Disney Cruise Line wants to create a new experience in the Bahamas at Eleuthera Island Lighthouse Point, and Disney launched a new website HERE to explain in details what they intend to do. Good news, they asked Imagineer Joe Rhode to take care of the project, and Joe tells you more in the video below.
Disney Cruise Line is creating a new experience in Eleuthera at Lighthouse Point. The destination will create sustainable economic opportunities for Bahamians, protect and sustain the natural beauty of the site, celebrate culture, and help strengthen the community in Eleuthera. It will complement Castaway Cay, a Disney destination located in the Abaco chain of The Bahamas, giving families the opportunity to enjoy the site’s beautiful beaches and explore nature, as well as enjoy the broader tourism offerings in Eleuthera.
Disney has long been committed to protecting the environment in The Bahamas, donating millions of dollars from the Disney Conservation Fund to important conservation projects. Several experts from Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team have been engaged in significant conservation work in The Bahamas in partnership with local organizations and scientists for more than a decade. This includes leading an initiative to rehabilitate coral reefs in The Bahamas that has been underway since 2007. Other examples include using solar power on Castaway Cay, as well as operating an animal care facility there, and a partnership to convert offloaded cooking oil into biodiesel, among other initiatives.
Previous development proposals for Lighthouse Point, which was privately owned for decades before Disney’s purchase, included plans for hundreds of homes, condominiums, villas, a hotel and a 140-slip marina constructed through the salt ponds. What Disney Cruise Line plans to do is much different and is designed to have as little impact as possible on the natural environment. In fact, the plan includes developing less than 20% of the property, much of it for low-density uses like the placement of beach chairs, umbrellas and small support structures. Disney is also donating more than 190 acres, including the site’s southernmost point and a significant amount of beachfront property, to the government and people of The Bahamas.
For the areas Disney does intend to develop, the company is focusing on sustainable design and building practices. For example, the construction of an innovative, open-trestle pier that extends to deep water will prevent the dredging of a ship channel, and a proposed elevated design for many walkways and structures will reduce impacts to the natural environment. Disney also has committed to meeting at least 30% of the energy demand for the project from renewable energy and has already established environmental monitoring programs that will continue through construction and into operation. Additionally, Disney Cruise Line has committed to developing a multi-faceted program to educate employees, vendors and guests about the role they play in protecting the site, something Disney has been able to effectively do with Disney projects around the world.
Disney Cruise Line has long said it will only move forward with a project at Lighthouse Point if it is able to do so in an environmentally responsible manner. Along with its own Animals, Science and Environment team, Disney assembled a team of highly qualified and experienced scientists and other professionals who worked on a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for two years. The EIA is based on extensive field work, robust data collection and analysis, direct engagement with those who have studied the site and the species observed there and an exhaustive review of available literature. Disney looks forward to engaging in public consultation as it moves through this process at the direction of the government of The Bahamas. Construction will begin on the site after the Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan are accepted by Government, public consultation has occurred and all other necessary Government permits and approvals have been granted.
Disney is committed to ensuring a world where wildlife thrives and nature is treasured and protected by saving wildlife, inspiring action and protecting the planet. For more than 60 years, animals have been a part of Disney storytelling, and these stories continue today alongside immersive experiences that connect children and families around the world with the magic of nature. Since 1995, the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) has directed more than $86 million to save wildlife and protect the planet, inspiring millions of people to take action for nature in their communities.
The design for Lighthouse Point will be inspired by the natural environment and celebrate the culture and spirit of The Bahamas.
Over the past year,
Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, whose work includes the design of Disney’s
Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando and Aulani, A Disney Resort &
Spa in Hawaii, has spent extensive time with local artists and cultural
experts in The Bahamas. Together, they have explored arts and cultural
sites across New Providence and Eleuthera, from Junkanoo shacks to noted
art galleries. Kevin Cooper, a master artist from Eleuthera and
Antonius Roberts, a master artist from Nassau, are anchoring Disney’s
efforts to work with the local creative community.
Pictures and video: copyright Disney
