Disney Cruise Line’s new ship invites fans into their destiny

The Walt Disney Company loves to tell a great story. This is something they have excelled at for over 100 years. In 1955, Disney’s storytelling prowess moved off movie screens and into the physical world with the opening of Disneyland. Since then, the company’s immersive storytelling continues to evolve and take many forms, from dark rides to stage shows to highly themed restaurants and bars.

The latest iteration of Disney’s propensity to place customer experience at the center of great storytelling is the Disney Destinythe seventh ship to join the Disney Cruise Line fleet. Your journey immerses you in the heart of the most timeless story of all: heroes and villains. This theme manifests itself in multiple ways throughout Destiny, from epic superhero conflicts to more subtle nods in the details around the ship.

The result is a truly unique cruise experience, one that fully engages with its theme in a way we haven’t yet seen aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship. I was invited by Disney Cruise Line to check out the Disney Destiny before her maiden voyage.and this is what part of that experience looked like.

The wonder of it all

In the months leading up to the launch of Disney Destiny, there was a lot of discussion around the topic of heroes and villains. As more details about Destiny were revealed, fans noticed a trend: a large room with a Black Panther theme with a statue of T’Challa, Spiderman swinging on the stern of the ship, a Doctor Strange themed living room, and even a red cape Minnie Mouse Superhero.

“Wait,” you may be thinking. “Is this… a Marvel ship?”

I’ll be honest: I had this exact question before my cruise started, and it got me thinking. Not that I disagree with Marvel (I rather like most of what Marvel Studios puts out), but I was concerned that Disney was limiting the ship’s potential to focus solely on Marvel, especially when Disney has an unprecedented deep well of other stories to draw upon.

Don’t worry, Disney knows. Calling the Disney Destiny a Marvel ship overlooks a lot of what you can experience on board. It’s worth noting that several characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe play important roles throughout your journey, in ways that are almost impossible to avoid.

The Disney Destiny isn’t a Marvel ship, but you’ll get more Marvel here than on any other Disney Cruise Line ship. MCU fans, this one is definitely for you. But if you prefer to stick to stories straight from Walt Disney Animation Studios or Disney Experiences, there are more than enough to fill a trip.

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Disney’s Most Ambitious Character Experiences Yet

It turns out that Disney’s big turn with Destiny doesn’t have to do with the increased presence of Marvel characters. Rather, it is the total commitment to reinventing the character experiences passengers are accustomed to.

Character interactions on board – “meet and play” experiences rather than “meet and greet” – this is what sets Disney Destiny apart not only from all other Disney Cruise Line ships, but also from all Disney theme parks.

Throughout the media preview, I heard several people compare Disney Destiny to Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the short-lived immersive nighttime experience at Walt Disney World that took live-action role-playing to a whole new level. Although Destiny doesn’t come close to reaching this level of “LARP”, I can see the similarities: you, the guest, play an important role in the story that unfolds throughout the cruise.

This story features two original characters, Zayah and Gamblewhich appear frequently around Disney Destiny. Their “main stage”, so to speak, is the Great Hall, where much of the story of Destiny takes place.

For example, early in the route, the God of Mischief himself, Loki, takes over one of Zayah and Gamble’s story times (and subsequently the entire ship) and names himself king. Rather than having a short spectacle that ends there, the story breaks the fourth wall as Loki greets his new subjects (that’s us, the passengers on board). This isn’t a traditional character interaction where you wait in line; Loki will happily approach you as he walks through the Great Hall.

Storytelling moments like this are common throughout the 3 or 4 night itineraries that the Disney Destiny is currently scheduled on. In “Making highs with Cruella,“The passengers brainstorm with Cruella de Vil to come up with a new theme song (because the old Roger wrote about her in 101 Dalmatians It’s a bit unfair, don’t you think?). Luckily, De Vil’s, the very first villain-themed space at sea where all this takes place, is a piano bar, and there’s a musician sitting at the piano ready to compose the new song with you.

Another character encounter that is sure to be one of the most popular is Dr. Facilier’s Salon. This limited capacity experience brings guests face to face with Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog for a magic show with sleight of hand tricks. The Cruella Fashion Show is another interactive experience where passengers can strut their stuff on the runway where Cruella herself is the judge.

To call these character experiences fun is an understatement. It changes what we call character meet-and-greets – something that has been a staple of Disney parks and cruise ships for decades – and turns them into a new kind of Disney entertainment: part immersive theater, part theme park attraction, and part viral social media content. In that sense, it’s very reminiscent of some Galactic Starcruiser concepts, but this time you can come as you are.

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The legacy of Disney Cruise Line continues

If what I’ve described so far seems like too much and you’d rather relax, I have good news. You are not required to participate in these character interactions at all (pro tip: the balconies above the Great Hall provide excellent visibility of the various events, and also provide a safe distance from otherwise constrained public participation). If you want a more traditional Disney Cruise Line experience, the Disney Destiny delivers in spades.

All of the classic Disney Cruise Line features are found aboard Destiny. Rotating meals take you and your family to one of three restaurants in the evening: 1923, Marvel WorldsAnd Lands of Lions: Lion King Festivala new restaurant exclusive to Disney Destiny. Pride Lands, in particular, is a remarkable dining experience with an African-inspired menu and stellar vocal renditions of those oh-so-humble songs from The Lion King. Don’t skip this one.

In the evening, you are invited to the Walt Disney Theater to enjoy Broadway-style stage shows, including Disney Herculesa fresh new adaptation of the 1997 animated film exclusive to Destiny. There’s no more “heroes and villains” than the timeless story of Hercules and Hades, two of the most iconic Disney characters in their respective categories.

If you want to admire the theme of heroes and villains with some degree of separation, there are lots of details and easter eggs to find. The ship itself is divided into two factions, with the forward stair landings and elevator lobbies featuring artwork and rugs dedicated to the villains, and the rear dedicated to the heroes.

Expert Disney cruisers, especially those already familiar with the Wish-class ships, will already know how to structure their day: Cove Cafelunch at Marceline’s marketdrop the little ones off Oceanians Clubenjoy an adults-only dinner at Palo Or Delightedspend some relaxing time at Senses Spa, etc. There is always unlimited soft serve ice cream, there are chicken fillets and there is Shipwreck Cay. In many ways, you can completely dip in and out of the heroes and villains trope as you see fit.

Destiny’s grand finale, on the final night of the itinerary, brought us face to face once again with the heroes and villains who shaped our navigation throughout the three nights. There was thunderous applause throughout the Great Hall, giving us the opportunity to give one last ovation to the Cast Members, the true magic that made this trip so memorable.

Whether you tried your hardest to interact with the characters as much as possible or chose to play the role of the curious onlooker, you will disembark and return home knowing that you have just experienced something unique and truly different from what Disney Cruise Line has offered in the past.

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Disclosure: I was invited by Disney Cruise Line to attend a hosted media preview of the Disney Destiny. When I attend events as a media guest, I am not obligated to review that event on my channels, nor am I required to provide a favorable review of that event. My goal, as with all my coverage, is to provide an unbiased and honest recap of any event I attend. This includes coverage where I pay full price for my own travel as well as organized events. Thank you for your support!

Disney Cruise Line’s New Ship Invites Fans Into Their Destiny was originally published on The World of Spark.

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