Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of activities, unlike what guests will find on any other cruise line. The Disney Wish, DCL’s newest ship, offers some fresh & unique offerings not found on the other four ships. Let’s review the live, Broadway-style, shows on the Disney Wish.
The Walt Disney Theatre
Disney Cruise Line features awarding winning stage productions across its entire fleet. The Disney Wish is no different, featuring three incredible shows inside the Walt Disney Theatre. Spanning three decks, this 1,274-seat theatre is inspired by scenes from Fantasia, with an enchanted forest theme. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including projection mapping and a Dolby Atmos 3D audio system, which is a first of its kind at sea! Just outside the theatre, on Deck 3, guests can purchase refreshments including popcorn, candy, soda, and alcoholic beverages, at Preludes.
While the theatre is capable of hosting movie viewings and onboard acts like comedians and musicians, it will primarily be used to feature three stage shows: Disney Seas the Adventure, Disney The Little Mermaid, and Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular. The Walt Disney Theatre features an amazing cast of live performers. You’ll be in awe of the acting, singing, and dancing. Not to mention some amazing puppetry, lighting, and sound effects.
Each show is performed twice on its given evening. Once around 6pm for guest with Second Dining, and again around 8:30pm for guests with Main Dining. This allows all guests the opportunity to view the show before or after their assigned dining time. Guest can see shows times in the DCLNavigator app, or on boards right outside the theatre. While the theatre is big enough to hold everyone who wishes to view the shows, guests wanting to seat front and center should plan to arrive around 30 minutes early.
Disney Seas the Adventure
During the first evening of your sailing, the Walt Disney Theatre welcomes you to enjoy Disney Seas the Adventure. This brand-new show debuted with the Disney Wish and should not be missed! Grab a seat and be prepared for a journey through some of your favorite Disney stories! While Captain Minnie is busy setting up a surprise for the ship’s guests, Goofy takes over the helm and steers the Wish into waters unknown!
Does Goofy have what it takes to keep the ship on the right course, or will he wander off? This show is filled with so many of the most beloved Disney songs and characters. Goofy travels down the Eastern Australian Current where Crush & Squirt demonstrate how to go with the flow. Elsa, Merida, & Moana show him that he can command his own journey by remaining brave. Tiana teaches him that hard work is what it takes to get to where he wants to go. And Hercules is there to remind him that he has the strength to take on any challenge. By the time confetti is raining down during the finale, you’ll be ready to dance and sing along.
Disney Seas the Adventure is the type of show that brings people back to Disney Cruise Line over and over. It is the perfect blend of amazing live performances, Disney storytelling, and nostalgia from your favorite Disney movies. Some of the other ‘jukebox’ musicals featured on the other ships can feel like a hodgepodge of random songs thrown together. This one though has a clear story with a powerful message, blended with amazing music.
Who should watch
Everyone! This is a show that everyone in your sailing party will love. Whether your sailing with your whole family, or enjoying an adults-only getaway – guests of all ages will enjoy the upbeat music and seeing their favorite characters. It is a perfect way to kick off your sailing. You could watch this show every time you sail on the Wish and it would never grow old!
Disney The Little Mermaid
Another brand-new show for Disney Cruise Line is Disney The Little Mermaid. This modern-telling of a Disney classic opens on a group of travelling storytellers who have stumbled upon a treasure-chest. Full of human trinkets of course – whozits & whatzits included! The storytellers are so inspired by the chest’s belongings, they bring the story of The Little Mermaid to life. While the story has been modernized, guests will recognize all their favorite songs and characters from the original film.
New arrangements of beloved songs “Part of Your World”, “Under the Sea”, and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” are stand-outs. The set design and use of projection mapping transform the theatre into an enchanting underwater world.
While the show features some impressive puppetry and incredible vocal performances, it does fall a little flat in some areas. The story is so familiar that it can feel stale at times and some of the “reimagination” doesn’t seem to be fully conceived. The transition from storytellers to Little Mermaid characters and back is a little unclear and may leave younger guests confused. During one scene, Ursula is lifted up by a large robotic arm in an attempt to show her growing into a large monster. This is a call back to a similar scene in the movie. But it comes off as clunky, and well robotic. The show has a lot of promise and with a few minor tweaks, we think it could be a stand-out show for DCL.
Who should watch
Everyone who has never seen it before. Considering this show is new to the Wish, even the most seasoned DCL sailors have likely not seen The Little Mermaid in the Walt Disney Theatre. It still has all the wonderful qualities Disney Cruise Line shows are known for – powerful signing, fantastic choreography, amazing sets, and Broadway-level production value. After seeing it you’ll can judge if you’ll want to watch it again or not.
Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular
Looking to go on an adventure to a whole new world? Well then Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular is just for you! Based on the 1992 animated film, the show opens at the entrance of the cave of wonders. Here we meet Jafar and Iago who are struggling to find a diamond-in-the-rough capable of retrieving the magic lamp. From there guests are taken on a familiar magic carpet ride through Agrabah.
Aladdin needs help from the Genie to get Jasmine to fall in love with him but to also defeat the Jafar. Even more so than The Little Mermaid, Aladdin feels very similar to the original, just in a condensed format. The show does feature an original song “To Be Free”. This a solo performed by Jasmine that was introduced in the Disney California Adventure’s Hyperion Theater production of Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular.
Musical numbers are great but some of the design and special effects feel very outdated. During “One Jump”, Aladdin exits the stage only to come back from up high on a visible cable moving in slow-motion across the stage. This is meant to replicate his big jump from the movie, but it does not translate well to the stage. And while it’s more comedic than the other DCL shows, the Genie character feels forced and over-the-top.
While it is a decent show, we think it would be better reimagined based on the live action Aladdin starring Will Smith, Mena Massoud, and Naomi Scott to give it a fresh spin. Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular is also featured on the Disney Fantasy, though minor updates were made before it debuted on the Wish. We also missed our favorite monkey – Abu – who is not featured in the show at all.
Who should watch
DCL First-timers & musical theatre lovers. If this is your first time sailing with Disney, and you want to get the full experience – you should make an effort to see all the performances in the. Likewise, if you are someone who appreciates musicals, particularly Disney ones, you’ll enjoy this re-telling. However, considering the shorter itineraries (3- & 4-nights) that the Wish is currently sailing, it may be hard for you to find the time to do everything. If you want to skip one of the shows – in order to participate in other activities – this is the one to miss.
Final Thoughts
Disney Cruise Line gathers some of the most talented performers from across the world. Their performances alone are worth the time to check out a show in the Walt Disney World Theatre. The shows presented on Disney ships are also so unique when compared to the rest of the cruise industry. The wonderful Disney story-teller and power-house music that the company is known and loved for is never more present than in the Walt Disney Theatre. Guests of all ages and cruising experience levels are sure to enjoy these magnificent productions. However, your time onboard is limited and you may have to make some sacrifices. We hope this review was helpful in guiding you towards setting your cruise entertainment priority!
Have you seen any of these shows onboard the Disney Wish? Leave a comment and let us know what you thought!
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We’re starting to plan our first Disney Cruise for next fall (2025). I’m a total newbie to cruises in general, and although I’ve been to WDW many times I want to learn as much about the DCL as possible before we pick our destination and ship. I started researching thinking we would definitely sail out of Port Canaveral and end our trip with a couple of days at WDW. Now I’m not so sure! There are so many options for departure ports and destinations. At that time we will have a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old, so I’m looking for information on what would be a good option for them as well as for my husband and I. Any recommendations for kids of those ages on length, destination, or excursions we should look for?
Hey Lindsey,
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