Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, or simply Lookout Cay, is a
private peninsula in
The Bahamas which serves as an exclusive
port for the
Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located in the south-eastern region of Bannerman Town,
South Eleuthera. In March 2019,
The Walt Disney Company purchased the peninsula from the Bahamian government, giving the company control over the area.
History
Eleuthera
In 2016, Disney Cruise Line was looking to buy
Egg Island, Eleuthera, the Bahamas, as another destination for additional cruise ships. However, opposition from nearby island residents and potential damage to the islands' reefs stopped plans.
Lighthouse Point
After
Castaway Cay
Disney's Castaway Cay, or simply Castaway Cay (), is a private island in the Bahamas which serves as an exclusive port for the Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located near Great Abaco Island and was formerly known as Gorda Cay. In 1997, The Walt D ...
,
Disney Cruise Line purchased another
Bahamian destination in early March 2019, the Lighthouse Point property on the island of
Eleuthera, from the Bahamas Government. The cruise line was looking for another Bahamas location since the announcement of the third ship expansion in 2016. Disney spent between $250 million and $400 million on developing the 700-acre property, incorporating Bahamian themes, and donated 190 acres, including the southernmost tip, to the government for a national park.
Disney also hired and offered training for Bahamians for construction, vending, and other employee positions.
There were also increases in calls on Bahamian ports, Nassau and Freeport, of 30 to 40 percent over 2018 calls.
Imagineer
Joe Rohde, whose previous projects being the development of
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the l ...
and
Aulani, was assigned to oversee the ports' development,
before his retirement on January 4, 2021. Construction workers were hired in March 2022, before work finally began at Lighthouse Point the following month. Lighthouse Point opened exclusively to Disney Cruise Line guests on June 6, 2024. In September 2023, Disney officially named the location "Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point" during
Destination D23.
See also
*
List of islands of The Bahamas
*
Castaway Cay
Disney's Castaway Cay, or simply Castaway Cay (), is a private island in the Bahamas which serves as an exclusive port for the Disney Cruise Line ships. It is located near Great Abaco Island and was formerly known as Gorda Cay. In 1997, The Walt D ...
, Disney's first private island
References
External links
*
{{Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Resorts in the Bahamas
Private islands of the Bahamas
Disney Cruise Line
Abaco Islands