How Disney Cruise Line Entertainment Has Evolved And Continues To Push Boundaries

The Building Block Of Entertainment

The Disney Wish, the first in the class, is known for its beauty and opulence, which mainly allows for princess stories, as seen in the Frozen-themed dinner show, the Little Mermaid theatrical production, and royal storytellers who share the lore of the princesses throughout the cruise. Wish really pushed Disney creatives to tell stories in new ways, but that has only been amplified as the Wish class of ships has continued to develop.

“We didn’t know it at the time, but some of the content that we produced on Wish was really proof of concept for new kinds of entertainment that would really blossom more fully on the Treasure, Destiny and into the future,” explains Weinbloom.

One of the biggest evolutions of storytelling on Disney Cruise Line has come from the Grand Hall. On Disney Wish, the Cinderella and enchantment motif is beautiful, but it’s really more of a theme than a big storytelling moment. But as Treasure and Destiny were developed, Weinbloom says it was a big turning point for the team.

“I will admit there were moments in the early days of the development of Destiny when the team looked at that beautiful Wakanda theme in the Grand Hall and thought, ‘How are we going to do this? How are we going to tell a diversity of stories in a space that feels deeply connected to such an iconic character who comes from such a specific and singular world,’” says Weinbloom.

The outcome is a thread of storytelling that begins with Loki taking the helm of the Grand Hall at the start of the cruise and having meaningful moments with guests through interactions, side missions, and small pop-up shows. Throughout the cruise, Loki, along with other villains, takes their place in the Grand Hall, and not to spoil the ending, but the villains and anti-heroes don’t succeed in completely taking over as Black Panther comes to take his place as king. For Weinbloom and her team, the idea of having meaningful interactions with characters that can build over time was important.

Taking A Risk On New Original Characters

On Disney Cruise Line, guests may encounter iconic Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Still, with Treasure and Destiny, Disney took a risk bringing a new set of original characters: Coriander and Sage, and Zayah and Gamble, respectively. These new characters act as traveling storytellers and are “the connective tissue,” as Weinbloom calls them, for the different stories that take place in the Grand Hall and around the ships.

“We’ve really, for the first time, opened the question of can you build a relationship that’s deep with an original character, with a new person you’re meeting who doesn’t come from an existing story world, but is native to the ship and is part of your experience,” says Weinbloom.

Throughout a cruise, guests may find these storytellers in the Grand Hall sharing a beloved Disney story like Aladdin or Encanto, in the adults-only entertainment venue reenacting every Marvel or Indiana Jones movie, or simply walking around making small talk and swapping secrets with families.

“Guests really just love engaging with these characters and want to spend more time with them and are really responding well to their way of playing with guests,” she explains.

The Larger Story Being Told

While Treasure and Destiny all have specific themes that are showcased around the ships- adventure and heroes and villains, respectively- for Weinbloom’s team, there’s often an underlying theme that reveals itself over time. “We find ourselves having a moment during the install or preview period, when we’re really finally able to see the big picture and see how these entertainment experiences come together, and we suddenly notice there’s a theme here that we didn’t previously notice, that’s moving through multiple entertainment offerings,” she says.

On Disney Treasure, that underlying theme is family. While the ship is themed around adventure and characters who go on grand adventures, each of the larger entertainment moments really comes back to family, whether that’s relatives or chosen family. These themes are most visible in venues like the dinner show Plaza de Coco and the Walt Disney Theater, where Disney The Tale of Moana is performed. Both shows have a strong sense of family and remembering those who came before us. And even the final goodbye show with Coriander and Sage features a strong emphasis on family.

Destiny still focuses on family, especially in the Pride Lands: Fest of the Lion King dinner show. “The invitation to be aware of the larger ancestry that you’re a part of, the larger family story that you’re a part of. I think it’s really profound. I think it’s really powerful, and I don’t mind if folks don’t necessarily engage with it at that level, but it’s absolutely there for them if they choose to,” says Weinbloom.

But what makes Destiny even more interesting is that, besides family, which Disney Cruise Line will always feature in some way onboard, the ship’s underlying theme focuses on the individual.

“Destiny Discovered, at the end of the Destiny experience, Ziah and Gamble have a moment where they get to anchor us in a big theme of the choices that we make and that those choices are what define us, nothing else,” says Weinbloom. “I just love that we have that opportunity to tie up your experience with a little bit of a thesis statement that draws your attention to something that we’ve woven throughout.”

The Disney Believe and Beyond

As with Wish, Treasure and Destiny, the upcoming Disney Believe will feature many of the same entertainment styles. Weinbloom says, “Fans of the Wish class of ships and the entertainment that you see on those ships will be really, really excited by what we offer on Believe.”