A Castaway Cay favorite is closed for refurbishment with no reopening date

Pelican Plunge, the floating water platform off Disney’s private island, is temporarily closed. Disney has not announced when it returns, and the island has a lot going on around it.

One of the more distinctive things at Disney Castaway Cay is out of service.

Pelican Plunge, the floating water platform anchored off the island’s family beach, is closed for refurbishment.

Disney has not announced an exact reopening date.

What Pelican Plunge is

For anyone who has not sailed to the island, it is not a standard water slide.

Pelican Plunge sits offshore, anchored in the water off the family beach, and guests swim out to it. The structure holds two enclosed slides and one open slide, plus a dumping bucket that periodically soaks whatever is underneath it.

Reaching it requires swimming, which is why it skews toward older kids and adults rather than the whole family.

It has been one of the island’s signature features since it opened.

What else is at Castaway Cay

The island has plenty running while Pelican Plunge is down.

Serenity Bay is the adults-only beach on the far end, reachable by tram. The family beach has snorkeling, a water play area, bike rentals, and the island’s main dining.

Spring-a-Leak is the splash zone for younger children, and it is on land rather than offshore.

Cookie’s BBQ and Cookie’s Too BBQ handle the food, included with the cruise.

Disney’s other private island is fully open

Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in The Bahamas is Disney’s second private destination and opened more recently.

Several Fall 2027 and Spring 2028 itineraries announced this week include stops at both islands on the same sailing, and some seven-night Bahamian sailings from Galveston include two Castaway Cay stops.

What is coming to Disney Cruise Line

The line is in the middle of the largest expansion in its history.

Disney Believe sets sail in 2027, with a full reveal scheduled for October 7, 2026. Disney showed a first look at D23, including Moana greeting guests in the Grand Hall.

Beyond that, an entirely new class of ships adds three vessels across 2029 and 2030, sized between the classic ships and the Wish class specifically to reach ports the larger vessels cannot enter.

The fleet currently sits at eight ships and heads toward the low teens by the end of the decade.

Disney Cruise Line’s newest itineraries

Announced August 25, covering Fall 2027 and Spring 2028.

The Disney Wish returns to New York City for the first time since 2023, with four- to seven-night sailings to Bermuda, New England, and Canada’s Atlantic coast.

The Disney Adventure, which has been sailing from Singapore with no port stops at all, gets its first port of call at Langkawi, Malaysia, beginning December 31, 2026.

Disney Destiny homeports at Port Canaveral for the first time. Disney Magic runs two Panama Canal repositioning cruises with maiden calls at Fuerte Amador and Colón.

Early Castaway Club bookings open August 31, general bookings September 8.

Planning around a closure like this one

Disney does not publish detailed refurbishment schedules for the private islands the way it does for park attractions.

The practical approach is checking the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app closer to your sailing date, since island offerings are listed there and updated as things reopen.

If Pelican Plunge is the reason you picked an itinerary, it is worth calling to ask. Disney’s phone agents generally have better visibility on island refurbishments than the website does.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Cruise Hive (2026), the Pelican Plunge refurbishment closure and the absence of a reopening date

• Disney Parks Blog (August 25, 2026), the Fall 2027 and Spring 2028 itineraries including the dual-island sailings

• The Disney Cruise Line Blog (August 25, 2026), the fleet breakdown

• Undercover Tourist (August 2026), the new ship class details