When Disney Cruise Line’s brand-new Disney Wish first sets sail on June 9, 2022, it will host several fresh and returning entertainment offerings, including “The Little Mermaid.”
“‘The Little Mermaid’ is a timeless story, one that transcends generations,” said Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony, vice president, creative and advanced development for Disney Live Entertainment. “Our hope is that this new stage adaptation aboard the Disney Wish continues that incredible legacy, not by simply re-enacting the elements that make the original film so powerful, but by reinterpreting it in a way that resonates with the audience sitting in the theater each night.”
On Wish, the Walt Disney Theatre itself will take its visual cues from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ classic film “Fantasia,” representing an enchanted forest across three decks and seating for 1,274 people at a time. Further enhancing the space will be projection-mapping technology and a state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos 3D audio system, which Disney touts as “a first for the cruise industry.”
Disney The Little Mermaid
Exclusive to Wish will be “Disney The Little Mermaid,” an original Broadway-style production show based on the 1989 animated film. The contemporary retelling of the narrative will open with the discovery of a special treasure chest by storytellers, who then play the roles of Ariel, Ursula, Prince Eric, Sebastian, Flounder and others.
The audience will be treated to new orchestrations of classic songs “Part of Your World,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and “Under the Sea,” performed in an undersea world that will completely wrap around the theater. Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle, and Flotsam and Jetsam will be brought to life with advanced puppetry, and imaginative costumes will blend modern and traditional elements to tell the story.
Disney Seas the Adventure
Also new on Wish will be an embarkation day stage show called “Disney Seas the Adventure” starring Captain Minnie, Goofy and more Disney and Pixar characters. Minnie will unlock Goofy’s “inner captain” as they navigate a “The Princess and the Frog” scene, where Tiana will show Goofy how hard work makes dreams come true while performing the number “Almost There.” Then in a “Finding Nemo” sequence, Crush and Squirt will join in with a rendition of “Go with the Flow” from “Finding Nemo – The Musical” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Plus, there will be an original arrangement of “Let it Go,” “How Far I’ll Go” and “Touch the Sky,” as Elsa, Moana and Merida, respectively, further encourage Goofy. Lastly, Goofy’s remaining self-doubt will be cast out as Hercules stages “Go the Distance.” Guests will then be led by the characters to the ship’s Grand Hall for a signature sendoff, what Disney historically calls a “kiss goodnight.”
Disney Seas the Adventure will take place on embarkation day.
Credit: 2021 Disney Cruise LineDisney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular
“Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular” will also be remounted on Wish, carried over from Disney Fantasy and reimagined onboard. Exclusively on Wish will be updated sets and projection design, which will be populated by Aladdin, Genie, Jafar and Princess Jasmine. Music will include “Friend Like Me,” “A Whole New World” and “To Be Free,” crafted for Disney Cruise Line by Grammy Award-winning composer Alan Menken.
Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party
Last but not least, Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party will be Wish’s version of Disney’s fan-favorite fireworks show at sea. Once on every sailing, the upper decks will be energized with “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” stunts, special effects and pyrotechnics, all hosted by Captain Redd, descended from the famed red head from the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride.
She, along with other captains — including none other than Jack Sparrow — will spark the dazzling fireworks display set to the soaring score from the live-action film franchise.
Elsewhere onboard, guests will encounter entertainment from the likes of “Frozen” and Marvel, as well as enjoy other character experiences and first-run films in a pair of cinemas.
Following its June 9, 2022 inaugural voyage, Disney Wish will embark in Port Canaveral, Fla. on a season of three- and four-night cruises to Nassau in the Bahamas and Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island.
The Details
Disney Cruise Line
