Disney Makes a Wish With Its New Cruise Ship
Will Disney Wish entice more of the company's theme park fans to upgrade to a cruise vacation?
I'm back in Los Angeles today after spending three nights aboard the Disney Cruise Line's new Disney Wish. Disney invited several hundred reporters and guests onto the new ship last week for its Christening Cruise from Port Canaveral to Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas.
Disney Wish is the first of three new ships that Disney ordered before the pandemic threatened to scuttle the cruise industry. While some industry players did fail, Disney is betting that the Wish will help its cruise line capture new market share by enticing more its fans, especially theme park fans, to take to the seas.
Let's set the scene: All Aboard the Disney Cruise Line's New Disney Wish
With two cast member shakedown cruises canceled before the media came aboard, not everything was up and running smoothly for the Wish's first trip since arriving at its new Port Canaveral home. Downtimes troubled the ship's "Disney attraction at sea," the AquaMouse water coaster. But I got a full trip on the fun new water slide and posted an on-ride POV video: Ride Review: AquaMouse on the Disney Wish
Passengers rotate among three assigned dining experiences each night on the Disney Wish. Two of the dinners include elaborate theatrical productions, but the "1923" restaurant offers a quiet vibe, inspired by the year when and place where The Walt Disney Company started - California in 1923. The theme does not always come through at this restaurant, but the meal and its service definitely satisfy: Disney Wish Delights With Restaurant '1923'
But my favorite experience on board the Wish was Disney's new Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure. As someone who thought he had had his fill of everything "Frozen," this production delighted me. Themed to Queen Anna's and Kristoff's engagement dinner, the entire experience makes you feel like a welcomed character in their imaginary world, rather than some anonymous, passive observer of a show on a screen or a stage. Why You Won't Want to Miss Disney's New 'Frozen' Dinner
The third rotational dining experience, Worlds of Marvel, topped my to-do list as I was planning our cruise on the Wish. This would be the place where Disney would be doing the most original storytelling on the ship, while trying to connect that narrative to an ongoing franchise elsewhere. I wanted to see how Disney would pull that off, while also creating a role for Wish guests that would allow us to feel as much an active participant in the production as we did one deck up in the Arendelle show. So how did they do? Find out in Get a Taste of Marvel's Theme Park Universe Aboard the Disney Wish.
Disney Wish will feature two new live musical productions in its Walt Disney Theatre. Neither was 100% ready to go during the media preview cruise, but both delivered enough from the stage to suggest that they will become hits with audiences once the Wish begins its public sailings.
We will have more to come about the Disney Wish on Theme Park Insider in the week ahead, including our look inside the Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge, a look at what is on the Wish for kids and for adults, a review of other dining options aboard the ship, and our "Know Before You Go" review.
Finally, Disney made some news back on land this week, as the Disney Parks Reveals New Name for Splash Mountain.
As you plan your getaways for the rest of this summer and beyond, you can help support Theme Park Insider through the purchase of discount theme park tickets from our travel partner. Check the latest available deals by visiting our travel partner's Attractions Discounts page.
Thank you, as always, for being part of the Theme Park Insider community.