Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park to be Reimagined

Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park to be Reimagined

By Disney Destinations

Yesterday’s tomorrow, today! On stage during the Horizons: A Carousel of Progress Disney experiences showcase Chairman Thomas Mazloum announced some very exciting news for Disneyland Resort: a reimagining of Tomorrowland in Disneyland park is in the works!

 

The transformation of Tomorrowland will honor the legacy of the original land while reimagining its future. Disneyland Resort will strive to preserve what guests cherish most, while also introducing new experiences and possibilities for the next generation of fans.

 

Walt Disney Imagineers are already beginning to dream up the next chapter of innovation and storytelling for Tomorrowland with new attractions, more open spaces and new places for Disneyland guests to dream about the future. The plans for Tomorrowland will restore the spirit of optimism, innovation and possibility that inspired Walt Disney to create “a vista into the world of wonderous ideas…” in 1955 and have defined the land for decades.

 

We cannot wait to reveal more about the plans for the transformation of Tomorrowland in the years ahead!

Delightfully Bewitching New Details about Villians Land at Magic Kingdom

Delightfully Bewitching New Details about Villians Land at Magic Kingdom

By Disney Destinations

Magic Mirror on the wall, which land is the most menacing and magnificent of them all? This question was answered during the Disney Experiences showcase, Horizons: A Carousel of Progress.

 

Villains Land will bring a devious and dark “magic” to the Magic Kingdon, while managing to be cohesive with the storytelling of the broader park.

What is the Storyline of Villains Land?

References from classic characters from Walt Disney animation Studios will inspire Villains Land, while the overarching story is a brand new, original take on those iconic villains. The Magic kingdom invites you into a fairytale and Villains Land is no exception…

 

In many fairytales, the real journey begins when you stray from the safe path and instead turn towards the vast, foreboding forest. If you dare enter the forest of Villains Land, you may soon come across a Wishing Well that’s been torn asunder. Under most circumstances, a Wishing Well would indicate pure and good energy at work, but something dark happened to this one. Once upon a time, someone made an evil wish here – a wish so evil it corrupted the stone and broke oopen the structure, spreading the Well’s poisoned magic through the forest.

 

This sinister setting is tempting for those with wicked intentions, so, one by one, the villains have come here to try and claim the last of the Wishing Well’s power. Villains Land will be shaped by those who have used the dark magic to conjure the perfect new lairs for themselves. These mighty fortresses and gleaming palaces not only reflect the personality of the villains who own the, they invite guests into a tantalizing treasure trove of treats, trinkets, and more temptations. The size and scale were compared to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, so there will be no shortage of space to explore and enjoy a bit of mischievous fun.

 

Villains Land will have two major attractions, in addition to shops and restaurants.

Maleficent Coaster in Villains Land

The first is an exhilarating coaster experience, where guests will come face-to-face with the Mistress of All Evil herself, Maleficent. Guests will race through enchanted briar surrounding her frightening mountaintop fortress – if you’re feeling brave enough to answer her invitation. This coaster will include elements they’ve never attempted before on similar attractions, so it is set to be a truly groundbreaking project.

Mirror Realm Dark Ride in Villains Land

                                                                                                 

There’s a second headlining attraction of Villains Land: a ride featuring a whole array of your favorite Disney Villains – hosted by the Magic Mirror.

 

Guests will find the Magic Mirror when the Evil Queen keeps him in the catacomby beneath her pristine palace. After making their way to him, he’ll magically transport you into his mystical Mirror Realm to see things on the other side of the mirror. There, in his ethereal real, guests will be transfixed by countless Disney Villains conjured in ways only the Magic Mirror can do. A combination of special effects and physical set pieces will bring his Mirror Realm – and these iconic Villains – to life.

 

 

Disney Cruise Line D23 Announcements from Horizons Panel!

Disney Cruise Line D23 Announcements from Horizons Panel!

Some information is not exactly new as it has been out for a while or could be seen from ship itineraries at the end of posted itineraries.

Things Already known:

• It was reiterated, there will be 13 ships in the Disney Fleet by 2030, 1 year earlier than originally expected!
• DCL will double its ships in California sailing out of San Diego.
• Wish will go to Europe for the first time for the Summer of 2027.
• Magic and Wonder will go to Alaska, Summer of 2027.
• They will double the number of ships sailing out of San Diego, California.
• They announced the new class of ships that will start joining the fleet in 2029.
• 2 in 2029 and 1 in 2030.
• The new ships will allow DCL to go to new ports.

Here is the Tesser Video from D23 about the new ships.

DCL New Class of Ships

News on Believe:

Bow Art will be Tinker Bell! Fitting since we just lost the real Tinker Bell, Margaret Kerry a couple months ago.

Stern Characters will be Buzz and Woody from Toy Story writing Believe with Crayons!

Grand Hall Statue will be Moana!

More information will be given tomorrow.

 

I believe that tomorrow they may announce the theme of the 3^rd Main dining Restaurant and maybe Maiden Voyage Date. Honestly, I believe the Maiden Voyage Date, Homeport and general itineraries will be given during the Grand Revel, October 7^th. I don’t think much more will be said about Believe.

 

I think tomorrow they may announce more ships ordered, but I could be wrong. I will follow up tomorrow.

What is the Expected Lifespan of a Cruise Ship?

What is the Expected Lifespan of a Cruise Ship?

To be honest the expected lifespan of a cruise ship is 30 years. What happens next is up to the cruise line that owns it. Disney Magic will turn 30 in 2028 and Disney Wonder shortly thereafter in 2029. What is going to happen to them? Honestly, we don’t know. When will the ships retire? Again, we just don’t know.

 

Here are the options:

• Many cruise lines are sold off to a lower quality cruise line. They go to an extended dry dock for a complete inspection and the ship is completely reworked. They are cleaned up, renamed and rechristened.
• Scrap the ship for whatever you can get for the parts and components.
• They may sink the ship to make a new coral reef.
• There is a 4^th option that cruise lines have not availed themselves of but there are rumors about Disney doing it. None of these rumors are from a source who can verify this. I have heard enough to know Disney has heard about this idea and is possibly considering it. The 4^th option is to turn it into a seaside hotel docked somewhere.

 

Lets go back to when will they retire. I personally believe Disney will keep the ships sailing as long as possible. They will balance the cost of maintenance, standard operating expenses against the money earned continuing to use the ships. If they see if it is worth keeping them going rather than retiring them they will. Just because they can keep them going does not make it financially wise.

 

I strongly believe Disney is already looking at the ships last and maybe next standard, legally required, drydock/maintenance reports to make the decision. These drydock checks happen every 5 years. Magic had her last one May of this year. She will not be due for another drydock until 2031. So, I believe we will know about Magic’s fate around that time. They may already know it is time to retire her. That could be why the construction timeline of new ships was sped up. Disney Wonder had her last drydock in 2024. Wonder will be due for her next drydock until 2029. We will know then if she will retire or not.

 

If both ships pass inspection and dealing with maintenance and desired upgrades is not too expensive DCL may keep them running until the next Drydock inspection. I believe as long as they pass inspection they will keep them running. I can see Magic sailing until 2031 or 2036 and Wonder continuing her travels until 2034 or maybe longer. We will have to see.

 

I’ll be honest I’d love to see the two sisters eventually retired and turned into seaside hotels. Host them like a cruise ship. You can check in or out on a schedule like the ships normal Itinerary. Check in on Fri and check out Monday. Check in on Monday and out on Friday. Have the shows in the theater like you do at sea. Deck Parties, all ship board entertainment as normal. The Kids Clubs would be open and Rotational Dining would be served. They could even offer Port Adventures to local places. You can stay on the ship or go explore during the day. Totally up to the guest.

 

Having them as a hotel would allow people to experience the fun of a Disney Cruise without sailing. This would be good for people who are afraid of sailing. It would be great for those with medical conditions that do not allow for sailing away from shore. It would be wonderful for those who get seasick! Everyone could experience what a Disney Cruise is like, or at least get a sample.

 

 

What Do We Know About Disney Cruise Line West Coast and Alaska Expansion?

What Do We Know About Disney Cruise Line West Coast and Alaska Expansion?

There are people saying that DCL is not planning on continuing past 2031 or so sailing out of San Diego or the West Coast. Information I read shows DCL is committed until at least 2040 to sailing out of the West Coast and to Alaska.

 

Here is what we know for sure:

·       2025 DCL signed a contract with Avalon, Catalina Island, Ca for preferred portage that will include 2 stops at Catalina Island each week min-September to mid-May and 1 stop per week mid-May to mid-September. This starts mid-September 2027. The original contract expires in 2030 but can be extended with 2 five-year renewals until 2040. Magic and Wonder are specifically named but there is a clause for a unnamed ship(s) to be added. This shows a strong commitment to the West Coast, Baja and Southern California sailings.

·       2026 DCL signed a contract with the Port of San Diego, Ca to have up to 2 ships calling San Diego home port. This contract will expire in 2031 and has no stipulation for extension but that does not mean it could not be extended. This shows at least a limited commitment to San Diego that could be extended.

·       2026 DCL and Icey Straight, Alaska announced a contract had been signed that gave DCL preferred portage there once per week. This contract expires in 2040. This shows long term commitment to Alaska.

 

What does this mean for 2028 and beyond?

• ·       2027 & 2028 DCL will have Magic and Wonder do mid-September to mid-May, Mexico 3, 4, 5, & 7-Night cruises with stops at Catalina Island.
• ·       Summer 2028 is a question mark. This season is completely up for speculation. New Itineraries coming out soon may give some answers. For the past several years DCL has had both Magic and Wonder in Alaska. Mid-May to Mid-September we do know 1 ship MUST stay in San Diego. It will have to be Magic or Wonder. I am assuming it to be Magic due to the fact Wonder was retrofitted back in 2011 to make her more comfortable for guests in Alaska. They could bring a 3^rd ship from the East Coast and take it to Alaska, but it cannot port at San Diego. San Diego has a limit of 3,000 guests per cruise ship. It cannot handle a ship with 4,000+ guests unless it is an emergency. At this time, only Magic and Wonder are currently under 3,000 guests. They carry 2,400-2,600 depending on what source you look at.

With this information about San Diego limits on ship size, I see a couple options for 2029:

• ·       Only one ship goes to Alaska while the other stays in San Diego. I will assume Magic will stay in San Diego.
• ·       They bring a 3^rd ship from the East Coast through the Panama Canale and stop at Port of Los Angeles or Long Beach and sail from there to Alaska. They may or may not do a couple cruises out of the Port of Los Angeles or Long Beach while there. This could be either a Dream or Wish-Class ship. Magic would stay in San Diego and Wonder will go to Alaska. This would allow them to maintain 2 ships in Alaska and still have one in San Diego.

 

What could happen beyond 2029?

• ·       2029 the first 2 of the 5^th-Midsize-Class of ship will join the Disney fleet. I am assuming the first will be added before mid-May of 2029. I’m guessing this because there are 2 ships of the same class being released in 2029. The new ship can dock in San Diego or even go to Alaska. That means it is a toss up who stays in San Diego.
• ·       2030/31 may be a sad year for us DCL fans, especially those of us who love the Classic Ships, Magic and Wonder. A Cruise Ships expected lifespan is 30 years. Magic turns 30 in 2028 and Wonder in 2029. It is possible they will retire these ships from the fleet. To be honest I think Disney can keep them going until mid 2030’s. If they do retire then I think 2 of the newest ships being released in 2029 will take their place here in California with the 3^rd being here in the summer months. I’ll share more on this is another post.
• ·       2031 may have some new things happening. If DCL does not renew the contract with San Diego they may move the ships to the Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach or even the Port of San Francisco. I’m opting for LA or Long Beach more than San Francisco. If they do this then any ship of the Disney Fleet can be here in California.
• ·       If my thoughts are right the West Coast Disney Cruise Fans will have BRAND new ships to sail!! West Coast may also have it’s first Christening and Maiden Voyage when the newest ships arrive. Only time will tell!! Maybe D23 will give us more information.

Disney Cruise Line Changed the Construction Schedule!!

Disney Cruise Line Changed the Construction Schedule!!

I have seen this all over the internet but I would not post until I saw confirmation from a reliable Disney related source. I will state clearly what is my opinion and speculation.

 

If you have been keeping up with the Disney Cruise Line Fleet you know the fleet is expanding and a crazy rate!! Between 2027 and 2031 there was to be a ship a year delivered. By 2031 there was to be 13 ships in the Disney Fleet. That has changed!!! I will first share the original schedule and then the change along with what I think it may possibly mean. Between all the expansion and the addition of Galveston Tx, and San Diego, Ca as new year-round homeports things are going to be exciting for DCL!

 

First off let me tell you what was to happen. Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure joined the fleet at the end of 2025. This brought the fleet to 8 ships. What was next?

• 2027 – Sometime towards the end of 2027, October to December, Disney Believe the 4^th Disney Wish-Class ship will join the fleet.
• 2028/29 – A 5^th Wish-Class ship was to join the fleet. This ship is being built for the Orenthal Land Company that owns and operates Tokyo Disneyland. It will be homeported in Tokyo, Japan.
• 2029 – The first of a new unnamed class of ship was to be released. This will be the first in the  5^th-Class of ships in the Disney Fleet. We know it will be larger than the classic ships, Magic and Wonder and 20% smaller than the Dream-Class ships. It will hold approximately 3,000 guests. That is 400-600 more than the Classic-Class and 1,000 guests less than the Dream-Class ships.
• 2030 – The second of the new class of ships was to be released.
• 2031 – the third and final of the new class of ships was to be delivered.

 

This is what has changed:

• 2027 - Disney Believe will join the fleet at the end of the year, between October and December.
• 2028 will have no new ship released.
• 2029, I believe this is order of the three ships joining the fleet that year!
• First of the 5^th-Class of ships. (Early 2029, January-February)
• 5^th and final Wish-Class ship for Japan. (More may be ordered later if OLC finds it lucrative. I believe it will also be delivered early 2029)
• Second of the 5^th-Class of ships. I think it will be delivered near the end of 2029.)
• 2030 – the Third and final 5^th-Class of ships will be delivered. This ship is hard to pin down a time for delivery. We will need to wait until we see the construction start date.

 

Why did Disney change the schedule? Here is my speculation. During the 3^rd QC earnings call Disney said things are being moved up because the Cruise Line is very profitable, even with the costs of building all of these ships. I believe more ships will be orders because the more ships the more money they will make.

 

These are my thoughts and opinions! Nothing is fact here. What does this mean for the future of DCL? I honestly believe that the order of even more ships will be announced! I believe this and more information about the Disney Believe ship that is currently under construction will be made during the D23 Expo this month. Yes, I will be following and sharing the news and my thoughts about it.

 

This is complete speculation! Disney Cruise Line truly has a global reach. They have been in Europe, South Pacific, Singapore and all three coasts of the USA. (East, West and even Gulf Coasts have had Disney cruises.) The possibilities are endless!! More West Coast cruises? For sure!! That is in the works but even more could happen! More cruises in the Gulf Coast? That is the plan already but more could happen! Florida having more Disney Ships? It is possible for sure! That is their major location! Maybe sending a second ship to Europe for the summers? May happen! Head back to Austrillia? Austrillia LOVES their Disney Cruises and misses having the Disney Wonder there! I would not count it out. We will just have to wait and see where DCL goes from here!

 

What do you need to take in your Carry-On bags for a Disney Cruise?

What do you need to take in your Carry-On bags for a Disney Cruise?

Understand that Carry-On bags need to stay with you until your cabin is available. They will sit in the dining room with you while you eat lunch and be dragged around while you look around the ship. Your Cabin will not be available until sometime between 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm, maybe even later. Why even bother with Carry-On bags? Just carry your ID/Citizenship docs and paperwork. That is all you need to carry on. The rest will be delivered to your cabin so why fuss. Remember checked suitcases will start arriving at the cabins around 2:30 but may not even show up until the next morning. Because of that I suggest making sure you have everything you need until morning. This way if the bags don’t show up you are not stuck without your necessary items. You have clothes to change into for dinner if you wish, PJ’s, Toiletry Items and medical items. Have littles? This includes things like comfort items like blankies and stuffies. Have someone with a disability? Besides their medical items think about comfort and communication items. Anything that helps them and you is worth carrying on. Be aware that having prohibited items in your checked bags WILL delay your bags getting to your cabin because they require further screening due to the found prohibited item.

 

Make sure you have your ID and Citizenship Documents available in easy reach. I suggest taking things you don’t wish to risk losing or having damaged in carry on. Disney does a great job handling your bags. Disney crew is not the only set of people handling your bags. You hand your bags to the port works between handing them over and them being delivered to your cabin. Things go missing and even go into the deep blue sea. There are items you can’t check in like Wine, Beer and Bottled Water and food items, unless the food item is medically necessary.

 

If it is valuable, fragile, would be damaged if it goes for a swim, medical related (equipment and/or medication) or something you will need like swimsuits or a change of clothing for later in the day MAKE SURE TO CARRY IT ON!

 

Minor side note. I personally know of 2 separate incidences when bags fell off trolleys into the ocean when being removed from the ship by the port staff. I have heard of more. First a family lost a couple bags that fell off a trolly. It had a communications device and comfort items for a young lad on the spectrum. I also know of a FULL TROLLY of suitcases that went overboard! The Port and Disney had divers go looking for the bags. The ship was delayed at the port. The 2 families we know were affected by these mishaps lost everything in the suitcases. First family was disembarking the ship and the second family was boarding the same ship!