Disney Cruise Line reveals new design concept for Disney Wish
Disney Cruise Line has shared more details on the Disney Wish — the fifth ship in the cruise line’s fleet — ahead of its grand reveal on April 29.
The ship will embody the motif of “enchantment” in its design, something that is “found at the heart of so many beloved Disney stories.”
“Enchantment is about unlocking the wonder in everything we do and experience,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering. “For the Disney Wish, we are creating a signature design language that exudes this emotional magic like only Disney can, by infusing every inch of this enchanted ship with more Disney stories and characters than ever before. The Disney Wish will be a place where families really do get to wish upon a star.”
Inspired by nearly a century of Disney fairytales, the ship will utilize three unique aspects to capture “enchantment”:
- Fairytale castles, emulating the storybook charm at the core of many enchanted tales
- Forests and animals, bringing to life natural worlds and the creatures that inhabit them
- Spirit of the sea, embodying the magic and mystery of the watery world below
The Disney Wish will continue the tradition of incorporating a classic exterior design with the iconic colors of Mickey Mouse. For this ship’s part in the Disney Cruise Line tradition of two character art pieces on the hull of each ship, an intricate scrollwork pattern reminiscent of 1930s ocean liners will feature Captain Minnie Mouse — a first for the cruise line!
The stern of the ship will be adorned with a custom sculpture of Rapunzel, suspended by her golden hair, as she “decorates” the exterior of the ship with the help of her chameleon companion, Pascal.
The Grand Hall of the ship will be the truest embodiment of this design motif, with inspiration from fairytale castles and touches of Gothic, Baroque and French Rococo influences in the columns, trimmings and adornments.
The chandelier of the Great Hall is perhaps the most beautiful use of Disney imagery — a swirling spiral of crystal gems punctuated with light, inspired by the stream of magical sparkles that Fairy Godmother casts to create Cinderella’s iconic ballgown in the 1950 animated film.
As previously announced, a bronze statue of Cinderella will stand at the base of a grand staircase in the atrium — just one of many tributes to the Disney princess in the Grand Hall’s design.
The Disney Wish will be the first of three new Disney Cruise Line ships to be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany through 2025. All three ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas and, at approximately 144,000 gross tons, will be slightly larger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.
New details on the experiences, itineraries and booking dates for the Disney Wish will be shared with the full reveal on April 29, 2021 during a first-of-its-kind virtual event.
To learn more about the Disney Cruise Line, visit DisneyCruise.com.
