Disney’s Cruise Line’s New Private Destination - Honest Review

[@Spacialvekter]

It's very interesting to me that part of what Eisner wanted to avoid was how Disney had been seen as a corporation willing to do anything for a buck and do it on the cheap, and now Disney is... seen as a corporation willing to do anything for a buck and do it on the cheap. He didn't do everything perfectly, but at least he was willing to experiment.

[@Croz89]

Eisner was willing to take risks, some really didn't work out, but at least he was willing to take them in the first place. Disney has become the epitome of playing it safe in recent years.

[@RariettyC]

I'm reading the book DisneyWar right now (which chronicles the rise and fall of Eisner's Disney career) and it's so telling how much he emphasized creativity as a starting point for any project. He so clearly wanted to be seen as a patron of the arts rather than a typical CEO. Unfortunately, he also had a huge ego, as demonstrated whenever another executive had differing creative ideas, and a lot of that turmoil is why modern Disney is the way it currently is even almost two decades after he resigned. After all, Bob Iger kissing up to Eisner a ton after ABC got acquired is why he survived in the company long enough to become CEO himself. Many of the executives who may've went against the grain more tended to get pushed out.

[@kiwisun529]

Agreed. Least he had vision.

[@0fficialdregs]

I prefer Eisner over the current corporation administration any day

[@jacobsekela8691]

The decline of Disney and its quality/value has been absolutely shocking to witness over the past 4-5 years. It’s getting really bad.

[@aliedawnwood]

Absolutely and it's happening in every part of disney. Movies, cruises, parks. It's infuriating

[@lackedpuppet9022]

I'd bet Walt would have a stroke if he came back today to see *_big ass fans_* on a Disney property

[@tedfort1698]

It's happening across the board with most companies. Late stage capitalism is an ugly thing.

[@gundalfthelost1624]

It's quite jarring. I remember Disney being famous for quality, luxury and never lacking anything back in the day. Everything from movies, Disneyland to their Cruises all felt like something you remembered for life. In a good way. Disney always had the "magic" that put you into the fantasy, even as an adult. Sure, it's always been overpriced and crowded but it was good. Today it all feels... flat. More like a copy of something, but not done quite perfectly.

[@Afineaddition]

Go Birds!

[@tonytins]

Disney presents Under Construction Point.

[@kratze1738]

Underrated comment.

[@yosapontangtiphongkul8212]

lol

[@angelal8829]

So good

[@kellychuang8373]

With this situation it really fits.

[@daonlyboriqua11]

Well yeah they said its not 100% done. They are still adding things.

[@EthanStraus]

Disney 20 years ago would have a themed wooden boardwalk or some whimsy and a tram. Disney today is fine with just concrete. At least they can sell cabanas…

[@drdewott9154]

Yup. Its all too corporate and cheap. You can tell care wasnt the highest priority, but rather milking money out of guests was, which the bad design largely makes it less effective at! If you build quality, people will come! A rushed product is forever bad but a delayed product will eventually be good. The gaming industry has taught me that much but it really applies in so many other industries.

[@sclub6414]

This is an area that gets tropical storms and hurricanes, so they may have chosen concrete for some foundational areas like the pier. They do need to increase the whimsy to make it Disney and not corporate; giving them way too much hope, maybe it’s part of the “next to come” stuff?

[@Pali729]

I'll say it: I miss Michael Eisner. The man wasn't the best with money, which lead to some blunders like Euro Disney, but also created a 2nd golden era of Disney where real innovation and attention to detail created the "magic" we ascribe to Disney.

[@pandaitis0157]

"Come to this tropical island so you can feel like your in a Walmart parking lot" - Disney I guess

[@Lee-he2qp]

Is it just me but the boat ride to the island looked a better option than walking that concrete bridge.

[@emfraza7953]

It's called "value engineering", and it's the bane of architects, artists and landscape designers globally.

[@KathyClysm]

Really any creative field. I work in publishing and let me tell you, people do not want so spend money for high quality creative work because "what's so special about it anyway, noone will notice"

[@KannikCat]

Yep! Was about to post the same thing. A euphemism for cutting the budget and lessening what's built -- pretending (hence the euphemism) that it's not actually lessening things. Alas.

[@RWHaulbrook]

"Pardon our pixie dust!" - Disney treats its customers like crap because they tolerate it.

[@aliedawnwood]

Yup. Bc we continue to pay them even when they treat us like garbage

[@werewolflover8636]

Exactly!

[@yuckyool]

Which is why I dismiss all plans to rebuild, and repurpose WDW as a bunch of boarded up sections and inconvenient detours for several years . . . . while charging guests the full price (to access a theme park only 75% in operation).

[@DocAlex_]

seeing "Big Ass Fans" on a private island owned by Disney is very, very funny

[@TheRequiem217]

Lexington, KY resident here. They're based here and are everywhere around town and the surrounding counties. Very surprising to see them that far away and even more so at Disney! They must really be good and/or a good value!

[@melandnick2001]

Idk if all seaworld parks do but Busch gardens in va uses “big ass fans” but after a year scratched the “big ass fan” off the front of it

[@davidglad]

@@TheRequiem217 Old school Disney would surely have paid to obscure that word or gone with a different vendor to keep the immersive and quality controlled experience. If I wasn't looking at that point in the video, I'd shrug it must be Jake's choice of words and not what the fan said, lol

[@deeznutz3669]

@@TheRequiem217 They make some seriously good fans. If you have a large area with no AC Big Ass Fans will move alot of air.

[@x-fun3149]

​@@TheRequiem217 FedEx Ground distribution center in Miami uses them

[@makaylat.7005]

they made a half mile walk to the island and didnt think to put any sort of cover for the people?! it doesnt even look like there are benches for elders, disabled folk, or people who are just tired! offering carts for people who pay extra is disgusting, they treat paying customers like cattle

[@yurriaanvanduyn]

They could've roofed it with solar panels and at least feigned being green..

[@annakleaber]

imaging having to walk back after a whole beach day with a tired five year old

[@caseyflorida]

I'm a fat old man and I could never make that walk. It's ridiculous.

[@trishblakely3476]

At the end of the day this will be a Bataan death march. Ridiculous that there’s zero shade.

[@Tardisntimbits]

I have both a disability (ankle), have light sensitivies, and am prone to heat stroke. Hard pass, fam.

[@SabineBlair]

Something funny about Big Ass Fans (as an architect, I work with them pretty frequently) is that they have a panel to Greek it so it doesn’t say Ass (for churches, schools and such) and I’m certain a designer for Disney would insist on that. So that means those fans are most certainly just from the construction sites next door that they’ve commandeered for the food areas. And idk why but that tickles me.

[@BevoFan1883]

Or even more depressing is that the standards have slipped so much that no one thought to cover it.

[@peaksix_]

"they have a panel to Greek" What does this mean?

[@patrickmattin9609]

​@@peaksix_ Remove the brand name on a product. Kind of like how some TV shows will hide product names with tape, or even design generic replacement labels.

[@peaksix_]

​@@patrickmattin9609 huh? "Panel to Greek" means "to remove a product name"? According to who?

[@patrickmattin9609]

@@peaksix_ Wikipedia says it comes from the phrase "all Greek to me," also related to the "lorem ipsum" placeholder text you'll sometimes see in unfinished websites.

[@ourias]

Hey! Bahamian here. It's pronounced "Bah HAY mee an". I used to hike down there to camp out by that lighthouse when I was a bit younger with high school mates, and I have some very fond memories there. There used to be way more shade on the route to it that was torn down for roads. But I do I love how in depth your video is. Disney butchering that piece of land just to add cheap looking buildings on it is very disappointing to say the least. Looks like a generic tourist spot that could have been constructed on a smaller plot of land somewhere else with lesser significance. Lighthouse point should have been turned into a national park, and never should have been up for sale.

[@crazyfire9470]

Nah

[@fallenshallrise]

Yeah that makes sense but I don't get why the government didn't buy it then? Why was the population protesting against Disney and not pressuring the government while that land was vacent and for sale? $20M is a lot of money to most of us but for a government it's not that much in the long run.

[@ourias]

@@fallenshallrise The government is who sold the property in the first place. It's crown land. We don't have a say into what they put up for sale. The population has protested against the sale of islands, cays, and properties like this for years. This is not an isolated incident, just the incident that caught the eye of outsiders because disney is involved. The Bahamian government is corrupt and shortsighted. They never had the interest of it's people in mind. Land, islands and cays should be leased to corporations/ outsiders, instead of outright being sold to them.

[@xr6lad]

Your government could have bought it …

[@rattyeely]

​@@crazyfire9470 you will be visited by 3 ghosts tonight...

[@BigKat96]

"It has original IP that is refreshing." Disney- "coming 2025, welcome to the Moana ™️ island paradise experience at Lighthouse Point!"

[@teresar6348]

And the newly renovated ARIEL Castaway Cay where its totaly not an excuse to sell forks and junks as her thingamabobs!

[@bakubread9308]

as someone who is far too poor to ever afford any of the places you go, I am addicted to seeing them all through these videos

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

Same here dude, I'll never leave my own dirt farm.

[@BrightSunFilms]

@@justiful9215That’s definitely not always true, especially with Disney

[@Jose04537]

This is why Instagram causes depression. You can see how inequality of the world at it's fullest. Some having to work their entire life, usually for peanuts, while the rich actually get to enjoy life.

[@CityWise_Travels]

You definitely need to make a ‘Everything wrong with the Cruise Industry’ video!

[@mushieslushie]

Please, no. If they do something and the review is negative, then fine. Let's not turn this into that type of channel.

[@TechGorilla1987]

You probably won't read this or much understand what I am trying to convey, But I really appreciate your speaking cadence. Too many KZbin people these days adopt this halting, lilting, up-speaking cadence which irritates me. You have a very good speaking voice and you vary your cadence appropriately for the statement you're making. Well done.

[@James-kg7rv]

the youtube accent is so real

[@acidicbarkbeast]

too real, i've dropped whole channels before because they had that almost ai sounding youtube lilt kind of accent

[@hayleyleiberman8491]

Totally agree! That's part of the reason I keep coming back tbh

[@SturbokSensei]

And they all SHOUT!

[@kratze1738]

Wow, now that you mention it, I agree. I was just thinking when I saw Bright Sun how nice his voice is to listen to. You hit the nail on the head.

[@LARKXHIN]

Laughed out loud @ The Bob Chapek Pier.

[@retailytt]

Same "which is just great" 😂👏

[@rar23424]

This entire project is the epitome of Chapek

[@xr6lad]

I just checked. Seems Google maps has deleted any ability to leave a review.

[@DylanDalal]

Same lol

[@SelecaoOfMidas]

​@@xr6ladBecause of freaking course... 🤣😒

[@combatwombat594]

The half mile walk to get the island is just ignorant honestly. Cart rides should be FREE and offered to anyone that seems like they're even remotely struggling. There should be nothing but golf carts on that pathway basically. Can't believe they couldn't do the original plan, no matter what the reason, and still went, "Fuck it, they can walk half a mile..."

[@PatrickWagz]

don't forget the second half-mile to get back onboard!! 😁

[@johnmf6096]

do you have any idea how many miles you walk on a typical magic kingdom day? Why would they care about 1/2 mile?

[@aperson1]

@@johnmf6096 At least each of those miles has some access to indoor spaces and refreshments, at least a bit of seating and shade

[@VSpoodle]

Calling the building a planet coaster building is so hilariously on point

[@benh3518]

Not just Planet Coaster, it's GENERIC Planet Coaster. The island/adventure theme stuff in PC itself is better than what's on most of the island. To say nothing of what PC2 is promising in its trailer.

[@dharkling]

My heart goes out to employees doing double duty; often neglected and dismissed. Hospitality makes all the difference!

[@Robert3377]

I swear with A LOT of places with no shade (both at the Disney parks and here), you would think that it's more than a budget issue, but rather a prejudice against shading. Maybe a large shaded tree snubbed an imagineer and thus they refuse to portray them in any light.

[@ortizedson58]

They probably do it so people buy merch (hats, fans, etc) and drinks to cool off

[@sickleds]

It's almost insulting how obvious it is that they want to funnel people into all 500 various merch stores (that have ac) to cool off

[@laurenm3148]

@@ortizedson58 BINGO

[@xr6lad]

Why provide a park bench when you can force people into a cafe to spend money and sit.

[@mommy2cody6]

No shade at the parks is to get people into the gift shops and the restaurants. Hoping they will spend money while they are in there.

[@asdf072xxp]

Opening venues before they're ready has been a Disney tradition since the beginning.

[@BrightSunTravels]

Haha that’s a good point

[@hayleyleiberman8491]

There's something eerie about how obviously they clear cut very healthy natural areas on the island. I imagine taking a tram ride through them all was part of why it took away some of the magic.

[@cindyamaru3959]

I just don’t understand why Disney didn’t add any shade to the entire property. Especially the long pier. Heat stroke is real!

[@acidicbarkbeast]

baby's first flat concrete planet coaster building 😭😭

[@ModernAtomX]

Those table fans look hilariously dangerous

[@hid34way]

They're not very fast, hence why they also don't work that well. Still hilarious

[@dolbyman]

It's a soft material, like these foam blades on mister fans

[@gamergod9182]

they are not fans, they are just fly swatters. it's a soft material spinning at a relatively slow speeds to keep insects away.

[@juliadagnall5816]

I’m pretty sure you’d have to work at it to actually hurt yourself with one of those things… but I’m equally sure that some poor klutz will manage it.

[@OmegaBahn]

😂 you have to be extra weak to be hurt by those

[@LeCafeRacer]

This is Disney's version of Frye Festival; a barren/lifeless island destination.

[@tiobetio9501]

That is exactly what came to mind when watching this. To the point I thought Billy McFarland was going to host his second Fyre festival here.

[@Sig_P229]

He promised Fyre Fest 2 after prison. Maybe it’s a collaboration

[@jshumphress13]

I don’t think it looks THAT bad lol. Fyre was a total fraud put on my people that had no idea what they were doing. Disney is using full paying customers as beta testers, which is not cool. At least the food is way better than Fyre lol.

[@Craneman87]

Eleuthera itself is an awesome place to visit. Rock sound, Governor’s Harbour, glass window bridge, preachers cave, french leave beach….Lighthouse point used to be a great place to visit but now you’re not allowed to go unless you’re on the cruise.

[@Colin.Smith.Pianist]

I disagree. Fyre was a total disaster, and this is a work in progress that should have been postponed

[@Spencer_W]

Great to see Disney adopt the video game industry's "ship now, finish later" model of doing business.

[@bossman4799]

Bob Chapek Pier is one of the funniest things I’ve heard recently. That’s just too great.

[@cheese790]

thanks for always having honest reviews, I find myself watching these videos the same way I would watch game plays when I was younger as I couldn't afford the games

[@TheLubeKing]

I appreciate the honesty Jake, you're not shy about being a Disney cultist and to hear you not gush over everything is a credit to your honesty as a content creator.

[@tsykes92]

So about the people just showing up in boats....In the Bahamas, all beaches are public property, regardless if someone builds on it. The same applies to any resort beaches too. Get access through the next door public beach and walk right on.....now going onto the property is another thing though

[@IzzosPlace]

It’s cracking me up that the biggest consistent complaint for the last 8-12 years is no shade and no sitting. 😂😂😂 Thank you for the review.

[@andysummerville3350]

Shade is now a premium option.

[@IzzosPlace]

@@andysummerville3350 😂😂😂👍🏼

[@KassFireborn]

Not just with Disney & Disney resorts; remember when they trimmed the living daylights out of the trees around striking writers/actors? Shade isn't something for the ~plebes~, clearly.

[@IzzosPlace]

@@KassFireborn dang forgot that one!

[@QuintusAntonious]

If you're shaded and sitting, you aren't paying for water or moving in and out of stores where you might buy something. Modern architecture is designed to be uncomfortable to keep people herded along and not dwelling too long in places that don't draw out income. It's not a uniquely Disney problem by any means.

[@oli24yt]

Not only do I enjoy getting to live vicariously through your cruise adventures, but tbh as somebody who has relatively recently reached an income level where I can save up and take my own little vacations 1-2 times a year for the first time in my adult life, I also feel like I've learned a lot about ways to evaluate if you're getting value/service/quality for your money from hotels and venues when planning this stuff yourself. It's genuinely very interesting and gives me a lot of food for thought when weighing different options against one another in my own planning process! For example how much does the size of your room matter if you are only in it to lie down at night vs if you'll be spending a lot of time in the space during a long journey; or how much do you really care about activities and events at your hotel if you're going to your destination for specific external activities (like a nearby theme park down the road) vs if the hotel IS the experience (Chateau Frontenac or the Animal Kingdom Safari hotel for example). Stuff I wouldn't have considered weighing the merits of before because most of my past travel was for work where everything is picked and paid for you, you get what you get. Lots of stuff in these videos is like a shortcut to hearing lots of recreational travel experience from someone in about my own age group, who cares about getting good value and also about stuff like where you can plug in your phone. Genuinely enlightening. Keep on keeping on, Jake & crew!

[@BrightSunTravels]

That’s genuinely so satisfying to hear, thank you!

[@Kitkat805]

That pier needs a People Mover!! (I just watched your video Abandoned: The People Mover). Keep up the great work, I love all your videos. 👍

[@BrightSunTravels]

Haha yes!! Thank you!

[@mushieslushie]

They should just buy a bunch of those little trains you see driving around malls or fairs.

[@CRS204]

Idk how any cruise line can be “environmentally conscious”

[@keithdosik]

I love that you’re cataloging the decline of Disney lol

[@bloodorange6713]

Oh, good. They made characters depicting the animals whose rare tropical island habitat was bulldozed and built over. How considerate of them

[@nataliemesbah1639]

😅

[@definitelynotashark1799]

Right? This is the epitome of tacky 💀

[@cornjobb]

you have to wonder what the residents of these places think of these setups. they score jobs, no doubt. but are they paid fairly and treated well?

[@R32R38]

That's something I don't understand. Instead of hiring local people, whom I'm sure would appreciate the work, Disney uses the already overworked ship's crews to do many of the jobs.

[@MrAronymous]

​@@R32R38 Cruise tourism is like locust. When they come, they come with many. So many job positions are necessary at a whim. To use your personnel that is already on the ship 'doing nothing' for that is logical in principle. And then I'm sure there are other positions that locals fulfill as well. The entire island has about 8000 locals, most of which probably already have other jobs, and is also geographically very long (111 miles) and skinny making getting to Lighthouse Point not the easiest commute from everywhere.

[@Croz89]

@@R32R38 To be fair, the work would be pretty sparse, I mean how many times a year do these cruise ships even land there? Anyone working there would need a second job they do the other 90% of the time.

[@joanhelenak]

​@@R32R38I'll explain it in two words: Labor laws. If they hire locals they will have to follow local labor laws about pay and hours. Using their employees allows them to work longer with less pay.

[@JasonWade]

I just got back from a cruise that stopped at several Bahama islands. I did an excursion on one of them and talked with the guide. She had to ride by boat from another island for an hour each way to make what sounded like subsistence wages. It wasn't a skilled job at all, but the "commute" seemed really bad. Most of these islands have little to no people on them, so the "locals" are even imported.

[@anonymouse7074]

Millions of dollars spent, but the flies win in the end 😅

[@sillylilybilly]

another huge oversight with that pier- elderly people love to take cruises, and it would take the average senior the entire port day to cross it 💀

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

They offer transportation for the elderly and disabled. Everyone else would have to pay a premium for the ride.

[@Mizz.Person]

​@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley Which is a shame because you shouldn't have to pay for a little shade or a bench to sit on if you're hot or tired.

[@corvairlover]

It sounds like Disney should have cut several of their Marvel and Star Wars Disney+ shows and put the money into their island getaway.

[@aliedawnwood]

I mean what's worse is that they don't need to do cuts in other areas EXCEPT the pay for their executive boards who continue to get salary increases as disney layoffs more and more employees

[@Sig_P229]

Actually Disney takes money from the parks and pours it into plus and their box office failures. Everyone seems to foresee the box office failures except Disney. They only care about pleasing Black Rock

[@adamstrachn]

Considering they've wasted well over $1 billion in Disney+ failures, your point makes more sense than ever.

[@wyw876]

@@adamstrachn Ehh. it made sense during the first few months of 2020 when an invisible boogeyman threatened lives (and profits). Shoulda reoriented again once the scooby-grade rubber mask was pulled off, but Cravat Man wanted credit for saving profits by nickel-and-dime-ing online and in-person guests, and here we are.

[@joe97nsx]

​@@aliedawnwoodlike Kathleen Kennedy who has been a disaster to the Star Wars franchise. She can thank her lucky stars that theoly reason she is even there is because of DEI.

[@girlwiththestarwarspurse]

One of the "beta testers" here from the Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Inaugural sailing on the Fantasy. I agree with just about every point you made in this video. Eleuthera was absolutely beautiful; the water was the most gorgeous blue I've ever seen. The food was delicious, Rush: A Junkanoo Celebration was so special and I appreciate Disney involving local culture into their destination, and the beaches were amazing. But, the amount of cut corners was blatantly obvious everywhere, which was disappointing. I have no doubt that if Joe Rhode had stayed with the company through the completion, it would have remained much closer to the original design. It's hard to justify spending over $12,000 on an inaugural sailing for 3 people when budget cuts were so apparent. We had a wonderful time as we come to expect on DCL, but the inflated price for an inaugural experience was not at all worth it.

[@vmoses1979]

Crazy. And you also experienced thr fly situation? Ripoff.

[@michaelc2656]

Cabanas starting at $1K???!!!! I take it this is just for the time the ship is in port! That is absurd for an unfinished destination! They are making price gouging an art form. I can’t even imagine how much the food costs. $6000 for the cheapest cabin plus all the extras, the total amount spent could be better spent on other vacation destinations.

[@mushieslushie]

Most of the food is free. It's only if you opt into an upscale dinner on the ship that you have to pay extra.

[@julienichols8432]

The food is free.. and that’s actually a great price for a cabana on cruise.

[@SueBobChicVid]

Great video. That place appears too unfinished to be a chargeable destination - especially for Disney. I've never been to any place like that. The concept looks great, but I think I would be disappointed with the current condition/presentation.

[@nathanerickson5703]

Disney used to pay attention to details and strive to tell a story with their environments. You could walk through an area and practically hear the designers saying "That'd be cool! Put that in!" regarding design choices. Now everything Disney touches feels skin deep. I could paint over half of the things shown on this island and they'd just become generic beach structure #9.

[@NScibek]

This reminds me a lot of MSC's private island, Ocean Cay Marine Reserve. We first went in February 2020 when it had just opened, and it was sparse. Small trees, no shade, construction equipment everywhere, disorganized buffet and bars. It still very much resembled the sand harvesting operation that used to be there. But in the years since, it has grown into a beautiful paradise we love to visit. However, this was MSC's first private island for cruise guests. Disney has done this before, and they have a much, much larger budget. Lookout Cay could be something great. But a half mile walk, plus a 15 minute tram ride, just to get to the main amenities is insane. I can already see the cases of heatstroke from people trying to return to the ship after a day at the beach.

[@Emporerking27]

I literally never plan on doing cruises or stuff like this, but I always enjoy watching your videos for all these years.. keep it up man, they're just great to watch :)

[@tomalexander4327]

I'm not a cruise person either but the Alaska video was very tempting.

[@vodkarocket1]

It’s so hard to watch all of these once great companies deteriorate-and they ALL are. The budget cuts here aside, Disney should actually be embarrassed to present flat tiny signs, ai printed artwork in place of actual texturized deco made of real carved wood, etc…even resin is better than printed decorations. Disney, Boeing, truly amazing at their start and for a lonnngggg time afterwards, but BOTH cant seem to get it right anymore. Total breakdown.

[@CampbellzS0up]

An HONEST review unlike the shills who praised a beach like ok we can go to a beach anywhere unfinished and unpolished.

[@anotherone-xp9ox]

Cough Kyle pallo and Travel Spree Cough

[@darrelsam419]

Have to get that Disney money somehow.

[@anotherone-xp9ox]

@@darrelsam419 Kyle is the WORST

[@remyd8767]

also he isn't a pure hater like some youtubers who say "OMG the pier is so long, i've never done 10 min walk in my life even though i go to disney parks a lot - Disney adults"

[@yes24__]

the private disney island feels very dystopian...

[@Hookokokkokoko]

Cruise ships to remote islands gives me hiking-traffic on Mt. Everest vibes. Getting out that far should be harder. Save adventure for adventurers and stop trying to pave the world.

[@CityWise_Travels]

Nothing better than a delicious Buffet with flies

[@isaiahsmith1822]

If Disney at all cared about environmental conservation, they simply would not have built a pollution and waste center in the middle of a fragile tropical ocean ecosystem.

[@boomr334]

I know the word 'corruption' gets chucked out very often when things do not measure up to grand plans, but in this case I suspect it was a case of many consultants, designers and corporate types wanting to get a bit of the action, so every design decision gets watered down because the costs go up to meet the demands of all the consultants on the project. So many contractors to be paid, advisors and so on. Ideas cost money to implement so money is spent on the people and orgs advising rather than the infrastructure itself. A classic grift

[@Jessica-oh2vz]

This is a really great video. I've watched several videos about Lighthouse Point, and yours is the only one that shows what Lighthouse Point was SUPPOSED to be, as designed by imagineers, vs why it feels so unfinished today due to budget cuts. Kudos, I really enjoyed, so much so, I liked and subscribed.

[@sarahbrossow2967]

so much respect for you Jake, such a thoughtful and articulate commentator and i appreciate your work. especially your attention to art, culture, and impact beyond just guest experience

[@BrightSunTravels]

I really appreciate that, thank you so much

[@jtstn387]

I was on the inaugural Fantasy sailing to the island. You are spot on with your assessment. It’s not done. It’s nowhere near done. Disney needed to either wait longer, invest more or both before the island was finished.

[@PXAbstraction]

Having been to CocoCay, I'd go there 10 times before going here once. It looks like the whole place is still in Early Access.

[@jessigirlrae1688]

exactly. Cococay is amazing

[@Wheeliethai]

Cococay looks a lot better than that barren ass island. I’m sure he’s just blinded by his love for Disney to objectively compare the two.

[@PXAbstraction]

@@Wheeliethai To be fair, he never claimed this was better, just that he didn't like CocoCay. I'm actually curious to hear why that is.

[@anthonyparkinson4517]

You have THE best channels on YT. It's automatically a good day whenever you upload.

[@parker73724]

I would be so upset if my cruise stopped here instead of a normal island. "You get to go to Disney Island a pay extreme prices but get no real Disney theming/attractions! Yay!".

[@jonathankey6444]

This has got to be the only example of original Disney IP in the last twenty years, what a diamond in the rough

[@Hanson032]

I'm so jealous of this guy. Part of his job is to travel every month lmao

[@Alex-cw3rz]

11:01 I love the disbelief in that "what"

[@shmuck66]

this is 100% why I simply stay on the ship. 1. I don't have to pay extra for anything. 2. The ship is empty, less riff raff to deal with. 3. I get the pick of the litter for any attraction or amenity I want on the ship. 4. Lunch at any of the buffets is no longer a battle but pleasurable. 5. I don't have to suffer if I don't want to. I can go in any door of the ship and get shade, or go to my room to cool off. Sure I might miss out on some experience, that honestly, the more people present, the worse that experience would be. So meh. I'll stay on the ship, and be happy.

[@R32R38]

That very long pier is quite different from the short pier that people are always telling me to take a long walk on.

[@mushieslushie]

Go take an even longer walk on a long peir!

[@sirrliv]

This seems like a prime example of the current state of Disney: Promising shiny and new things on the outside, hollow and bereft of originality on the inside. I agree that perhaps things might have been at least a little better had they given the foliage more time to grow in, closing off more sight lines and even providing more shade. But the fact is they sunk millions of dollars into this cruise destination (or at least, so they claim), money that Disney corporate doesn't really have right now. Combine that with their growing cruise market outstripping what the old Castaway Cay can handle and it's a bit more understandable why they couldn't wait; they had guests they needed to take somewhere and they needed their investment to pay off now. Unfortunately, the result was a half-finished underwhelming damp squib of a premier. I also suspect the lackluster architecture is the result of a crisis in architectural and engineering education right now, where many students are graduating universities having only been taught new, modern architecture with no grounding in the fundamentals of design theory or in architectural history. In essence, all they're taught how to make is generic concrete boxes with a few esoteric ornaments, mostly because that's what their professors think that's what the market wants right now, only to find that in the real world people actually hate generic ugly boxes, but they are cheap to build and all these students know when they get hired, or worse start architectural firms of their own. But in the end, it most likely once more comes back to money. Namely, Disney doesn't have nearly as much of it right now as they want everyone to think they do, so they needed to do everything on the cheap. So all of the creativity and imagination that went into Castaway Cay? Too expensive, throw it out and just make something that kinda works, and pray that the name Disney remains synonymous with fantasy experiences long enough that people ignore how far the mighty mouse is falling.

[@rbaile508]

I think your later statements are more correct. I think it’s far more likely that Disney cut back on costs than architects and engineers today can’t design things with depth. Plain is cheap and cheap is more profitable in the short term.

[@MrAronymous]

Your whole theory is disproven by Dinsney's own renderings. What they actually built is a cheapened out version of what they originally designed and even showed us. Doesn't have to do anything with architects drawing white boxes.

[@sirrliv]

@@MrAronymous Renderings are not reality. They could knock up a CG image of whatever they like, and maybe they really did intend to build that 5 years ago. But the results speak for themselves. Whether a lack of imagination on the architects part played a role is, I freely admit, mostly speculation. But the cheapness being the result of a floundering company stretched beyond its means feels like a safer accusation.

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

As someone with two degrees in architecture, it’s not a lack of imagination and creativity in the architecture and engineering fields, it’s the people backing the projects who want things done as cheaply as possible. The projects we do in school are full of creativity and beautiful design based off years of studying the history of architecture, theory, design, practical knowledge, and all that and then you get into the real world where developers just want plain boring boxes because it’s cheapest and they can squeeze the most money out of it. We don’t get to choose the budgets, we’re not the clients, we’re not doing design build projects on this large of scale ourselves. We crave clients with the money who give us the freedom to do something people actually want to occupy, that add to life. The vast majority of architects are not going to be the Le Corbusier’s, the Alvar Aalto’s, the Zaha Hadid’s who got to make these amazing designs that are publicly recognized. We do that kind of work in school and then you get to a firm and you’re designing yet another boring ass modern apartment tower where you copy and paste 100 of the same floors the developers are like “yeah, those balconies are too expensive can we just use some corrugated plastic in between units for ‘privacy’ to save costs?” Or “that staircase is going to cost $10k do we really need it?” and you have to fight with them that it literally won’t past permitting because you need that staircase for emergency egress. Trust me, it’s the late stage capitalism that’s driving the lack of creativity, everything needs to be as cheap as possible to make the owners as much money as possible and that’s the vast majority of design work going on. Every once and awhile you get a competition project that might let you flex your wings but if you don’t win you spent a hell of a lot of your free time and creativity on nothing in a field where you’re already super busy trying to meet diminishing timelines. Yes this is a rant, TLDR look to the people funding projects for why there is a lack of creativity and sad execution and that concrete boxes are in the rise, not the designers behind it.

[@sirrliv]

@@lisahoshowsky4251 I bow to your widom, good sir. While there may still be some issue with architectural schools tending to throw out anything pre-Bauhaus, you are absolutely right in that the grand majority of the blame rests on the clients and their greed and stinginess. It's actually refreshing to hear from an actual trained architect who doesn't automatically sing the praises of Calatrava and who laments how architecture has become more a job than an art. Maybe I've been too heavily influenced by KZbinrs like The City Beautiful. And that does support the alternate narrative that Disney are the ones who are creatively bankrupt, and may or may not be teetering on fiscal bankruptcy.

[@blueskiestrevor5200]

I would be willing to bet the length of the pier was mandated by either the local government or their own environmental rules. The other Disney island pier clearly cuts deep into the natural reef and I am guessing they were trying to avoid that this time.

[@radcrubmx583]

Hands down, the best KZbin review of Lookout Cay. I was on the inaugural Fantasy sailing and Jake hits the nail on the head with everything. The hope that DCL will view this and realize how appalling it was to charge what they did for this disaster is only futile, but at least there's some comfort in that someone else out there shares the same opinion.

[@Craneman87]

Eleuthera itself is an awesome place to visit. Rock sound, Governor’s Harbour, glass window bridge, preachers cave, day trip to Harbour island, french leave beach….Lighthouse point used to be a great place to visit but now you’re not allowed to go unless you’re on the cruise.

[@BrightSunTravels]

You can go there even if you’re not on a cruise

[@Craneman87]

@@BrightSunTravels not by the way you used to. The road to lighthouse point is now Disney property.

[@John_Locke_108]

Glad they trying to do something about the flies. I watched a video on another channel and it turned my stomach. But than again, I find food being served outdoors disgusting in general.

[@hello12232]

Emi, blink twice if you are being held hostage and being forced to live a life at sea with this monster

[@NP_MurrayMax]

Bro what

[@dobisPR780]

Emmi mark yourself as safe

[@emmi_lancaster]

Im so confused lol!! How does my boyfriend taking me on awesome trips all the time make him a monster!? Im having a great time guys I swear. In fact Im blinking excessively because Im having so much fun!!

[@Lee-he2qp]

It’s very telling that Jake found the best part of the island was the beach…the part Disney had nothing to do with.

[@vergolophus]

I was prepared to roll my eyes completely at the end result, but then you showed the comparison of other resorts versus what Disney is doing. 20% of the land used compared to "turning the land into an artificial capitalist nightmare" is actually amazing. The budget cuts are loud, but the restraint to be less intrusive and environmentally friendly is actually quite wonderful to see, especially with giving back some of the land.

[@HowDoYouUpload]

I recently saw your documentary "Closed for Storm" on the infotainment on an American Airlines transpacific flight to Sydney! Crazy to see how far you have come! Also, thank you so much for these reviews. I want to do a Bahamas trip leaving out of Florida some time in the near future, and I want to see which trip is worth it as a first time visitor. Def will keep your reviews in mind when planning it out.

[@drdewott9154]

Yeah I also saw it was available on an Emirates flight I was on from Dubai to Copenhagen.

[@HeatherTravels]

I had booked a cruise on Disney Magic to Lighthouse Point for August, but I decided to wait and go in 2025 instead, and after seeing the videos so far, I'm glad I made that decision. I am confident that Disney will make the necessary changes, complete construction, and that the plant life will grow to provide a more lush feeling and more shade. It does seem to have a very different feel than Castaway Cay, and I'm not sure if I'll like the difference or not.

[@LostKawaii]

Wow. Sitting here and shaking my head in disbelief. This completely unprotected, unthemed conrete pier is really the embodiment of what the whole Disney corporation stands for today. I will never understand why still so many people defend this shill-company, especially with their much higher than average prices they are asking for. Doesn't matter if it's for a cruise or in their parks.

[@robbicu]

Disney answers to their shareholders. They really don't give a shit about the guests anymore. Guests are just a source of revenue and Disney knows they will come regardless.

[@heathermichael3987]

Disney forgot that when they started no one else had a private island . Things have changed and they haven’t.

[@caleblloyd1734]

NCL has had a private island since the 70s and Royal since the 80s. Disney was just the first one to have a pier attached to the island.

[@heathermichael3987]

The history is Disney had a private island and got away with not doing much because it was a pirate party , and their still trying to get away with not doing much and charging a lot of money , and those days are gone . Mainly because cruising grew and a lot more people cruise. Disney has not kept up ,

[@kylebeattie8594]

The big ass fans came outta nowhere. For a Disney property to have fans that say that is absolutely hilarious 😂

[@remymcwin4673]

If you are ever in Chile, I would love you to do a review of the Santiago Ritz Carlton. It might be one of the best hotels we've ever stayed at, and I would be interested in your thoughts on it.

[@Pali729]

Royal's CocoCay feels more like Disney than this new Disney private island. The themeing, innovation, and attention to detail just isn't here.

[@etho4576]

12:02 goon bay? Um no thanks Disney

[@harrydaugherty2191]

I genuinely enjoy the different videos you offer and it breaks up my KZbin algorithm from just funny moment videos. Thank you so much for all you do!

[@thenerdyrockstar]

I was on the opening cast for lighthouse point! It was a crazy experience! I will say I know a lot of stuff that is still planned and just hasn't been finished yet, like I know that current arch at goombay is temporary while the final arch is being finished

[@BrightSunTravels]

Oh really? That’s good to hear at least!

[@shunganeva9115]

It just looks so….dry. You would think they would have like big extravagant water features in the main hubs or something.

[@MaxSchmidl]

The mascots are precious

[@WickstarRunner]

The pier is completely inexcusable, we’ll never book a cruise that’s goes to LP simply because of that alone. “Environmentally friendly” construction is usually code for “we’re going to use sub-par materials and do as little work as possible and hide behind the environmental message to explain it”. I’m very interested to see what’s going to happen to the site WHEN a hurricane hits that area. I’m expecting the damage to be severe.

[@amethysttalon3507]

It's ridiculous how Disney charge sky high prices for their experiences, and then constantly seem to be screwing up by cheaping out on the execution. Both this and the Galactic Starcruiser come to mind as examples. Great concept, very poor delivery

[@MGAFFY]

Wow it looks awful right now with all those shrubs/bushes and trees being so small, I bet in a few years it'll fill out look way better though.

[@drdewott9154]

As much as there were some good intention, you so easily see all the bad corporate influence shining through, and making a soulless and uninviting experience, especially compared to Disney's previous efforts in the 90's with Castaway Cay. Seems like both corporate and imagineering have experienced vast talent loss. There are just so many things wrong from the overall building design with everything from its forms, bulkiness, and use of materials, to the lack of utility you mentioned. On top of that the very poor urban planning on the island with wide open plazas with little to no shade despite the climate, and spacing everything needlessly far apart. You need stuff to be smaller and closer together to have an inviting environment, which Castaway Cay succeeds at. Also building out stuff like the trams to the ship and just accomodating everything. I would say a good place to look would be stuff like the Atlantis resorts and their aquaventure waterparks in terms of design, I went to their Dubai location half a year ago, but they too have dropped the ball and fallen into the trap of corporate minimalism and cheapness, especially with their newest corner of the park. It is like everywhere we look every company has fallen trap to this stuff. I can only hope the trends change. We are overloaded with this kind of corporate soulless minimalism everywhere in our lives and many, especially in the younger generations are growing tired of it, and demanding more authenticity, well made decor, soul, and just the kind of maximalism that Disney and their theming absolutely excelled at in the 80's and 90's!

[@BrightSunTravels]

Totally agree with this!

[@Dangic23]

The Royal Caribbean staff also hates Coco Cay because of the same strenuous work day it puts them through.

[@Satire-Gaming]

That is an insane amount of money for a half ass finished island with most of it's stuff still not done and available lol

[@ve2vfd]

Having been to Coco Cay and Great Stirrup Cay many times I was really not impressed by Disney's private island. The only thing it has going for it is the beaches.

[@kennethpreston9813]

I’m really unimpressed with Disney’s new private island. Castaway Cay looks better in my opinion.

[@MarcHDJ81v]

For $5200.00 you could fly to Zanzibar and stay at a 5-star resort like RUI Palace for 2-weeks, in pure luxury. I would be so disappointed if I spent so much money on such a ghastly Caribbean island experience.

[@mcruz2357]

My family went to Epcot in the 80s when it was still under construction. This brings back memories. Opening an unfinished park is not a new thing for them.

[@Raphe9000]

2 BST videos in less than a month :O

[@kristinekiddell1196]

This looks unbelievably grim and budget, i cannot believe this is a Disney property - I would be so disappointed. great review.

[@BestRaja]

Adding water taxis/tenders from the pier to other parts of the island would fix that pier problem.

[@timogul]

Disney in general needs to embrace the cover. It's insane that they have a pier that long without a cloth roof over it. The same should apply to a lot of their Florida parks.

[@adamp2384]

MSC Ocean Cay private island is a much better island with way more conservation efforts and lacks all the flies and other bugs lol