Families create ‘True-Life Adventure’ on Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure
“Adventure is out there!” Ellie calls to Carl in Pixar’s Up, and Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Treasure could be the adventure Ellie’s looking for.
Adventure is the theme for the latest cruise ship Disney Treasure, and that fits well with Walt Disney’s history. From True-Life Adventure films to Adventureland in the Parks to Adventures by Disney luxury tours, adventure is always a prominent motif for Disney. Pam Rawlins, executive producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, said they tapped into Walt Disney’s love of world travel and adventurous nature when designing the Disney Treasure.
The Disney Treasure is Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship embark on its maiden voyage in December 2024. Previous Disney cruise ships evoked the golden era of cruising when ocean liners were the only mode of transportation across the sea. Even the exterior color scheme of Disney ships reflects classic 1930s ocean liners that Walt Disney gallivanted on with his family. Walt and Roy Disney sailed with their wives from New York City to Europe and back on the newest, fastest, and largest passenger ships of the day. And there will be plenty of nods to this vintage, world explorer style on the Disney Treasure.
1923 Restaurant
One of the Disney Treasure’s signature restaurants, 1923, named for the founding year of Walt Disney Animation Studios, will feature a collection of exploration and adventure-themed artwork from Disney Animated films.
Photo by Dave Parfitt
1923’s Elegant space reflects Hollywood’s golden age, similar to the height of ocean liners, with a “clubby” steakhouse menu complementing the ambiance.
The Disney Treasure was inspired by classic Disney Adventures
Skipper Society
Across the Grand Hall from 1923 will be Skipper Society – a lounge inspired by the classic Disney Parks Adventureland attraction Jungle Cruise. Skipper Society lounge evokes vintage adventure with a palette of natural colors and camp-style furnishings, paired with the pun-tastic bad dad jokes of the Jungle Cruise skippers, all beneath a canopy of dense jungle-like foliage.
Disney fans know the Jungle Cruise attraction takes guests on a river adventure via steamships inspired by the 1951 adventure film The African Queen. Legend has it Walt Disney originally planned on using live animals for the attraction with a nature documentary-style narration similar to the Academy Award winning True-Life Adventure films. Unfortunately, the attraction designers quickly realized live animals do not perform on cue.
Unlike the Jungle Cruise, Disney Treasure cruises will be surrounded by live animals diving and swimming throughout the ocean while the ship floats on the “topside of water.”
Periscope Pub
A second ’50s film inspired a different space on the Disney Treasure. Walt Disney himself personally produced the undersea adventure film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, influenced in part by marine life footage from a True-Life Adventure documentary.
Periscope Pub will become the first venue themed after the film and classic Magic Kingdom attraction at Walt Disney World from 1971-1994. The bar utilizes a Jules Verne steampunk aesthetic to invoke Captain Nemo’s Nautilus submarine interior with a large viewport along the ceiling to reveal the depths of the neverending ocean and its fathomless world of mystery and unearthly beauty. But beware – Captain Nemo’s nemesis, the giant squid, might just be underfoot as your crew unwinds each night with craft brews, light bites, and sea shanties.
Animal-Themed Spaces on the Disney Treasure
Walt Disney has a well-known love of animals, and animals feature prominently throughout the Disney Treasure. The central hub for daytime activity and adult-exclusive evening entertainment is Sarabi – named after the lioness matriarch from Disney’s The Lion King.
Four, two-story royal suites pay tribute to Bagheera, the panther from The Jungle Book, and Rajah, Jasmine’s tiger companion in Aladdin. Walt Disney Animation Studios always highlighted animals in its stories, it was all started by a mouse after all, and even brought live animals to the studio for artists to study when creating Bambi in 1942.
Walt Disney said, “animals have personalities like people and must be studied.” In the late 40s and 50s, Disney debuted the True-Life Adventure series of nature films. The first came from footage shot in Alaska highlighting the life cycle of fur seals. Seal Island was released on Dec. 21, 1948, and won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.
Disney Treasure Maiden Voyage
On Dec. 21, 2024, 76 years to the day after the release of Seal Island, families can live out their own True-Life Adventure when Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure embarks on its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida to the Eastern Caribbean.
The Disney Treasure will be the sixth ship in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet and the sister to the Disney Wish that launched in 2022. Following its maiden cruise, the Disney Treasure will offer an inaugural season of seven-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Bookings for the Disney Treasure open on Sept. 12, 2023 for Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club members and will open to all guests on Sept. 20, 2023.
For more details on all that’s new on the Disney Treasure, see our story entitled: “Jungle Cruise, Coco, Nautilus, Epcot and more new spaces on the Disney Treasure cruise ship”.
