Every family has a Waterpark Person and a Shade Person.
The Waterpark Person is in the Thunder Bowl by 10:04 a.m. The Shade Person is holding six pairs of flip flops, three towels, one abandoned churro and somebody's goggles, standing in direct sunlight, slowly becoming a raisin.
A cabana is for the Shade Person. A cabana is, arguably, saving the Shade Person.
Quick Answer: What Cabanas Does Pirates Bay Have?
Pirates Bay Waterpark near Great Escapes RV Resorts Chesnut Bay has 19 cabanas in three sizes, all available for full day use from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- 8 Small cabanas (#06 through #13)
- 10 Medium cabanas (#01-#05 and #15-#19)
- 1 Large cabana (#14)
Everyone using the cabana also needs a valid Pirates Bay admission ticket. The cabana is the spot, not the entry.
The Three Options
Small Cabana
8 by 8 feet. Two guests. (Cabanas #06 through #13) Two lounge chairs and a small table. No electricity.
This is the couples cabana, or the "we have one baby and forty pounds of baby equipment" cabana. Both are valid.
Medium Cabana
9 by 9 feet. Up to four guests. (Cabanas #01-#05 and #15-#19) Two lounge chairs, two additional chairs, a small table, and electricity.
Electricity is doing a lot of quiet work here. Phones die. Somebody always needs a charge. Somebody is always taking three hundred photos of a kid going down the same slide.
Large Cabana
9 by 20 feet. Eight to 12 guests. (Cabana #14, there is only one) Four lounge chairs, four additional chairs, two small tables, and electricity.
This is the multi-family, cousins-in-town, "we are technically a group now" cabana. If two or three families are camping together at Chesnut Bay, this is the move.
Worth knowing: there are 19 cabanas at Pirates Bay and exactly one of them is the Large. One. For the whole park, every operating day of the season.
So if your group needs it, book early. Not "sometime this week" early. Actually early.
All three sizes are positioned for easy access to the different areas of the park, so you're not hiking across the whole place every time somebody needs sunscreen reapplied. There's a cabana map on the tickets page if you want to see exactly where each numbered cabana sits before you pick one.
The Thing People Get Wrong
A cabana is a shaded spot with seating. It is not a permission slip for a picnic.
Outside food and drinks aren't allowed inside Pirates Bay, cabana or no cabana. Sealed water bottles and baby formula are the exceptions, and no glass containers at all. So the cooler stays at your campsite and lunch happens at Ship Wrecks inside the park.
Here's the flip side though, and it's the actual argument for renting one: you also can't bring your own chairs. Outside chairs, loungers, tents and freestanding shade structures are all prohibited. Chair-mounted umbrellas are allowed, and that's about it.
Which means the only way to get guaranteed shade and a seat that's yours all day is to rent one. That reframes the whole "is it worth it" question, doesn't it?
Why Bother? Four Honest Reasons
1. You get a meeting spot. Kids scatter. Cabana solves that. "Meet at the cabana" is a sentence that works even for a seven year old with the attention span of a goldfish.
2. Somebody can tap out without leaving. One adult takes a break. The other keeps swimming. Nobody has to load up and go back to the campsite just because one person hit their limit.
3. Shade is not optional in Alabama in August. This is not a luxury conversation. This is a survival conversation.
4. You can actually pace the day. Slides, break, pool, food, break, slides. That rhythm is what turns a "we lasted three hours" day into a full day at the park.
Where Camping at Chesnut Bay Fits In
Here's the part that makes cabanas make more sense for campers than for day trippers.
Great Escapes RV Resorts Chesnut Bay is 0.4 miles from Pirates Bay Waterpark, so you already have a home base. You could just leave.
But a cabana means you don't have to. You can do a genuine full day, 10 to 6, without anyone melting down, then roll back to your RV site or cabin that evening with a fire and zero remaining energy. Which is the goal.
Peek at the park map before your trip so you know where everything sits. Future you says thanks.
How to Build the Day Around It
Think of the cabana as base camp, not a lounge chair you paid to sit in for eight hours.
- 10 a.m. Hit the slides first while everyone's fresh and the lines are short
- Noon Regroup at the cabana, dry off, redistribute snacks
- 1 p.m. Lunch at Ship Wrecks, right there in the park (remember, no outside food)
- 2 p.m. Splash Zone for the little kids, Thunder Bowl for the ones who are fearless and slightly unhinged
- 4 p.m. Cabana again. Charge phones. Reassess who is still functional.
- 5 p.m. One last round before close
- 6 p.m. Back to camp. Blue Bell Ice Cream Shop on the way if morale needs a boost.
Plot twist: the cabana is what makes the day longer, not shorter.
Is It Worth It? The Honest Take
Rent one if: you've got little kids, you're two or more families traveling together, you're planning to stay most of the day, or somebody in your group genuinely cannot be in the sun for eight hours.
Skip it if: you're two adults doing a quick three hour visit, or you're the kind of family that gets waterlogged and leaves by 1 p.m. anyway. No shame. Know thyself.
Cabana availability and waterpark schedules change between seasons, so check the current Pirates Bay Waterpark tickets and cabana info before you book.
FAQ
How many cabanas does Pirates Bay Waterpark have? Pirates Bay has 19 cabanas in three sizes: 8 Small cabanas (#06 through #13) for two guests each, 10 Medium cabanas (#01 through #05 and #15 through #19) for up to four guests each, and 1 Large cabana (#14) for eight to 12 guests.
How big are the Pirates Bay cabanas? The Small Cabana is 8 by 8 feet, the Medium Cabana is 9 by 9 feet, and the Large Cabana is 9 by 20 feet.
Do Pirates Bay cabanas include waterpark admission? No. Every person using the cabana must also have a valid Pirates Bay Waterpark admission ticket. The cabana rental is separate.
What time can I use a Pirates Bay cabana? Cabanas are available for full day use from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., matching the waterpark's operating hours.
Which Pirates Bay cabanas have electricity? The Medium and Large cabanas include electricity. The Small Cabana includes seating and a table without electricity.
How far is Pirates Bay Waterpark from Great Escapes RV Resorts Chesnut Bay? 0.4 miles. The resort is at 4507 County Road 147 and the waterpark is at 4541 County Road 147, same road, very short drive.
Can you bring your own food if you rent a cabana at Pirates Bay? No. Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside the waterpark regardless of whether you rent a cabana. Sealed water bottles and baby formula are permitted, and no glass containers are allowed. Ship Wrecks inside the park serves food.
Can you bring your own chairs instead of renting a cabana? No. Outside chairs, loungers and similar seating items are not permitted inside the park, and neither are tents or freestanding shade structures. Chair-mounted umbrellas and parasols are allowed. Renting a cabana is the way to guarantee shade and seating for the day.
Is a cabana worth it for a family? For families with young children, groups staying most of the day, or multiple families traveling together, a cabana provides shade, seating and a central meeting point that makes a full day at the park much easier to manage.
Ready to Book?
Get the campsite first, then the waterpark day, then the cabana. That's the order that actually works.
Browse RV sites and cabins at Great Escapes RV Resorts Chesnut Bay, or call (256) 526-7779 and we'll help you sort it out.
So which are you: cabana home base person, or "I will be in the water until they make me leave" person?