The Tokyo-based Oriental Land Company, operator of two Disney theme parks in Japan, is expanding its partnership with the iconic American company to include the construction of a Disney Wish-class ship based year-round in Tokyo. The Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany will build the ship, which will be designed specifically for the Japanese market.
Announcements from the shipyard, Disney, and Oriental Land Company (OLC) on July 9, 2024 confirmed that a 140,000-gross ton vessel will debut in 2029 with popular Disney Cruise Line amenities plus new experiences and modifications geared to Japanese guests.
Like Disney Wish, the new-build will offer 1,250 staterooms with a capacity for 4,000 guests.
“With this new order, we look forward to continuing our relationship with Disney and working with Oriental Land Company, which also has a long-standing relationship with Disney, as a new customer. This is a strong signal for shipbuilding in Papenburg and shows that companies from all over the world rely on the quality of Meyer Werft,” said Bernd Eikens, CEO of Meyer Group.
The agreement between Disney and OLC is the latest in a four-decade-long business association that began in 1983 with the opening of Tokyo Disneyland, the first Disney park to open in a foreign country. In 2001, the two collaborated to introduce a second operation, Tokyo DisneySea, an ocean-themed park overlooking Tokyo Bay.
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OLC also operates Tokyo Disney Resort, featuring hotels and a dining and entertainment complex. With the new agreement to build a cruise ship, cruisers in the Japanese market and in other nearby Asian nations will have the opportunity to experience a Disney-style vacation at sea from a local homeport.
“Disney Cruise Line has ambitious plans to bring family vacations and Disney storytelling to more guests around the world than ever before,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences.
“We are thrilled to continue the success of this expansion as we collaborate with Oriental Land Co. to introduce another distinctly Disney vacation experience to families and fans in Japan,” added D’Amaro.
The announcement noted that the new ship will benefit from the creativity of Walt Disney Imagineering, as did the first vessel in the class, Disney Wish, which launched in 2022.
The ship introduced the popular AquaMouse water coaster, Frozen and Marvel-themed restaurants, and a Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge, among other exciting features. The ship also offered an adults-only zone.
The new pact with OLC will bring these and other amenities and services to the Japanese market.
“I am sincerely proud that Disney and Oriental Land will be able to work together to create a world-class cruise business in Japan,” said Yumiko Takano, representative director, chairman, and CEO of Oriental Land Company.
“Oriental Land will use their knowhow from the theme park business to continue pushing boundaries and provide family entertainment cruise experiences filled with inspiration and surprise,” Yakano added.
German Shipyard Has Two Disney Ships Under Construction
Meyer Werft currently is constructing two ships for Disney Cruise Line — Disney Treasure, slated to debut in late 2024, and Disney Destiny, expected to enter service in 2025.
Early this month, Disney Cruise Line released a sneak peek at decks 11 and 12 onboard Disney Treasure, as it shared some details in a construction update.
In March 2024, the cruise line revealed the name of Disney Destiny and shared that it will sport a “Heroes and Villains” theme.
Along with Disney Wish, the cruise line operates Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, both Magic-class ships, and Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, both Dream-class ships. The cruise line is largely geared to youngsters, who can interact with Disney’s iconic characters and enjoy experiences tied to Disney movies and superheroes.
