Disney Cruise Line's next ship has a name, a launch date and a whole lot of story to tell. The Disney Believe sails for the first time on 18th December 2027 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it's bringing a first with it: the world's only stage adaptation of Encanto, created exclusively for this ship.
The show lands in the Walt Disney Theatre with Mirabel's story told through Colombian-inspired costume, dance and set design, plus Lin-Manuel Miranda's songs including We Don't Talk About Bruno and Surface Pressure. It joins Tangled: The Musical, reworked with new effects for this ship, and Seas the Adventure.
Food gets a Frozen spin too. Oaken's Table: A Frozen Family Feast is a brand-new restaurant set in a forest sommerhus courtyard, with Oaken, Anna and Kristoff on hand and live music from Oaken's cousins. It sits alongside returning favourites 1923, decorated with more than 1,000 pieces from the Walt Disney Archives, and Worlds of Marvel. Elsewhere, an Inside Out 2 sweet shop serves nearly 20 gelato flavours, while new cafes include Big Hero Sips and Moana-inspired Café Kakamora. Up on deck, Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods adds a Mediterranean stall called Pluto's Pita Platters, exclusive to this ship.
The Grand Hall, the ship's centrepiece, draws on Moana — a statue of Moana, Pua and Heihei, bioluminescent carpet and a chandelier hiding the heart of Te Fiti. There's also a Zootropolis-themed family entertainment hub called Gazelle, where Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde appear in a new show, plus the AquaMouse water ride, seven family pools, and a pirates-and-fireworks nighttime party.
Adults are covered as well: a Little Mermaid piano lounge called Sea Notes with a pearlescent piano, a Snow White bar named Wishing Well, an observatory pub called Skygazers, and the returning Haunted Mansion Parlor with a bespoke cocktail menu. Fine dining includes Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté by three-Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Lallement.
Practically speaking, the Disney Believe is the fourth Wish-class ship, following the Wish, Treasure and Destiny, as the fleet grows toward 13 ships by late 2030. Itineraries are short and family-friendly: four- and five-night Caribbean and Bahamas sailings from Fort Lauderdale, calling at Disney's private islands, Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
For anyone weighing up a family cruise, the pitch is simple: short sailings, private islands and enough new entertainment — especially that Encanto show — to make this ship worth seeking out specifically rather than booking whatever's cheapest. If your household has been playing the soundtrack on repeat since 2021, December 2027 is the date to circle.
