DisneyDisney have just released first-look pictures that reveal what their new private island resort in the Bahamas is expected to look like upon completion. And it looks heavenly.
The 751-acre resort – named Lighthouse Point – is expected to open for business in late 2022 or early 2023.
Located on the bewitchingly beautiful island of Eleuthera, this marks Disney’s second Bahamas resort, with Castaway Cay having opened in 1998.
Disney Cruise LineAccording to the project website, the resort design will drawn inspiration from ‘the natural environment and celebrate the culture and spirit of The Bahamas’.
Construction work is expected to begin this year. Disney has stressed that the creation of Lighthouse Point will have as low an impact as possible on the surrounding natural environment.
As they say:
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 project will leave the overwhelming majority of the site undeveloped.
Plans include developing less than 20 percent 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.
Disney Cruise LinePortfolio creative executive, Joe Rohde, has reportedly worked alongside local artists and culture experts to make sure Lighthouse Point both respects and benefits the island and people of Eleuthera.
Rohde said:
The Bahamas offers a fascinating multi-cultural tradition of food, music, dance and storytelling.
Eleuthera in particular is home to many artists and we will be working with painters, sculptors, writers, storytellers, musicians, weavers and artists of every kind, much like we did with Aulani in Hawaii, to create a completely unique experience that is rooted in Bahamian culture and imbued with Disney magic.
The Lighthouse Point site is so beautiful and so full of nature that we want to preserve this and use our designs to call attention to the extraordinary quality of the place itself – a place of natural beauty with a rich and fascinating cultural tradition.
As reported by the Orlando Sentinel, it’s expected Disney will spend an approximate $250 million (£195m) to $400m (£312m) on bringing the resort to life.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.