The Twelve Days of Swinter: From Castaway 'Key' to a Partridge in a Palm Tree!

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

On the fourth day of Swinter my vacation gave to me, a private island for the Dream and fun adventures under the sea!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Well I hope I’m not going to bore you guys stiff with another day of beach pictures, but day four of our Swinter adventure was spent on Disney’s glorious private island, Castaway Cay! This was our last day of the cruise and the part I had most been looking forward to, other than the dolphin encounter.

Our day began once again with a delicious breakfast at Cabanas. This time we didn’t have such an early start though and we paid the price with a more crowded restaurant and lines at the buffet. We still made pretty good time though.

We all loved the mini Mickey waffles with strawberries in syrup and fresh whipped cream! YUM! We thought the eggs were really good too as they were very creamy and light.

We went to breakfast with our swimsuits on under our clothes so that we could go straight onto the island when we were finished eating, and we were off the ship by 8:45. I was so, so, so excited to be spending the day there!

Behind this welcome sign you can see a rack of towels. They had these available for all water activities and port excursions so you really don’t need to pack beach towels. That should save you lots of valuable luggage space.

I wanted to mail my parents a Castaway Cay coconut postcard from here but I couldn’t ever find a shop that sold them.

One of the ship’s photographers took this picture of us, and I purchased it that night after dinner. They had photographers on the beach throughout the day as well.

We had been told that it was supposed to be a total washout that day (80% chance of rain), and when I looked at the sky, I was really worried that our one day on the island would be cut short at the very least.

You have two choices once you get off the ship. You can walk the path to the beach or take the tram. I had read that they have characters along the path like Captain Jack and some of the Fab Five, so we opted for the path. It was an easy walk and took about 15 minutes to get to the beach strolling along at a very leisurely pace. Here are some of the sights we took in along the way…

It really looked like the bottom was going to fall out of the sky at any minute!

I think this is one of the character spots, but as you can see, there was no one there except us. I think we were up and out a little too early for Jack and Mickey! I guess the early bird doesn’t always get the worm.

Continued in next post

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Lots of hammocks were waiting for lazy vacationers. And look, there's one now!

Once we reached the beach, I realized why there were no characters out yet…

Because the island was practically empty! Where was everybody?

There were only a handful of people out and about. It was really nice!

We went first to the rental booth to pick up the snorkeling equipment I had reserved for us for the day. If I recall correctly, it was $25 per adult and $10 per child. Flippers are also included.

We chose a nice set of lounge chairs with an umbrella and unloaded all our beach stuff.

We looked hilarious in our snorkeling get ups!

I had so been looking forward to this! Snorkeling was something I had always wanted to do. Once we had all our gear on and adjusted to fit properly, then the fun really began! We immediately realized that we should have waited and put all that stuff on IN the water. It was SO hard to walk in those flippers! The three of us staggered towards the water like a bunch of drunk penguins! Then once the flippers filled with water, we could hardly lift them. We finally just gave up and belly flopped into the water so we could start swimming. We got so tickled at ourselves that we laughed until we had tears in our eyes!

Once we finally regained our composure, we had to practice the whole breathing thing with the mask and tube. You really have to force your mind and body to go against everything instinctive in order to get started snorkeling. It’s definitely a mind over matter situation to make yourself breathe underwater, but after a few moments we finally got our rhythm going.

DD did so well to only be seven years old. I was really proud of her.

Continued in next post

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

This picture cracks me up! DD needed her vest adjusted because it kept sliding up and choking her.

And btw, the vests are required to be worn by all snorkelers. They allow the lifeguards to easily spot you on the trail. You don’t have to inflate them though so you can still swim to the bottom if you want.

Soon after we got started we had to take another break. DD’s vest was still slipping up and DH’s mask was leaking. It seemed like we had been out there forever and were just spinning our wheels, or should I say flapping our flippers, but getting nowhere. I’m sure it was obvious to everyone that we were first timers!

We could see someone parasailing way off in the distance.

Finally we got moving again and saw our first little fish!

The farther out we went, the deeper the water got so DH held onto DD’s hand just to be safe. It was also high tide and the water was pretty choppy.

You can tell by this picture how choppy the water was. It made it nearly impossible to snorkel and take pictures at the same time.

There were tons of these little silver and yellow fish swimming around us.

About the time we got some momentum going and were finally seeing some fish, DD started freaking out because the water was getting so deep. She is a very good swimmer, but from her little perspective looking down and around, she saw nothing but a huge abyss! It actually was much deeper than I had expected it to be as well, so I headed back to shore with her and told DH to stay out as long as he wanted.

DD asked if she could rent a float and since it was only $6, I didn’t mind. That’s when the guy at the rental booth told us that it was high tide and if we went back out that afternoon, it would be waist deep as far as you could see. That sounded good to DD, so she agreed to try again later in the day.

It wasn’t too long before DH came back in with this huge clam shell he found lying on the bottom.

DH said he needed to give his legs a break (those flippers will really give you a workout!), so I left DD with him and went out by myself for a while.

There were lots of these coral looking things along the bottom.

This guy was pretty big.

I was so excited because I actually found one of the hidden treasures!

They have things that you can find all along the snorkeling trails, like the Nautilus submarine from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Mickey and Minnie statues, etc. The sunken treasure chest was the only thing we found but we never got really far out so we missed a lot of stuff.

I did find some pots though.

This is a horrible picture but I had to share it b/c this fish was gorgeous! He was the most beautiful blue you could imagine! I was so disappointed that this one didn’t turn out well.

I was really getting exhausted by that point and the sea was so choppy that I kept sucking water into my snorkeling tube. I decided to just give it rest until low tide and head back to shore. By the time I got back on dry land I had swallowed half the ocean. But I learned my lesson… before you head out to snorkel, know the tides schedule because low tide is your friend! Thankfully, we had much better luck later in the day.

The good news though was that the clouds began to break and the sun came bursting out! We never ended up having a single drop of rain that day… miraculous I tell ya! So stay tuned… lots more snorkeling fun and Castaway Cay exploration to come!

Up next… The fourth day of Swinter: Part 2

 

[sharonW]

WOW, so much fun!!! The undersea pics are just great....beautiful fish!
It certaintly seems to me now that a disney cruise is so worth looking into.
You really lucked out with no rain!! I just love reading about this wondeful disney experience of yours!

 

[marDgreen88]

I don't think anyone could get sick of beautiful beach pictures! I love them! Castaway Cay looks so peaceful and beautiful and DISNEY-fied.
The undersea pictures are awesome.

 

[jenseib]

I have to ask, because Claire want to snorkel too, did the life vest hold up your DD well. Claire can swim, but not for long periods. And is there a special snorkel lagoon? I never really looked into it much while there or planning our trip as I knew we wouldn't be doing it.

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

WOW, so much fun!!! The undersea pics are just great....beautiful fish!
It certaintly seems to me now that a disney cruise is so worth looking into.
You really lucked out with no rain!! I just love reading about this wondeful disney experience of yours!

Thanks Sharon!

It is absolutely worth looking into! I think there is something everyone would like on the cruise.

I was sooooo thankful that the rain held off. We had such a wonderful day!

I don't think anyone could get sick of beautiful beach pictures! I love them! Castaway Cay looks so peaceful and beautiful and DISNEY-fied.
The undersea pictures are awesome.

CC was absolutely gorgeous. It was even prettier than I expected. It really was perfect.

I have to ask, because Claire want to snorkel too, did the life vest hold up your DD well. Claire can swim, but not for long periods. And is there a special snorkel lagoon? I never really looked into it much while there or planning our trip as I knew we wouldn't be doing it.

Yes. You can inflate it or leave it flat. We blew DD's up all the way and it held her up without any effort on her part. I only inflated my vest just a little bit and it held me up without me even trying. The part that was tiring was kicking with the flippers on. And the rough seas that we had made it harder to swim because it kept pulling us off in the wrong direction and we had to keep fighting to stay on track. It wasn't like that in the afternoon though during low tide. That was definitely the time to go. And yes there is a snorkeling trail. It is marked with ropes and there are lifeguards stationed on floating platforms all along the trail. It is a really long trail though. I thought we would swim the whole thing, but no way could we do it. We are too out of shape I guess.

Just a side note... I've read they have a shark fence that 'seals off' the family beach area from the ocean and won't let any kind of large fish in, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. Don't know if that sort of thing is a concern of yours, but it was for me. I am a total chicken and I probably never would have done it without knowing that shark fence was there. It won't keep out jellyfish or lionfish though so you still have to be careful.

 

[mickeystoontown]

What a fun day so far! I think Castaway Cay is what I am looking forward to most on our cruise. I've tried snorkeling before but could never get the hang of it. But, after looking at your pics, I may just have to give it another try.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

What fun! I would be exhausted too - I'm way out of shape especially with swimming. I'm a horrible swimmer!

But I love your buildup about the weather - is it going to rain... Look at the sky!...

And wonderfully, it got sunny!!! The last time we were at CC, it was pretty cool, ony around 70 (which sounds like heaven to me today!), but when the sun came out in the afternoon, it felt so warm!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

What a fun day so far! I think Castaway Cay is what I am looking forward to most on our cruise. I've tried snorkeling before but could never get the hang of it. But, after looking at your pics, I may just have to give it another try.

Castaway Cay is going to knock your socks off! Guaranteed!

You really should try the snorkeling again. I had used a snorkel set in a pool a time or two and never really had any huge issues with it so I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. However... snorkeling in the ocean is totally different! If the water is smooth and shallow, it should be easy, but we had some challenging conditions on our first attempt. But I will tell you that after the tide went out, it was SO MUCH FUN! I say give it a shot and if you can't get the hang of it, you're only out $25. I think CC is a great place to try it out though because the water is clear and usually calm, there is a shark fence so you don't have to worry about being eaten alive , there are lots of lifeguards there in case you get in trouble, and there is cool stuff to find on the bottom. I don't think I have ever heard of another place where you can snorkel with lifeguards and look for sunken treasures. But seriously, if I can do it, you can do it!

What fun! I would be exhausted too - I'm way out of shape especially with swimming. I'm a horrible swimmer!

But I love your buildup about the weather - is it going to rain... Look at the sky!...

And wonderfully, it got sunny!!! The last time we were at CC, it was pretty cool, ony around 70 (which sounds like heaven to me today!), but when the sun came out in the afternoon, it felt so warm!

I am sure you are in much better shape than me just because you are a nice weight. I bet you could do it with the vest pumped all the way up. It surely won't let you sink. And they have lots of lifeguards all along the trail. Have you ever done the snorkeling at Typhoon Lagoon? We did that on this trip as well and I think that is a great thing for beginners. I really enjoyed it.

I am so thankful for the weather we had! We went into that trip thinking it was going to be a disaster because of that hurricane and all the rain in the forecast and it just could not have been more perfect. I actually got a little sunburn on my face that day! You'll see that in our pictures we had taken on the ship that night.

70 does sound a little cool for water activites. It's perfect for lounging on a beach chair though! I'd take a 70 degree day at CC right now though, with no complaints!

 

[sjs314]

The underwater pictures are amazing I wish I could swim I would surely have to buy a waterproof camera. Great Update

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

The underwater pictures are amazing I wish I could swim I would surely have to buy a waterproof camera. Great Update

Well I am glad you enjoyed them. I thought they turned out pretty bad. I did not practice enough with that camera before the trip. It was new and I really didn't know what I was doing. Plus, it is a lot harder than it looks. You are moving, the water is moving and the fish are moving. It' pretty difficult to get anything decent. And the water was so deep that it didn't look super clear like at Blue Lagoon. I did manage to get some a little better later on though, but it is challenging to say the least.

You know it's never too late to learn how to swim. I bet you could take a class and have it down pat in no time. I have seen lots of adults taking lesson at the Y here where we live. But you know, with the inflated vest on, you really only have to kick your feet. The vest holds you up. But I do understand. My mom can't swim and she would not go in the water past her knees if her life depended on it. It just terrifies her.

 

[MeMom]

Once we had all our gear on and adjusted to fit properly, then the fun really began! We immediately realized that we should have waited and put all that stuff on IN the water. It was SO hard to walk in those flippers! The three of us staggered towards the water like a bunch of drunk penguins! Then once the flippers filled with water, we could hardly lift them. We finally just gave up and belly flopped into the water so we could start swimming. We got so tickled at ourselves that we laughed until we had tears in our eyes!

This sounds like an episode that would happen with our bunch. Very funny to think back on, I'm sure. Next time, you'll be experts.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Snorkeling looks so fun! Hard work I am sure but what pretty views! Too bad you couldn't find the coconut postcard. Those look very cool! Great update Rinky!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

This sounds like an episode that would happen with our bunch. Very funny to think back on, I'm sure. Next time, you'll be experts.

Well, I'm not so sure about that. Maybe we'll be a little better next time, but 'experts' is highly doubtful!

Snorkeling looks so fun! Hard work I am sure but what pretty views! Too bad you couldn't find the coconut postcard. Those look very cool! Great update Rinky!

Thanks Kelli! The snorkeling was so much fun, even if we had no idea what we were doing. We all are itching to try it again.

I was pretty bummed about the coconuts. I had already told my mom to expect a surprise in the mail too. But while I was typing that update, it occured to me that they might have been for sale IN the post office! DUH! I never even checked there.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Wow Castaway Cay looks so awesome! Sounds like you guys were having so much fun snorkeling. I would have no idea what I was doing either!

That sky sure looked dark. I can't believe you didn't get any rain that day. That sure was lucky!

 

[RinkyTinkyTinky]

Wow Castaway Cay looks so awesome! Sounds like you guys were having so much fun snorkeling. I would have no idea what I was doing either!

That sky sure looked dark. I can't believe you didn't get any rain that day. That sure was lucky!

I'm telling you, CC is worth the cost of the cruise alone! It is tropical perfection.

I know, we were very fortunate to have such good weather considering the forecast we had.

I think you fogot to answer my question earlier about where did you decide on going since you canceled the cruise. Or maybe you are keeping it a secret for a PTR??? If it's not a secret though... inquiring minds want to know!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I didn't realize there was a snorkeling trail at Castaway Cay! That sounds really awesome! Dh and I love snorkeling, so I'm sure we'd have a blast. Oh the reasons to take a Disney cruise keep mounting, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold out!

Awesome that the weather held out! I'd be bummed if it rained on you guys!

 

[lovegrumpy]

Love the pictures. Can't wait to go back on a cruise.

 

[brookelizabeth]

You had me laughing out loud with the flippers/drunk penguins episode! That is something we would do too! And those kinds of things make the best memories.

I'm thrilled to hear there wasn't one drop of rain!!!