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First Look at Disney’s New Island Destination – Lighthouse Point

Rikki Niblett ,  , 
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Disney has always taken Guests to the private island Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. Those who visit know what an island paradise this place is. Now there will be a second destination for the cruise line to venture to, as Guests will soon be able to visit the breathtaking island of Eleuthera at a place called Lighthouse Point.

Lighthouse Point will celebrate both the stories of The Bahamas and the natural environment, all while incorporating Disney touches. Meshing these two aspects together to make for a successful experience will be none other than Imagineer Joe Rohde. (Seriously, could there have been a better match?) Joe is known for his intense love of nature and has therefore embarked on an in-depth cultural tour of both The Bahamas and Lighthouse Point and will incorporate local artists and cultural experts into the design of this new destination. Joe has explored cultural sites across New Providence and Eleuthera, from Junkanoo shacks to noted art galleries all with a goal of helping to create an authentic experience while preserving mother nature.

With Lighthouse Point, Disney will be directly involved in conservation efforts to preserve and protect the environment and will be working with local artists to create a unique destination rooted in Bahamian culture and filled with Disney magic.

Construction at Lighthouse Point has not started yet and will begin only after an Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan are reviewed and accepted by the Government of The Bahamas and public consultation has occurred.

Here is what Lighthouse Point could look like if the plans are accepted:

Lighthouse Point
©Disney

 

With that being said, construction on Lighthouse Point could begin in 2020 with a completion date in late 2022 or 2023.

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Rikki Niblett

I am a co-host of the Be Our Guest Podcast and do lots of other fun Disney stuff all around the interwebs! You can follow me on Twitter or Instagram at @RikkiNibs or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/rikkinibs

13 thoughts on “First Look at Disney’s New Island Destination – Lighthouse Point”

  • I echo the sentiments of the other writers. Lighthouse Beach and it’s raw beauty should be left alone. What makes Eleuthera so special is the unspoiled wilderness and untouched beauty. Does the world really need another Atlantis or Castaway Key? Seriously? And shame on the greedy, selfish, money-hungry politicians for letting this happen. Lighthouse Point should have never been put up for “sale”. What a travesty – just an utter shame. Disney – if you really appreciated nature and were aimed at “conservation efforts” then you would know that conserving Lighthouse Point means to LEAVE IT ALONE!!! This island does not need mind-numbingly-dumb tourists to occupy yet another location to stuff their faces (again) and sit on a beach that you them, is just “another” beach. If a tourist wanted to TRULY appreciate Eleuthera, then they would go through all the effort of getting there and exploring the island – the AUTHENTIC way – like the rest of us have. The unforgettable adventure of driving slowly for 30 minutes through an overgrown path, having leaves and branches whip at your head, only to have it all open up at the end and behold the untouched beauty of a place like Lighthouse Point should be reserved for those willing to make the TRUE effort to find it and appreciate it – this is the priceless value that no cruise line tourist could ever appreciate. “Let’s pack 10 island destinations into 10 days” is not the mantra of anyone who appreciates any one place to TRULY get to know it. No Disney tourist will ever appreciate what they are visiting because it will be just like any other corporate beach or resort. Lighthouse Beach is for the TRUE Eleuthera lovers, not a bunch of people interested in when the next buffet is. Shame on Disney!! My heart hurts for Lighthouse Beach and the Island I call my second home.

  • LEAVE ELEUTHERA ALONE!!! It does not need or want your ‘taming’ or ‘sanitizing’. It is perfect as it is. If people want to experience it, let them fly into the island and find it. You are the absolute worst example of our country and our species, Disney.

  • My wife and I were there in March of 2018 with friends. I am one of the people that hate the beach, but absolutely loved this whole island. The clarity of the water and the vast empty beach was breathtaking. We are returning in May with the same couple plus taking our children this time. I am heartbroken that we possibly will miss out on sharing that beautiful scene with our children. The whole island is breathtaking, but the experience we had in 2018 diving 20+ minutes down a rutted, puddle filled path that opened up to that view I will never forget. Shame

  • I echo the sentiments of the other writers.
    I like Disney but it has stepped over the line in exploitation of paradise on Lighthouse Beach.
    We just visited, and our solitude was disturbed only by workers tearing down palm trees and the environmental contractor sitting and observing this destruction. My heart hurts already.

  • Lighthouse Point is probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. I’ve been all over the world and visited many places, but nothing compares to Lighthouse Point. It is very sad what is about to happen there with Disney ruining the landscape. I can’t even imagine. Makes me sick to my stomach.

  • Don’t!!!!!! Leave nature alone! This is the most beautiful place on Earth and Disney is going to ruin that. 🙁 Also, my BF has never been and he needs to see it in its natural form.

  • I feel a knot in my stomach just reading this. I was at Lighthouse Beach in 2017 and it is an incredible spot. Very unique and full sea life. Nearly had the area to myself. It was my favorite place on all of Eleuthera. Now the cruise ship industry is going to exploit it. Terrible news.
    The marketing spin of environmental conservation is a joke. Anything built by the big tourism industry is the polar opposite of conservation.
    The country of the Bahammas is relatively poor nation that makes most of its GDP from tourism. From their point of view it is logical. However I don’t trust that the gov will do their part correctly. I heard about Eleuthera government officials from local business owners: corrupt, they use their position to line their pockets.
    However, I don’t think this will negatively impact all of Eleuthera. Cruise ship customers and their cheesy excursions tend to stay close to the ship. The northern 80% of the island will still be left without significant impact from the crowds. Princess already has their own “exclusive island” set up a few miles from this same location and gather that their impact stays close to the southern end of the island. .

  • Ridiculous to say a Disney resort is good for any environment let alone one that is of such global ecological significance. Shame on the writer for being a pawn and telling people this is a good thing. Shame. Shame. Shame.

  • Sad about this tragedy. Why would the government of the Bahamas or Disney want to destroy this spectacular site. It breaks my heart to see the evil done with the almighty dollar!

  • Eleuthera needs to be left untouched. We visited a few years back and stayed at a resort on Powell’s Point. It was heaven on earth. We have had many different types of vacations and this island tops them all. Please Disney find somewhere else to put your resort and leave this piece of paradise aline.

  • Does Joe Rohde and Disney Cruise Lines know how stinky those brackish ponds get at Lighthouse Point? It is the worst thing you’ve ever smelled, like dead bodies rotting in the sun. That won’t be good for business.

  • I pray not, the island is to beautiful and natural for Disney to destroy.

  • There goes Eleuthera as one of the few places one could go to have an entire beach to oneself. The place is an unspoiled natural paradise because to get there requires multiple hops. One could have lighthouse point all to oneself on some days and explore all kinds of interesting natural terrain.

    No more.

    I love Disney and I love Eleuthera.
    But one has just stomped all over the other.

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