From exceptional dining options and spirited entertainment to exciting kids clubs and beautiful adult-only spaces, Disney Cruise Line knows how to please everyone in the family. The family-friendly cruise line has launched four new ships since 2022. And next year, Disney will debut its newest ship, Disney Believe.
The vessel’s maiden voyage is on December 18, 2027, from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Itineraries will include four- and five-night sailings around the Bahamas and Caribbean. These will include stops at Disney’s private islands, Disney Castaway Cay and Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
If you’re thinking about booking your next Disney Cruise on the all-new Disney Believe, you’re not alone. In fact, after taking 15 Disney cruises myself, and more than 50 sailings across various cruise lines, I’m pretty excited about the new and updated experiences coming to Disney Believe. Along with all of the new experiences, Disney Believe will have the same exceptional level of service, unlimited soft serve (on a recent cruise, my dad had more than 30 soft serve cones!), and character greetings that Disney Cruise Line is known for.
The story begins in the Grand Hall
When your family (and mine) step onto the ship for the first time, you’ll enter through the Grand Hall. The central gathering space on the Wish Class ships has different themes, from Cinderella on Disney Wish to Black Panther on Disney Destiny. On the Disney Believe, the Grand Hall will be themed after Moana, featuring a statue of the beloved heroine. And don’t forget her sidekicks, Pua and Heihei. The chandelier is modeled after the sea and features Te Fiti’s glowing heart.
MAKE MEMORIES: America’s best family vacation spots, vetted by real travelers and families: FamilyVacationist’s 2026 guide
The Grand Hall also hosts plenty of character meet-and-greets, interactive games, and storytellers. And speaking of storytellers, Disney Believe introduces Percival and Professor Philomena. These two new storytellers are akin to Sage and Coriander on the Disney Treasure or Zyah and Gamble on the Disney Destiny. The storytellers are one of my favorite parts of a cruise on Disney’s Wish Class ships. They host games and stories, plus one-night-only adult-exclusive shows themed to Indiana Jones and Marvel on Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny. I’m hoping an adult-only show will make its way to Disney Believe. They have proven popular with Disney’s adult cruisers.
Performances not to miss in the Walt Disney Theater
The Walt Disney Theater is the entertainment crown jewel of any Disney Cruise Line ship. The Disney Believe theater will feature three stage productions. The first is the return of Disney Seas the Adventure, also on Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, Disney Destiny, and Disney Adventure. This welcome-aboard show sets the tone for the high level of entertainment coming throughout your cruise.
The second show is Tangled: The Musical, which is also on the Disney Magic. This is one of my favorite movie adaptations for a Disney Cruise ship. When the show moves to the Disney Believe, it will feature reimagined sets and special effects. I guarantee you’ll walk out of the show singing the song “Flower of Gold.” I know I do every single time.
BEST TRIP EVER: Where to go in 2026: From cruises to theme parks, experts pick the best family vacation ideas for the year ahead
The new, exclusive show coming to Disney Believe is Disney Encanto. The show is an adaptation of the Academy Award-winning movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The musical will feature all of the iconic sing-along-worthy songs from Disney Legend Lin-Manuel Miranda. I know this will be one of the many reasons people will be booking a cruise on Disney Believe. If Disney Encanto is as awe-inspiring as Disney Tale of Moana and Disney Hercules on Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny, respectively, we’re in for a big treat.
Solving mysteries with Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps
Just a carrot-throw away from The Walt Disney Theater is Gazelle, the new entertainment hub themed after Disney Animation’s Zootopia. This is the same space as Luna, Sarabi, and Saga on Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and Disney Destiny, respectively. Inside, families can play afternoon games and trivia, plus take part in an all-new show where Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps from Zootopia ask for help solving their latest case.
SUN AND SAND: Escape to paradise at these 11 kid-friendly all-inclusive beach resorts around the world
As night falls over Disney Believe, Gazelle will be exclusively adult-only, with entertainment (hopefully like the Indiana Jones and Marvel shows), silent discos, and more.
Venturing back to Arendelle for dinner
Disney Cruise Line is known for its unique rotational dining concept, where you and your servers move through three distinctly themed restaurants onboard. Disney Believe will feature 1923 and Worlds of Marvel (Marvel Celebration of Heroes: Groot Remix is the dinner service onboard. If you’ve been on the Disney Treasure, you’ll know this as the night two dinner in Worlds of Marvel).
The third dinner is the ship’s dinner show, Oaken’s Table: A Frozen Family Feast. The theater-in-the-round-style meal will showcase a new story from the Frozen cinematic universe, with characters like Oaken, Anna, and Kristoff. Guests will step into a sommerhus courtyard deep within the forest. Here, Oaken and his family put on a show with reimagined renditions of iconic Frozen songs.
KID-FRIENDLY: 25 best family resorts and hotels in the U.S.
I’m picturing this as a kooky dinner show with plenty of laughs and heart, plus a delightful spread of food. While we don’t know anything about the menu, I’m hoping it leans more toward hearty family fare than the Norwegian-inspired menu that’s currently on the Disney Wish’s Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure.
A new lunch spot for everyone
One of my favorite places to get lunch on any Wish Class ship is the outdoor food court, Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods. Here, you can get everything from barbecue and pizza to burrito bowls and burgers. But one new window is coming to the Disney Believe: Pluto’s Pita Platters. The food stall will have a Mediterranean-inspired menu with kebabs, pitas, dips, and more.
SAVE MONEY: Kids stay free at these 10 all-inclusive family resorts
I love the pita spot on the Disney Wonder, and ate there nearly every day during an Alaska cruise. I’m excited something similar is coming to Disney Believe. Even better, Pluto’s Pita Platters will be an additional spot and will not take over something else at the food court. So all of the old favorites will still be available.
Three new lounges and one returning favorite adults will love
One of the biggest misconceptions about Disney Cruise Line is that there are limited activities for adults. And after 15 sailings with my all-adult family, I can say this is the farthest thing from the truth. From adult-only restaurants and lounges to entertainment and pools, adults can have their own magical vacation onboard any Disney cruise ship.
On the Disney Believe, three new lounges will welcome adults each evening. The first is Sea Notes, the onboard piano bar, themed after The Little Mermaid. The bar will feature a dazzling menu of cocktails and mocktails, paired with the smooth sounds of a pianist playing everything from classic Disney tunes to Broadway showstoppers. I’m hoping this lounge features some character interaction à la De Vil’s on the Disney Destiny, where Cruella De Vil pops in every once in a while for a show of her own.
SET SAIL: 12 best family cruises and ships in the world
The second new lounge is Wishing Well. This is where The Bayou, Skipper Society, and The Sanctum are on the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and Disney Destiny, respectively. The Disney Believe version is themed after Disney’s first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, from a canopy of white flowers and red apples over the main seating area to stained glass over the bar.
Disney Believe’s pub is Stargazers and themed after a magical observatory. The pub will feature a dedicated cocktail menu, custom draft beers, and a fun menu of light bites. The pub onboard any Disney ship is one of my favorite places to hang out, partly because they never seem overly busy, so there’s always a seat to be had, even if it’s at the bar.
Haunted Mansion Parlor will also return to the Disney Believe, but this time with an all-new exclusive menu. In my opinion, it’s a true masterclass in immersive theming and feels like it’s been plucked right out of the theme park attraction and onto a cruise ship.
FamilyVacationist’s cruise editor’s take on the Disney Believe:
I was onboard the Disney Wish for a preview event of the Disney Believe. I attended the reveal presentation and read the online discussions about Disney Believe. While the upcoming ship may seem like a copy-and-paste of the Disney Wish, or what I read online as “Wish 2.0,” it’s important to remember that not everyone who cruises with Disney sails multiple times a year or even once every few years. For many, a Disney Cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY: 11 cheap family vacations that are super fun
Disney knows that movies like Frozen and Inside Out, which are both featured on the Disney Wish and the upcoming Disney Believe, are popular and will remain popular for years to come. Giving fans more opportunity to experience these stories on multiple ships is a win-win for fans and Disney.
It’s also worth noting that Disney is not done making announcements about Disney Believe. We don’t know the full storyline of the new Frozen-themed restaurant on Disney Believe, just like we don’t know where The Nightmare Before Christmas, a movie featured in the Disney Believe teaser trailer, will be found on the ship. So I’m not fully judging Disney Believe until I sail later next year.
