Lookout Cay: Pros & Cons

[vakamalua]

Looking at a cruise with stops at both CC & LC. Been to CC about 10 times but not LC. Been reading a number of negatives for LC on this forum. Would anyone who's been there recently please give their opinion--pro & con--on what a first-timer to LC should consider? Thanks!

 

[OKW Lover]

We've been to both islands. CC probably 20 times, but only once to LC. The drawback to LC, especially for those with mobility issues, is the long pier.

 

[jwalk03]

Love LC- it’s much more naturally beautiful than CC. The water is just stunning, and there is actual surf unlike CC.

Many people complain about the long pier. If you don’t have mobility problems isn’t not a big deal. If you do they offer a golf cart shuttle but this can be time consuming.

My 8-year old loved the water slides at LC more than CC.

I honestly liked LC more, but I still enjoyed CC too.

 

[vakamalua]

Have read that—
-The food on LC is awful & always cold,
-There aren’t enough seats for dining,
-The food area often has lots of flies,
-It can be hard to find chairs & umbrellas, especially at the adult beach..

Any comments on these or other issues in your experiences?

 

[Disneyworldlocal]

We timed the pier walk doing it as a leisurely stroll. It took 11 mins 8 seconds from beginning to end of the pier.
My only complaint at LC is the total lack of signage. It was quite confusing once we got off the tram. I love to collect Disney magnets and they do not carry any LC magnets. We did get an island of Eluthra one from the local artists shop.
The beach and water is absolutely amazing! We were there first week of May and only saw one fly. I’ve heard a lot about crowding at Tru Tru 1 and 2 bbq’s. We ate at Serenity Bay BBQ and it was pretty low crowds. We were on the Magic so that might have something to do with it. I thought the food at LC was much better quality than CC
They have a cookie / real ice cream ( not soft serve ) in the Serenity Bay BBQ area. We loved that.

 

[Erica1016]

Have read that—
-The food on LC is awful & always cold,
-There aren’t enough seats for dining,
-The food area often has lots of flies,
-It can be hard to find chairs & umbrellas, especially at the adult beach..

Any comments on these or other issues in your experiences?

We have only been once, in December 2024. We enjoyed the food, not particularly noting any problems. We were easily able to secure a table for the four of us. While there have been fly problems, we only saw a few. They had big fans set up around the seating area, which I think kept them away. We also had no trouble getting two loungers with an umbrella for my in-laws just inside the adult area at the beach.

While I agree that I've read a lot about those issues here on the message board, none of them were issues for us and we enjoyed our day there. Overall, we prefer Castaway (probably because we're familiar with it), but we had a fine day at Lookout!

 

[mort1331]

does LC have a 5k run as well?

 

[Disneyworldlocal]

does LC have a 5k run as well?

Not yet. However you can buy LC 5k merchandise which is strange. I thought the 5k merch was some of the best in the gift shop

 

[IrishEye]

we have been 3 times, different experience each time. we were on the Fantasy so gauge crowd size from that. first time, food was not warm, no problem finding chairs and umbrella at adult beach, lunch seating no problem, water was very rough hard to stay in. second and third similar, food warmer, hard to find seating, beach chairs and umbrella available but too windy umbrellas had to stay down. water very choppy, high waves. listed excursions not available, no bikes on island yet and buggy adventure not yet finalized.

expect things will improve as the site matures.

 

[CamColt]

My 2 experiences at LC were not our typical beach days due to unique circumstances, so it is hard for me to judge, but we enjoyed LC. We are big fans of CC (been over 30 times), so for us to like a new island says a lot.

We actually think the food is better at LC than CC (loved the ice cream bar at Serenity Bar). We did not have any issues with flies. While the pier is long, I think it looks worse than it is. On CC we usually head back to the ship from the Heads Up Bar area. I wouldn't say the pier is a longer walk than that. And of course, the sand and water are beautiful...the whole island is!

I really don't have any negatives but again, I haven't fully enjoyed a regular day there. I plan to this summer so hopefully I can form more of an opinion then.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

We loved Lookout. So much so we are doing a B2B with 2 stops there (& one Castaway)

Yes the pier isn’t the best but it didn’t feel as miserable as people made it out.

 

[OKW Lover]

Have read that—
-The food on LC is awful & always cold,
-There aren’t enough seats for dining,
-The food area often has lots of flies,
-It can be hard to find chairs & umbrellas, especially at the adult beach..

Any comments on these or other issues in your experiences?

Easy response - all incorrect

 

[Disneyworldlocal]

Easy response - all incorrect

Agreed

 

[serrem2]

Have read that—
-The food on LC is awful & always cold,
-There aren’t enough seats for dining,
-The food area often has lots of flies,
-It can be hard to find chairs & umbrellas, especially at the adult beach..

I tried some of the food selections that are not available at CC like the jambalaya and the pigeon peas and rice. Cold and awful. Probably the worst food I've ever had on a Disney cruise. Not really a fan of the other fare, which is similar to Castaway Cay, overdone burgers, hot dogs, and fries, etc.

Next trip we'll go early, enjoy the beach, and go back to the ship for a late lunch at one of the pool counters.

We went there on a cruise on the Magic in May. Even though it was a smaller ship, all of the chairs and umbrellas in the adult beach area were taken by the time we got there, about 10:30. There were plenty of available seating, however, in the area across the dunes from the beach.

Didn't have any problem with flies. Saw one or two, maybe. If I were a fly, I wouldn't eat the food, either.

Didn't have any problem finding seats at Serenity Bay for lunch.

The beach, however, is more than worth the loooooong trip from the boat. One of the prettiest beaches I've ever seen, and the water is extremely clear. Much better than Castaway Cay, because there is surf and you can get more than ankle deep at LC's Serenity Bay as opposed to Castaway's. Also, unlike CC's Serenity Bay, there are very few rocks or other obstacles.

Wouldn't book a cruise to go there, but if Lookout Cay is on an itinerary that has other attractions (especially price) we'll be happy to go back.

 

[Nicnicnic.nic]

Have read that—
-The food on LC is awful & always cold,
-There aren’t enough seats for dining,
-The food area often has lots of flies,
-It can be hard to find chairs & umbrellas, especially at the adult beach..

Any comments on these or other issues in your experiences?

Went early June 2025.
Food meh but warm, they had a salad I liked a lot though. Found a table to eat with no waiting in family area. I didn't see any flies. Found 2 chairs with umbrellas with no issues at family beach.

Ive been to CC 3x and LC 1x. I prefer LC due to the beach being more beautiful, better amenities, and kid splash pad but there are things I also still like about CC like the water slides in the ocean and the kitschy Disney vibe.I want to go to both basically lol

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Went in Nov - windy day choppy water
Need better signage easy to get lost
No problem getting a lounger on the adult beach I was on the Fantasy
I tried the food I thought it was the same temperature the food on CC which is warm to cold not complaining just stating I tried all the food and I’m a fan of the jambalaya is it the best no was it decent yes
My complaint you couldn’t get a drink at the bar it was constantly five people deep it was impossible after 20 minutes I gave up
I rarely saw anybody walking around asking if you wanted a drink
I do have a slight mobility issue the pier walk wasn’t too bad for me I just took it really slow and enjoy the view it’s a beautiful view
The sand is amazing and I enjoyed it tremendously

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We have been to LC twice. Our main problem has been with the allergy meal service.

The first time, on the WBTA last November, the meal came with the specified protein but none of the indicated sides, even though the allergy menu that our server insisted we order from two nights in advance listed the selections as an entire main course (entree plus two sides). At that, the ribs ordered by DW were lukewarm to cold when they arrived. We went to the special allergy window and asked about the sides, and were told the server must not have specified them on the order submitted. When we inquired at Guest Services later, we were told there was some confusion about how the servers were specifying orders. This was the Dream’s first stop at LC, so we figured it was just growing pains.

The second visit, on the Fantasy in January, DW was again asked to preorder two nights ahead. The ordered allergy meal arrived complete this time, but it was inedible because it was at ambient temperature already (I was about to say room temperature, but we were outside). Your guess is as good as mine how long the food had been sitting, but our general rule is hot foods served hot, cold foods served cold. It might have been safe to eat, but DW was unwilling to take a chance.

In both cases, we had arrived at the dining venue between 11:00 and 11:15 am in anticipation of an 11:30 am starting for lunch. That’s what we always have done at CC as well. So getting cold foods served at the beginning of the lunch service is not a good sign.

We have no problem with the food at Cookies Too at CC. Again, we always plan to eat right at opening, so we arrive there by 11:15 am at the latest. It has been our experience that they frequently start serving a few minutes earlier than the scheduled 11:30 am starting time. We know from prior cruises which items from the CC Cookies Too cafeteria service are allergy safe for DW (gluten allergy) thanks to an extremely capable head server we first got to know on the Magic in 2014 (thanks Wira). We have never had a problem with the available selections and were able to simply serve ourselves rather than pre-ordering two days ahead.

 

[Lillebelle]

If you've never been, it's probably worth doing LP at least once so you can form your own opinion.

Personally, what I like about CC is why my husband preferred LP, and that's the water. As others have mentioned, the water at LP is regular surf, not a protected lagoon, so you get significant waves. The water itself is absolutely gorgeous and the sand is much nicer. However, when we were there the concierge beach was under black flag half the day so you couldn't actually go in the water. To my husband it was worth it to have some time in 'real waves', but as a parent of small children, I found the waves terrifying and I vastly prefer the wading at CC where I'm confident my child won't get suddenly swept out to sea.

That being said, the kids LOVED the water slide area at LP. And so, our next cruise will be back to LP. Just like there are pro's and con's to the different ships, the islands each have their merits and drawbacks, and so to me it makes sense to just do a mix if you can.

 

[Lillebelle]

Oh and I hate the food on both islands so

 

[holula]

LP pros
- the beach is gorgeous and the water is so clear
- the water and temp in general is warmer than CC due to it being further south (this was a pro in Jan but may not be a pro in July )
- the food was better than CC

LP cons
- like others have mentioned, there is a lack of signage
- I did find it hard to find a table after I got food but as I was just one person I squeezed in with another family
- getting the golf cart from the ship was fine but on the way back it wasn’t clear where to wait and there was no shade at all l