Disney Cruise Line is unveiling all-new details about one of the seven themed areas aboard the Disney Adventure, which is the colossal ship that is not part of the Wish-class. Disney Imagination Garden, the central hub of the ship, will be an immersive, enchanted valley inspired by 100 years of heroic and heartwarming Disney adventures that’ll feature an entertainment hub for stage shows–including an all-new one with Deadpool.
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 along with the upcoming Disney Destiny and all of the other ships announced at D23 that will be added to the fleet between 2028 and 2031.
Beginning in 2025, the one-of-a-kind 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.
The colorful landscapes of Disney Imagination Garden will transport guests into the pages of well-loved Disney stories alongside their favorite characters. The vibrant, open-air garden will be set against a three-deck-tall, stunning storybook castle art piece, a first-of-its-kind onboard a Disney Cruise Line ship. The space will also include a state-of-the art theatrical stage that will bring beloved Disney stories to life, two quick-service eateries, an alluring bar and a selection of garden-view staterooms.
“Disney Imagination Garden is the heart and soul of the Disney Adventure, where our guests will interact with our Disney, Pixar and Marvel stories in a whole new way,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio executive creative director, Walt Disney Imagineering. “The size and scale of this space provided us with so many opportunities to dream big and try new things with our experiential design, creating first-of-a-kind experiences for our guests, from all-new entertainment to delicious dining and lots of magical surprises sprinkled throughout. Rooted in the rich legacy of Disney storytelling, we’re creating an area that will open doors to new adventures and encourage guests to create magic of their own.”
Disney Imagination Garden is one of seven uniquely themed areas on the Disney Adventure, each teeming with incredible characters and unique experiences. The other areas include Disney Discovery Reef, San Fransokyo Street, Wayfinder Bay, Town Square, Marvel Landing and Toy Story Place. More details about these themed areas will be released at a later date.
Recalling the pages of a classic pop-up storybook, Disney Imagination Garden will be filled with landscapes styled like paper cut-outs, including decorative foliage of blooming flowers, shaped topiaries, tall trees and cascading vines, all among scenic props like towering trellises and twinkling lanterns. Planted throughout the idyllic scenery will be a mix of popular characters and designs from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel stories.
Disney Imagination Garden will be anchored by the Garden Stage on one end and the larger-than-life castle artwork on the other, with a promenade in between providing families with opportunities to explore, connect and dine. Directly in front of the stage will be an open “lawn” area leading to a large staircase that will double as amphitheater-style seating, perfect for enjoying live entertainment on the Garden Stage. On either side of the staircase, intricately adorned arches and leafy tree branches with hanging lanterns will further evoke the area’s storybook garden theme.
At the top of the grand staircase, guests will discover a charming garden courtyard and bar surrounded by trees designed to look like storybook cut-outs and decorated with images of familiar animal pals. At the center of the courtyard, a Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey Mouse topiary will stand with his wand held high as if conjuring this magical garden where beloved characters and stories bloom to life.
Families staying in designated Garden View staterooms, an all-new room category for Disney Cruise Line, will have access to a verandah providing unmatched views of Disney Imagination Garden.
A captivating program of high-energy shows, character appearances and magical surprises will await families on the state-of-the-art Garden Stage. Complete with three-deck-high LED screens, special effects and innovative theatrical tools, this cutting-edge performance venue will delight guests of all ages throughout each day of their voyage aboard the Disney Adventure.
One of the signature entertainment experiences performed on the Garden Stage will be Avengers Assemble! This action-packed stage show will feature jaw-dropping stunts and incredible special effects as the one-and-only Deadpool makes his Disney Cruise Line debut to lend his signature irreverence and comedy to the spectacle.
The epic battle of Marvel Super Heroes and Villains at sea will showcase the unbelievable powers of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Black Panther, The Scarlet Witch, Ms. Marvel, Loki, Red Skull, Taskmaster, Deadpool, and more. Details about additional shows and other entertainment offerings on the Garden Stage will be released at a later date.
Disney Imagination Garden will be home to two quick-service eateries that guests will be able to enjoy as part of their cruise fare. Inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “The Jungle Book” and “Moana,” these restaurants will continue Disney Imagination Garden’s immersive storytelling by inviting families to dine in two distinctly themed environments. With options for indoor and outdoor seating at both locations, guests who opt to dine on either patio will also have a view of the Garden Stage to enjoy entertainment.
Mowgli’s Eatery – Serving Indian cuisine, including vegetarian and regional dishes with a special Disney twist, this casual eatery will be inspired by Mowgli’s epic journey in “The Jungle Book.” The restaurant will draw on both early concept art from the film and authentic regional design influences.
Gramma Tala’s Kitchen – This inviting quick service restaurant will reflect the vibrant scenery and island flair of “Moana.” Décor inspired by the Pacific Islands, as well as art and backgrounds based on the film, will set the stage for an imaginative menu showcasing the diverse flavors found throughout the Pacific and Asia.
Turning to commentary, we’ll once again start by reiterating that the Disney Adventure is the former Global Dream, which former CEO Bob Chapek acquired for $40 million when the ship’s previous owner filed for bankruptcy before completing the vessel. 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.
Long story short, Disney got the ship for a song and is now investing roughly $1 billion to reimagine the interior into something properly themed and befitting of the Disney brand. We’re now seeing the fruits of that, and even though it’s still early, I’ve gotta say that I’m impressed.
Honestly, my first impression of Imagination Garden is that I like it more than the atriums on the Wish-class ships, which feel a bit tired and contrived. Like they’re committed to the formula of the legacy ships, but are trying to reinvent the wheel in ways that (for me at least) simply makes them look like cheap knockoffs of their clearly superior predecessors. By contrast, this is totally fresh, and all the better for it.
Sometimes, Imagineers do their best work when forced to work within certain parameters, getting creative and solving problems along the way, rather than being given a blank slate. We’ve seen this in the past with certain ‘against-all-odds’ ride reimaginings, and now it appears they’re doing more than just making lemonade out of lemons with the colossal Global Dream, which was very much an “un-Disney” cruise ship as originally envisioned.
To be fair, I’m guessing the Wish-class ships didn’t provide a totally blank slate to Imagineers. There was likely, as always, meddling from executives who imposed certain mandates or functional requirements. So perhaps that’s the real problem. Whatever the case, I’m really looking forward to the rest of the Disney Adventure unveil. It’s fresh and exciting, and hopefully it goes on to inspire Disney Cruise Line and Imagineering to think outside the box for all of those ships they’ve committed to between 2028 and 2031.
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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!
