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We toured Disney's newest cruise ship. These are its 11 coolest amenities, from a Jungle Cruise lounge to 'Moana' and 'Mulan' cafΓ©s

13 December 2024 at 07:01
Disney Treasure at sea
Disney Cruise Line's coming 4,000-guest Disney Treasure has several firsts for the brand, including some amenities exclusive to adults.

Disney Cruise Line

  • Disney Cruise Line plans to double its cruise ship fleet over the next seven years.
  • Its newest ship, Disney Treasure, is scheduled to launch in late December.
  • These are Disney Treasure's 11 coolest amenities.

It's time to grab your Mickey-printed swimsuit: Disney Cruise Line is bringing back the magic of its movies and theme parks to the high sea with its sixth cruise ship, the coming 4,000-guest Disney Treasure.

Treasure might look familiar if you've been aboard its sister ship, Disney Wish. To stand out from its predecessor, the new 1,119-foot-long vessel has several newly designed amenities, including a new water ride and a sweets shop inspired by the one in Zootopia.

Business Insider toured the ship ahead of its maiden voyage in late December. These are its 11 coolest features, including several adults-only experiences.

1. The new 'Coco'-themed restaurant makes dining as fun as going on a Disney ride.
Disney Treasure Plaza de Coco restaurant
Plaza de Coco is one of Disney Treasure's new restaurants.

Disney

Plaza de Coco's dining tables surround a stage, creating a dinner-and-a-show experience.

The venue hosts two different performances depending on the day, so there is no need to fear repeating a show if you go twice.

(BI previewed one of the shows and can confirm it's pretty entertaining for kids and adults.)

2. 'Zootopia' comes to life with a new sweets store.
Disney Treasure Jumbeauxs Sweets
Jumbeaux's Sweets is a "Zootopia" themed sweet shop.

Disney

If you've seen "Zootopia," you might remember store owner Jerry Jumbeaux Jr. and his Jumbeaux Cafe.

On Disney Treasure, the talking elephant's ice cream parlor comes to life with Jumbeaux's Sweets, a dessert shop with various treats and more than 31 ice cream and gelato flavors.

3. Treasure has several adult-only venues.
Sarabi lounge on the Disney Treasure
The Sarabi lounge is adult-only at night.

Caralynn Matassa/Business Insider

Disney is best known for being a family-friendly brand. That doesn't mean adults must be surrounded by children throughout their vacation.

For example, "The Lion King"-inspired Sarabi lounge has a variety of family activities during the day. At night, it becomes an adult-only venue with live shows.

2 restaurants are grown-up-only, too.
Palo Steakhouse on the Disney Treasure
Palo Steakhouse has Italian-inspired fare.

Disney

Palo Steakhouse, also available on Disney Wish, features Italian fare and a design inspired by "Beauty and the Beast"'s Cogsworth.

Disney bills the EnchantΓ©, a "Beauty and the Beast"-inspired French restaurant, as the most luxurious dining experience on board. Its menu was created by Arnaud Lallement, the chef and owner of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant L'Assiette Champenoise in Paris.

The two restaurants meet at The Rose, another adult-only lounge.

4. The Skipper Society lounge brings Disney's beloved Jungle Cruise ride to sea.
Skipper Society, a lounge on Disney Treasure
The Skipper Society has themed drinks.

Kent Phillips/Disney

The thematic lounge serves light snacks and beverages. Foliage hangs from the ceiling, and themed drinks (like the non-alcoholic Jungle Juice or the boozy Piranha Punch) can be enjoyed at the bar or private booths.

5. Treasure has a new steampunk and submarine-inspired Periscope Pub for a true 'at sea' experience.
Periscope Pub on the Disney Treasure
You'll feel like you're under the sea in the Periscope Pub.

Caralynn Matassa/Business Insider

The watering hole is a first for the cruise line, inspired by the 1954 Disney flick "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and the Disney Parks ride that shut down in 1994.

Here, guests can again eat, drink, and catch up on the news and sports.

The full menu includes burgers and wings, specialty cocktails, and several beers on tap.

6. The ship's 1,256 accommodations are decorated with subtle references to "Up" and "The Lion King."
Disney Treasure Oceanview Stateroom
An oceanview stateroom aboard Disney Treasure.

Kent Phillips/Disney

Interior staterooms make up more than 120 of these accommodations.

For a more luxurious option, pick one of the 76 premium concierge cabins, which includes access to an exclusive sun deck.

7. One of the largest cabins is a two-story, about 2,000-square-foot suite with a private elevator.
Disney Treasure Tomorrow Tower Suite
One of the king-sized bedrooms in the Tomorrow Tower Suite and a view of the living area.

Caralynn Matassa/Business Insider

The ultra-luxe Tomorrow Tower Suite sleeps up to eight people across its four bedrooms, one of which has a specialty bunk bed designed for children.

8. Two informal cafΓ©s themed on beloved Disney heroines flank the atrium.
Disney Treasure- Jade Cricket Cafe
Jade Cricket Cafe offers coffee, tea, specialty beverages, and snacks.

Kent Phillips/Disney

The atrium has its own stage. For a mid-show pick-me-up, head to the Heihei or Jade Cricket cafΓ©s.

The former is inspired by "Moana's" fictional island of Montuni, named after the title character's rooster sidekick, while the latter is a callback to "Mulan."

9. Yes, the ship has a Disney ride.
AquaMouse water ride on Disney Treasure
The AquaMouse is Disney Treasure's new water attraction.

Caralynn Matassa/Business Insider

The two-person AquaMouse: Curse of the Golden Egg water ride brings travelers through 760 feet of tubes on a quest to follow Mickey and Minnie Mouse into an "ancient temple."

10. 2 Disney Wish fan favorites are available on its sister ship.
Interior of the Worlds of Marvel restaurant on the Disney Treasure
The Worlds of Marvel restaurant on Disney Treasure.

Caralynn Matassa/Business Insider

Both vessels offer Worlds of Marvel, an interactive Marvel-themed restaurant, and Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas, a luxurious theater where guests can watch recently released movies.

11. 'Moana' comes to life with a new live production.
Disney moana show on the treasure ship
The set from Disney Treasure's new "Moana" show.

Caralynn Matassa/Business Insider

Like other Disney cruises, travelers on Treasure can see their favorite movies adapted in live theater.

Other Disney ships feature a live production of "Beauty and the Beast" β€” Treasure's new show is based on "Moana."

If life at sea with Disney is calling out to you, sailings on the Treasure start at $3,931 for its seven-night itineraries in 2025.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I went on a $4,000 Disneyland trip and took a $4,400 Disney cruise. The pricier experience was a way better value.

4 December 2024 at 08:34
A composite image of the author at Disneyland and the author in front of a glacier in Alaska while wearing a Mickey beanie.
The author recently started getting into Disney vacations.

Trisha Daab

I've taken 20 trips to the Disney theme parks, including visiting Disneyland for the first time in 2023. A year later, I took my first Disney cruise.

This gave me a great chance to compare the two vacations based on price, activities, food, and overall experience.

Here's how they stacked up.

Disney vacations are not cheap.
The author posing in front of the "Sleeping Beauty" castle in Disneyland.
My trip to Disneyland was during its 100th anniversary.

Trisha Daab

I paid about $4,000 for a Disneyland vacation in 2023. It was a solo trip with four nights at the Disneyland Hotel and four park days.

Though that cost didn't include my airfare, it included all my meals and ticket upgrades.

While at the parks, I attended the Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween after-hours event, which cost about $150. I also took the Disney100, $110, and Walt's Main Street Story, $160, tours.

The cruise cost even more.
The author posing in front of the Disney Wonder cruise ship at a port.
I went on the cruise with another person, but it was still pricier than my Disneyland trip.

Trisha Daab

My seven-day Disney Wonder cruise cost $5,800 for two adults in a veranda stateroom. Like many cruises, this included most of my meals and entertainment options.

Our room was about $1,100 cheaper than a typical veranda stateroom because it had obstructed views. But it was perfect for the cold, windy Alaska weather.

One major hidden cost was the port excursions β€” we spent about $2,000 for four excursions. We also paid extra for some specialty beverages and a brunch at Palo.

Not including airfare, the total came to about $8,800, or $4,400 a person.

Eating and drinking on the cruise was cheaper.
A hand holding a cone of Dole Whip on a cruise ship in Alaska.
The Disney cruise soft serve was the perfect treat before visiting Ketchikan, Alaska.

Trisha Daab

Other than the specialty brunch, all my meals on the cruise ship were included in my up-front cost. Each day, I got breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and we also had access to 24-hour room service.

My favorite cruise treat was the soft serve.

I'm used to paying theme-park prices for meals on a Disney vacation, which can cost $60 a day. Eating as much as I wanted, whenever I wanted, was a luxury.

Unlike some companies, Disney doesn't offer unlimited drink packages on its cruises. Fountain drinks, coffee, tea, and sparkling water were included, but wine, beer, cocktails, and specialty coffees weren't.

The cocktails were generally cheaper on the cruise. An old-fashioned at Park Wine Country Trattoria in Disneyland cost me $18.50, but an old New Orleans fashion cocktail at French Quarter Lounge on the cruise was $14.50.

Photo packages were more expensive but less complicated on the cruise.
The author posing in front of a map on the Disney Wonder cruise ship.
Every day, there was a different Alaska-themed PhotoPass photo.

Trisha Daab

I often travel to Disney theme parks solo, so a PhotoPass Package is a must if I don't want a camera roll of only selfies.

At Disneyland, I can download photos individually for about $15. If I get a line-expediting lightning-lane multipass, usually about $32 a day, I can get unlimited downloads.

For longer trips, the PhotoPass+ One Week pass costs $78 for unlimited downloads.

On my Disney cruise, the photo package was more straightforward because there was only one option. But it was expensive β€” $296 for the seven-day trip, over $200 more than the same package at the parks.

I saw Walt's apartment and rare villains at Disneyland.
The author hugging Lotso from "Toy Story 3" at Disneyland.
The author loved seeing rare characters, including Lotso from "Toy Story 3."

Trisha Daab

My Disneyland trip was packed with Disney history and unique experiences.

I loved seeing the castle decorated for the 100th anniversary and meeting characters in their Halloween costumes.

Paying extra for the tours and party was worth it. During Walt's Main Street Story Tour, we visited Walt's old apartment on Main Street, USA. I even stood on the same patio Walt did while watching guests enter the park almost 70 years earlier.

At Oogie Boogie Bash, I met characters who rarely do meet and greets in the parks, including Bruno from "Encanto," Lots-o-Huggin' Bear from "Toy Story 3," and Judge Doom from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

We held sled-dog puppies, met rare characters, and saw a glacier on the cruise.
The author posing with a tiny sled-dog puppy in Alaska.
During an excursion in Juneau, we held four-week-old puppies.

Trisha Daab

The Alaskan cruise was also packed with unique experiences.

Disney cruises offer activities from morning until midnight. We watched a "Frozen" stage show, met Alaska-exclusive characters like Lumberjack Goofy, and saw amazing scenery from the deck.

Every evening, we returned to our room to find our towels folded to look like different animals, and on the last day, we even learned how to do it ourselves.

One of the most magical experiences was sipping on drinks made with glacier ice while we were within a quarter mile of Dawes Glacier.

The magic continued in the Alaska ports. We saw humpback whales and sea otters at Icy Strait Point, watched a bear wander down Creek Street in Ketchikan, and held four-week-old sled-dog puppies in Juneau.

Both trips were nice, but the cruise was packed with once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
A view of mountains from a room on a Disney Wonder cruise ship.
The cruise was close to so much natural wonder.

Trisha Daab

Every Disney vacation is magical in its own way.

There are plenty of experiences from both these trips that I don't think I'll ever forget β€” from exploring Walt's Disneyland apartment to meeting Alaska Fisherman Mickey.

But when it comes to breaking down the value of each trip, I got more out of the Alaskan Disney cruise.

It was a bit more expensive, but my cruise was filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences, unlimited food, and unique Disney activities.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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