I am soooooo (there aren’t enough o’s in the world) excited for the Disney Wish. I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information Disney gave us last week in the big reveal. (In a good way.) We got booking dates, sailing dates, some stateroom details, ship details. So much–and there is more to come!
It’s incredibly hard to pick what I am most excited about so far, but I’ll give it a shot. I’ll try not to YELL MUCH, and I’ll try to limit the exclamation marks!! But I’ve waited for this date for about 5 years. I’ve written blog posts speculating on what they would say, I’ve dreamed, I’ve wished, yada, yada, yada. So I can make no promises. Here are 10 things!
1. Hyperspace Lounge – No self-respecting Star Wars fan would put this below number one on a top ten list. And I am a self-respecting Star Wars fan. Hyperspace Lounge looks so cool! I love Skyline on the Dream and Fantasy. I’m a life-long teetotaler, and still spend time in there on every cruise. The changing scenery is such a great idea. There’s always something new to see. So how about we do that – IN SPACE!?! Okay. Hyperspace Lounge will travel to Coruscant, Tatooine, and Batuu while serving up some interstellar cocktails (and mocktails for me). It’s brilliant! Families can visit during the day, but it’s adults only at night!
2. The Pool Deck – The pool deck on Disney ships is always hopping, to say the least. More pools were needed, and it looks like the Disney Wish will have them. The family pool area will have several pools spread out on multiple tiers. I think it’s a good use of what’s very limited space on a ship! Many guests would be disappointed if there was no water slide, so the AquaMouse is the answer! The family area of the pool deck is themed for Mickey and friends, with the AquaMouse being a main attraction. And that’s just what Disney is calling the AquaMouse – the first ever Disney attraction at sea! At first glance it looks like a souped-up version of the AquaDuck, but at over two minutes long with music, lights, show scenes, and special effects, it qualifies as an actual attraction. I’m in! Can’t wait to experience it! Scratch that, the adult-only zone of the pool deck looks absolutely stunning and the infinity pool looks amazing. I may never leave. Well, I may need to go snap a few pictures of what looks to be an adorable little-people area with The Toy Story Splash Zone and Slide-a-saurus Rex.
3. Two-Story Staterooms – While Disney admittedly spent an inordinate amount of time talking about concierge-level staterooms in their recent Disney Wish reveal, they had good reason to. There are so many new types! I’m a sucker for a two-story room. It feels like I’ve stepped out of my station in life, and into luxury. Even if I’ve actually stepped into a room where I have to climb stairs to retrieve something from my bedroom. Ironically, something that I complain about in everyday life in my own home. These two-story rooms just look gorgeous! There’s a spiral staircase IN MY ROOM!?! Good gravy. I’m also super excited about the 7 Little Mermaid inspired rooms above the bridge, by the way. I could settle in there just fine! And there’s more! There’s more! Scott Sanders sniffed out what is either a mistake, or an incredibly exciting new stateroom – IN THE FUNNEL. Sign. Me. Up.
4. Captain Minnie – Captain Minnie on the bow of the Disney Wish wasn’t announced last week, but I would be remiss if it didn’t make this list. In today’s day and age, I think it was a stroke of brilliance on Disney’s part to feature Captain Minnie on the Wish instead of the standard Captain Mickey. I’m here for it!
5. Marvel Restaurant – We don’t have many details about Worlds of Marvel, one of the new main dining rooms onboard the Wish, but we know it sounds cool! Billed as a cinematic dining adventure, guests will play a role in an Avengers mission that unfolds around them as they dine. Sounds intriguing for sure to me! I trust Disney to impress me. I was one of those who was skeptical when Disney debuted Animation Magic in Animator’s Palate on the Fantasy, the dinner show where the dining guests’ drawings come to life on screen. I thought it would be cute for small children, but when that show started and my sad little character I’d drawn with no artistic ability whatsoever came to life alongside other drawings and Disney characters? Blown. Away. I was that totally enchanted, small child. So, while I don’t know much about how Worlds of Marvel will play out, and it sounds overambitious – I trust Disney.
6. 1923 – In a ship that could seem character heavy, I think it’s incredibly smart of Disney to make another one of the main dining rooms more upscale and Walt focused. Named after the year The Walt Disney Company was founded, 1923 will feature California fusion inspired cuisine while paying homage to the golden age of animation. The concept art looks beautiful!
7. Two Brand New Shows – Disney announced Aladdin is coming to the Wish. I love Aladdin on the Fantasy, and I’m excited about it. But not as excited as I am about the two new shows! Since they already announced Aladdin, a singular movie and storyline show, I’m guessing at least one of these two new shows will be more of a mash up of several shows, like Believe, or The Golden Mickeys. The third show is anyone’s guess! I loved the clever retelling of Cinderella in Twice Charmed, and I’d love to see another show like that. Whatever these shows are, I expect they’ll take some of the incredible projection technology of Beauty and the Beast on the Dream and take it to an even higher level. I’m excited to see what they can do!
8. Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas – While some may find it may silly to spend time on a beautiful ship watching movies, I’m surprised by how much I miss at least having the option when I sail on other cruise lines. We usually find time to fit in a movie or two while onboard a cruise, and we have always said we don’t understand the down times in the Buena Vista theater. They could run continuous films all day! But they can’t because they do use the theater for other things at times. Well with two (very cleverly named, I may add) dedicated theaters (in addition to the Walt Disney Theatre), there really could be a movie playing every second of every day. Or one could be children-oriented films, while the other plays films of the more PG-13 variety. Or one could show classic films while the other showed new releases. They have so many options! And have you really lived unless you’ve attended a big Disney/Marvel/Pixar/Lucas Films prem-ear at sea!?!
9. Palo Steakhouse – I could just about eat in Palo every night of a cruise. I’ve done Remy a few times and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m excited to try Enchanté. But Palo? It’s my favorite meal onboard. Well, maybe Palo brunch is. It’s hard to say. Either way – my favorite meal happens inside Palo. Changing it up a little and making it a steakhouse is pretty smart! It should still be amazing, while giving some variety among the ships. I mean – STEAK. Is that ever a bad idea?
10. Tiered Booking System – I know this one will bring out some very strong opinions one way or the other, and many will not agree with me. But I love how much they are breaking down tiers for booking. Both as a travel agent, and a frequent cruiser, I think this makes sense. I’ve long thought Disney should introduce some new Castaway Club levels for their repeat guests. Disney has been sailing since 1998, and many, many people have passed 10 cruises in those 20 plus years. The top level (Platinum) is overloaded at this point. Booking days can be a nightmare of hold times and worrying about getting the desired staterooms and itineraries! I have been anticipating the maiden voyage of the Wish to sell out within an hour or so of the phone lines opening to Platinum cruisers, and if you weren’t one of the lucky fastest fingers, you’re out of luck. Spreading people out more will help so much! And agree with me or not, I think those who have cruised the most should get the first shot. If you are interested in my predictions, I think the maiden voyage will still sell out the first day, although people will change their minds before putting down the non-refundable deposit, and some slots may open the second day. I think the next couple of sailings will sell out quickly as well. After that, there should be many options through September left for booking over the next several days. Don’t lose heart if you’ve never sailed before and you want to sail in the summer of 2022! I think you’ll still get your chance. 
What did you think about the announcement? What are you most looking forward to?
Tammy Whiting is the owner of Storybook Destinations. Did you know Storybook Destinations offers a complimentary subscription to TouringPlans with qualified Disney and Universal bookings? Click here for a no-obligation quote on your next vacation.
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