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Disney Believe: My Thoughts on the Big Reveal, What I'm Most Excited About, and What I Wish Were Different
Well, it has been over a week since the big live reveal of the Disney Believe onboard the Disney Wish! I've been excitedly reading blogs and posts about what everyone thinks of the new spaces and offerings, and I wanted to share a few of my own thoughts. I'll highlight what I'm most excited to experience, along with a few things I was hoping for that didn't quite make the cut. Hey, maybe those wishes will come true on the next Disney ship!
I thought hosting the live reveal onboard a Disney Cruise Line ship was such a fun way to build anticipation and turn the announcements into a whole experience. I'm sure it was memorable for everyone onboard, but it was also exciting to follow along with their updates from home.
I loved following the scavenger hunts and clues leading up to the big reveal. I was pretty much glued to my phone for a couple of days, trying to catch all the details coming in from the Wish!
My family was also very excited for the reveal show. We pulled out our prediction sheets, eager to see which predictions we had gotten right and discover what this new ship would have in store for us.
So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the new Disney Believe!
Reveal #1: The Encanto Broadway-Style Show
As soon as I saw Mirabel in the teaser video and learned that Encanto would be part of the Disney Believe, I hoped it would become the ship's new stage show. I think I even cheered out loud when Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared on the screen and officially announced that Encanto was coming to the stage!
My family loves the Encanto film, and I just know Disney is going to create some real magic when it brings this beloved story to life for us all to enjoy.
Having seen the incredible production quality of the new Moana musical on the Disney Treasure, and hearing about the equally impressive Hercules musical on the Disney Destiny, I'm very confident that Encanto will be another spectacular production.
In fact, that announcement alone has me convinced that a trip on the Disney Believe needs to be in my future!
Reveal #2: Oaken's Table Restaurant
Clues coming in from the Disney Wish pointed toward some type of Frozen-themed dining experience, and it was officially revealed that the new dinner show and restaurant onboard the Disney Believe will be none other than Oaken's Table.
I have mixed feelings about this announcement.
When I imagined another Frozen-themed restaurant, I was hoping Disney might choose a more unexpected or exciting setting. For example, I thought the Enchanted Forest from Frozen 2 could have been a really fun theme.
That said, after having a little over a week to sit with the announcement, I'm feeling more positive and excited about this space. I trust that Disney has a great plan and will come up with an immersive design and an entertaining show.
A lot of people have expressed disappointment that this theme feels too similar to the Arendelle restaurant on the Disney Wish, and that Disney should have come up with something more unique and fresh. I don't necessarily disagree, but I also trust Disney to pull this off.
Not to mention, Frozen is such a beloved franchise! With Frozen 3 coming out right before the Disney Believe's inaugural sailing, there are going to be so many kids who are absolutely thrilled to experience Oaken's Table.
Reveal #3: Joyful Sweets
During the live reveal, and through a series of clues in the scavenger hunt onboard the Disney Wish, we learned that the specialty ice cream and dessert shop on the Disney Believe will be themed around Inside Out 2.
This was another announcement that surprised me a little.
Since the Disney Wish already features an Inside Out-themed ice cream shop, I thought Disney might mix things up and choose a different franchise for this space.
I do think Disney will make this version of Joyful Sweets feel different, with updated decor and themed desserts featuring the new characters from Inside Out 2. However, it will still be quite similar in concept to the original shop on the Disney Wish.
I think many fans would have been more excited if Disney had chosen a completely new franchise to feature in this space.
Reveal #4: Gazelle's — The Zootopia-Themed Entertainment Space
I was really excited to learn that new the entertainment spaces onboard the Disney Believe will be themed around Zootopia and Zootopia 2!
I can't wait to see what the decor will look like in this space, which has been given the fantastic name Gazelle's.
I was also thrilled to learn that there will be a show featuring Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, where guests will have the opportunity to help them solve their next crime.
I think this is going to be extremely popular with guests. Personally, I'm always excited about new entertainment offerings onboard Disney ships!
Even though this will end up being a shorter, smaller-scale show than the productions in the main theater, these additional performances really add to the overall entertainment experience onboard.
And, of course, this announcement also meant that my prediction for this space was correct, which was especially satisfying!
Reveal #5: New Lounges and Bars
I had quite a few predictions for the lounges and bars onboard the Disney Believe. As clues and information started coming in, I became increasingly convinced that I might have gotten a few of them right!
I was very excited about the three new lounges and bars that were revealed.
Wishing Well — Snow White-Themed Bar
It was announced that the central bar space will be themed around Snow White and will be called Wishing Well.
I think this is going to be a great theme for the central bar. The concept art looks fantastic, and I'm particularly excited about this space.
The fun drinks and immersive details that were teased during the reveal have me anticipating a really memorable experience. The Evil Queen-themed drink previewed for guests onboard the Disney Wish looked especially creative and seems like a great way to bring the theme to life.
Sea Notes — The Little Mermaid-Themed Piano Bar
It was also announced that the piano bar onboard the Disney Believe will be themed around The Little Mermaid and called Sea Notes.
I think this is a wonderful theme, and I absolutely love the name!
I had originally predicted that The Little Mermaid might be the inspiration for the piano bar, but I ended up second-guessing myself. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see this announcement.
I can't wait to see the beautiful concept art come to life.
I'm also hoping Disney develops a fun show specifically for this venue, similar to the way the Disney Destiny features the Cruella-inspired Treble-Making show in De Vil's Lounge.
Stargazers — The Astronomical-Themed Pub
The third lounge announcement revealed the theme for the ship's pub.
This space will be called Stargazers and will be themed around an astronomical tower, incorporating elements from a variety of Disney franchises.
I am so excited about this concept!
I really wasn't sure what to predict for the pub and ultimately went with a fairly unoriginal guess of another Marvel-themed space. I'm so happy Disney decided to go in a different direction.
I love the idea of incorporating nods and details from a variety of beloved Disney films and characters into one space. I think there will be so much to discover and appreciate as guests explore the venue.
I also think the stargazing theme is particularly fitting for a cruise ship. Imagine enjoying this beautiful space while sailing across the ocean, with those incredible dark skies overhead!
I can't wait to see the finished result.
The Haunted Mansion Parlour — My Biggest Disappointment
One surprise from the live reveal was that Disney didn't announce the theme for the remaining lounge space onboard the Disney Believe.
This is the space that houses the Hyperspace Lounge on the Disney Wish and the Haunted Mansion Parlour on both the Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny.
After doing a little research following the reveal, I learned that this space will also be the Haunted Mansion Parlour on the Disney Believe.
I have to admit, I was disappointed.
I was already surprised when Disney decided to reuse the Haunted Mansion Parlour on two Wish-class ships, although I understood the appeal of bringing such a popular venue to another ship.
But having the exact same lounge on a third Wish-class ship feels like a missed opportunity.
So many Disney fans love sailing on different ships specifically because they enjoy discovering and experiencing new spaces. That's part of the fun of trying a new Disney ship!
There are already several shared experiences across the Wish-class ships, including Disney Seas the Adventure in the main theater, the Marvel-themed restaurant, and 1923.
Given those similarities, I really wish Disney had used this lounge as an opportunity to introduce something unique and different.
Reveal #6: An Updated Version of Tangled as the Second Broadway-Style Show
Another exciting announcement during the live reveal was that the second Broadway-style musical onboard the Disney Believe will be Tangled!
I was thrilled to hear this, especially because I had predicted that Disney might bring this production over from the Disney Magic.
I saw the musical during a Very Merrytime sailing onboard the Disney Magic in 2023, and it was extremely well done.
Our family loves Rapunzel, so we were very excited to experience the stage version of the story. It certainly didn't disappoint!
Disney also announced that it will be updating the production with new effects and scenery, which should make this version even more impressive than the original.
Since Tangled is currently one of the musicals featured on only one Disney ship, I think this was an excellent choice for the second stage production onboard the Disney Believe.
Reveal #7: The Coffee Shops
A couple of the final reveals involved the names and themes of the ship's two coffee shops.
Disney announced that they will be called Café Kakamora and Big Hero Sips.
I love both of these names and think they're incredibly clever!
I'm particularly excited about the idea of a Big Hero 6-themed coffee shop. It's a fresh and fun choice that brings another beloved Disney franchise into the mix.
We already have a Moana-themed coffee shop on the Disney Treasure, but Café Kakamora looks and sounds like it will have a distinct personality of its own.
Rather than focusing primarily on Moana, this space will highlight the mischievous Kakamora characters from the film, which should give it a fun and unique feel.
My Overall Thoughts on the Disney Believe
Overall, I'm incredibly excited about the upcoming Disney Believe!
The Broadway-style musicals are always among my favorite experiences when I cruise, so the announcement that Encanto will be the ship's new featured musical was honestly enough to make me want to book a sailing.
I'm also really excited about so many of the other themes and spaces announced for this ship.
The concept art and drawings Disney shared are beautiful, and I truly believe the finished ship is going to be amazing.
The Grand Hall looks spectacular, and the lounges seem as though they'll be immersive, engaging spaces filled with the incredible details Disney is known for. I'm also looking forward to experiencing the new dinner show at Oaken's Table.
Is Disney Reusing Too Many Themes?
I was a little surprised, as were many other Disney fans, to see Disney reuse several themes and concepts from previous Wish-class ships.
Between Joyful Sweets, the Haunted Mansion Parlour, and another Frozen-themed dining experience, there are definitely some similarities that I wasn't expecting.
However, I'm going to withhold my final judgment until I see the completed ship.
I trust Disney to take these ideas and make them feel fresh, unique, and worthy of the Disney magic and immersion we've become accustomed to.
It's also worth remembering that, although die-hard Disney fans would love to see a completely new theme in every space on every new ship, most other cruise lines actually reuse far more spaces and designs across ships in the same class than Disney does.
Many cruise lines feature essentially the same restaurants, lounges, and activities on their sister ships. The biggest differences might be some changes to the decor or entertainment.
Disney, on the other hand, is bringing us a new restaurant, new stage shows, new lounge designs, new coffee shops, an updated ice cream parlor, a newly themed kids club, and a beautiful new Grand Hall.
That's actually a lot of new experiences!
And when you think about it, the franchises that are being featured on multiple ships are being repeated for a reason: they're incredibly popular.
There are going to be so many guests who are beyond excited to see these beloved stories and characters brought to life.
Just think about all the young kids who will be over the moon to experience Oaken's Table. They're not going to be concerned that there's already a different Arendelle restaurant on the Disney Wish!
It's also important to remember that many families don't have the opportunity to sail on every Disney ship.
By featuring popular franchises across multiple vessels, Disney gives more families the opportunity to experience these beloved themes and spaces, regardless of which ship they happen to sail on.
When you look at it from that perspective, the decision makes a lot of sense.
Final Thoughts: Let's Believe in the Disney Believe!
Disney is truly masterful at creating engaging and immersive spaces for its guests.
The Imagineers put so much thought and care into every detail that I have no doubt the Disney Believe is going to be another beautiful addition to the fleet.
While I certainly have a few wishes for things Disney could have done differently, there's far more that I'm excited about than disappointed by.
Between the new Encanto musical, the updated Tangled production, the beautiful lounges, the imaginative dining experiences, and all the little Disney details waiting to be discovered, I know this is a ship my family is going to love.
I, for one, will be eagerly looking to book a sailing as soon as more dates farther into 2028 become available!
So, let's all Believe in the Disney Believe!
Happy Sailing!
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