Oriental Land Company, owners of Tokyo Disney Resort, announced that they’ve reached an agreement to bring a brand-new Disney Cruise Line ship to Japan as part of an expanded license agreement between the two companies. This covers details from the announcements by OLC and Disney, along with our commentary.
This is the latest evolution in an over 40-year relationship between Disney and OLC, which just debuted the massive Fantasy Springs port-of-call at Tokyo DisneySea. The addition of a locally based Disney cruise ship will offer fun and relaxation for Japanese Disney fans and visitors from around the world during voyages filled with the incredible entertainment, world-class dining and exceptional guest service that set Disney cruises apart.
OLC will operate a new Disney cruise ship to be registered and based in Japan year-round. The ship will be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with imaginative designs created by Walt Disney Imagineering. A sister ship to the popular Disney Wish, it will feature many guest-favorite venues and experiences from that ship with select modifications specially designed with Japanese guests in mind. It is expected to be approximately 140,000 gross tons and powered by liquefied natural gas, with about 1,250 staterooms.
As part of the Wish-class, this new unnamed ship will be similar in size and design as the Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny, becoming the 4th ship in that class. The Disney Adventure, which was acquired by Disney when it was partially-completed, is in its own class. This move is not simply the Disney Adventure being moved to Japan–Disney already signed a multi-year agreement for that ship to sail out of Singapore.
Oriental Land Company’s new ship is scheduled to be delivered by 2029 or Japanese fiscal year 2028. Based on the license agreement concluded with Disney, construction for shipbuilding will commence from Japanese fiscal year 2025. OLC indicates that its investing 330 billion yen on this new ship, which is approximately $2 billion USD.
“Disney Cruise Line has ambitious plans to bring family vacations and Disney storytelling to more guests around the world than ever before,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Experiences. “We are thrilled to continue the success of this expansion as we collaborate with Oriental Land Co. to introduce another distinctly Disney vacation experience to families and fans in Japan.”
“I am sincerely proud that Disney and Oriental Land will be able to work together to create a world-class cruise business in Japan,” said Yumiko Takano, representative director, chairperson and CEO, Oriental Land. “Oriental Land will use their knowhow from the theme park business to continue pushing boundaries and provide family entertainment cruise experiences filled with inspiration and surprise.”
According to OLC’s press release, the new ship fits the company’s previously-announced goals for the year 2030, with the objective of contributing to Japanese society and achieving long term growth. As part of this effort, plans were being considered for a new business opportunity.
OLC reached a decision to enter into the cruise business in Japan, and has concluded a license agreement with the Disney Company to bring the magic of Disney cruises to the market. This decision was based on the potential growth of the cruise market in Japan, the experience OLC has gained in its theme park and hotel operations, and its strong relationship with the Disney Company which will serve as a great advantage for this business opportunity.
More details about the maiden voyage, itineraries and onboard experiences will be announced at a later date.
Turning to commentary, I can’t say I’m super jazzed on this announcement–at least, not from a purely selfish perspective. We’re huge fans of Tokyo Disney Resort and the way Oriental Land Company runs its parks. Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are the two best theme parks in the world. A lot of that is the result of the rosters of the respective parks–but not all of it. A big component is that they’re operated like Walt Disney World was in the 1990s.
After the success of Fantasy Springs, I was hoping that OLC was about to embark on another decade of expansion, reimagining, and placemaking projects in the two existing parks. One of the goals of their medium-term plan is, essentially, to make Tokyo Disneyland totally unique, and that endeavor is coming along nicely. I’d also like to see another new port-of-call built on the expansion pad previously announced as being Frozen/Norway/Scandinavia.
All of this can still happen, and some of it probably will in the decade to come. But this is about $2 billion less that OLC will have to allocate to all of that, which is unfortunate. This means that at least some theme park projects will be put on the backburner, as OLC simply does not have the resources to do it all. On a positive note, at least OLC is singularly focused on this business, and doesn’t have the distractions (or money pits) of streaming services, television networks, etc.
From my perspective, OLC continuing to build theme park projects is much more exciting and interesting than the company trying its hand at a cruise ship. For one thing, I suspect there’s less room for innovation or deviation from the formula. The Wish-class ships are what they are, and while the thematic window-dressing can change, not nearly to the same degree as theme parks, which present more of a blank slate.
Moreover, I also think that Disney Cruise Line also operates very similarly to Walt Disney World of the 1990s, so OLC cannot possibly bring as much to the table there. I suspect the service will be even better than DCL, but it won’t be leaps and bounds better as is the case with parks. This is going to be more incremental, just like the changes to the ship itself.
When it comes to the superlative service that American fans always rave about at Tokyo Disney Resort, a big part of this is a product of Japanese culture in general, and not simply a different management approach by OLC. Omotenashi is the Japanese term for this, which means that service is honest and unpretentious, from the bottom of the heart. This is the guiding principle for Japanese hospitality with great attention to detail. You can find this pretty much anywhere in Japan (except places that don’t want foreign tourists), and it’ll undoubtedly extend to this new ship.
Of course, I also have the self-awareness to recognize that this is all selfish based on my personal preferences, and perceived strengths and weakness of both OLC and the Walt Disney Company. Moreover, American bloggers, as lucrative of an audience as we might be, are not the target demo for a cruise ship based in Japan. Given the number of Japanese fans we know who love Disney Cruise Line, this is probably a savvy business decision on OLC’s part. We also know a lot of Japanese fans who are DVC owners, so to end on a positive note, at least they aren’t wasting the space or resources to build a Disney Vacation Club resort in Japan.
Planning a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort? For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Trip Planning Guide! For more specifics, our TDR Hotel Rankings & Reviews page covers accommodations. Our Restaurant Reviews detail where to dine & snack. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money post. Our What to Pack for Disney post takes a unique look at clever items to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Consult our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan and City Guide to Tokyo, Japan.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of a brand-new Disney Cruise Line ship coming to Japan? Wish OLC were investing this $2 billion in the parks, or do you think it’ll be interesting to see what OLC brings to the table when it comes to cruising? Agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
