By: Patty Burke, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
When you think about what Disney vacations have to offer, world-class entertainment is at the top of the list. The entertainment aboard a Disney Cruise is no exception. From the nightly stage shows to the deck parties, you will never need to worry about being bored once you step foot on any Disney ship. I had the pleasure of enjoying a 3-night sailing on Disney’s newest ship, the Wish. The entertainment on the Disney Wish was simply magical!
The Sail Away party, Set Sail on a Wish, takes place on the pool deck on the first day. It sets the tone on just how fun and engaging you can expect your cruise to be. The Sail away party is a magical way to leave all your work and worries behind and look forward to your Disney vacation. To get the party started, the Fairy Godmother encourages everyone to wave their magic wands, which were handed out upon entering the ship. This party is filled with energetic song and dance led by Cast Members, Captain Minnie, Captain Mickey and friends. This Sail Away party even includes Cinderella, Prince Charming, Belle, Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder and Moana! The excitement builds to the countdown for the ship’s horn playing the notes from When You Wish Upon a Star.
Every night in the beautiful Walt Disney Theater, guests are treated to a different amazing theatrical production. On the first night is an original production of Seas the Adventure – an embarkation original musical. When Captain Minnie hands over the helm of the ship to Goofy, we begin on a musical journey of Goofy finding his own “inner captain.” Goofy meets Disney friends along the way who help him to learn to lead with his heart through popular Disney songs. We see Tiana showing the value of hard work through “Almost There” and Crush and Squirt teaching him to “Go with the Flow” from the Finding Nemo show in Animal Kingdom Park. Goofy encounters the trio of Elsa, Moana and Merida who sing an incredible medley of “Into the Unknown,” “How Far I’ll Go,” and “Touch the Sky,” to help him be brave to forge ahead into the unknown. And when Goofy begins to doubt himself, Hercules and other Disney heroes help him find his courage again with “Go the Distance.” culminating with Captain Minnie and Goofy being joined by the other Disney friends in a farewell before leading guests out into the Grand Hall for a Kiss Goodnight.
On the second night, we saw a modern twist to the Disney classic The Little Mermaid. This original Broadway-style production begins with a group of storytellers finding an enchanted treasure chest. They begin to examine the whozits and whatzits that they find inside the chest and the story of the Little Mermaid comes to life. New versions of “Part of Your World,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” are included in this one-of-a-kind production. The projections throughout the theater gave the feeling of actually being underwater and some of the characters, such as Sebastian and Flounder, are portrayed using puppetry.
The final night treats the cruisers to a live adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular. It starts at the Cave of Wonders with Jafar trying to gain access to the Cave and its contents within but being foiled yet again. The classic tale unfolds before our eyes as we see Aladdin and Jasmine, who is under cover, escape the guards in the marketplace only to have Jafar arrest Aladdin and then force him to retrieve the Magic Lamp. We watch as the magic carpet shows Aladdin how to rub the lamp for the Genie to pop out and grant Aladdin his 3 wishes. The Genie is a great comedic break using both jokes from the animated movie as well as some more modern references. The song “A Friend Like Me” is a true production number and the magic carpet ride’s “A Whole New World” is a sweet and heartfelt number. There is a song, “To Be Free” which is sung by Jasmine and was written specifically for the Disney Cruise Line production.
What would a Disney Cruise Line sailing be without a Pirate Night Deck Party? On this 3-night sailing, the Pirate Deck Party was held on night 2. Grab your pirate gear and dance on the deck with some of your favorite Disney characters and enjoy an entertaining pirate show. Captain Redd, who is a descendant of the red-head on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction – along with her band of buccaneers, perform many head-banging songs. There are a few stunts and surprises – including a daring entrance by the one-and-only Jack Sparrow! Luckily, the weather was cooperative, and we got to enjoy the fireworks at sea, which is an industry first!
There are also plenty of opportunities throughout the day around the ship to enjoy live music from the lounges to the main lobby to during your dinners at Marvel and Arendelle, there is never a dull moment onboard the Disney Wish!
