Why Disney Is Opting for Smaller Ships in the Future

The Disney Destiny set sail on its maiden voyage this week.

This new vessel becomes the seventh vessel in the fleet.

On a business note, MickeyBlog set sail on the Destiny’s first trip.

Last week, we brought you all the details you need about this majestic new ship.

Those of you who want to experience the Destiny are in for a bit of a wait, though.

As has become normal for Disney’s Wish-class ships, the early sailings have universally sold out.

That’s what makes a recent Disney decision all the more surprising.

As the fleet continues to expand, the next set of vessels will host fewer passengers.

Here’s why Disney is opting for smaller ships in the future.

About the DCL Fleet              

I’ll combine factual and anecdotal information in this discussion, as both are relevant here.

Let’s start with just the facts. In 2016. Disney announced a new pair of ships coming to the fleet.

At the 2017 D23 Expo, the company revealed a third ship, which proved to be the Disney Destiny.

The first two additions were the Disney Wish and the Disney Treasure.

Disney Cruise Line is also adding another vessel, the Disney Adventure, in March 2026.

That one wasn’t a planned initiative, though. The massive ship fell in Disney’s lap.

I’ve joked that Disney had a coupon for 98 percent off the price of a luxury ship.

It’s not really a joke, though, just a description of what happened.

Disney Cruise Line purchased a ship from a bankrupt company that couldn’t pay to finish the vessel.

So, what I’m about to discuss flies in the face of what’s about to happen over the next six months.

The Disney Adventure will debut as THE largest ship in the entire Disney Cruise Line fleet.

In fact, the vessel will be one of the largest commercial ships of its kind in the world.

Disney didn’t plan that; it just fell in the company’s lap. So, everyone adapted accordingly.

I applaud Disney for its ability to adjust on the fly, but that definitely wasn’t an intended action.

Instead, Disney has plotted a different path for its next batch of cruise ships, and the Wish Class is why.

How the Wish Compares

The Disney Magic started the entire Disney Cruise Line (DCL) era as its first ship.

At the time, the Magic defined Disney’s ambitions for its fledgling cruise business.

This vessel weighed a sizable 83,338 in gross tonnage (GT) and was capable of hosting 2,700 passengers.

The Magic remains in operation to this day, and its 850 Staterooms have proven quite popular over the years.

Just over a year later, the Disney Wonder joined the Magic in the fleet but largely mirrored its construction.

While the Magic is slightly larger at 84,130 GT, it hosts the same number of Staterooms.

The maximum guest occupancy on this ship remains 2,700, which was fine with Disney…at first.

In 2011, DCL expanded with a larger ship, the Disney Dream, which weighs 129,690 GT.

It can host 4,000 guests in 1,250 Staterooms, making it effectively 50 percent better in terms of occupancy.

What does that mean from Disney’s perspective? The company can make 50 percent more money.

That statement applies to the Dream and its twin, the Disney Fantasy, which joined the lineup in 2012.

At that point, DCL increased its maximum occupancy from 5,400 to 13,400.

Remarkably, Disney continued to book all those rooms consistently, making it the envy of the cruise industry.

As soon as Disney saw that the consumer demand hadn’t been satisfied by the two new ships, it commissioned more.

The Disney Wish was the first of these new ships, and it set an even larger standard in size.

This vessel weighs 144,256 GT, as do the Disney Treasure and the Disney Destiny.

These three ships can all host the same number of tourists and have (basically) the same number of Staterooms.

Since they feature better amenities, Disney can charge more, though.

The Plan through 2031

Here’s where things get interesting, as a third-party enters the playing field.

Disney and the Oriental Land Company (OLC) share a fascinating business relationship.

OLC owns and operates Tokyo Disneyland, licensing everything from Disney.

In exchange for Disney’s Imagineering process and brands, OLC builds and pays for everything.

Disney receives a comically large licensing fee in exchange for its authorization.

This deal works extraordinarily well to the point that Disney will mimic it in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, OLC loves it so much that the company has signed on to extend the agreement.

In 2029, OLC will produce a new Wish-class ship for exclusive use in and around Japan.

This vessel will be a part of DCL in the same way that the Disney Adventure qualifies, although Disney owns that one.

Before then, Disney will add another Wish-class ship to the fleet in 2027.

After that, things get a bit wonky, as DCL has confirmed three other ships coming soon. In 2029, 2030, and 2031, Disney will add three smaller ships to its lineup.

I realize that may seem like a huge philosophical shift from the other plans, but it’s not.

Why Disney Is Opting for Smaller Ships

Disney has nearly 30 years of experience running its cruise business.

During that time, the company has learned a lot about consumer behavior, some of it unique to Disney fans.

What has become clear is that tourists would take cruises if they were more accessible.

So, Disney is working behind the scenes to augment some of its American ports.

For example, I wrote about Disney’s expansion of its Fort Lauderdale sailings.

Disney would like to increase its presence at other ports, but not all of them can handle big ships.

Since most of Disney’s current vessels are quite large, they can experience inconveniences at smaller ports.

DCL is intentionally scaling down three upcoming vessels to make them more accessible.

You can expect the ships that arrive at the turn of the 2030s to include unique itineraries.

These upcoming members of the DCL fleet can go to some of the places the current ships cannot.

In addition, one of the criticisms longtime DCL guests have with the Wish-class ships is that they’re too big.

Some fans lament that there aren’t more ships like the ones from the early days of DCL.

Disney can satisfy these guests by introducing state-of-the-art ships that return DCL to its roots.

To a larger point, by adding another kind of cruise option, Disney will expand its total offerings.

While DCL adds more inventory, it also gives vacationers a new option for how they want to sail.

So, those three reasons explain why Disney is opting for smaller ships in the future.

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Feature Photo: DCL