What are the colors of the Disney Cruise Line Ships? Red, White, Mickey Shoe Yellow and . . . Monica Blue?

What are the colors of the Disney Cruise Line Ships?

Red, White, Mickey Shoe Yellow and . . . Monica Blue?

There is an interesting story behind the colors of the Disney Cruise Ships. Each color has a reason for being on the ship and one has a funny story behind it.

 

Disney Cruise Line has a unique set of colors for their ships. Disney wanted the look of the classic ocean liners of the 1930’s and 40’s. Those old grand ships were usually painted White and Black or Dark Navy Blue. They also wanted the ship to remind people of seeing Disney’s main mouse, Mickey!

The smokestacks (aka funnels) are a bright cheery Red like Mickey’s Red shorts. The upper decks are White reminding all of Mickey’s bright White gloves. The Lifeboats are Mickey Shoe Yellow (and caused a huge problem with Maritime authorities and law.) The main color of the ship looks to be Black, the color or Mickey’s Body and ears. In reality, the main body of the ship is a shade of Navy Blue that Disney named Monica Blue. The smokestacks were easy. Disney went to their records for the exact mix for Mickey Shorts Red. The White for the gloves was just as easy as the Red. Both remind you of Mickey!

The Mickey Shoe Yellow was an easy color to mix because of Disney’s extensive records, but Maritime Law requires a fairly specific shade of Orange for lifeboats to make them visible from a great distance. Could you see the Disney ship with Red, White, ORANGE, and Monica Blue? UGH that would not work! This took several years, a lot of discussion with a lot of documentation to back up Disney’s stance that not only was the Mickey Shoe Yellow is as visible it is MORE visible and in fact is visible for a greater distance. That is the truth! The Mickey Shoe Yellow lifeboats can be seen from further away than the standard color lifeboats.

 

The hardest color for the Imagineers to figure out was the Blue/Black they wanted for the main body of the ship. Straight Black fades fast and looks just dull. Too much Blue and it does not fit the color scheme. As the first ship, the Disney Magic, was being built they kept working on it. Many swatches of Black, Navy Blue, and Royal Blue were brought in and failed the test. The Imagineers kept looking the just the right color!

As the time came near for paining the ship they were still looking for that perfect color. One day an Imagineer, name Monica came into a meeting in a beautiful dark colored suit. As she walked in the others noticed the wonderful shade of Black of her suit. As she walked closer, they rethought the color of the suit. Was it Black or Blue? They admired the color! They came closer to her and backed up and saw from one direction it looked Black and in other directions Dark Blue. They all agreed it was a wonderful color and just right for the ships! It was quickly decided to snip a part of her jacket off and rush it to the painters to see if they could match that color! When the painters saw the piece of cloth, they said it was possible to match the color! When the paint was mixed and approved it was named Monica Blue after the Imagineer or sacrificed her suit jacket for the color.

 

Having sailed on four out of the five Disney Ships I can say the mix of colors is both beautiful and whimsical. The ships have a classic feel without being stuffy. Well done, Disney!! Well Done!