It’s a beautiful homage to Bahamian culture!
This past June, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) welcomed guests to its newest destination, “Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point,” on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas. A picturesque destination marked by pink sand beaches and known for growing some of the sweetest pineapples in the world, the second and newest of Disney islands was created to complement Disney’s Castaway Cay. In contrast to the tropical family vacation destination Castaway has become known for, Lookout Cay focuses on capturing the spirit and culture of the Bahamian people, a feat that couldn’t be done without the help of so many Bahamian community partners.
“For more than 25 years, we have partnered with The Bahamian community to introduce countless families to this beautiful island nation. And with the addition of Disney Lookout Cay, we are offering a brand-new way for our guests to experience the stunning beauty, beloved traditions and colorful artistry of The Bahamas with a special touch of Disney magic,” said Sharon Siskie, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Cruise Line.
Guests can take any of DCL’s unique cruise ships to visit Lookout Cay, where they are instantly met by the vibrant architecture and local art that frames the island. Walt Disney Imagineers collaborated with local officials, experts, and artists to bring the island to life, focusing on three fundamental design principles: sustainability, nature-inspired design, and celebrating Bahamian art and culture. Together, they only developed 16% of Eleuthera’s 110-mile-long island in an effort to maintain its natural beauty.
“For me, as a Bahamian and also as a cast member, I can’t explain how happy it makes me feel to see the collaboration between local artists and Disney Cruise Lines and Imagineers…it makes me very, very proud, said Joey Gaskins Jr., DCL’s Regional Director of Public Affairs for The Bahamas and Caribbean.”
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The island is filled with Bahamian easter eggs. It features a number of dining pavilions, bars, adult-only beach areas, and the Goombay Cultural Center, a focal point on the island where families can learn about the rich history of The Bahamas, complete local arts and crafts with Bahamian artisans, and participate in a range of activities including a twice daily Junkanoo parade. Disney also partnered with nearly a dozen artists to create everything from fashion designs in the “Disney T’ings” gift shop at Lookout Cay to sculptures, paintings, Junkanoo-inspired tile art in the cultural center, murals, headdresses in the cabanas, and intricate wood carvings.
Local artist Edrin Symonette helped create several permanent sculptures found on Lookout Cay, drawing inspiration from his time growing up on the island as a fisherman. He hopes that guests take away that energy when they visit and said he feels what makes Lookout Cay so unique is all the intention Disney put into building it.
“I am from that island, and I live there. I am deeply connected to the marine life there; it’s a part of what I do. It’s a big deal for me, and as a Bahamian, I’m very critical of new persons coming and wanting to capitalize. So, what Disney did, developing only 16% of the island, incorporating everything from locals, the shapes of the building, the colors that they used, everything was deeply fine tuned to make sure that everyone has an authentic experience…The whole process means a lot to me as an Eleutheran and as a Bahamian. I think they did a pretty great job,” Symonette told Because Of Them We Can.
Much of that intention comes from Disney’s conservation efforts, which served as the framework for building Lookout Cay. Bradley Watson, a native of Nassau and the Bahamas Conservation Program Manager for DCL, said his journey as a conservation scientist started at Lighthouse Point during a semester program when he was just 17. It was there that he learned to kayak and scuba dive, spending time in the States before returning home to serve his fellow Bahamians. This full circle moment is something he considers a “privilege.”
“To come back home and use some of those skills to represent my country in a capacity that previously, not many Bahamians could’ve worked in because we didn’t have the education and the exposure… This job that I have in preserving nature as a part of Lookout Cay is a privilege that I’ve been waiting for for a long time,” Watson told BOTWC.
Watson and other DCL conservationists were particular about tracking biodiversity at Lookout Cay from construction through operations. The goal was to have minimal impact on the environment, beginning with the design of the open-trestle pier to have as little impact on the sea floor as possible. They then relocated more than 800 coral and built a coral nursery on site. Watson then worked with other Bahamian experts to maintain wildlife on the island.
“One of the most important things to me about how this project was designed was that we developed as little of the property as possible. What we did with that 16% was try to make it so that we can maintain the exact same species level of biodiversity. So that means we will have every organism that was represented at Lighthouse Point represented at Disney Lookout Cay. And that’s really important to us.” Watson explained.
Lighthouse Point is one of the most treasured locations in the Bahamas, and the efforts help to ensure an integrated ecosystem with locals that allows them to maintain their island, open opportunities, and ensure their livelihood isn’t interrupted. From nature trails to Port Adventures in partnership with local tour operators, when guests visit Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, they can ensure that they’re not only indulging in a bit of Disney magic but supporting a worthy cause years in the making. A cause that supports not only the people of Eleuthera but also the Bahamas at large.
“Sometimes the Bahamas is collapsed into sun, sea, and sand, and we have it in spades. It is absolutely a beautiful place to live, and we all feel very privileged to be there. But we are a real people with real culture. Centuries of it that is drawn from a really complex and interesting history and heritage, and Eleuthera holds a very special place in it. I think what Lookout Cay does for me as a Bahamian is what I want people to take away from it. It makes the Bahamas more than just a perfect beach day for our guests. It makes it a real place, with real people, that you get to get a taste of and take a bit of that home with you,” explained Gaskins Jr.
To learn more about Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point or to book a vacation, guests can visit www.disneycruise.com.
Cover photo: Meet the Bahamian Community Partners Who Helped Bring Disney’s ‘Lookout Cay’ Island to Life/(l to r) DCL Bahamas Conservation Program Manager Bradley Watson, Eleutheran Artist Edrin Symonette, & DCL Regional Director of Public Affairs for The Bahamas and Caribbean, Joey Gaskins Jr./Photo Credit: Veracity Savant/Because Of Them We Can/Disney Cruise Line