Disney Cruise Line

Serenity Bay at Castaway Cay: how to get there, what is there, lunch at Hangar 98, and whether the adults-only beach is worth the trip

Filmed on site — video published June 1, 2026 · watch it

The short answer

Serenity Bay is Castaway Cay's adults-only beach, for guests 18 and over, at the far end of the island. Take the tram to Pelican Point and change to the Serenity Bay tram, or walk the old runway. You get calm, shallow water, loungers, hammocks, a bar and an adults-only barbecue lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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 do you get to Serenity Bay at Castaway Cay?

By two trams or on foot. From the ship, take the first tram to Pelican Point, its second stop, and wait there for the tram that runs down the old airstrip to Serenity Bay. Or walk from Pelican Point along the runway, which is the most direct path but a fair hike with no shade.

That runway is also the 5K course, so if you do the Castaway Cay 5K in the morning, its turnaround point is at Serenity Bay. Allow for the journey back: the ship's all-aboard time applies to the whole island.

What is there at Serenity Bay?

What we found on our visit in May 2026, on a Disney Fantasy sailing:

  • Beach — Calm, shallow water; low chairs you can set in the shallows; loungers under umbrellas; hammocks
  • Drinks — Castaway Air Bar, with shaded seating; a water fountain to refill bottles
  • Lunch — Hangar 98 BBQ, adults only, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with picnic tables
  • Rentals — The Windsock stand: bikes $15 an hour, floats and tubes $15 for the day
  • Other — Showers to rinse off; massage cabanas; the Serenity Bay cabanas; the bike and hiking trail

Rental prices are from the sign at the stand, matching EverythingMouse's July 2026 list, which notes the bike price rose from $13. The beach has accessible access areas.

Who can go to Serenity Bay?

Guests 18 and over only. It is noticeably quieter than the family beaches, which is the point.

Next door, the Mickey & Minnie Cove cabanas opened in December 2025. They are family cabanas with their own roped-off beach, not part of the adults-only area, although they share the tram stop and a kitchen with Serenity Bay. Our cabana guide covers them and the adults-only Serenity Bay cabanas, $555 for four at the latest planDisney price.

What is lunch like at Hangar 98 BBQ?

A barbecue buffet, included in your cruise, for adults only. Hangar 98 BBQ replaced Serenity Bay BBQ when the new cabanas opened in December 2025, and it serves Serenity Bay guests from one side of a shared kitchen and cabana guests from the other.

On our visit the spread included burgers, a plant-based burger, fish, ribs, rotisserie chicken, chicken and seafood rice bowls, macaroni and cheese, a bean salad, fries and fruit, with soft-serve and fountain drinks self-serve. Seating is at picnic tables under umbrellas, with plenty of room.

Is Serenity Bay worth the trip across Castaway Cay?

For adults who want a quiet beach, yes, in our view. We set a chair in the shallows, listened to the water and the gulls, and it lived up to its name. Having a bar, lunch and showers on the same beach means you never have to leave.

The cost is the journey. It is the furthest beach from the ship, so on a short stop, or if you want to see the characters and the family areas as well, you give up time getting there and back. Couples on a Castaway Cay day with nothing else planned get the most from it.

Our Castaway Cay guide covers the rest of the island.

Common questions

How old do you have to be to go to Serenity Bay?
18. Serenity Bay is Castaway Cay's adults-only beach, and the barbecue lunch at Hangar 98 BBQ there is for adults too. Families can use the neighbouring Mickey & Minnie Cove cabanas, which have their own separate beach, if they have booked one.
How do you get to Serenity Bay on Castaway Cay?
Take the tram from the ship to Pelican Point, its second stop, then the Serenity Bay tram down the old airstrip. You can also walk from Pelican Point along the runway, but it is a long, unshaded walk to the far end of the island.
Is there food at Serenity Bay?
Yes. Hangar 98 BBQ serves an included barbecue buffet for adults from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with burgers, ribs, chicken, fish and sides, plus soft-serve. Castaway Air Bar sells drinks, and there is a water fountain for refilling bottles.
How much are bikes and floats at Castaway Cay?
$15 an hour for a bike and $15 for the day for a float or tube, on the sign at Serenity Bay's rental stand in May 2026 and in EverythingMouse's July 2026 list, which notes bikes went up from $13. The Getaway package bundles bike, float and snorkel gear.
Is Serenity Bay better than the family beaches?
For quiet, yes: the water is calm and shallow and there are no children. It is also the furthest beach from the ship, so it costs travel time. Families and anyone wanting the characters or the water play areas should stay closer to the pier.

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
Bike rental per hour; float or tube per day$15Sep 15, 2026everythingmouse.com
Previous bike rental price$13Sep 15, 2026everythingmouse.com
Serenity Bay cabana for four$555Sep 15, 2026plandisney.disney.go.com
Hangar 98 BBQ opening time11:30Sep 15, 2026wdwnt.com

Sources

  1. Melissa's day at Serenity Bay on a Disney Fantasy sailing, filmed May 2026 — the trams, the beach, Castaway Air Bar, the rental prices on the Windsock sign, and Hangar 98 BBQMelissa was there · checked
  2. WDW News Today, 26 December 2025 — Mickey & Minnie Cove family cabanas beside Serenity Bay; Hangar 98 BBQ, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., for guests 18 and olderreported by · checked
  3. The Disney Cruise Line Blog, 8 December 2025 — Hangar 98 BBQ replaces Serenity Bay BBQ, a shared kitchen serving Serenity Bay and the cabana guestsreported by · checked
  4. EverythingMouse, 4 July 2026 — Castaway Cay activities and prices: bikes $15 an hour, up from $13; floats and tubes $15 for the day; the Getaway packagereported by · checked
  5. planDisney panelist answer, 18 March 2026 — Serenity Bay cabanas $555 for fourreported by · checked

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