Beach maintenance and refurbishment work on Pelican Plunge had some adverse effects on one of our reporters during their latest visit to Disney Castaway Cay.
Beach Work Near Castaway Cay Cabanas
During a recent Halloween on the High Seas voyage, we encountered some ongoing island maintenance work that had some unfortunate impacts on our reporter’s visit.
As guests debarked the Disney Treasure for their day on Castaway Cay, there appeared to be dredging or sediment-related work near the northern end of the island’s family beach, particularly close to the Sandcastle Cabanas. Our reporter noted that the water along the family beach was unusually murky. Additionally, an unpleasant odor stretched from the shoreline to the immediate area around the cabanas.
Photos show a large black, hose-like object stretching across the sand and into the lagoon, with orange safety cones positioned around the equipment on shore.
One possible explanation is the adjustment of a sediment-control system associated with work in the lagoon. Floating turbidity barriers use flotation sections at the surface and a submerged fabric skirt to help contain sediment disturbed by dredging or other marine construction.
Some form of dredging and beach replenishment may also be possible explanations for the scent and water quality our reporter described. Such projects can use pipelines to move a mixture of sand and water onto a beach.
Guests were still visible swimming in the adjacent swimming area, so water and beach access were still broadly available to guests despite the ongoing work and subpar conditions.
Pelican Plunge Closed for Maintenance
Further south along the family beach, Pelican Plunge was closed during our reporter’s visit.
Their photos show a substantial maintenance setup, with a flat work barge positioned alongside the platform. Ladders, toolboxes, lengths of pipe, and other materials cover the barge, while buckets, cables, hoses, and portable equipment are spread across the attraction’s deck.
Several pipe-like components appear to have been removed and placed on the barge. Together with the equipment around the slides and water-play features, this suggests work involving the platform’s fixtures or mechanical systems, although the precise repairs cannot be determined from the photographs.
At other points throughout the visit, workers were present on the barge, taking up positions along the base platform of the play space and the uppermost level at the top of the slide structure.
Pelican Plunge normally offers two twisting waterslides and a large dumping bucket on a 2,400-square-foot floating platform. Guests can swim out from the Family Beach to reach the attraction.
For the duration of our reporter’s visit, the work described above meant one less recreation option for families on their voyage and less-than-ideal sights and smells for guests traveling onboard the Disney Treasure.
Of course, these observations reflect conditions during our reporter’s stop and do not establish whether the same state of the island’s amenities will be encountered on upcoming sailings.
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