NEWS: Disney Cruise Line Announces Exciting New Partnership to Bring DCL Vacations to Japan

Disney and Oriental Land Co., Ltd. (OLC) announced a new agreement to bring Disney cruise vacations to Japan year-round. Under a recently signed agreement, OLC will build and operate a Disney-branded cruise business in Japan, expected to commence by early 2029. Learn more below!

This is the latest evolution in an over 40-year relationship between Disney and OLC, which owns and operates Tokyo Disney Resort. The addition of a locally based Disney cruise ship will offer fun and relaxation for Japanese Disney fans during magical voyages filled with the incredible entertainment, world-class dining and exceptional guest service that set Disney cruises apart.

“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, 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.”

“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, chairperson and CEO, Oriental Land. “Oriental Land will use their know-how from the theme park business to continue pushing boundaries and provide family entertainment cruise experiences filled with inspiration and surprise.”

OLC will operate a new Disney cruise ship to be registered and based in Japan year-round. The ship will be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with imaginative designs created by Walt Disney Imagineering. A sister ship to the popular Disney Wish, it will feature many guest-favorite venues and experiences from that ship with select modifications specially designed with Japanese guests in mind. It is expected to be approximately 140,000 gross tons and powered by liquefied natural gas, with about 1,250 staterooms.

More details about the maiden voyage, itineraries, and onboard experiences will be announced at a later date.

RELATED ARTICLE: Why We Love Disney Cruise Line and Think You Will Too!

by Chad and Cindy Nykamp

We’ve had the pleasure of sailing on Disney Cruise Line six times. While we also cruise on another cruise line, Disney Cruise Line vacations have all been extra special, and we are more impressed with every cruise we take. Learn more below about why we love Disney Cruise Line and why we think you will, too!

1 – Not Just Another Cruise

When you go on a Disney cruise, you’ll get so much more than just another vacation. You’ll get the “Disney Bubble” experience like never before; Disney magic is sprinkled all over the ship. Disney Cruise Line staterooms designed with families in mind, rotational dining, and exceptional entertainment are just a few spots where the Disney Cruise Line separates itself from everyone else. Not to mention, you’ll visit many different ports of call and enjoy a fantastic tropical getaway on Disney’s Castaway Cay. There is so much built into your cruise fare you’ll also get to enjoy merely showing up to your vacation without paying a bunch of extra fees all over the ship. The “Disney Difference” continues to impress us with each new cruise. Disney cruising is an amazing experience, and we are thrilled to know it wasn’t just a one-time thing but something we can expect with every Disney cruise.

2 – The Disney Bubble at Sea

If you’ve been to Walt Disney World or have spent time reading a website like ours, you may have heard of the “Disney Bubble.” The Disney Bubble is a totally immersive experience at Walt Disney World that blocks out the real world for the duration of your visit. It’s this short break from reality that makes a Disney vacation so unique. We love being in the Disney bubble during our vacations. It allows us to (mostly) forget about our everyday worries and concerns and really just enjoy being with our family on vacation.

A Disney cruise takes this “bubble” to a whole new level. A Disney cruise lets you leave your worries behind even more. This is especially true considering most guests will not sign up for the internet package—they will be even more disconnected from the outside world. This allows guests to focus on the here and now, their families, and the offerings of a Disney cruise. Disney magic is even more present on a Disney cruise—we feel it every single cruise, and we always leave trying to figure out how quickly we could get back on another Disney cruise!

3 – Finding Disney Magic at Sea

A Disney cruise really is different in a few distinct areas. First, in addition to the “Disney Bubble,” we talked about in #2, the entire vacation is sprinkled with Disney magic. The décor of the ship is infused with Disney details and fun. From hidden Mickeys in the décor to the amazing attention to every single detail to fantastic family-friendly shows, there isn’t a moment you won’t feel you’ve entered somewhere magical.

Do you love meeting Disney Characters? If yes, then a Disney cruise is a fantastic way to meet all of your favorite characters, many of them in costumes that are exclusive to the Disney cruise line. Waking up and going to meet Mickey or Minnie before playing for the day is a fantastic way to start the day. It’s impossible to enjoy this cruise without bumping into Disney characters. No matter what your age, this is a bonus you’ll only find on the Disney Cruise Line.

4 – The Ships!

Disney Cruise Line ships are some of our favorite ships to cruise on! We mentioned above the infusion of Disney magic onto each ship, and the design of the ships is well thought out, bringing the practical and magical together. Currently, there are five ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish. The sixth ship, Disney Treasure, is set to set sail in December 2024. The seventh and eighth ships, the Disney Adventure and Disney Destiny, are planned for sometime in 2025. The future looks bright for Disney Cruise Line!

What makes a Disney cruise ship different than other cruise lines? More than you might think. First, Disney staterooms are unique in that they have two bathroom areas: one room with a toilet and sink and another room with a bathtub/shower and a second sink. This makes things so much easier, especially when multiple people are trying to get ready for the day at once. Also, the inclusion of a bathtub along with the shower is so important for families with young children!

The youth clubs on the Disney Cruise Line are a kids’ dream come true! We’ve toured all the youth areas during our cruises, and we were undoubtedly jealous! These areas are so cool that we wanted to play there! If you expect Disney to be outstanding in one area, it should be here—and they deliver. We’ve overheard so many kids asking (and begging) to be able to go to the clubs. We also heard parents saying their kids didn’t want to leave! Families will get a chance to spend lots of time together, but each age group will be able to enjoy their own time in their age-appropriate areas of the ship. Disney has a lot of great options for families looking to vary their time together!

During our second cruise, we took our youngest teens with us. While they were sixteen and seventeen years old at the time, they thoroughly enjoyed their time in Vibe, the teen area, along with the rest of the ship. While they admit to being “Disney Kids,” they are also older and sometimes want a break from Disney. We were all pleasantly surprised at how much they enjoyed the cruise. They never felt like their time in Vibe was childish, and both looked forward to their time there every day. No matter what age your family members are, a Disney Cruise Line cruise offers age-appropriate activities for children of all ages.

5 – The Food on a Disney Cruise Wins Hands-Down

At Walt Disney World, there is a wide variety of food options, from quick-service restaurants to award-winning signature dining. As we’ve said, we’ve cruised on other cruise lines, and for us, the food service on these different lines has been the most disappointing part of the cruise. We’ve found stale food without any real flavor. With each Disney cruise, we find Disney continues to win in this category. Everywhere we dined, the food was fresh and had a lot of flavor. We’ve tried the food at almost every location offered and were very pleased with what we found. We especially were thrilled with the restaurants in the evening. There is a lot of variety on the menu, and most importantly, the food was delicious. It was on par with what other cruise lines offer in their surcharge specialty dining. Knowing that you don’t need to pay extra every night for great food is a huge plus and another great reason to cruise with Disney.

Disney also features rotational dining. Rotational dining means you’ll enjoy dining at different restaurants each night, but your serving staff stays with you. We especially enjoyed this aspect of the dining experience. It kept things from getting monotonous. Also, it was great to have the same servers with us each night. It made our meals more enjoyable because they got to know us and what we liked. (See more on Disney’s exceptional service in #7).

Both the excellent food and fantastic service come together at Palo, a pay-extra food restaurant. We’ve enjoyed both brunch and dinner. On the most recent cruise on the Disney Fantasy, our dinner experience was the best dining experience I’ve had on Disney Cruise Line. Our server was fantastic and made the dinner very special. These dining experiences are so worth the small up-charge. We highly recommend adults dining at this restaurant at least once! The meals continue to be the highlight of our cruise.

6 – Entertainment with the Disney Difference

As you may expect, the entertainment offerings on a Disney cruise are top-notch. For us, the entertainment we enjoy the most during our cruises is the Broadway-style productions that are performed nightly. The cast are always terrific, and the productions are incredible. The production value is high, and you’ll get to enjoy multiple shows throughout your cruise. All of the shows are included in your cruise fare.

The Broadway-style shows are not the only entertainment you’ll enjoy. The deck shows are also fantastic and not to be missed. Disney also offers first-run movies during cruises (included in your cruise fare). Seeing movies as a family can be expensive, and this is just another perk Disney cruises offer!

7 – Disney’s Exceptional Service at Sea

Disney’s customer service is legendary, and as you would expect, the customer service on a Disney Cruise is no different. While we don’t have any particular needs, we know of guests with dietary restrictions. They told us that their servers were terrific at helping them find excellent food choices that supported their diet. From your room attendant to the servers that follow you in rotational dining to the cast members who answer questions–every cast member interaction we had was a positive one. We felt pampered and spoiled by the staff all week, and there were always smiles to greet us. We can’t say enough about the service on the Disney Cruise Line!

8 – Castaway Cay

Most Disney cruises that sail to the Caribbean include a day at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. There was so much to love about Castaway Cay. This is so much more than a typical day at the beach. There are plenty of activities, food, and beverages that are included in your cruise fare. There are also plenty of activities to enjoy for a small fee.

9 – Themed Cruising

Themed cruising is another excellent offering by Disney Cruise Line. Disney offers seasonal cruises like Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime Cruises. They also offer Pixar Day at Sea and Marvel Day at Sea cruises. We’ve enjoyed the Pixar Day at Sea, Marvel Day at Sea, and a Very Merrytime cruise, and all have been extra special because of the unique offerings available during the cruises. There is special entertainment, unique and often exclusive character greetings, special food and beverages, and more! A Disney Cruise Line vacation is going to be amazing, but the themed offerings are just extra special. We highly recommend them!

10 – An Amazing Vacation for All Ages Including Adults

Disney is known for being a great family vacation, but it is also an excellent option for Disney-loving adults. Chad and I enjoy cruising with and without our older children but always find plenty of time to enjoy some adult-only time when we cruise with the kids. There are plenty of offerings for us to enjoy without any kids around. We also love dining at Palo, the adults-only pool at Quiet Cove, the adults-only beach area, Serenity Bay, and the adults-only clubs in the evenings. We love Disney and enjoyed the magic of a Disney cruise, but we also had a fantastic vacation with time for just the two of us. It really is an excellent option for adults.

11 – Another Fantastic Disney Vacation Option

With all of the different Disney theme parks, a Disney Cruise may not have been on your radar. However, a Disney Cruise should be on your Disney bucket list for all of the reasons we stated above and more. You are going to get so much with a Disney cruise! The magic of Disney, the exceptional Disney service, Disney entertainment and characters, amazing ports of call, a tropical getaway on Castaway Cay, themed cruises, and so much more.