WDW Daily News

This holiday season, Disney Cruise Line ships will be all decked to the “raft-ers” with holiday cheer. Starting early November, Disney Cruise Line adds sparkle to each ship during Very Merrytime Cruises, with traditional “turkey day” fanfare, Christmas feasts, “snow flurries” and New Year’s Eve galas. During these voyages through the new year, holiday events include a tree-lighting ceremony with favorite Disney friends, Dickens-inspired carolers, a holiday deck party, themed treats and more.

On one extra-special evening each cruise, the grand atrium lobby becomes the setting for a fanciful winter wonderland ball, where Disney cruisers welcome the guests of honor, Santa and Mrs. Claus, with a grand celebration featuring Broadway-style entertainment, favorite Disney characters and classic holiday tunes. This evening of enchantment is made complete when a special pair of royal sisters joins the party and causes a flurry of “frozen” fun as a magical snowfall overtakes the atrium.

To celebrate the holidays, the Disney Magic sails four- and five-night Bahamian and Caribbean cruises departing Nov. 11 to Dec. 23; the Disney Wonder sails four-, six- and seven-night Bahamian and Caribbean cruises departing Nov. 6 to Dec. 24; the Disney Dream sails three- and four-night Bahamian cruises departing Nov. 9 to Dec. 24; and the Disney Fantasy sails seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises departing Nov. 14 to Dec. 19.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500 or contact a travel agent.

Disney Cruise Line has been recognized as the No. 1 “Large Ship Line” in the Condé Nast Traveler 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards.

New experiences and fun await guests when they sail on the Disney Dream, which has just returned from a three-week dry dock. Headlining the ship’s enhancements are two new interactive youth areas, one themed to Star Wars and another toDisney Infinity. Also new is the whimsical sweet shop serving handmade gelato and the ever-popular Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutqiue. For adults, a new splash pool and sun deck provides an oasis for relaxing.

Here’s a closer look at what’s in store for Guests of all ages:

In Disney’s Oceaneer Club, young Guests can enjoy two newly themed areas. Kids are transported to a far away galaxy at Star Wars: Millennium Falcon, a Force-filled play area inspired by the spacecraft from the legendary saga. In the Disney Infinity area, children can experience a whole new way of playing together with exciting virtual experiences and immersive activities. Customized, on-screen adventures bring to life characters and stories from across The Walt Disney Company.

Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats satisfies the sweet tooth of cruisers of all ages, with handmade gelato and ice cream, an assortment of candy, and delectable novelty treats for purchase. New to Deck 11, the smell of freshly baked waffle cones and candy lingers from the specialty store’s two entrances, inside Cabanas restaurant and outside by the pool deck.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on Deck 5 midship brings to life the storybook fantasies of young Guests with pixie-dusted and piratical makeovers. This very special salon offers aspiring princesses and knights ages three to 12 the chance to transform into royalty with the help of a fairy godmother-in-training. On pirate party night this boutique becomes The Pirates League where swashbuckling pirates of all ages will have the opportunity to unleash their inner buccaneer.

Exclusively for adults, Deck 13 forward includes a new water feature, Satellite Falls, a circular splash pool with benches and a gently falling rain curtain that provides cool comfort. Around this upper deck, adult Guests can soak up the sun in loungers or relax in the shade under a canopy.

In November 2015, the endearing characters and captivating music of the animated film “Tangled” will enchant audiences once again, this time as an original stage show spectacular at sea aboard the Disney Magic—the first time the beloved Disney tale has been adapted for the stage.

“Tangled: The Musical” will immerse audiences in Rapunzel’s fairytale world through lavish production numbers and spellbinding music. Three new songs created exclusively for this show by Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken and Grammy Award-winning lyricist Glenn Slater will bring the story to life onstage.

Elaborate costumes, groundbreaking puppetry and stunning set designs will transform the 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre into a fanciful Bavarian kingdom, immersing audiences in Rapunzel’s world and making them feel a part of her story. Disney assembled an all-star creative team to develop this extravagant production, with a bevy of top-notch theatrical talent joining Menken and Slater.

“Tangled: The Musical” will premiere during the Nov. 11 four-night Bahamian sailing aboard the Disney Magic. The Disney Magic will sail four-night Bahamas and five-night Western Caribbean cruises from Miami beginning Sept. 30 through the new year.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500 or contact a travel agent.

Uniquely Disney

• The Disney ships are painted in Mickey Mouse-inspired colors – black hull, white superstructure, yellow trim and two giant red funnels, each with the Disney Cruise Line Mickey Mouse logo.

• Disney Cruise Line was the first cruise line to have yellow lifeboats, instead of the traditional regulation orange. Disney was granted special permission from the U.S. Coast Guard to paint the lifeboats yellow, to keep with the special color theming of the ship.

• The Disney Magic was built in two halves… one hundred miles apart! Part of the ship was constructed in Ancona, Italy then towed 100 miles to meet the stern in Marghera (just outside Venice) to be perfectly joined and welded together.

• Disney Cruise Line ships use the iconic first seven notes of the “When You Wish Upon a Star” song melody as their horn signals.

• Disney ships are the only cruise ships to have four captains – the ship’s captain, Captain Mickey, Captain Hook and Captain Jack Sparrow.

• Measuring 964 feet in length, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are each longer than Main Street U.S.A at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. At 1,115 feet, the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream are longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and longer than the height of New York City’s famous Chrysler Building.

• The anchor on the Disney Magic weighs 28,200 pounds – about the same as three full-grown elephants.

• On a special night aboard most Disney cruises, the “Pirates IN the Caribbean” deck party features a spectacular pyrotechnics performance – fireworks at sea like only Disney can do!

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In early 2017, Disney Cruise Line returns to favorite destinations in the Caribbeanand Bahamas on a variety of itineraries, most from popular Florida ports. Limited-time engagements in San Juan, Puerto Rico, andGalveston, Texas, complete the line-up for the first part of the year.

During these sailings, Disney Cruise Line guests will visit timeless tropical locales, dive into charming island cultures, sunbathe on golden beaches and revel in local marketplaces. Most cruises feature a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island paradise reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests.

Bookings open to the public on Oct. 8, 2015. More details on 2017 itineraries can be found on the Itineraries and Ports for 2017 page of disneycruise.com.

Port Canaveral

With three Disney ships in port and cruise lengths spanning three, four and seven nights, vacationers looking for a Disney Cruise Line getaway in early 2017 have a full menu of options from Port Canaveral. Every sailing includes a day at Castaway Cay.

The Disney Fantasy continues to sail seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages, while the Disney Dream embarks on three- and four-night cruises to Nassau and Castaway Cay.  Beginning Jan. 29, the Disney Wonder will alternate similar three- and four-night itineraries.

Miami

To kick off 2017, the Disney Magic continues sailing from Miami with three-, four- and five-night voyages to the Bahamas, plus select five-night Western Caribbean cruises, through March 31.

Castaway Cay awaits guests aboard every one of these Disney Magic sailings. Other Bahamian ports of call include Nassau and Key West, while a stop in Grand Cayman or Cozumel headlines the Western Caribbean itineraries.

San Juan and Galveston

From San Juan, the Disney Magic sets sail on four seven-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean. Departing April 9, 16, 23 and 30, this limited-time engagement includes calls on Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, Antigua and St. Kitts.

The Disney Wonder completes a season in Galveston with two seven-night Bahamian voyages to Key West, Castaway Cay andNassau on Jan. 6 and 13. From there, the ship embarks on a six-night journey to San Juan on Jan. 20 with stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Falmouth, Jamaica.

On Jan. 26, a three-night cruise aboard the Disney Wonder takes guests from San Juan to Port Canaveral, just an hour away from Walt Disney World Resort—the perfect stop for a fairytale land and sea adventure.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500 or contact a travel agent.

This holiday season, give a gift that’s both nautical and nice: a cruise on the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy, all decked out with holiday cheer. Starting early November, Disney Cruise Line adds sparkle to each ship during Very Merrytime Cruises, with traditional “turkey day” fanfare, Christmas feasts, “snow flurries” and New Year’s Eve galas. But the best part might just be relaxing on deck instead of shoveling snow.

During these voyages through the new year, special stem-to-stern holiday events include:

• “Mickey’s Tree-Lighting Magic” in the atrium lobby on the first night of the cruise, where Disney characters lead holiday carols and the lighting of the glittering, three-deck-tall tree.
• “Santa’s Winter Wonderland Ball” in the atrium lobby, where Disney cruisers welcome the guests of honor, Santa and Mrs. Claus, with a grand celebration featuring Broadway-style entertainment, favorite Disney characters and classic holiday tunes. This evening of enchantment is made complete when a special pair of royal sisters joins the party and causes a flurry of “frozen” fun as a magical snowfall overtakes the atrium.
• Holiday story time beneath the giant tree, where children gather to hear classic tales of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza, including a cozy and intimate storytelling with Mrs. Claus as she shares some of her favorite Christmas stories.
• Dickens-inspired carolers carrying the spirit of the holidays throughout the ship while singing holiday classics, sometimes with the help of favorite Disney friends. At the end of the cruise, children will have the opportunity to join the carolers onstage for a special farewell show.
• Family holiday activities including building gingerbread houses and meeting Santa Claus.
• Youth holiday crafts such as decorating stockings and gingerbread men cookies, making holiday cards and creating holiday animation cells.
• “Deck the Deck Holiday Party,” a tropical celebration with Disney friends leading games such as hula hooping and limbo under oversized candy canes, along with dances for the whole family like the “Yuletide Slide” and a conga line around the pool.
• A special holiday edition of the cheerful farewell celebration on the final night of each cruise, with beloved Disney characters and the ship’s crew in an engaging musical finale led by Mickey Mouse.

On Thanksgiving Day, guests will enjoy a bountiful Thanksgiving Day feast, visits from Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse dressed in traditional Thanksgiving attire. Also during the special Thanksgiving voyages, NFL football games will be broadcast live on the ships’ outdoor, jumbo LED screens – Funnel Vision – located near the family pool.

Christmas morning at the atrium lobby tree Santa Claus and his helpers will have a surprise for all the kids, and guests will delight in a special musical performance from the children. A traditional Christmas Dinner will be served that night in the dining rooms.

Christmas services will be held on Christmas Day with a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Hanukkah services will be held each day, Dec. 6 to Dec. 14.

When the ships stop at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, during the holidays, the celebration continues with “snow flurries,” a decked-out Christmas tree, Disney character meet-and-greets and holiday island music.

For an extra sprinkle of holiday joy, special amenities are available for stateroom delivery. Purchased in advance of sailing, these include holiday-themed gift packages and treat baskets and even mini Christmas trees decorated with ornaments, red berries, mini carnations and a bow topper. Plus, during the holiday cruises, the Disney Cruise Line holiday merchandise collection and ever-popular Disney Cruise Line ornaments will be available in the gift shops.

To ring in 2016, voyages include a special New Year’s Eve party, complete with music, sparkling wine in commemorative flutes and a midnight countdown.

To celebrate the holidays, the Disney Magic sails four- and five-night Bahamian and Caribbean cruises departing Nov. 11 to Dec. 23; the Disney Wonder sails four-, six- and seven-night Bahamian and Caribbean cruises departing Nov. 6 to Dec. 24; the Disney Dream sails three- and four-night Bahamian cruises departing Nov. 9 to Dec. 24; and the Disney Fantasy sails seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises departing Nov. 14 to Dec. 19.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500 or contact a travel agent.

Disney cruises can be expensive, but you do not have to choose between sailing with Mickey and sending your children to college someday.

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