Hang on to those Hats and Glasses when you board the next innovation to come from the Disney Cruise Line. The new Disney Dream will debut the cruise industry’s first-ever shipboard water coaster, a.k.a. the AquaDuck. The ride will take guests on a high-speed flume… Read More »Disney Cruise Line adds Water Coaster to its new ship
Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger announced the names of Disney Cruise Line’s next two ships during the company’s annual shareholder meeting today in Oakland, Ca. The Disney “Dream” will begin sailing in 2011 and the Disney “Fantasy” will join the fleet in 2012. The… Read More »Iger announces new Disney Cruise ship names “Dream” and “Fantasy”
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:
Read More »Work Begins on New Disney Cruise Line Ship in Germany
Launched in January 2008, the Walt Disney World Moms Panel is an online forum where guests can get insider tips and insights for vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort from real moms who have mastered the art of planning a Walt Disney World vacation. A new group has just been empaneled for 2009.
The Walt Disney World Moms Panel consists real parents selected to share their vast knowledge of the resort and personal secrets of success with other families who are considering a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Guests can pose questions and have them answered by the panelists, as well as gain access to other valuable park insights and vacation planning tools for booking a Walt Disney World or Disney Cruise Line vacation.
This last weekend the second group of panelists to serve on the Disney Mom’s Panel was invited for a 3-day training session and a chance to get to know their fellow panelists better. Like last year’s panel they’ve already met each other online before arriving in Orlando. The training included sessions on the software they’re using, a ‘Disney Traditions’ experience, and other rare in the park opportunities.
The panel has grown from 12 members last year to 16. This will allow for more specialization among the members and help to handle any increases in traffic to the site. As on the first panel, there is even one Disney Dad among the moms.
Over 8000 applied online to become a panelist in 2009. Those were narrowed down to 125 prospects who were all phone interviewed before the final 16 were chosen. If you’re looking to join the panel should it happen again, I found that more than half of the panelists had a communications or marketing background and almost all of them had what I would call an ‘outgoing personality’.
For more information, visit disneyworldmoms.com. For more photos, check below the cut:
Read More »Disney Moms Panel enters its second year with fresh crop
At a press event today Disney Cruise Line announced that the Disney Magic would take a 5 month journey to european waters in 2010. Meanwhile the Disney Wonder will take extended trips in the Caribbean. This is all in preperation for the arrival of the… Read More »Disney Cruise Line announces European Excursions for 2010
Looks like the Disney Cruise Line is preparing for the expansion of its fleet. They’re opening a London office that will staff about 20 cast members, including some relocated from Central Florida. Spokeswoman Christi Erwin Donnan said Disney Cruise Line is hoping to increase its… Read More »Disney Cruise Lines to open London Office
Last week Disney Auditions launched a new website for entertainment roles at all the parks around the world. Now no matter what location you audition at, you’re potentially auditioning for any role Disney might offer you anywhere in the world. That means, if you audition… Read More »Disney Auditions Revamps – It’s a Whole New World
Over at LaughingPlace.com there are some additional details on the newly finalized contract for two new Disney Cruise Line ships. Similar to the original Disney Cruise Line ships, the new ships will be modern interpretations of classic ocean liners of the 1930s. Disney Imagineers drew their inspiration from the original trans-Atlantic ships that featured a… Read More »Disney finalizes contracts for two new cruise ships