Disney Cruise Line has revealed its next new ship, the Disney Adventure, which brings the worlds of WDAS, Pixar, and Marvel to life. This offers a sneak peek at the latest addition to the DCL fleet, with concept art and a look inside staterooms, plus details and our commentary about what it adds to the fleet.
As a reminder, the Disney Adventure is the seventh ship joining the DCL fleet and it’ll be based out of a home port in Singapore starting in 2025. It will join the existing 5 ships plus the Disney Treasure after that sets sail starting in December 2024. The one-of-a-kind Disney Adventure will offer families the ultimate vacation at sea. The first Disney Cruise Line ship to homeport in Asia will be a destination itself, sailing on voyages designed with magical days at sea (does this mean it’s not visiting ports?) and filled with immersive storytelling and captivating entertainment like only Disney can do.
Beginning in 2025, the Disney Adventure will sail three- and four-night cruises from the Marina Bay Cruise Centre for at least five years as part of a collaboration between Disney Cruise Line and Singapore Tourism Board. Singapore’s strategic location, world-class air connectivity and port infrastructure make it a thriving cruise hub in Southeast Asia, a diverse region that is home to over 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
“We’re bringing the magic of Disney Cruise Line to Asia for the first time ever, and we want to give our guests the cruise relaxation and Disney fun they can only experience aboard one of our ships,” said Sharon Siskie, senior vice president and general manager, Disney Cruise Line. “When they set sail on the Disney Adventure, guests will find incredible, immersive areas that bring the worlds of Disney, Pixar and Marvel to life in ways like never before – and these uniquely Disney experiences will inspire families to reconnect, recharge and make unforgettable memories that they’ll cherish forever.”
The Disney Adventure will offer guests a Disney Cruise Line vacation on a grand scale, including the hallmarks of every Disney cruise – fun and relaxation, incredible dining, world-class entertainment and exceptional guest service. Throughout the Disney Adventure, guests will enjoy character encounters, dazzling stage shows brimming with Disney songs and characters, signature events, first-run films, karaoke and game shows.
Every sailing will include an endless array of indoor and outdoor fun, with exciting attractions, interactive play areas, fun in the sun and special entertainment, plus so much more for families to enjoy together. Young cruisers will have the time of their lives with dedicated spaces and clubs for kids, tweens and teens, while adults relax and unwind with premium dining, lounge and spa experiences.
Guests aboard the Disney Adventure will also enjoy the exceptional dining and impeccable service that Disney Cruise Line is known for. They’ll be accompanied by the same dedicated service team throughout the voyage, adding a level of familiarity and attention to their dining experience.
When it’s time to rest, guests will retreat to well-appointed staterooms complete with special Disney touches and family-friendly conveniences, such as Disney Cruise Line’s signature split-bath concept, which allows two people to get ready at once.
The Disney Adventure will also feature extensive concierge accommodations, providing ultimate luxury and a heightened level of personalized service and convenience, including access to exclusive areas and amenities such as a private indoor lounge, an expansive sundeck with a pool and whirlpools, high-end shopping venues, and dedicated spa and fitness facilities.
Disney Cruise Line estimates the passenger capacity of the 208,000-gross-ton Disney Adventure to be approximately 6,700 with around 2,500 crew members. More details about the Disney Adventure’s maiden voyage and onboard experiences will be announced at a later date. For now, here’s a sneak peek at what the Disney Adventure will offer…
The Disney Adventure will be both a journey and a destination, a voyage of limitless possibilities that brings to vibrant life the core pillars of Disney storytelling. Through the magic of imagination, discovery, fantasy and adventure (naturally–it’s right there in the name), guests will embark on voyages to seven uniquely themed areas, each teeming with dozens of incredible characters and unforgettable experiences, without ever leaving the ship.
The power of imagination, which opens doors to new adventures and emboldens dreamers to create magic of their own, will captivate guests from the moment they enter Disney Imagination Garden.
- Disney Imagination Garden will be the emotional heart of the Disney Adventure, an enchanted valley, charming garden and open-air performance venue all in one. Inspired by 100 years of heroic and heartwarming Disney adventures — from Moana on the high seas to Mowgli in the jungle — this imaginative gathering space will be guests’ gateway to an unforgettable journey all their own.
The spirit of discovery will inspire guests to chase the horizon, to see how far they can go, and to encounter surprising worlds beyond their own in the dynamic realms of Disney Discovery Reef, San Fransokyo Street and Wayfinder Bay.
- At Disney Discovery Reef, families will shop and dine in an ethereal and ever-changing retreat evoking favorite aquatic characters and nautical stories from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, including “The Little Mermaid,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Finding Nemo” and “Luca.”
- Inspired by the eclectic world of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Big Hero 6,” San Fransokyo Street will be a family entertainment area pulsing with the energy and atmosphere of a vibrant street market and boasting an assortment of interactive games and activities, shops, cinemas and more.
- At Wayfinder Bay, guests will be called by “the line where the sky meets the sea” to an open-air oasis under the sun, where relaxation and exclusive entertainment await. The sophisticated yet casual poolside retreat will reflect the Pacific Islands-inspired artistry of Disney Animation’s “Moana,” offering some of the most stunning views of the sea and sky aboard the Disney Adventure.
The magic of fantasy draws on hopes, dreams and wishes to create whimsical new worlds from many of Disney’s most beloved and timeless stories, with fairytales made real in the enchanting and expansive Town Square.
- Town Square will be a celebration of Disney royals — a magical land dedicated to those who wish upon a star hoping their dreams will come true. This fantastical forest filled with shops, lounges, cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues will exude the enchanting feeling of summer in full bloom with nods to “Tangled,” “Cinderella,” “Frozen,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “The Princess and the Frog,” and more.
The heart of every Disney adventure is the irresistible thrill and joyful delight of boldly embarking on new and exciting experiences, a feeling guests will dare to discover within Marvel Landing and Toy Story Place.
- At Marvel Landing, heroes will unite in a destination for fans of all ages. As a celebration of Marvel’s larger-than-life personalities, this area will offer Avengers-level adventure, with all-new attractions and experiences that showcase imaginative representations of guests’ favorite Super Heroes.
- Toy Story Place will inspire guests to explore, create, connect and have fun in a whimsical, interactive play land with themed food venues and water play areas, where the world of Pixar’s “Toy Story” movies and shorts springs to life in surprising and inventive ways.
In terms of commentary, we’ll start by addressing the obvious but unstated: the Disney Adventure is the former Global Dream ship. That’s why it’s so massive and the staterooms and other aspects of the ship are dramatic departures from the DCL norm.
Back when Disney announced that it had acquired this partially-finished ship, the press release stated that Disney Cruise Line was able “to secure [Global Dream] at a favorable price and within the capital expenditure guidance the Walt Disney Company provided on its recent earnings call.” At the time, we thought that was noteworthy because that’s not the type of language that would usually be included in Disney’s sometimes-overly-flowery press releases.
A few weeks later, regulatory filings revealed that the Walt Disney Company only paid ~$40 million for this ship. A staggering sum given that the $2 billion ship was approximately 75% complete when Disney acquired it.
The ship’s previous owner filed for bankruptcy before completing the vessel, and Disney was rumored to be the only interested buyer after negotiations with two other parties failed. This gave Disney complete leverage, with the insolvency manager’s choices being Disney or selling the ship for scrap metal. There was reportedly resistance to the latter route, as it hurt morale at the shipyard.
Disney Cruise Line thus acquired the ship for a tiny fraction of its original price tag and even value as partially-built. However, that came with the asterisk that Disney would take over without warranty claims and would need to spend considerably sums modifying and “reimagining” significant aspects of the ship with the expertise of Walt Disney Imagineering. Reported estimates put Disney Cruise Line’s costs with the ship as nearly $1 billion to finish and redesign the Global Dream to turn it into the Disney Adventure.
We give Bob Chapek a lotta guff here on Disney Tourist Blog, but this is what’s undeniably known as a “Rare Chapek Win.” Hence there being no accompanying Umbrella Chapek photo, which is to illustrate “Common Chapek Ls.”) Back at the time, the acquisition seemed completely out of left field, impulsive, and maybe not what the company’s focus should be as it was struggling with streaming and Chapek was already on the hot seat. It was very much inconsistent with Disney’s normal methodical and risk-averse way of doing business.
We openly wondered whether Disney Cruise Line was betting too boldly on the future of cruising, especially with multiple ships already under construction. Even with this sailing exclusively in Asia and have little-to-no overlap with the current DCL ships, it felt like a big leap. (Especially since it stood to reason that one of the existing ships would be relocated to Asia once the Wish-class is completed.)
Upon learning the price that Disney Cruise Line had paid, it all made complete sense. It was too good of a deal to pass up, with minimal downside risk and a significantly lower total cost even after retrofits and finishing than Disney Cruise Line would pay to build a comparably-sized ship from the ground up.
The rumored price (and subsequent confirmation) came right as Chapek was being shown the door at Disney, but he and D’Amaro definitely deserve kudos for pulling off this deal. Like me at the Disney Character Warehouse Outlet looking at 90% off prices, it was a “buy now, figure out the purpose later” kinda scenario.
Beyond what’s teased above, I’ll be curious to see what’s cut and what’s kept. The Asian market is very different from the domestic one, both with cruising preferences and knowledge or expectations of the Disney brand. Most interesting to us is that the ship was designed by its original owners to have considerable casino space. I’m not surprised that a casino isn’t mentioned in the teaser above–that’s probably not something Disney would share with the U.S. audience for fear of backlash–but I wonder if it’s still there.
Given the prominence of ESPN BET (which to me looks more like a mashup of the two TV networks than a gambling app) on every single telecast of the Stanley Cup Finals (who bets on hockey? how is that even a thing?!), it wouldn’t surprise me either way. Then again, the ESPN and Disney brands are very different, and I think the company recognizes that.
Ultimately, I’m really intrigued by the Disney Adventure–it’s probably the most curious I’ve been about one of DCL’s new ships. I’m pretty excited about the Disney Treasure given its ties to Walt Disney World and Disneyland, but I don’t like the layout or the approach of the newer ships.
As someone who loves the nuts and bolts of how Imagineers do things, I’m incredibly fascinated by how they’ll manage to pull off reimagining a space created by a different company. I think they do some of their best work when backed into a corner rather than having a blank canvas, and the Disney Adventure could be an example of that. Or, perhaps not. Either way, it’ll be interesting and unique at the very least.
Regardless of how the Disney Adventure turns out, Singapore has been on our travel bucket list for years as the next new-to-us place we want to visit in Asia. It was never previously on our radar as a cruise destination–more a stopover for a few days en route to or returning from Japan–but plans can change. Between my desire to visit Singapore and Sarah’s love for Disney Cruise Line, we’ll definitely be checking this out in 2025.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on this sneak peek of the Disney Adventure? Does this seventh ship interest you, or is being based out of Singapore a non-starter? What do you think about the company acquiring the partially-completed Global Dream ship and transforming it into the Disney Adventure? Think this is a good addition to the fleet or at-odds with the existing ships? Confident that Imagineering can transform this into a ‘Distinctly Disney’ (Cruise Line) ship, or think it’ll stick out from the rest? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
