Lookout Cay: Pros & Cons

[ladyofthetramp]

CC many times, LC just once. Need another visit to decide. LC is a natural, beautiful beach. I find the food to be just fine at both places-picnic food. I loved the live reggae band in the adult area. What I did not love was the long, hot, boardwalks and very little shade. We could not put up the umbrellas as it was too windy. And no snorkeling that day-due to the very windy conditions. In my mind, LC deserves another chance, but CC is my favorite at the moment.

 

[Jason Martin]

Only other potential cons are 1) the cabanas are located in an area right near the pier so you may miss out on the other aspects also serenity bay is right next to the family beach so not the separation like you see at CC

 

[chamberlain]

We were at LC in April. My husband and I are 63 and enjoyed the walk to the tram getting there and coming back. We have physically active jobs and in good health so we are fortunate but can see where the walk would be difficult for some. We enjoyed the food with no flies in sight. Liked the band playing and found a table right away but we went early to lunch. Beach and water are gorgeous. We loved our day there!

Cons- need more signage like others have said. More selection of merch as well. Would like to go back when more plants have filled in and it has a more tropical look.

 

[erickbeehive]

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!

I just got back from the Dream. We had Mabrika Cove family cabana #5, so this opinion is a bit skewed.

LC pros - the water looks beautiful. Nice view. The concierge staff were great. There is a separate dining area (take-away only) for the cabana area. The food was good and hot.

LC cons -
a. the walk from the boat to the shore. I know this gets beaten to death, but it is a real major negative. It is in the full blazing sun, no shade, and .55 miles one way. threw the two kids and beach bags into a wagon and pulled them. I was not happy being frustrated, worn out, sweaty, and hot before I even got onto the island. Even worse on the way back after a day in the sun.

b. The Mabrika beach (or whatever it is actually called) was okay, nothing special. There is a large 'sand shelf' due to erosion. Walking from the cabana down to the water's edge was fine. However, climbing back up proved to be a challenge. There were many rocks and craters in the water, which made walking and kneeling difficult and painful. A cast member was patrolling the deeper water looking for sharks. We had to get out of the water for a bit due to a sighting of a reef shark.

c. The island layout. Since our cabana was in Mabrika Cove (allowing children), it was completely separated from the rest of the island where all of the kid-friendly things to do were located. As the concierge rep explained, if we wanted to see the rest of the island, we would have to walk to the tram station, take the ride to the opposite side of the island, do whatever we wanted, and then reverse course. The travel time alone was approximately 45 minutes. He stated that most people do not bother exploring the rest of the island and just stay at the cabana. A huge disappointment not having easier access to the other 90% of the island.

 

[cruisehopeful]

There is a separate dining area (take-away only) for the cabana area. The food was good and hot.

Can you explain where this is? It looked to me like people staying in the Mabrika cabanas would need to take the tram to the food. I did see the window where you could buy drinks near the cabanas, but even that looked extremely limited.

 

[erickbeehive]

If the ocean and cabana row are on your right, the food building is around #10, right in the middle of the row. On the left side of the path are two bathroom buildings which looked like they had concession windows. However, at the cabana (we also had concierge) we just used the tablet screen to order whatever drinks we wanted and they brought it right to us. The cast member delivered our order within 10 minutes.

the selection of drinks is limited to mass market stuff. However, once we did ask for a sweet red wine which they did not have on the island. the cast member got the wine from the boat's supply. He got a big tip.

I hope this answers your question.

BTW, we are also looking at Alaska on the Magic for next year

 

[jwalk03]

Maybe it’s just me- but I would never rent a cabana, especially at Lookout Cay. I want to see the whole island not just one little section. And I want to be on the beautiful natural beach- not in the secluded spots where they built the cabanas.

And omg the horrors of a half mile walk on the pier?! How many miles do you walk in a day at Disney World? This is the most over blown thing ever.

Personally I absolutely loved lookout cay and can’t wait to go back!! I would chose the natural beauty of lookout cay over castaway cay 10 out of 10 times. Don’t get my wrong I love castaway cay too- but if I’m forced to chose I’m taking lookout cay. But the ideal itinerary includes both!!

 

[erickbeehive]

Maybe it’s just me- but I would never rent a cabana, especially at Lookout Cay. I want to see the whole island not just one little section. And I want to be on the beautiful natural beach- not in the secluded spots where they built the cabanas.

And omg the horrors of a half mile walk on the pier?! How many miles do you walk in a day at Disney World? This is the most over blown thing ever.

Personally I absolutely loved lookout cay and can’t wait to go back!! I would chose the natural beauty of lookout cay over castaway cay 10 out of 10 times. Don’t get my wrong I love castaway cay too- but if I’m forced to chose I’m taking lookout cay. But the ideal itinerary includes both!!

Opinions are like butt holes, everyone has one. What works for one does not work for all.

I would not go to the island any other way. The cabana gives me a private beach, guaranteed shade, a hammock, comfy lounge chairs, a changing area, a sun shower, a refrigerator stocked with cold drinks, snacks, and fresh fruit, sunscreen, towels, a safe, and a concierge to fetch anything that I need.

I am not fighting the other passengers for chairs with an umbrella so we don't burn to a crisp in the hot tropical sun.

Perhaps they should have put the adults' only cabanas at Mabrika and the family cabanas closer to the main part of the island?

Next trip, we will explore the rest of the island and still enjoy the cabana.

As for the walking, that is one of the main reasons we have not taken our children to WDW. Between the walking, heat, humidity, crowds, and waiting, it is a recipe for disaster. If it were just my wife and me, walking would not be an issue. Having two small children makes it an issue.

 

[katmigordon]

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.

Will I not be able to use my ECV to do the peir?

 

[OKW Lover]

Will I not be able to use my ECV to do the peir?

Yes you can do that

 

[Jfsag123]

As for the walking, that is one of the main reasons we have not taken our children to WDW. Between the walking, heat, humidity, crowds, and waiting, it is a recipe for disaster. If it were just my wife and me, walking would not be an issue. Having two small children makes it an issue.

Literally thousands of small children go to WDW every single day, many of them without a problem, so this sounds like more of a you issue. And I don't say that to be insulting, but just to point out that, when asking questions like these, it's probably helpful to know what kind of person/vacationing style is providing the answer. A family who vacations more similarly to the poster I quoted vs the one directly above the post I quoted are likely to have vastly different opinions and preferences.

I've never been to LC or CC, so can't offer an opinion (first cruise scheduled for next year, woohoo), but we are annual parks people (visit in July), live in the south, typically walk miles in the heat during the summer by choice 4-6x/week often with our young child (and 2 older ones), and like to be on the go even somewhere like the beach. Therefore, I'm guessing jwalk03's opinion has more relevance for me. Long-winded way of saying what may be a pro for one person may be a con for someone else, so I definitely appreciate it when folks include more info about their vacation preferences than "Castaway good, Lookout bad" or vice versa. However, I'm appreciating the info regardless as I sit here going crazy waiting for next year.