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Good point. My thing is that it is being perceived as a second Castaway Cay and to me, at this point, it doesn't seem that way. Although, I would love to be pleasantly surprised! I am sure that DCL won't let us down on this one. The deal just seems that Disney was held hostage on the details, but what do I know.

I think that a lot of us (myself included) have been calling LP 'another Castaway Cay' and that may be wrong. It's going to be LP and have some similar and other dissimilar amenities to CC. There will be a beach(es). There will be food. Beyond that, it could be different. I'm curious to see what DCL comes up with shoreside aside from the usual beach stuff.

 

[lilsonicfan]

While I take your point, I feel that as a savvy multi billion dollar corporation, Disney is unlikely ever to be shafted in any sort of business deal

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It's not that easy to find an island that you can dock a large ship at, develop amenities and meet environmental review on.

 

[bumbershoot]

My thing is that it is being perceived as a second Castaway Cay and to me, at this point, it doesn't seem that way.

Maybe see it as a Disney version of Royal’s Labadee, which is thoroughly enjoyed by many.

The deal just seems that Disney was held hostage on the details

The idea of Disney being held hostage to something is just...yeah no. Disney is too big to be held hostage. They like to play the woe is me card sometimes (rundisney in Anaheim) but it’s simply not true (rundisney in Anaheim lol).

And if they are being taken advantage of, then it’s karma for how they created “the Florida project”, lying and sneaking around to buy farms as low as possible, by not mentioned disney’s name. Or how they got out of the post hurricane andrew lawsuits about Country Walk estates, which they designed and planned (my mom lived there, moved away the year before Andrew, and her house, which was a model home, is one of the few that survived), but managed to keep their name out of the righteous lawsuits, which reduced what the homeowners got because Arvida’s pockets weren’t as deep as Disney’s.

IMO Disney deserves to be taken advantage of.

But the likelihood of it having happened is low.

 

[ChicosWife]

The island where Lighthouse Point is located is a long, narrow island with over 10,000 residents. It's also home to another cruise line's "private island". They originally wanted to by a different location (which would have been a separate island much like CC) however the environmental impact study showed that it would not be feasible. Lighthouse Point was the only other available option because they are limited to acquiring privately owned land. I wouldn't expect them to allow public access to everything while there is a ship in port, it would eliminate a lot of the conveniences such as using you KTTW to make purchases and cause issues with lunch service. They will probably have areas that are public and possibly open the amenities when there isn't a ship scheduled. I'm sure they'll figure out the best way to retain the magic and meet the obligations from the agreement.[/QUOTE]

I agree.

 

[Little c Travel]

In 2000 11,000 people lived on the Eleuthera. Say now it is 15,000 people. The island is actually pretty large, 110 miles long and 1 mile wide at its widest spot. The majority of the residents live well north of Lighthouse Point. I suspect the roads are not great and traveling to Disney's area will not be a quick journey. Nassah is 50 miles away, so I don't see a ton of people jumping on boats to come to visit for the day. Also, I'm sure Disney will be able to restrict private craft from docking at the resort. Plus, as others have said, I'm sure Disney will have the ability either limit the areas where or times when locals can enjoy the day resort. I cannot see a rush locals visiting Lighthouse Point being an issue.

 

[ChicosWife]

Maybe see it as a Disney version of Royal’s Labadee, which is thoroughly enjoyed by many.




The idea of Disney being held hostage to something is just...yeah no. Disney is too big to be held hostage. They like to play the woe is me card sometimes (rundisney in Anaheim) but it’s simply not true (rundisney in Anaheim lol).

And if they are being taken advantage of, then it’s karma for how they created “the Florida project”, lying and sneaking around to buy farms as low as possible, by not mentioned disney’s name. Or how they got out of the post hurricane andrew lawsuits about Country Walk estates, which they designed and planned (my mom lived there, moved away the year before Andrew, and her house, which was a model home, is one of the few that survived), but managed to keep their name out of the righteous lawsuits, which reduced what the homeowners got because Arvida’s pockets weren’t as deep as Disney’s.

IMO Disney deserves to be taken advantage of.

But the likelihood of it having happened is low.

Yikes! You really dislike Disney!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Yikes! You really dislike Disney!

I don't think she dislikes Disney. I think she's just seeing through the haze of pixie dust to what they are: They're a mega-multi-national company. They are unlikely to be being taken advantage of. They have undoubtedly done a full analysis of costs and benefits and found this deal to be suitable. Good on the Bahamas for getting as much as they can on their end, instead of just reliving colonial exploitation.

 

[ChicosWife]

They have undoubtedly done a full analysis of costs and benefits and found this deal to be suitable.

I agree on this part.

 

[Jess_S]

I think all of the deal terms seem fair and reasonable. I don't like the idea of taking an area that was available to and enjoyed by the locals and taking it away from them. I am glad they will get their national park and access to the site. And there wouldn't be much point in doing a deal with a cruise line if the result wasn't going to be employment for locals.

I also like the idea of visiting a Disney quality beach area, but still being able to do non-beach things. We were lucky that we had good weather at Castaway Cay, but I can't imagine what I would do there is the weather was bad. Having the option to hike or visit other local attractions if it is not a beach day will be a plus for me.

I guess what I am saying is that I view this as a nice option to have. Some will prefer Castaway Cay, some will prefer the new location.

 

[Viking7641]

They are buying a piece of a sovereign nation in the global south to entertain American tourists. They’ll be fine

 

[Intr3pid]

This isn't a private island. It's a shared island. All cruise lines want another stop in Bahamas on their Caribbeans itineraries (esp. Eastern). Nassau port currently has a lot of pricing power due to its location. Cruise lines want an alternative.

Think of this island a bit like Icy Strait Point in Alaska - very synthetic - except that it's all flat, so you can cordon off its areas to make parts of it exclusive.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

It will be interesting once that portion of the island is up and running for the ships. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be like Jamaica's beaches where someone is bothering you every 5 minutes selling jewelry or wanting to braid your hair.