By all accounts the Friday 2011 Disney Legends ceremony was the emotional highlight of the D23 Expo. From four princess voices on stage singing together, to the family of Guy Williams, and a duet between Kermit The Frog and Rowlf the Dog to honor Jim Henson, there was not a dry eye in the house. That is, of course, if you could make it into the show. Lines formed early and the show filled up far ahead of time.
More photos and a list of all the honorees below the jump:
The Disney Cruise Line has celebrated the keel laying of the Disney Dream, the first of two larger ships destined to expand the Walt Disney Company’s family cruise options to more people in more places around the world. The ceremony, including Donald Duck of course, took place at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
“Since our inception, families have come to know and love Disney Cruise Line, and they are looking for additional ways to enjoy all that we have to offer,” Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz said. “Our fleet expansion will allow us to satisfy demand on both the East and West coasts of the United States while also giving us the flexibility to explore additional global destinations for our Guests.”
The keel laying ceremony is the first time the Disney Dream will begin to take shape after many years of design work. In the maritime industry, the ceremony marks a momentous occasion when the first block – or section – of the ship is lowered into the building dock and a coin is placed under the keel for good fortune. While you can’t yet see the Disney Dream on the Meyer Weft webcams, they are a fascinating window into the process.
Doing the honors of placing the coin was Captain Tom Forberg. With a distinguished maritime career aboard Disney Cruise Line, Forberg was the first crew member hired and the captain who launched the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder. Recently, Forberg was named as the future Master of the Disney Dream.
The ship will continue to take its form through a block construction process in which pre-fabricated complete hull sections are joined together in block units and are then brought together to form the ship. The Disney Dream will be made up of 80 blocks, with the first block weighing in at approximately 380 tons.
Disney Cruise Line began construction on two new ships today with a steel cutting ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Scheduled for completion in 2011 and 2012, the new ocean liners will further advance the company’s one-of-a-kind guest experience and create more family cruise options with a brand guests know and trust.
“When we launched our business in 1998, we recognized a need in the marketplace for a cruise experience created just for families,” said Karl L. Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. “With these new ships, we are continuing to build upon that vision of providing more families with an unforgettable cruise vacation and the chance to explore new destinations with Disney.”
The first piece of steel cut for the new ships was part of the art deco inspired scrollwork that will grace the bow of the ships. Similar to the scrollwork on the Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the intricate pattern is reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s, designed to reflect the glamour of the golden age of cruising with added touches of Disney whimsy, such as the Mickey Mouse medallion in the center of the design.
Since finalizing a contract with the Meyer Werft shipyard to build the two new ships, Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney Imagineering have created a truly distinctive design for the new ships. Over the next few years, construction will continue, bringing the design to reality. The design details will be unveiled at a later date.
Holz noted that the fleet expansion will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line. Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will weigh 128,000 tons. Similar to the existing ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the new ships will be purpose built with families in mind, with specially designed areas and activities for each member of the family to allow for both quality time together and wonderful individual experiences. The focus is to provide a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and kids can immerse themselves in worlds of fantasy only Disney can create.
Known for bringing family travel to the cruise market, Disney continues to be a leader in the industry and was recently named the top large cruise ship experience by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the 9th annual “Reader’s Cruise Poll.” The Disney Wonder, which sails three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas, was ranked as the No. 1 cruise ship in the “Large Ship” category. The Disney Magic was also ranked in the top five cruise experiences overall. The Disney Magic primarily sails seven-night cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean and, beginning in the spring of 2010, will embark on a season of limited itineraries exploring Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
A quick video of the ceremony and the official steel cutting that was attended by Mickey Mouse is below the cut:
In a ceremony at the Burbank Walt Disney Studios, the Walt Disney Company inducted 11 new Disney Legends yesterday. The Legends are chosen by a selection committee chosen by Roy E. Disney. The program honors gifted animators, Imagineers, songwriters, actors and business leaders as having… Read More »Walt Disney Company inducts 11 new Disney Legends
