Finding Shade on Castaway Cay?

[zephyr'd]

I know it's early for me to be this anxious about something relatively minor, but how hard is it to find shade on the family beach(es) on Castaway Cay? Like an umbrella or something? In the past when we've done private islands we've had a clamshell or a mini-cabana, but it looks like our odds of that are low on CC. I will have a 15 month old, an almost 4-year-old, and a husband who dislikes the sun, so I'm starting to get anxious about being able to enjoy the beach with them! All three of my guys are fair-skinned, too. Help?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

There is lots of shade there you may need to walk up the beach a bit but if your off promptly you will find some.

 

[SailingSeas]

It's not minor to me, I glow in the dark - I feel your pain. If you want my favorite hiding spot (you aren't cruising with me, are you? *peers suspiciously* Nope? OK, you can have it - head behind the Conched Out Bar on Castaway Cay, and walk *behind* it. it's to the left in the photo. There's a bunch of palm trees and about 6-8 hammocks there, along with beach chairs. There is a decent photo of it:

Be aware that the sun is all over that darn sky at different points of the year, so it's tough to find the perfect spot, but as DF said, there are a ton of palm trees around. Sit back from the ocean so you don't get as much of the reflection burn, and you should be good to go.

Another good point to this location, especially since you have little ones, is that there's not only a bar close by, but bathrooms and a shower as well.

 

[professorandmom]

Two things can impact your experience on CC Zephyr'd: which ship are you on and what time of year are you traveling?

If you are on the Wonder or Magic you'd find that the lower passenger capacity results in more chairs under umbrellas. In addition, if you are traveling on the Dream or Fantasy at peak times (when the ship is full or close to full), you may find you'll need to look more closely for shade.

As Disney Fantasy stated, the time you disembark will also impact your shade search...

 

[Justacruiser]

Think of it this way, I know very few people that get off the ship and go straight to a chair with no shade or umbrella. A lot of the chairs at the family beach have an umbrella and there are some chairs in the tree lines. The earlier you arrive at the beach the better selection you have. Get off the ship around 9am and you should be fine. Better shade than sorry, I always say!

 

[zephyr'd]

Thank you all for your help! Sorry I forgot to include the ship -- We're on the Fantasy in late February! I want to do the 5k that morning but otherwise plan on beach all day, or as long as the guys can tolerate it! I feel better knowing it's a good possibility we can find something acceptable.