Disney Cruise Line's latest ship, Disney Wish, was floated out of its building dock on 11FEB, and this week, the company also 'released new information about entertainment and family-favourite storytelling on board.
“Family is at the heart of everything we do,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio creative executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “When we set out to design the next generation of Disney cruise ships, we wanted to provide families with more opportunities than ever to make lasting memories together and to experience Disney storytelling in completely new ways."
The Disney Wish will sail its maiden voyage on 14JUL, followed by a season of three- and four-night cruises to Nassau, Bahamas, and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, from Port Canaveral, Florida.
Inside Out: Joyful Sweets
In this dessert shop inspired by the Pixar film, guests will find an abundance of handmade gelato, ice cream, candy and novelty treats for purchase. Designed to resemble the control center inside Inside Out star Riley’s mind where her emotions guide her through everyday life, will feature sculpted figures of the film’s five main characters and glowing Memory Orb light fixtures.
The shop will offer nearly 40 flavors of gelato and ice cream, with daily handcrafted gelato specials in combinations like peanut butter pretzel and white chocolate raspberry. Whipped cream, fruit compotes and sauces will be made in-house to complement a selection of toppings.
Signature treats inspired by the film will include cupcakes that evoke the five emotions — Joy (lemon), Sadness (blueberry), Disgust (pistachio), Anger (red velvet) and Fear (bubble gum) — and chocolate Memory Orbs filled with candy. Specialty macarons and cake pops will join the assortment of truffles, cookies, brownies and candy offerings.
Olaf’s Royal Picnic
For the first time ever, guests can join their favorite “Frozen” characters for a summertime picnic in Arendelle during an entertainment experience designed for families with children ages 3 to 12. At Olaf’s Royal Picnic, guests can interact with Frozen characters Olaf, Anna, Elsa and Kristoff and enjoy live musical performances of songs like “Let It Go,” “Fixer Upper” and “In Summer.”
Castle staff will also serve up summer treats and picnic fare for the whole family. The hall will be decorated in summer splendor for the occasion, with a canopy of flowers among the festive decor. Children can receive an assortment of gifts and keepsakes, including a reversible troll plush, themed picnic blanket and custom Nordic-style mandolin, which they’ll need for a “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People” strum-and-sing-along with Kristoff. In addition, the attraction includes other surprises for guests from royal proclamations to unexpected visitors.
Guests booked on a Disney Wish cruise may reserve Olaf's Royal Picnic before their sailing for an additional fee.
Storytelling and Interactive Shows
Disney Cruise Line has unveiled family entertainment venues aboard the Disney Wish: Grand Hall, Luna and Hero Zone. These environments will come to life with storytelling and interactive shows that put families as the focus.
Grand Hall
- The fairytale castle-inspired Grand Hall transforms the gathering space into a theater with built-in special effects and the first-ever atrium stage on a Disney ship.
- A royal greeting will await families as they enter the Grand Hall for the first time. Every child will receive their very own wishing wand upon embarkation, which they will use to make the “First Wish” of their vacation during a special boarding celebration.
- During the sailing, families can attend a royal gathering as Disney Princesses descend into the Grand Hall to meet and greet with guests.
- The Grand Hall stage will conceal a host of Disney friends during “Who’s Behind the Curtain?”, a game show where guests answer questions to reveal the identity of hidden characters.
- On the final night of every sailing, cruisers will return to the Grand Hall and raise their wands with Fairy Godmother to ignite a farewell show featuring favorite characters, special effects and performances.
Luna
- The new entertainment hub — outfitted with a two-story LED screen wall, stage and bar — will offer a variety of live shows designed for families.
- “Villains Game Night” is a game show where guests will attempt to answer Disney trivia questions amid the jeers of Disney foes, including Cruella de Vil, Gaston, Hades, Maleficent and more, who will join on screen.
- “Disney Songbook” will put guests in the spotlight as they sing Disney songs and showcase their talent for a live camera crew, who will project each performance onto the big screen.
- During the live grand finale event for Disney Uncharted Adventure, a new interactive experience that uses guests’ mobile devices to unlock hidden adventures aboard the ship, families will team up with other cruisers to battle a Disney villain.
Hero Zone
- Introducing a new category of active family play to the Disney Cruise Line portfolio, Hero Zone is a sports arena where physical activity is mixed with imagination, offering show experiences in addition to free-play sports.
- Families will test their strength during the Incredi-Games, a game show featuring an obstacle course of physical challenges, each inspired by the characters of Pixar’s “The Incredibles.”
- Guests can experience Jack-Jack’s Incredible Diaper Dash which offers toddlers the chance to compete for the title of Diaper Dash Champion as they speed-crawl across a 20-foot track.
Other Offerings
In addition, families can embark on an adventure with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse aboard the first-ever Disney attraction at sea; revel in a royal celebration during a dining experience with “Frozen” friends; team up with the Avengers on a Marvel cinematic dining adventure; travel to a galaxy far, far away in the first Star Wars experience on board a Disney ship; delight in an original, Broadway-style theatrical production of “The Little Mermaid”; and so more.
For more information on Disney Cruise Line, visit its web site.
