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Castaway Cay 5K: how it works now, the route, the medal, and how to do it without melting

Filmed on site — video published May 25, 2026 · watch it

The short answer

The Castaway Cay 5K is free, needs no sign-up and has no start time: begin at the bike rental stand at Pelican Point whenever you like, walk or run the paved course, and collect a medal at the same stand when you finish. Go early. The airstrip section has no shade, and bikes and the tram share the route.

Drag to pan, or use the buttons. Hover a marker for what it is.

Cargo Handling Tram Stop — Bus stopCargo Handling Tram StopScuttle's Cove Tram Stop — Bus stopMassage Cabanas — Massage. Watch this bit of our tourMassage CabanasPelican Point Tram Stop — Bus stopSerenity Bay Tram Stop — Bus stopBike Rentals — Bike rental. Watch this bit of our tour20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine — LandmarkMonstro Point — LandmarkCastaway Cay — Boat dockCastaway CayCastaway Cay Airport — AirstripCastaway Cay AirportScuttle's Cove — Point of interest. Watch this bit of our tourScuttle's CoveIn-Da-Shade Games — Point of interestPel-I-Can Restroom — RestroomMount Rustmore — LandmarkCookie's Too BBQ — Quick serviceHair Braiding — Hair braiding or salonCastaway Joe's/Grouper's Pavilion — Table serviceArrival Plaza — PlazaBoat Beach — BeachBoat BeachSports Beach — BeachFamily Beach — Beach. Watch this bit of our tourSerenity Bay Beach — Beach. Watch this bit of our tourSerenity Bay BeachSnorkeling Lagoon — Lagoon or harbourBoating Harbor — Lagoon or harbourBoating HarborPelican Plunge — Water playPop's Props and Boat Repair — Point of interestDig In — Table serviceDig InSummertime Freeze — Ice creamBuy the Seashore — ShopSpring-A-Leak — PlaygroundCastaway Air Bar — Bar. Watch this bit of our tourSand Bar — BarSand BarFlippers and Floats — ShopBahamian Retail — ShopBahamian Retail — ShopShe Sells Sea Shells and Everything Else — ShopConched Out Bar — BarGumbo Limbo — Table serviceCookie's BBQ — Quick serviceHeads Up Bar — BarHeads Up BarGrand Family Beach Cabana — CabanaObservation Tower — TowerObservation TowerGil's Fins and Boats — Point of interestCastaway Ray's Stingray Adventure — Point of interestIsland Gazebo 1 — Shade or shelterCastaway Cay Helipad — HelipadCastaway Cay Helipad200 m
Disney's Castaway Cay by position. 46 named places — restaurants, pools, shops, bus stops and boat docks — plotted where they actually are. These points come from OpenStreetMap rather than from us, so they carry no wait times and most have no page here yet. 6 of them open our own footage at the moment Melissa walks into them — the ringed markers. It covers roughly 2600m by 3736m. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom. This is a diagram of where things are, not Disney artwork. Outline, water, buildings and walkways are from OpenStreetMap. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How does the Castaway Cay 5K work?

The Castaway Cay 5K is on the honour system now. There is no registration, no start time and no official timing, planDisney panelists said in June 2024 and again in January 2026, and WDW Magazine's guide agrees. You walk up, do the course, and tell a cast member at the bike rental stand you have finished.

  • Start and finish — By the bike rental stand at Pelican Point, the second tram stop
  • Sign-up — None
  • When — Any time while the ship is at the island
  • Cost — Free
  • Medal — From the bike rental stand when you finish
  • Walking — Allowed; Melissa walks it

It used to start as a group at a set time, which is what older guides still describe. Cycling the course does not count, a cast member told us: the medal is for walkers and runners.

What is the Castaway Cay 5K route?

Two parts, in either order: the nature trail loop twice and the airstrip once, out to the turnaround sign by Serenity Bay and back, as the cast member at the start explained it to us.

One planning site describes the same course as a route that makes you repeat one section to reach the full 5 kilometres, and planDisney's January 2026 answer calls it two laps.3

The path is flat and paved throughout, with 5K signs on the ground and at the loop, and water stations on the nature trail. There is a box at the start where you can leave bags, at your own risk. A planDisney panelist recommends the observation tower along the course for a view of the island and the ship.

The course is not certified, so time yourself if the number matters.3

When is the best time to do the Castaway Cay 5K?

As early as you can. The runway section has no shade at all, and by late morning it is the hottest part of the course; on our Fantasy day the clouds cleared halfway round and the difference was immediate. Both planDisney panelists say the same: go early, and wear sunscreen.

On our sailing the ship opened at 8:30 a.m. and all aboard was 4:45 p.m.; the Navigator app gives your times. If you want character photos too, those queues form early as well, so pick which comes first.

What should you bring for the Castaway Cay 5K?

Good shoes before anything. It is a little over three miles on pavement, and on our walk we saw people struggling in the wrong shoes. Beyond that: sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, and a phone or watch if you want a time.

You do not need a towel from the ship; towels are handed out as you step off. Keep an eye out on the course: bikes use the same paths and the tram runs along the airstrip. Children who would rather not walk can go to the kids' club at Scuttle's Cove while the adults do it.

Is the Castaway Cay 5K worth doing?

Yes, in our view, and Melissa has now done it on two sailings. It is free, it shows you parts of the island most guests never see, and the medal is a better souvenir than anything in the shop.

It does take a chunk of a short island day. On a three- or four-night cruise with one Castaway Cay stop, do it first thing, then have the rest of the day at the beach. Our Castaway Cay guide and cabana guide cover the rest of the island.

Common questions

Do you need to sign up for the Castaway Cay 5K?
No. There is no registration and no start time; it is self-guided and on the honour system, according to planDisney panelists and WDW Magazine. Start by the bike rental stand at Pelican Point whenever you like, and tell a cast member there when you finish to collect your medal.
Can you walk the Castaway Cay 5K?
Yes; Melissa walks it. The course is flat and paved, with water stations on the nature trail. Riding a bike round the course does not count for the medal, a cast member told us. Wear proper shoes: it is just over three miles on pavement.
What is the Castaway Cay 5K route?
The nature trail loop twice and the airstrip once, out to a turnaround sign near Serenity Bay and back, in either order, starting and finishing at the bike rental stand. 5K signs mark the way. The airstrip has no shade, so do that part while it is still cool.
Do you still get a medal for the Castaway Cay 5K?
Yes. Finishers collect a medal from the bike rental stand at Pelican Point, according to planDisney panelists and WDW Magazine; you simply tell the cast member you have finished. Melissa has collected one on both of her Castaway Cay 5Ks.
What time should you do the Castaway Cay 5K?
First thing after getting off the ship. There is no set start time, but the runway section has no shade and heats up fast by late morning. Check the Navigator app for your ship's times; on our Fantasy sailing the gangway opened at 8:30 a.m.

Every figure on this page

Each one with the day we checked it. Prices and times move; the date is how you tell whether this is still true.

WhatFigureCheckedSource
Gangway opening on our Fantasy sailing8:30Sep 15, 2026youtube.com
All-aboard time on our Fantasy sailing4:45Sep 15, 2026youtube.com

Sources

  1. planDisney panelist answer, 8 January 2026 — no pre-registration and no set start time; start near the bike rental stand; two laps; honour system — reported by · checked
  2. planDisney panelist answer, 13 June 2024 — no official start time or registration; collect the medal at the bike rental stand; the observation tower; run early — reported by · checked
  3. WDW Magazine, 14 March 2025 — Castaway Cay 5K guide: self-paced, no registration, start by the bike rental stand, a repeated section, not a certified course, shared with bikes, medal at the stand — reported by · checked
  4. Melissa's Castaway Cay 5K on the Disney Fantasy, filmed May 2026 — the route as the cast member explained it, water stations, the unshaded runway, the medal — Melissa was there · checked

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