Disney Treasure vs. Disney Wish cruise ships: A head-to-head comparison

In late 2024, Disney Cruise Line opened the vault to reveal the Disney Treasure — the latest ship in the growing fleet. Disney Treasure is a sister ship to the Disney Wish (launched in 2022), and the layout makes them twins. Pam Rawlins, executive producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, said they wanted to create “unique personalities” for the Wish-class ships, leading to notable differences. I’ve sailed on both, so let’s take a head-to-head look at the Disney Treasure vs. the Disney Wish.

What’s the same on the Treasure and Wish?

Those familiar with the physical arrangement of the Disney Wish will quickly find their way around the Disney Treasure. You enter the Grand Hall on Deck 3, Walt Disney Theatre is forward, and dining venues are aft. The pools are on Upper Decks 11 and 12, and Deck 13 has the entrance to the AquaMouse water attraction and Quiet Cove adult pool. Guest staterooms and categories are identical, although the decor is slightly different.

The expansive Oceaneers Club (for kids ages 3-10) on Deck 2 has the same footprint, containing play areas Marvel Super Hero Academy, Star Wars Cargo Bay, Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, Fairy Tale Hall, Mickey & Minnie’s Captain’s Deck, and “it’s a small world” nursery. Both ships offer an “Incredibles”-themed Hero Zone sports area, as well as Edge, Vibe, and The Hideaway club for tweens and teens.

Advantage: Tie between Disney Treasure vs. Disney Wish

Longer itineraries on Disney Treasure

So much for the similarities; let’s talk about where the Disney Treasure tacks when the Wish jibes. First of all, the Disney Treasure sails longer cruises compared to its sister ship. For the rest of 2025, the Disney Wish alternates between three- and four-night Bahamian sailings while the Disney Treasure offers seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean Cruises.

These longer itineraries influence the design of the ship. Rawlins explains, “With seven-night cruising, there’s a lot more to explore.” To help guests unpack this treasure chest of a ship, Disney Cruise Line brought aboard two storytellers — Coriander and Sage — who set up shop in the Grand Hall. 

These characters welcome everyone to the ship during the sail-away party. You’ll also find them unpacking their trunks and performing shortened versions of classic Disney stories on the Grand Hall stage, leading a Jungle Cruise interactive game, or acting out every Indiana Jones movie in the “Choose Wisely!” comedy adventure show. Coriander and Sage host the farewell show in the Grand Hall on the final evening of the cruise, providing a throughline for the sailing. They tie the trip, ship, and its spaces together.

Advantage: Disney Treasure

Comparing the Grand Hall

Coriander and Sage are not the only differences in the Grand Hall of the Disney Treasure vs. Disney Wish. Leaning into Disney’s princess heritage, the Disney Wish features Cinderella as the centerpiece statue of its “Castle at Sea.” The star-filled chandelier resembles Cinderella’s ball gown (viewed upside down) and evokes a “wishing star.” However, I found the bright white marble and modern color palette leeaves the Wish’s Grand Hall feeling rather cold, bare, and sterile.

Whereas, the Disney Treasure looks to the fictional Agrabah setting of “Aladdin” for inspiration. Jasmine and Aladdin soar on their flying carpet off on a grand adventure. Rich colors, elegant lanterns, and intricate mosaics add depth and layers to the Treasure’s Grand Hall drawing you in to explore more. Now add to the space regular appearances by storytellers Coriander and Sage on stage, and the Disney Treasure’s Grand Hall truly has life and character.

Advantage: Disney Treasure

Dining on Disney Treasure vs. Disney Wish

Every Disney Cruise Line ship offers rotational dining. Daniel Cowan, senior manager of dining standards and service excellence at Disney Cruise Line, explains, “Rotational dining is a very unique concept to Disney Cruise Line, where our guests rotate to a different dining room every single night and your dedicated service team follow you and your family. They get to know your likes, your preferences, and really build a great connection through the cruise.”

Two restaurants — 1923 and Worlds of Marvel — are identical on both the Disney Treasure and the Disney Wish, but guests visit each restaurant twice during Treasure voyages due to the ship’s seven-night itinerary. At the Marvel restaurant, passengers on both ships see the dinner show “Avengers: Quantum Encounter.” With the Treasure’s extra visit, that ship’s passengers also see the exclusive “Marvel Celebration of Heroes: Groot Remix” featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy (and cameos from other Marvel friends).

The third restaurant of the main rotation is Disney Cruise Line’s dinner-theater-in-the-round concept, and these are entirely different on the Disney Treasure vs. Disney Wish.

Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure was our favorite restaurant on the Disney Wish. It features Norwegian-inspired dishes on the menu while Elsa, Olaf, and Oaken from “Frozen” prepare a feast to celebrate the royal engagement of Queen Anna and Kristoff.

Plaza de Coco replaces Arendelle on the Disney Treasure, and became my favorite restaurant on any Disney Cruise Line ship. Not only will families visit the “town of Santa Cecilia” twice during their sailing, but they dine on traditional Mexican food (my personal favorite) while enjoying two different shows featuring mariachi music, colorful folk dances, and an emotional celebration of family and togetherness. 

Finally, both ships also offer the Marceline Market buffet for breakfast and lunch, along with Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods grab-and-go options on the pool deck. There is also Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté available as additional-charge, fine-dining experiences on both the Disney Treasure and Wish.

Advantage: Disney Treasure

Theatrical entertainment on Disney Treasure vs. Disney Wish

The rhythm of “dinner and a show” is one of our family’s favorite parts of the Disney Cruise Line experience. Both the Disney Treasure and Disney Wish have lush, opulent, art nouveau-style theatres for live theatrical productions.

Both ships feature “Disney Seas the Adventure” on the first night of the sailing, a shorter show for embarkation day filled with Disney characters.

Both ships also offer a second show that plays on other Disney Cruise Line vessels: “Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular” (Disney Wish and Disney Fantasy) and “Beauty and the Beast” (Disney Treasure and Disney Dream). Therefore, frequent Disney cruisers may have already caught these shows on other ships.

However, the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure each feature a third Broadway-style production only found on that ship, and it’s this third show that differentiates the Disney Treasure vs. Disney Wish. “The Little Mermaid” is a re-imagining of a classic Disney story performed onboard the Disney Wish, and “Disney The Tale of Moana” plays on stage of the Disney Treasure.

Of course, there was a long-running “Little Mermaid” stage show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (with a new version opening in 2025), and a short-lived Broadway musical that included a national tour. By contrast, “The Tale of Moana” is the first-ever stage adaptation of the popular Walt Disney Animation Studios film, and, simply put, “Moana” is the best theatrical production currently playing on any Disney Cruise Line ship. 

With a cast of predominantly Asian American and Pacific Islanders, “The Tale of Moana” uses clever set design and staging to bring the island village of Motunui to life. Gramma Tala serves as the narrator who introduces her granddaughter Moana through song and dance that honor Pacific Island culture. Young, toddler Moana is represented by a puppet created by famed Broadway master puppet designer Michael Curry. The massive, fiery Te Kā puppet is the largest ever for a Disney Cruise Line show, and its movement and transformation are jaw-dropping stage magic. 

While “The Little Mermaid” on the Disney Wish is a fine production, with “The Tale of Moana,” Disney Cruise Line has raised the standard by which all their other stage shows are measured.

Advantage: Disney Treasure

Adult lounges on Disney Treasure vs. Disney Wish

The design of the Disney Wish offers a new concept for adult lounges and nightclubs, doing away with a separate adult entertainment district. Instead, adult venues are found throughout the ship, including some of the most sought-after spaces right off the Grand Hall. The Disney Wish offers Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, a high-tech bar celebrating the sci-fi saga, adjacent to The Bayou and steps away from the Grand Hall. Those looking for a traditional pub-like sports bar can head to Keg & Compass on the Disney Wish. 

The Disney Treasure uses the same layout for its adult lounges, but draws inspiration from classic Disney theme park attractions for the venues. The sports bar is Periscope Pub, themed for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the beloved, defunct submarine attraction at Walt Disney World for over 20 years. The space leans into Jules Verne’s steampunk aesthetic to create a moody submarine interior complete with “glass ceiling” that offer glimpses of fish, sharks, and other sea creatures swimming past.

Also on the Treasure, steps from the Grand Hall is Skipper Society, an outpost of the famed Jungle Cruise attraction, complete with camp-style furnishings and campy jokes. Jungle foliage forms a tangled canopy above your head, where you can point out some of your favorite plants including hibiscus and low-biscus. As you sip your cocktail or snack on a waffle, relax to music ripped straight from the Jungle Cruise queue.

Adjacent to Skipper Society on the Disney Treasure is the space everyone’s dying to get into: The Haunted Mansion Parlor.

Walt Disney Imagineer Danny Handke is the creative director for Haunted Mansion Parlor, and the lounge is a love letter to the iconic Disney park attraction and Imagineering as a whole. With Haunted Mansion Parlor, you forget you are on a cruise ship, and can believe you are sitting inside the attraction itself having a drink. Hitchhiking Ghosts and Madam Leota appear in the mirror behind the bar. The Ghost Host and music are from the ride. And then, there’s a new ship captain character that extends the Haunted Mansion lore.

Advantage: Disney Treasure 

Concluding thoughts

In conclusion, because the Disney Treasure offers longer cruises than the Disney Wish, it feels like the designers added more depth to every space for guests to explore. In addition, drawing inspiration from favorite Disney theme park attractions brings a familiarity to the ship that makes it feel like home from the moment you step on board. New storyteller characters of Coriander and Sage along with the stunning “Tale of Moana” show make the Disney Treasure the class of the Disney Cruise Line fleet.

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