Disney Cruise Line gave the newest ship in its fleet a hero’s welcome, with the christening of the Disney Destiny. The celebration featured a dazzling drone display set to live music, words from Parks Chair Josh D’Amaro and the godmother of the new DCL addition. We were on hand for the christening, and share some thoughts and photos here.
Before we get going, let’s talk drones. As you might recall, there was mysterious testing of a fantastic new drone display at Disney’s ‘secret’ site north of Los Angeles just a couple of weeks ago. We speculated of the possibilities, including the grand opening of Cotino (no drones spotted) as well as the Disney Destiny Christening.
Obviously, drones were spotted at the Disney Destiny Christening, but in reviewing the footage, it does not appear that this was the show being tested. It’s entirely possible the testing was more conceptual in nature and this christening was the reason for the testing. Or that segments were cut and changes were made from those tests. But from our perspective, the door is still open for a drone display at Disneyland, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Adventure World, however improbable each of those scenarios might (still) be.
Turning back to DCL, the Disney Destiny Christening was held at the ship’s homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The spectacular featured drone choreography, special effects, and scenic projections on the ship itself, alongside a live band and a dozen singers.
The waterfront production featured a custom, pop rock-inspired arrangement of iconic music from Hercules, The Lion King, Frozen, Pirates of the Caribbean, Black Panther and more. It offered a tribute to the legendary heroes and villains that guests can encounter aboard the new Disney Destiny cruise ship.
It also featured a first for Disney Live Entertainment via the integration of drones and projections in a single nighttime spectacular. It’s always a bit bittersweet to see these lavish one-off productions that would be perfect for nightly use in one of the parks.
In this case, what we saw might’ve been proof of concept for a show elsewhere; just think of all the nighttime spectacular spaces with surfaces in the background. (World of Color with the Incredicoaster as a backdrop immediately comes to mind.)
“For more than 100 years, we have entertained our fans in new and innovative ways, connecting them to the Disney stories they love,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, during the Disney Destiny Christening.
D’Amaro added: “Disney Cruise Line is a powerful part of that legacy because our ships become brand ambassadors that travel the globe and bring joy to our guests in ways only Disney can. Now, the Disney Destiny makes its own extraordinary entry into our growing fleet.”
“The Disney Cruise Line team, alongside our Disney Imagineers, have invested years of their expertise, creativity and dedication into this beautiful ship,” emphasized Joe Schott, President of Disney Signature Experiences. “They have created something truly spectacular.”
The christening celebration culminated in a projected pop of champagne and the ceremonial christening blessing bestowed by Susan Egan, godmother of the Disney Destiny.
The honorary godparent role is a longstanding maritime tradition. The godparent bestows a special blessing of good luck on the ship during the christening ceremony, bringing good fortune to the vessel, its crew, and all the guests who will sail aboard. Egan recited the blessing to kick off a glittering grand finale of heroic proportions and ready the ship to set sail.
The prolific Broadway performer embodies the spirit of the ship with her close ties to beloved Disney stories. From lending her distinctive voice to bring to life the witty banter and dry humor of Megara in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Hercules to originating the role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway–and who can forget when she served as the singing voice for Angel in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure (okay, I definitely forgot that). Egan is also an executive producer of live concert entertainment worldwide for Disney Music Group.
Prior to the Disney Destiny Christening and its preview sailing, we had a chance to spend time aboard the ship and tour some of its new spaces. This began with the Grand Hall, which is inspired by Marvel’s Black Panther and features a statue of T’Challa as the centerpiece.
I was mixed on the Grand Hall based on the concept art, but it presents better in person–especially during the entertainment acts. The lighting is dynamic and makes the atrium come alive, but only during those performances. As a whole, the Grand Hall doesn’t match the Treasure for me, but it surpasses the Wish (not a high bar).
We’ve already seen the first appearance of Loki aboard the Disney Destiny. He interrupted a performance by Zayah and Gamble, who are the Disney Destiny’s version of Coriander and Sage, the fan-favorite original characters aboard the Disney Treasure that offer comedic relief, heart, and emotion.
Zayah and Gamble are pretty much the same deal as Coriander and Sage, with the duo putting on a ‘traveling show’ with the help of a bunch of junk in their trunks. Loki interrupted their humorous, loose retelling of Thor earlier in the day, teasing more to come as the anti-hero takes over the ship and recruits guests to join him.
Zayah and Gamble returned to the Saga lounge later in the evening for the new adults-only “With Great Power: A Marvel Comedy Show.” Not much can get me to stay up until midnight these days, but that show did. It was an absolute hoot, and I have high expectations for Zayah and Gamble being the heart and soul of the Disney Destiny.
We’ve seen other stuff, too. There are new lounges inspired by Cruella de Vil and Dr. Strange. And of course, the fan-favorite Haunted Mansion Parlor returns. But there’s already wall-to-wall coverage of these things (we’ll discuss them in our full review), so I wanted to instead direct some deserved attention to Zayah and Gamble.
We’ll have a lot more coverage of the Disney Destiny in the coming weeks. If there’s anything about which you’re curious aboard the Disney Destiny, please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll do our best to check it out and report back!
The Disney Destiny is the newest ship to join Disney Cruise Line’s growing fleet, marking a significant milestone in DCL’s multi-year expansion plans to bring Disney cruises to new audiences around the world.
The sister ship to the Disney Wish and the Disney Treasure, the Disney Destiny draws on the legacies of larger-than-life heroes and villains from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel to offer new and guest-favorite experiences steeped in legendary Disney lore.
Other advertised highlights of the Disney Destiny include an original Broadway-style adaptation of Hercules; entertaining dining experiences inspired by The Lion King and Marvel Super Heroes; immersive meet-and-play experiences with beloved characters; a Mickey Mouse-themed water attraction; one-of-a-kind lounges inspired by Cruella de Vil and Doctor Strange; imaginative kids’ clubs; and signature fireworks at sea.
But wait, there’s more. A fourth, yet-to-be-named ship is joining the Wish class in 2027. Details are expected to be revealed about this ship soon, once the Destiny is no longer the focus. In addition to these Wish-class ships that were first announced years ago and has been underway for a while, there are two new-ish additions.
The first of those is the Disney Adventure, the former Global Dream ship that Disney acquired partially completed in a fire sale. That’ll set sail out of Singapore starting in March 2026 and has nothing to do with the rest–it’s colossal compared to the Wish-class.
Another ship is coming to Asia with the new Disney cruise ship announced for Oriental Land Company, which is the fourth in the Wish-class and will set sail in 2028/2029 out of Japan.
But wait, there’s even more. During last year’s D23 Expo, Disney announced that Disney Cruise Line is Adding 4 New Ships between 2029 and 2031 on top of all those, bringing the total fleet size to 13 ships.
The Disney Destiny will sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida starting with its maiden voyage on November 20, 2025. The maiden voyage of the Disney Destiny will be followed by an inaugural season of four and five-night cruises to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean.
Every sailing will include a stop at either Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay (some itineraries including both), and select cruises will feature stops in Nassau, Bahamas or Cozumel, Mexico. Bookings are now open to the general public. We recommend contacting a travel agent if you want to set sail on the Disney Destiny sometime in 2026.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on the dazzling drone display for the Disney Destiny Christening? What do you think of this ship and its heroes & villains, good vs. evil duality? Hopeful that this iterates on the Disney Treasure and its more focused storytelling, or do you prefer the Disney Wish? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!