Welcome to DisneyBizJournal.com - News, Analysis and Reviews of the Disney Entertainment Business!

Brought to fans, investors, entrepreneurs, executives, teachers, professors, and students by columnist, economist, novelist, reviewer, podcaster, business reporter and speaker Ray Keating

Showing posts with label Disney Wish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disney Wish. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Disney Unveils Details for New “Disney Treasure” Cruise Ship

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 5, 2023

 

Disney often gets kudos for the level of service on its cruise line, and today (September 5, 2023), Captain Minnie and friends shared some of the fun features for their new ship – but not quite all of the details cruisers were waiting for.  Disney is celebrating its 25th anniversary of cruising this year, and the Disney Treasure is the 6th ship to join the Disney Cruise Line fleet. It’s also the sister ship to last year’s launched Disney Wish, and the second of the three ships in the Triton class.  


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


The Treasure will set sail in December 2024 with longer seven-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral, Florida.  The booking window opens September 20, 2023, though, so you won’t have long to wait to start planning your trip.   (Early booking for Castaway Club members begins as early as September 12.)


To help kick-off their journey to ship’s launch, Disney dropped a virtual reveal of some of the ship’s details online this morning.  We were getting some serious S.E.A. (Society of Adventurers and Explorers) vibes with this video introduction, helmed by the newly imagined explorer “Arthur Quinn.”  And certainly the S.E.A. feel fits right in thematically to the Disney Treasure.

  


The video tour begins in Arthur Quinn’s study, a definite call out to the Adventurers’ theme, and Arthur receives a map (helpfully shaped like a ship!) that encourages him to follow various character-shaped clues to uncover some of the new details of the ship.  (Since the Treasure is still under construction in Germany, most of the visuals are from artist renderings, but they’re shockingly realistic.)

 

The Disney Treasure honors Walt Disney’s love of travel and adventure, and becomes a gathering place for some of the characters most associated with the spirit of adventure. Think of Aladdin, for example, who just happens to be joining Princess Jasmine on a magic carpet as the focal point of the Grand Hall.  (Captain Hook and Peter Pan are on the stern of the ship.)


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


Among the newly revealed dining options on board is the “Skipper Society,” a Jungle Cruise-themed watering hole complete with punny jokes told by Jungle Cruise Skipper-esque cast members.  (Look for the monkey-shaped chandelier.)  The Treasure will also be home to a brand new venue called the “Periscope Pub,” the first venue inspired by the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  Watch out for the giant squid in this “under the sea” Jules Verne-branded space with submarine décor and artifacts.


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


Restaurants are a big deal on board cruise ships, and Disney Treasure will bring Santa Cecilia to life from the Disney/Pixar movie Coco at the new “Plaza de Coco.” It will give diners the feel of being in the middle of a great big family celebration in the plaza, with lots of music to enliven your “theater-in-the-round” dining experience.  Live performances tell the story of Miguel and his family in two different versions over the course of your sailing. 

 

As on the Disney Wish, there will also be a version of the “Avengers: Quantum Encounter” at the Worlds of Marvel restaurant during the rotational dining, this time with a Spider-Man appearance. More details will be released at a later time.


The Wish’s popular “1923” restaurant, named for the year The Walt Disney Studios was founded, will grace the Treasure as well, providing storyboards, sketches and props from various adventure-themed Disney films to create an elegant Hollywood atmosphere in the room.


French cuisine at “Enchanté,” and  the Beauty and the Beast-themed “Palo Steakhouse,” both from the Disney Wish, will be claiming space on the Treasure as well.

 

Looking for desserts?  A new dessert venue is themed to Zootopia, and called “Jumbeaux’s Sweets.” It will serve up scoops of specialty ice cream and 20 different flavors of gelato!

   
“Heihei Café,” named after Moana’s rooster, and “Jade Cricket Café,” named after Mulan’s cricket, will be supplying snack and coffee-shop walkup options for guests.

 

The Walt Disney Theater will be hosting two shows from previous ships, the “Beauty and the Beast” live performances, and “Disney Seas the Adventure” with a host of Disney characters showing off.  A third, new Broadway-style stage show will be announced at a future date.

 

The ship will also have the 760 foot-long AquaMouse water coaster ride, and in addition to the Mickey Mouse animated shorts introduced on the ride on the Disney Wish, this AquaMouse will debut a new story, the “Curse of the Golden Egg.”

  

If you prefer your entertainment on the drier side, the Disney Treasure carves out a space called “Sarabi,” drawing its name from The Lion King.  This savannah-styled entertainment area will host daytime activities such as games for the whole family, but will cross over to more adult-exclusive live entertainment at night.

 

The Oceaneer’s Club will also make an appearance on the new ship, with activities aimed at children ages 3-12. It’s where you’ll find  things like the Marvel Super Hero Academy, Imagineering Lab, Fairytale Hall, and Star Wars: Cargo Bay.  Vibe and Edge will be there, too, to offer up tween and teen-geared entertainment.

 

When you are ready to head to bed, you’ll have a wide variety of options from which to choose. The biggest and best will be the EPCOT-inspired “Tomorrow Tower Suite” with 2,000 square feet of space, set in the forward funnel of the Disney Treasure. It sleeps eight guests and has a full kitchen and private ensuite elevator. Did we mention the stunning two-deck high window?


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


Not quite ready to fork over that much money for the week?  Maybe you’d rather opt for one of the 1,256 staterooms, or the concierge suites with private sundecks. There’s room for 4,000 passengers on board the Treasure!


The virtual detail drop was a fun and creative peek at some of the new offerings for the Disney Treasure, and you can get a closer look at it here while you wait for Disney Cruise Line to share the rest of the news about the newest ship in the fleet. You can find more details, sailing dates, and deck layouts on the Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure page.

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

Friday, November 18, 2022

Disney Cruise Line Acquires “Global Dream”

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 18, 2022

 

Disney cruise fans all seem to have their favorite ship in Disney’s fleet, but they will soon have an even bigger ship to choose from. The Disney Cruise Line has announced that it will acquire the unfinished Global Dream cruise ship, bringing their future fleet to a total of eight ships.

 

The 208,000-gross-ton Global Dream has been under construction in Germany since 2018, and was being built for Genting Hong Kong (Dream Cruises), which filed for bankruptcy, forcing a court-ordered sale of its assets, including the Global Dream. According to Disney, they were then able to acquire the ship “at a favorable price.”


Source: Disney Cruise Line website


The Global Dream’s capacity is about 9,000 passengers, but Disney Cruise Line plans for a maximum capacity of about 6,000 guests along with 2,300 crew members.  Current Disney ships clock in at 4,000 guests or under, with the newest ship, Disney Wish (2022), at 1,254 staterooms for a 4,000-passenger capacity and 1,555 person crew.  Disney Magic (1998), the first ship in the fleet, was only 875 staterooms with a 2,713-passenger capacity and 950 person crew. The Disney Wonder (1999) had the same capacity as Disney Magic, and both the Disney Dream (2011) and Disney Fantasy (2012) have 1,250 staterooms for a 4,000-passenger capacity and 1,458 person crew. 

 

The Meyer Werft shipyard in Wismar, Germany, which built the Disney Wish, Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, will continue construction on the Global Dream, which will be renamed as part of Disney’s fleet.  While the Global Dream is slated to take to the high seas in 2025, Disney is also expecting to receive delivery of the Disney Treasure in 2024.  The Treasure is the sister ship to the recently launched Disney Wish.  A third Trident Class ship for Disney’s fleet will head to the water in 2025 under a yet-to-be announced name, before bringing the Global Dream to the team. 

  

Global Dream will be based outside the United States, but its itinerary has not yet been announced. However, Disney Cruise Line plans to bring the ship to “new global destinations.” Disney has also indicated that the new ship will run on green methanol, one of the first in the cruise industry to use the low-emission fuel. 

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Disney Wish Arrives in Port Canaveral in Preparation for Inaugural Sailing

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

June 23, 2022

 

The Disney Wish, with its Tangled-themed ship décor, arrived with much fanfare in Port Canaveral this week, but promptly headed back out to sea again, making a test trip to Disney’s private Castaway Cay island in the Bahamas. The Wish will return to Port Canaveral as it prepares to welcome cruise guests for its July 14th maiden voyage.



The Disney Wish is the first new ship in the Disney fleet in more than 10 years, but it is just the first of three anticipated ships being added to the Disney Cruise Line family over the next few years. The additional Triton-class ships are expected to launch in 2024 and 2025.

 

The 4,000-passenger, 1,119 feet long, 144,000-gross-ton vessel made its transatlantic voyage to Florida from Germany’s Meyer Werft Shipyard, where it has been under construction since 2020. COVID delays pushed back delivery of the Disney Wish, originally scheduled for January, with an additional delay in June.



Among the Wish’s offerings is a new 760-foot-long “AquaMouse” water coaster with immersive show scenes and special effects. It takes riders out over the side of the ship before landing in a lazy river on board. Ten pools await guests, and a Toy Story Splash Zone features larger than life rubber bath toys to amuse swimmers. 

 

Frozen, Marvel, and Star Wars will also feature prominently on board, with the Frozen characters and Marvel’s Ant-Man and Wasp making appearances in interactive theatrical dining shows, and an adult-themed Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge open for guests.



Several Broadway theatre-style shows will also come aboard, including “The Little Mermaid,” and original productions of “Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular” and “Disney Seas the Adventure.”

 

The fleet’s Disney Dream, which arrived in Florida’s Port Canaveral in 2011, left for Port Miami earlier this month to make room in Canaveral for the slightly larger new Disney Wish.  Dream will continue to offer sailings from Miami, but the Dream’s eventual destination is Europe, where it will offer new sailings next year. Among the specialties on the Disney Dream is the “AquaDuck” water coaster, as well as the immensely popular fine-dining locations Remy and Palo and the colorfully creative Animator’s Palate.  The Dream’s sister ship, the Disney Fantasy, will remain at Port Canaveral with the Disney Wish.  

 

Disney will christen the Wish on June 29, followed by a short preview sailing for media, before welcoming its first official maiden voyage guests on July 14.

 

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

Friday, February 4, 2022

Maiden Voyage of Disney Wish Delayed Again

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 4, 2022

 

The cruise industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus, and Disney has taken its share of the hits. Yesterday, the company announced one more hurdle – the delay of the Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish.


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


The Disney Wish was originally scheduled to be delivered from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, at the end of 2021, but Covid-related delays at the shipyard postponed the highly anticipated delivery for an additional six months. The newest delay means that the Disney Wish will not be ready until July, forcing the cancellation of a dozen scheduled sailings on board the new ship.

 

According to the Orlando Sentinel, “The shipbuilder, which also constructed Disney’s last two ships Dream and Fantasy, is prepared to give Disney Wish its first taste of water next week, depending on weather conditions. The float out will see the 144,000 gross tons vessel move to the next phase toward completion, leaving the enclosed building dock.”


The Disney Wish is the fifth and largest vessel in the Disney Cruise Line, accommodating 4,000-passengers, and was scheduled to begin sailing from Florida’s Port Canaveral on June 9. The new maiden voyage is set for July 14, 2022.

 

Among its new features, the Disney Wish will have the world’s first Frozen-themed theatrical dining experience; the “Avengers: Quantum Encounter” superhero tech mission during other meals; the Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge; the “Aqua Mouse,” 760 feet of twisting water tubes in an onboard water attraction; and a Broadway-caliber adaptation of The Little Mermaid, a theatrical performance created exclusively for the Disney Wish.

 

Guests with cancelled sailings can contact Disney Cruise Line to reschedule, and passengers booked on the June 9 inaugural voyage will be automatically shifted to the July inaugural sailing at a 50 percent discount. They can also opt for a full refund, or a 50 percent discount on a future cruise (departing by December 31, 2023). Guests on other cancelled sailings can also select a 50 percent discount on a future cruise (departing by December 31, 2023).


Disney Wish sailings for additional guests will be available for booking after February 8, 2022.

 

For more information, visit DisneyCruise.com or contact your booking agent.

 

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

For you and as a gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

Go to https://raykeatingonline.com/products/disneyplanner2022.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Get a Sneak Peek at the Soon-To-Launch Disney Wish

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 21, 2021

 

Disney Cruise Line has been busy preparing for the launch of its newest ship, the Disney Wish, and they are ready to share many of the never-before-released details of the brand new vessel in their fleet.  On Thursday, April 29, at 11 am ET, Disney will bring some of those details to fans in a special 30-minute virtual presentation. The Disney Wish is due to set sail on its maiden voyage in the summer of 2022.



According to Ashley Long, a cruise director with Disney Cruise Line, the presentation, “will give you a sneak peek at all of the magic that awaits, including a look behind-the-scenes with Walt Disney Imagineers and the creative team bringing the Disney Wish to life. Plus, this enchanting reveal will include special character appearances and surprise performances you won’t want to miss!” 

 

Imagineers and ship builders are busy pulling together all the final details of the ship’s construction. Captain Minnie will be helming this newest ship, and in a magical milestone in the construction process last week, Disney celebrated the traditional keel laying ceremony of the Disney Wish by placing a newly minted coin featuring the smiling face of Captain Minnie under the keel as it was lowered in place.  Captain Minnie’s portrait will also be displayed in the beautiful gold filigree art on the bow of the ship. 

 

When families arrive on board the Disney Wish, they’ll enter a soaring, three-deck-tall “Grand Hall,” with a golden statue of a dancing Cinderella as the centerpiece of this majestic reception area. If you want a foretaste of the royal welcoming foyer that is at the heart of the ship, check out this 30-second-long Disney Cruise Line preview of the Grand Hall. 

 

Cruise fans who want to make sure they don’t miss all of the newest details being shared in the official Once Upon a Disney Wish reveal can sign up in advance with Disney to reserve a spot to view the presentation. 

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!