What Makes the Disney Wish Different Than Other Cruise Ships?

The Disney Wish, Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, is under construction as we type this article and exciting things are on the way for when this ship sets sail in 2022.

We’ve already heard about some of the unique Marvel experiences that will be available on the ship, a NEW Star Wars lounge, and more that guests of all ages will get to enjoy. But, recently we got a peek and LOTS more hidden details, experiences, and things you won’t want to miss that will be coming to the Disney Wish.

We recently had the chance to attend a Disney media event about the Disney Wish. Here’s just SOME of the cool things we learned about the kids’ clubs, the design of the ship, and more!

A Tease at More Star Wars Experiences

First, we’ve got to address the Bantha in the room — Star Wars. Fans of all things light and dark side will be able to check out the NEW Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge aboard the Disney Wish, but will other Star Wars experiences be on the way? While at the media preview event, one Imagineer indicated that there will be more announcements made in the future about other Star Wars experiences that may be coming to the ship!

Will there be a Star Wars feature in the kids’ clubs? An incorporation of Star Wars in the ship’s new interactive game? Disney hasn’t shared any of those details yet, but we can’t wait to find out!

Click here to learn more about Hyperspace Lounge!

Disney’s Oceaneer Club News

Are your kiddos a big fan of Disney’s kids’ clubs, or will this maybe be your first Disney cruise and you’re wondering what the kids’ clubs will include? Well, we’ve already shared some details about the spaces coming to one of the kids’ clubs — Disney’s Oceaneer Club — but recently we got even more information about it. Disney’s Oceaneer Club, for those ages 3 through 12, will actually feature a variety of different spaces. So far, only 3 of those spaces have been revealed — Fairytale Hall, Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, and Marvel Super Hero Academy. But, more details are set to be revealed soon, so we’ll keep an eye out for that!

One thing that makes the Oceaneer Club really unique on the Disney Wish is the way that kids can enter it. If they want, kids can actually slide right into the club via a slide located in the Grand Atrium area. The slide will take kids safely into an enclosed area of the club, meaning parents won’t have to worry about kids sliding into an open space where they could run away or get lost.

And parents can watch their kids exit the slide by glancing over the railing nearby. Not into slides? There’s also a staircase near the slide for parents and kiddos to use to get into the club. The staircase is actually themed to Alice in Wonderland and features some fun details, like a Cheshire Cat figure, near the bottom — so be sure to look for those!

Again, as we mentioned, the Oceaneer Club is made of multiple spaces, connected by a center area. One unique thing the Imagineers spoke about when taking about the Oceaneer Club is how some parents have wanted to sort-of interact with their kids from the outside while they’re in the club. We were shown some concept art of doors with Disney character designs on them. Our understanding is that the doors will allow adults to have some interaction with their kids while the kids are in the club, though more details and specific information on that hasn’t been shared.

Marvel Super Hero Academy

One thing that many kids may be looking forward to is that Marvel Super Hero Academy portion of the Oceaneer Club. There, kids will be able to design their own super hero outfits and play games to save the world.

When it comes to outfit designs, kids will actually tap their MagicBands at the stations to start this part of the experience, which is unique to the Wish. They’ll then get to keep track of the things they’ve worked on. When it comes to the suit designs, there were a number included in the concept art designs including suits that were inspired by Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Ant Man, Black Panther, Spider Man, and unique variations of each one.

Once a kid is done designing their outfit, it’ll “appear” on a mannequin nearby, sort-of in the same way the suits would sort-of “generate” on Black Panther (that’s where the inspiration comes from). Speaking of Black Panther, there will be lots of easter eggs around this space for Marvel super fans to find — like the notes left behind from Shuri’s last visit to the Super Hero Academy space.

After kids are done designing, they can go fight some bad guys! There will be 2 games that can be played here. In the first game, kids will fight oncoming enemies. In the second game, kids will need to fly to dodge oncoming things. At the end of the games, the kids will battle either Hydra or Ultron. As the kids achieve higher scores, they might just unlock new abilities to help them in future play! The Imagineers also shared that in a sense the games work as a prelude to the Worlds of Marvel dining experience, though they’re not directly connected.

Click here to see why the Disney Wish is unlike anything you’ve seen before!

Walt Disney Imagineering Lab

Ever wanted to get a taste of what it’s like to be an Imagineer? You’ll get to do just that in the Imagineering Lab. Disney actually shared that there are 2 parts to this space — one with a variety of tables and chairs which showed some blueprints being worked on in the concept art, and a warehouse-type space (inspired by the warehouses used by Imagineering for some of their prototypes and testing) where kids will design their own roller coasters and put them to the test.

One fun tidbit is that the first space (with the tables and chairs) actually has some triangular designs in it that are inspired by Spaceship Earth — a good thing to look out for if you’re a big EPCOT fan!

Like at the Super Hero Academy, kids will scan their MagicBands before designing a roller coaster. That’ll help them keep track of their scores in relation to their designs. As the kids design coasters that give them higher scores, they might just get the chance to unlock new set pieces or track pieces to help them take their coasters to the next level!

And of course, once they’re done designing they’ll get the chance to ride a simulated version of their roller coaster. We got to see a design/test concept for a Thunder Mountain-type design of a coaster, and goat fans will be pleased that we did spot one in the ride!

Fairytale Hall

Finally, we come to Fairytale Hall. At this spot, kids will be able to decompress in a reading area (will physical books and iPads) themed to Belle, make some arts and crafts in a Rapunzel-themed space, or play games in a spot themed to Frozen.

In the Frozen space, there will be 3 distinct “Frozen Fun” digital games. The first is Ice Magic, where kids will get to create ice sculptures or “paint” with ice and snow. The second is Snow Ball Bash, where kids will have to duck and dodge snow balls being thrown at them by the trolls from the film. And, of course, they’ll get the chance to toss some snow balls back at the trolls too! Finally, there’s Snowgie Hide & Seek — in this game kids will use a “search glass” to look for snowgies in the scene. But, there are more than just snowgies hidden in there — with enough work, you might just be able to discover other characters like Bruni!

These games will be played on a screen located in front of each kid, and just like some of the other games at Oceaneer Club, they’ll be able to scan their MagicBands and (we expect) keep track of their score.

What Makes the Wish So Different?

If you’ve been on Disney’s other cruises, you might be wondering what makes the Wish unique (aside from some of the new experiences coming to the ship). From an overall design perspective, the Imagineers shared that they changed up 3 main things on the Wish. First, there’s quite a few spaces with a mixed-use flow to them. Second, things that used to be larger now have a more intimate feel. For example, you’ll find 2, smaller movie theaters on the Wish as opposed to one larger one. And third, Disney’s team really worked on infusing entertainment opportunities in more spaces on the ship.

But there are also a bunch of amazing details and touches that make the Wish unique.

Other Amazing Details

We learned about so many unique details about the Wish during our recent conference we could spend hours probably talking about them all. Here’s a rapid-fire list of a whole bunch of NEW things about the Wish, unique details you’ll want to look for, and reasons you might just want to book a sailing on it in the future:

• In the kids’ nursery — the “it’s a small world” nursery — you’ll find designs of Disney and Pixar characters with a Mary Blair-inspired style (we saw characters from Cars, Woody, and even Peter Pan depicted in this style on some concept art).
• At Edge (the dedicated space for those 11 to 14) there was some concept art shown featuring a beautiful skylight in the space as well as some wall designs inspired by Up.
• The Disney Wish has spread out and divided it’s pool offerings. There’s the Quiet Cove area for adults, a Mickey & Friends area with a variety of pools, a Toy Story area with splash zones for little ones and a family slide, and a quiet family pool area.

• Instead of just one big family pool, the pools are actually divided across several decks and made a bit smaller. The pools can be covered for parties or events too. The way it’s set up is sort-of like an amphitheater of seats where parents can sit and watch their kids play in the pools staggered on the decks below.

• There’s a digital screen between one pool area and a wall behind it that will become a fun, digital backdrop during parties and events.
• The quiet family pool area has a pool with 2 different levels to it.
• The Quiet Cove (adults-only) area is located all the way to one side of the ship, minimizing the amount of guests that would ever need to pass through there. There’s an infinity pool for adults to enjoy, with a built-in bench, and more.
• The Grand Hall (referred to as the atrium on other ships) has a bunch of neat things to see. There’s a Cinderella statue that is very much life-size and great for photo ops. The carpet has designs inspired by the pumpkin that turns into Cinderella’s magical coach, as well as designs of characters from the film and glass slippers. The railing in the space has designs and colored glass pieces meant to sort-of evoke the design of a tiara. The chandelier is inspired by the moment the Fairy Godmother turns Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful gown and the pixie dust you see surrounding her.
• There is a stage in the Grand Hall where all kinds of unique entertainment will be held, and Disney is working on a fun way to welcome guests aboard.

• Disney has really thought of everything — the elevators that used to be right near the Grand Hall area have been spread out a bit further to help with some crowding and congestion.
• The staterooms will be inspired by a variety of themes and princesses including Littler Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Tangled, Moana, Princess and the Frog, Frozen, and (of course) Cinderella.
• The clips near each stateroom door (known as Fish Extenders) will be in the shape of a crown to fit the overall theme. 
• The themes of staterooms will vary by floor.
• In the Nightingale’s piano bar, there will be sheet music surrounding part of the design near the piano — it’s real sheet music you could read and play.
• You’ll be able to grab some bubbly in the Untangled Salon.
• The Disney Cruise Line horn/whistle will be housed in a Mickey-shaped structure that will be visible for miles.

• Rapunzel is featured on the stern of the ship near 5 stars, representing that the Wish is Disney Cruise Line’s 5th ship.
• There will be fireworks on the Wish and more details about its theme will be revealed soon!

And that’s just a quick peek at some of the unique details you’ll find on the Wish. We’ll definitely be on the lookout for more information and we’ll share that all with you — so be sure to check back with us for more updates!

What detail shared above are you most excited for? Tell us in the comments!

Disclosure: We were invited by Disney Cruise Line to attend a media preview of the Disney Wish. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own. 

Post a Comment