Everything you need to know about Disney Wish, the cruise line’s first new ship in a decade
In just a few weeks, Disney diehards and cruise aficionados can book a trip on Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, Disney Wish.
Disney unveiled on Thursday a number of details about the debut vessel — the cruise line’s first new ship in a decade and the first in its new Triton class — including new dining experiences, entertainment venues and amenities.
Plus, the line finally announced a definitive booking date: May 27, 2021, for cruises that will set sail in the summer of 2022. Those with Castaway Club status, Disney Vacation Club members can book even earlier, starting May 17. (We’ve got more details below.)
The first Disney Wish journey will set sail from Florida’s Port Canaveral on June 9, 2022 for the Bahamas, including a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.
Cruising may have come to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic (and delayed the long-anticipated delivery of Disney Wish) but the cruise line has kept the magic alive by teasing many details about its first new ship in nine years.
Disney Wish is just the first in a fleet of three new ships, called the Triton class, currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. Liquefied natural gas (a more environmentally friendly fuel) will power these 140,000-gross-ton ships that are slightly larger than the existing Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. But like those predecessors, Triton ships will also accommodate 4,000 passengers in around 1,250 staterooms and suites.
Here’s everything else we know so far about Disney Wish, and the entire trio of forthcoming Disney Cruise Line ships.
Disney Wish design concept
The Grand Hall of the new Disney Wish cruise ship will immediately immerse guests into their own fairytale as soon as they board. (Rendering courtesy of Disney)
The theme and inspiration for the Disney Wish is enchantment. It’s a theme that ties all Disney stories and fairy tales together. And it’s going to be at the heart of this new ship’s experience.
Disney released design concepts ahead of the full reveal on Thursday, but with the new details, it sounds even more magical.
Inside, guests will be greeted with the ship’s three-story Grand Hall inspired by the story of Cinderella. And at the foot of the grand staircase will be Cinderella herself.
Another highlight of the Grand Hall will be a stage right in the atrium for “theatrical surprises” set to take place throughout the day. According to Disney, you can expect fairy-tale castles, forests and animals and the spirit of the sea all included in the design of the ship experience.
If the rendering of the Grand Hall is any indication, Disney Wish will be a fantastical dream brought to the high seas.
“Enchantment is about unlocking the wonder in everything we do and experience,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering.
“For the Disney Wish we are … infusing every inch of this enchanted ship with more Disney stories and characters than ever before. The Disney Wish will be a place where families really do get to wish upon a star.”
Rooms get a fairy-tale makeover
For the roughly 4,000 passengers who can set sail together on the ship, there will be 1,254 staterooms, 90% of which will have outside views (yes, just 10% will be interior rooms).
Of those ocean-facing rooms, a whopping 70% will have verandahs. Cruisers can expect more storage space, and more “compartmentalized” rooms according to Disney, to give kids and parents a feeling of separate spaces within the stateroom.
Also on deck for Disney Wish, and a first for the cruise line, is a pair of two-story suites that will feature spiral staircases and bathrooms with freestanding soaking tubs as well as spectacular views.
Another first: Disney Cruise Line will offer seven exclusive oceanview rooms located in a prime spot just above the bridge. These rooms will have extended living areas with ocean views that can be enjoyed through floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the bow.
Of note for those who enjoy the higher level of service and amenities with the Disney Concierge Level is that this ship will have more than double the number of concierge rooms and suites as the other Disney ships. Those 76 rooms and suites will have access to an expanded concierge lounge with a full bar and a private sundeck with two whirlpools, a wading pool and other exclusive amenities.
Entertainment to rival Disney World
Disney specializes in entertainment for the whole family, so it should come as no surprise that Disney Wish will amp up the opportunities for shows and experiences.
Among the highlights: Three Broadway-style shows, including Aladdin, a Musical Journey (and two new productions that have yet to be announced); two movie theaters showing first-run films; and the aforementioned Grand Hall stage at the atrium. Disney is also bringing back its fan-favorite fireworks at sea.
There are also two family entertainment concepts that will eventually come to life: Luna, which will transform into an adult entertainment area at night, and the superhero-themed Hero Zone, where families can participate in an obstacle course and competitions.
There will also be plenty of shipboard watery fun with a new Disney aqua coaster attraction called AquaMouse. Disney says this will be its first-ever attraction at sea, which means it is sure to come in several notches above the previous ships’ AquaDuck slide.
The ride will include an immersive animation short called “Scuba Scramble” along with special effects, and it will “zig, zag and zoom” through 760 feet of winding tubes suspended high above the upper decks with views out over the water.
Dining with a twist
Dining on a Disney cruise is always something to get excited about, and Disney Wish is adding an array of new experiences that should please both the littlest cruisers and their parents. Guests will rotate through three highly immersive spaces (all included in the cruise rate):
- Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure is a “Frozen”-themed dinner theater with live entertainment space featuring Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf. Food will have Nordic influences.
- Worlds of Marvel is being considered the first-ever “Marvel cinematic dining adventure,” where guests will participate in an interactive Avengers mission (so no, your kids won’t sit quietly through a meal). What’s on the menu? We’re told it’s “Marvel-inspired dining from Wakanda to New York.”
- And in honor of the year The Walt Disney Company was founded, 1923 is an “elegant celebration” of Disney with California-style cuisine.
As with other Disney ships, there will also be 24-hour room service, places to grab casual bites and, of course, unlimited soft-serve ice cream.
No grown-ups allowed
This is Disney, after all, so you’re probably expecting great programming for kids — and parents won’t be disappointed.
For children ages 3 to 12, the kids club experience starts with a deck-long slide from the Grand Hall down to the Oceaneer Lab. (There’s a regular old door entrance for parents to enter the space, too.)
During the day, kids can attend the Marvel Super Hero Academy (a high-tech Avengers “headquarters” where kids can become heroes through interactive activities, and Spider-Man, Black Panther, Ant-Man and the Wasp pay regular visits).
There’s also Fairytale Hall — a “royal” space for creative endeavors with Rapunzel’s Art Studio, Belle’s Library and Anna and Elsa’s Sommerhus (and yes, all of those royal princesses will make appearances).
And there’s even a Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, which is considered a first-of-its-kind opportunity for kids to learn tricks from Disney Imagineers with hands-on activities and inventive experiments.
There’s a separate play area for babies and toddlers (for a fee), the It’s a Small World Nursery, and tweens and teens can hang out at Edge and Vibe, spaces that grant them a bit more independence.
Fun for the adults
Yes, we’re all kids at heart, but sometimes it’s nice to be treated like an adult, too. Disney Wish is treating grown-ups to a number of kid-free zones on the ship.
First, there’s a Quiet Cove pool area and the Senses Spa and Fitness where adults can relax and unwind.
There’s a separate play area for babies and toddlers (for a fee), the It’s a Small World Nursery, and tweens and teens can hang out at Edge and Vibe, spaces that grant them a bit more independence.
Fun for the adults
Yes, we’re all kids at heart, but sometimes it’s nice to be treated like an adult, too. Disney Wish is treating grown-ups to a number of kid-free zones on the ship.
First, there’s a Quiet Cove pool area and the Senses Spa and Fitness where adults can relax and unwind.
A number of adults-only options take a cue from “Beauty and the Beast.” There’s Palo Steakhouse (a retread of the elegant Italian venue on other Disney cruises, this time with an added steakhouse focus) which is inspired by Cogsworth, the tale’s majordomo-turned-enchanted clock; Enchanté by chef Arnaud Lallement of Michelin-star fame, which was inspired by the elegant candelabra Lumiere; and The Rose, an upscale cocktail lounge taking design inspiration from the flower at the heart of the story.
Girl power
The ship will continue the Disney Cruise Line tradition of adorning two character art pieces on the hull, giving a nod to smart and powerful women and girls everywhere.
Disney Wish’s hull will feature Captain Minnie Mouse for the first time, “solidifying her pioneering place at the forefront for the fleet’s future.”
And Rapunzel will be the first female character to grace the stern of a Disney Cruise Line ship. “Spirited, smart, curious and above all, adventurous, Rapunzel embodies the wish and desire to see and experience the world,” Disney Cruise Line said. She will appear to “decorate” the ship’s exterior with Pascal the chameleon at her side.
Bound for the Bahamas
Disney Cruise Line has announced that the maiden voyage for Wish, along with the rest of the sailings in its first season, will be bound for the Bahamas, including Disney’s private island Castaway Cay.
Also in the works from Disney is a potential second private-island port of call in the Bahamas. Called Lighthouse Point, on the island of Eleuthera, it will be a sister private island to Disney’s Castaway Cay. However, this project will not be completed on the same timeline as the Disney Wish. In fact, it is facing some local and environmental opposition. But, assuming agreements can be reached, this island should play a major role as Disney gets ready to welcome the three Triton class ships to its fleet.
Retired iconic Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, who designed much of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii, toured the Bahamas in the summer of 2019 to meet with local artists to learn about the culture.
The result of his research trips will inform his design aesthetic for the new port of call. His time in the Bahamas also led him to Kevin Cooper, an artist from Eleuthera, and Antonius Roberts, an artist from Nassau. Both play major roles in the artistic evolution of Lighthouse Point.
Disney purchased the privately owned Lighthouse Point early in 2019 and signed an agreement with the Bahamian government that “guides the responsible and sustainable way the site will be developed.”
Disney says it plans to develop less than 20% of the property and, through the Disney Conservation Fund, donated $13 million to marine conservation programs around the world — including some in the Bahamas.
When will Disney Wish reservations open?
Circle May 27, 2021, in red! That’s the day reservations will open to the general public for Disney Wish.
While it’s almost always best to book a Disney cruise as soon as it goes on sale for the best prices and availability, that’s going to be especially true with the newest vessel as it will be pretty competitive to grab some of the cabins. In fact, we expect multiple sell-outs for this anticipated ship.
Disney Wish bookings will open in the following order:
May 17: Those with 25 or more Disney Cruise Line sailings
May 18: Those with 20 or more Disney Cruise Line sailings
May 19: Those with 15 or more Disney Cruise Line sailings
May 20: Those with Disney Cruise Line Castaway Cay Platinum status
May 24: Those with Disney Cruise Line Castaway Cay Gold status
May 26: Those with Disney Cruise Line Castaway Cay Silver status
