The Top Highlights Onboard the Brand New Disney Wish Cruise Ship
The newly christened and long-awaited Disney Wish cruise ship from Disney Cruise Line delivers “unbelievable creativity,” according to Thomas Mazloum, President of Disney Signature Experiences.
Designed to be the ultimate vacation spot for families, the Disney Wish is jam-packed with unique offerings that hit to the core of what the Disney product is all about.
“I am so excited because I think we have taken storytelling to a really new level,” Mazloum told TravelPulse. “As you walk the ship here, it is all about Disney stories and it is really about the uniqueness of this navigation, whether it’s Disney, Marvel, Pixar or Star Wars.”
Not only does the ship have incredible attention to detail throughout the ship’s design and décor, but it’s also a much eco-friendlier ship. The 144,000-gross-ton ship is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is the latest feature in the cruise industry designed to help the ship produce fewer emissions.
The plethora of experiences available to guests also makes it the “vacation of a lifetime,” according to Mazloum.
“Sometimes when you take vacations, especially with larger families, sometimes some members of the families have to make a little bit of a compromise to accommodate everyone else,” Mazloum told TravelPulse. “What gets me excited about this ship here is that I truly feel the totality of the ship, how we’ve designed it, whether it’s the adult-only areas, whether it’s the kids-only areas, whether it’s the teenagers, what I believe is we have truly made it possible to have a beautiful, relaxed vacation where everybody can really have their own vacation.
“They may come together for dinner or whatever, but at the same time, you really get what I call the Disney vacation. I truly believe whether you’re a single traveler, whether you’re an adult or whether you come with a family with one child or you come with multigenerational people traveling, I believe there is something for every individual taste and no one has to compromise because everybody gets a vacation of a lifetime.”
Accommodations
The majority of the ship’s 1,254 total staterooms have an ocean view, with 877 featuring a verandah. There are 76 concierge staterooms and suites all with access to the desirable two-level concierge lounge.
The ship includes four royal suites and the showstopping Wish Tower Suite, which is a first-of-its-kind accommodation for the cruise industry. The 1,966-square-foot penthouse suite is located in the forward funnel of the ship and includes private elevator access to the room.
Entertainment
“The Disney Wish was clearly created with entertainment in mind…you look around every single corner of this ship and it is immersed in entertainment,” said Ashley Long, Cruise Director for the Disney Wish.
And one of the most entertaining things onboard the ship is Disney’s first-ever attraction at sea. The AquaMouse is a two-seater water ride that sits high on the upper deck and begins with animated scenes of The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse before sending you on a wet whirlwind through 760 feet of winding tubes. There are two different shorts here, so you’ll have to ride multiple times to make sure you see both.
Other options for entrainment include the Never Land and Wonderland Cinemas, which will show new Disney movies during the duration of the voyage, as well as the two musical shows at the Walt Disney Theatre. “Disney Seas the Adventure” is all about Goofy’s dream to be a ship captain and it features fan-favorite Disney songs. The other show is the highly anticipated “Little Mermaid” musical that was created just for this cruise.
There’s also the HeroZone arena area, which is a two-story space that serves as a basketball/soccer court at the base and has air hockey, ping pong and foosball up top. Guests can expect this to be most crowded though on the day it’s set up with the Incredibles inflatable obstacle course.
Dining
There are three main dining rooms guests will be able to rotate through, as well as two adults-only dining venues in Palo Steakhouse and Enchante by Chef Arnaud Lallement, a Michelin-starred chef.
1923 is the more traditional style main dining venue you would expect to see on a cruise ship. But Disney really went next level with the other two main dining experiences in World of Marvel and Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure.
Both bring new life to the term “dinner and a show.” We don’t want to spoil everything, but guests will get the chance to interact with Else, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Oaken during the Frozen Dining Adventure as everyone celebrates Anna and Kristoff’s engagement, and Ant-Man and The Wasp run the show with the help of some big superheroes during World of Marvel dining.
Guests can get breakfast buffet style at Marceline Market or opt to sit down restaurant style with 1923. Lunch is also available at the Market but we recommend stopping by Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods at least once to try a taco at Donald’s Cantina, a pizza at Daisy’s Pizza Pies, the brisket at Mickey’s Smokestack Barbecue, the chicken tenders at Goofy’s Grill and of course a vanilla and chocolate swirl in a cone at Sweet Minnie’s Ice Cream.
For the Kids
For kids aged 3 to 12 years old, the Oceaneer’s Club is the spot to be.
“I’m extremely excited about our areas for the children, the kids and the families,” Mazloum told TravelPulse. “When you really walk through you see it isn’t just a big space with a ton of stuff, it is very thoughtfully done it is very immersive. Each kid truly has the chance to be their own hero.
“That’s why we focus so much on the actual programming. We don’t want to just keep kids busy, we want them to really have meaningful memories when they walk away and we want their parents to be happy.”
This area includes Star Wars Cargo Bay and Marvel Superhero Academy, which are sure to be big hits for the kids as they’ll get the opportunity to interact with Rey and Chewbacca from Star Wars and Black Panther and Spiderman from Marvel.
Other features in the Oceaneer’s Club include the Fairytale Hall where the kids get to interact with Disney Princesses, and the Walt Disney Imagineering Lab gives children a chance to be hands-on with experiments to let the creativity flow. It’s here where they’ll be able to create and ride in their own (virtual) roller coaster.
There’s also the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique venue experience for an added charge if your littles want to be pampered like a princess, a knight or a sea captain.
For the Adults
Disney made sure to deliver for the adults, whether they have kids or not. The top highlight for adults will certainly be up for debate given the options available.
For some, it will be the Quiet Cove area with its pool, bare, café and sweeping views on the back of the ship. Others will find bliss at Senses Spa and Salon, which features the first outdoor spa retreat onboard a Disney cruise ship.
The Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge will likely be the most popular Instagram and TikTok spot with its out-of-this-world vibe.
For those who like to sip cocktails and listen to music the go-to spot will be nights split between The Bayou, which is inspired by a love for New Orleans, and Nightingales, a chic piano bar themed around the Nightingale song
Disney even caters to beer lovers with Keg & Compass, with 3 unique craft beers created exclusively for the ship.
The Disney Wish ship will be sailing out of homeport Port Canaveral and offering three- and four-night cruises to Nassau, Bahamas and Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line’s private island. The first passenger cruise is set for July 14, 2022.