First-Time Disney Cruiser Reviews Castaway Cay

I absolutely love everything that has to do with the ocean! Well, almost everything. I could do without jellyfish and sharks, but other than that I am good! My husband and I are certified scuba divers and are just so fascinated with ocean life.  When I knew I was going on my first Disney cruise, one of the things I was most excited about, was finding underwater Mickey and Minnie at Castaway Cay! I had read about it before, and thought it was so neat!

When the day came for Castaway Cay, I had my underwater camera ready and I set out to find Mickey and Minnie. Unfortunately, the group of women I was traveling with did not share my enthusiasm of the ocean, especially at the beginning of March with the water being a little chilly. Even if I had to do it alone, I was determined! 

I rented my mask, snorkel, and required vest ($16) but skipped out on the fins (big mistake, but I will get back to that in a bit). I had a couple of people point me in the right direction to certain buoys where Mickey and Minnie were located. Off I went on my quest to find underwater Mickey and Minnie. It was a much farther swim than I expected. The afternoon current made it more difficult, too. I would recommend snorkeling in the morning when the ocean is more calm. 

Back to the fins, I HIGHLY recommend renting the fins as well ($31 for all snorkel equipment rental). I just thought I would swim right out and snap a couple of pictures and swim back in. Boy, was I wrong in that assumption! The fins would have definitely been helpful with the distance and strong current. I swam a little longer than I thought I would have to, to locate exactly where Mickey and Minnie were. By the way, for future reference, they are not located right next to one another and fins would have been very helpful!

When I finally found them, the hard swim was SO worth it! I was able get some great pictures with my underwater camera. There were also some really cool shipwrecks to see and some Mickey shapes on the ocean floor. 

There were some of the most beautiful, colorful fish too that I was able to see on my adventure! If you love the ocean, I would highly recommend snorkeling at Castaway Cay!

Hidden Mickey on the ocean floor!

"Shipwreck" at Castaway Cay

Bonus... while at Castaway Cay, I found the

largest starfish that I have ever seen!

I was looking around for sand dollars, and hoping I could see a starfish as well. Look at the size of this thing! It was definitely my lucky day!

Emily Guice is a Disney Travel Planner at Wishdrawals Travel, a wife, a mom of a preschooler, and a prn Dental Hygienist.

She loves traveling to Disney World and has recently found a love for Disney Cruises! She is currently planning her next trip to Disney World with extended family and also another Disney cruise with her husband and daughter.

You can reach Emily via email for assistance planning your Disney vacation!