We received’t bury the lede: the Disney Treasure is our new favourite ship within the DCL fleet, and we strongly suspect it’ll be a fan-favorite for Walt Disney World and Disneyland diehards. This evaluate of the newest cruise ship covers the great and unhealthy, and our large image first impressions of its strengths and weaknesses.
For those that haven’t adopted our Disney Cruise Line protection, the Disney Wish is my least favourite ship. That’s the rapid predecessor to the Treasure, therefore the ‘worst to first’ subtitle to this evaluate. Our Disney Wish Cruise Ship Review coated the explanations for this. Suffice to say, that ship garners sturdy opinions from passionate cruisers and first-timers, and can doubtless be your favourite or least favourite ship, with little center floor.
Despite my largely damaging first (and second) impressions of the Disney Wish, I wished to provide it a good shake and see how my it in comparison with the Disney Treasure with each recent in my thoughts. So, we booked a Very Merrytime Cruise on the Disney Wish proper earlier than setting sail on the Disney Treasure. Literally. We disembarked from our household journey on the Wish proper earlier than embarking on a media preview crusing of the Disney Treasure. These back-to-back sailings underscored simply what an evening and day distinction the 2 ships are for me.
Honestly, I’m unsure I might’ve believed my very own recollection had we not achieved these consecutive sailings. This is as a result of, on paper, the 2 ships are very comparable. The Disney Treasure is a Wish-class ship, and that’s instantly apparent when you begin strolling round. The ships comply with virtually equivalent blueprints–which means the dimensions, scale, format, and so forth are practically equivalent. The constructions themselves are the identical, it’s how the identical canvases are used for various designs that makes the 2 stand thus far aside.
Accordingly, lots of the negatives of the Disney Wish are baked into the Disney Treasure. If you look again on our lists overlaying the “Best of” and “Worst of” the Disney Wish to see what else we expect the brand new ship will get proper and improper, you’ll discover a super quantity of overlap with the Disney Treasure.
The “Worst of” record, particularly, nonetheless resonates. Specifically, my complaints in regards to the format, AquaMouse, grownup areas, and focus all ring true with the Disney Treasure. If you disliked the format of the Wish (as I do/did) and puzzled whether or not it was designed by somebody who had by no means set foot on a cruise ship (as I do/did), you’ll really feel equally in regards to the Treasure. If you’re dissatisfied by the excessive finish retail occupying prime actual property within the Grand Hall, that additionally will nonetheless apply. And so forth.
Those are actually the most important negatives and weaknesses of the Disney Treasure, and shouldn’t be glossed over. However, I’m not going to fixate on them right here, as I’ve already achieved that with the Disney Wish, and there’s nothing new so as to add. While the Treasure’s format was in all probability set in stone earlier than suggestions amongst Wish visitors was acquired, it might’ve been good if DCL no less than improved wayfinding.
Subtle modifications might’ve been made to the Disney Treasure to attenuate points with the counterintuitive format, however I noticed no proof of that. The largest change, I assume, is that cruises are usually longer aboard the Disney Treasure, so you may have extra time to get your bearings. But that is nonetheless regarding that nothing was actually achieved to deal with these complaints–which aren’t distinctive to me–and worries me that the newly-announced roster of ships after the Wish-class may need these similar faults if Disney is in some way happy with these layouts.
It’s nonetheless actually spectacular the diploma to which the Disney Treasure overcomes its design deficiencies and isn’t merely the second-worst ship within the Disney Cruise Line fleet. Instead, it’s my favourite because of the next highlights…
Grand Hall
One of my largest complaints in regards to the Disney Wish is its Grand Hall. I beforehand likened this area to Shanghai Disneyland, which has a superficial veneer of opulence and grandiosity, however that falls aside upon nearer inspection. It’s just like the cheesy, McMansion model of themed design relatively than the true factor.
The Grand Hall on the Disney Wish doesn’t have the identical consideration to element, texture, or finishings because the legacy ships. It’s photogenic (debatably), however that’s not bolstered by the precise ornamentation and craftsmanship. I’d take {that a} step additional and say there’s no actual sense of fashion, and simply rests on the “castle on the seas” thought of being regal…with out truly being regal. There’s no there there.
You get the concept. The Grand Hall on the Disney Treasure shares some widespread bloodlines with the Wish as a result of, once more, it’s structurally the identical. But as a substitute of a bland and boring type that reads as grandiose, the Imagineers behind the Disney Treasure guess large and daring, and opted for a completely totally different type: Agrabah.
I’m unsure this look will work for everybody, however it completely does for me. One of the issues that I actually recognize, in case it wasn’t clear from the forgoing, is that the Grand Hall within the Disney Treasure is distinct. It has a voice. A singular type. It’s as if the designers heard the complaints in regards to the Wish and addressed them head-on.
At the guts of the Grand Hall is a life-size bronze statue of Aladdin, Princess Jasmine and Magic Carpet, proper on the base of the grand staircase (together with the magic lamp close by). Surrounding this statue are extra particulars which are impressed by Aladdin and characterize the movie’s spirit of journey…and seek for treasure.
The Grand Hall’s intricate carpet evokes the fountain in Jasmine’s courtyard and likewise options animals you’ll see within the movie together with Aladdin’s mischievous monkey sidekick Abu, Jasmine’s birds, the golden scarab beetle, and extra. Throughout pillars within the Grand Hall, you’ll spot mosaic tiles. These are carried over into different murals that weave collectively this area with the remainder of the ship. It seems nice, and is a pointy distinction to the Wish.
The inventive choice to attract from Agrabah for the Grand Hall was a daring guess, reflecting much more of a departure from the legacy ships. Because of that, some longtime DCL followers are sure to dislike it. Others won’t discover it to their tastes. From my perspective, it’s an enormous swing that appears nice and likewise units the tone for the remainder of the ship and the voyage to come back. This ship isn’t the Wish, and it’s clear from the second you step foot into that superb Grand Hall.
Plaza de Coco
I really like Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, which is among the Highlights of the Disney Wish Cruise Ship. I used to be reminded of this throughout our latest crusing, and the “royal engagement party” completely holds up. It has coronary heart, comedy, and even tradition authenticity. That Frozen dinner present is arguably the perfect common rotational restaurant aboard any Disney cruise ship.
It is “only” arguably the perfect as a result of Plaza de Coco offers it fierce competitors. In speaking to everybody else who sailed with us, all of them most well-liked Plaza de Coco. Perhaps there’s some recency bias at play or Coco continues to be merely underrepresented on the parks, whereas there’s ‘Frozen Fatigue’ amongst many followers. Or perhaps I favor Frozen greater than most. (That final half might be true–the continuing Frozen hate baffles me.)
No matter, Plaza de Coco is undeniably superior. It actually is like moving into the world of Coco, full with a recreation of the Rivera’s Ofrenda and the Plaza de Santa Cecilia. The setting is textured, moody, and atmospheric–particularly at night time when the lighting actually shines, including an additional dimension and heat to the surroundings.
It’s significantly an evening and day–or maybe day and night time–distinction to the purpose that I’d advocate searching for out the second seating in case you’re cruising at a time of 12 months when the solar units early.
Plaza de Coco is about three years after the occasions of the movie and that is evident in seeing how Santa Cecilia and the Rivera household have advanced. There’s a protracted hallway that results in the primary eating room–similar to its Frozen counterpart–and a variety of storytelling and world-building is finished on this prolonged hall. To the purpose that I’d advocate paying a go to to Plaza de Coco exterior of your rotational eating when this space is filled with individuals.
On 7-night and longer cruises, Plaza de Coco affords 2 distinct nights of stay leisure, that includes beloved characters, favourite songs, and stay performers. Both Plaza de Coco reveals options Miguel being joined by Héctor and Mama Imelda and singing the most well-liked Coco and Mexican songs. In reality, the entire expertise is one half Coco and one half culturally genuine leisure.
Our media cruise was 3-nights, throughout which the second dinner was introduced as a substitute of the primary. That featured Miguel reuniting together with his great-great-grandparents Hector and Mama Imelda. With the assistance of his magic guitar, he was transported to have a good time Dia de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead. It’s a celebration that may be powerfully emotional, however isn’t miserable or a somber event. At its core, Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of life. It’s in regards to the previous, but additionally the longer term, and of these we love–and maintaining them alive in our hearts. It’s actually, very well achieved.
My solely disappointment about Plaza de Coco was the meals. After listening to individuals rave in regards to the genuine delicacies, we discovered our culinary expertise to be underwhelming–it was the weakest rotational restaurant for meals. Perhaps we simply acquired unfortunate or ordered poorly, however our meals have been pretty bland and gentle and fewer energetic than the present.
Periscope Pub
I’m inclined to name Periscope Pub the hidden gem of the Disney Treasure, however just about everybody I talked to felt that method about it. Can one thing that’s so beloved actually be a sleeper hit? I assume we name that the Sanaa Paradox: one thing unequivocally standard with those that have been…however not many individuals go within the first place.
Periscope Pub is impressed by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Both the 1954 Walt Disney movie and the celebrated Disney Parks attraction that was open at Walt Disney World from 1971 to 1994, and continues to be open to at the present time at Tokyo DisneySea, arguably probably the most underrated attraction there!
Guests dive into the legendary depths of uncharted oceans amidst the submarine-styled interiors and try the watery world under by an intriguing glass ceiling. There are results, props, and Easter eggs galore, to the purpose that this actually straddles the road between being a traditional themed bar and a extra immersive expertise just like the superlative Haunted Mansion Parlor.
As a part of a media preview, I had the possibility to expertise Periscope Pub earlier than the crowds arrived in its “pure” type, which was distinctive. It was moody, serene and calming–I might’ve grabbed my laptop computer and labored in right here for hours. It’s extra refined and fewer show-heavy than Haunted Mansion Parlor, which positively makes it extra conducive to dialog.
Curious about how the vibe would change throughout a recreation (since that is primarily the ship’s principal sports activities bar), I returned for a second “research” go to to look at soccer. I used to be shocked at simply how nicely the environment labored for that. It was like a decompressing agent for the high-energy and doubtlessly hectic expertise of watching tight soccer video games. If I ever win the lottery, that is what I need my mixture workplace and man cave to be like!
While Periscope Pub is a “no notes” spotlight and Haunted Mansion Parlor is the spotlight of the Disney Treasure, we discovered the entire ship’s lounges to be upgrades over their Wish counterparts. Scat Cat Lounge is refined and can enchantment to non-Disney followers and lovers alike, even when it might use extra cats. Skipper Society is an improve over the Bayou, even when it may very well be extra joke and detail-dense. Sarabi is superior to Luna. HeiHei Cafe is charming and quiet. Jade Cricket Café is one other sleeper choose for us, and is among the most calming spots on the ship.
Tale of Moana
Paradoxically, the Tale of Moana is not a “no notes” providing aboard the Disney Treasure, however regardless of that, it’s the finest Broadway-style stage present on any Disney Cruise Line ship and arguably the #1 or #2 smartest thing in regards to the Disney Treasure.
I’m reticent to spoil something about Tale of Moana, as a result of it’s finest that you simply go into this present “cold” in order that the shock moments will seize your creativeness and sense of awe. Given that Moana has been watched for about 7 trillion hours on Disney+ (slight exaggeration), you’ve in all probability seen the movie a time or ten. And so you already know the story. That’s nice–this retelling will nonetheless depart you speechless and tug at your heartstrings on various events.
As you’d count on, the songs from the movie are all right here and introduced in spectacular trend. “How Far I’ll Go” at all times impresses, however the scene-stealer right here is the DCL’s twist on Tamatoa belting out “Shiny.” The method the story is retold is essentially trustworthy to the unique, except for a heartfelt framing machine and a few scenes and characters omitted. (There’s no poultry or pigs.)
Casting for this present is superlative, and it’s fairly clear Disney Cruise Line put a variety of effort and expense into getting this proper. With one main exception. I actually hate singling out any performer, however Disney went in a “different direction” with Maui…and it’s initially jarring. To every their very own, however it was too jarring for me. It looks as if they have been going with a Genie from Aladdin (the musical) however then didn’t absolutely decide to the bit. Thankfully, as a result of what little they tried falls flat. It’s additionally tonally at-odds with the scenes instantly previous to Maui’s introduction.
You get used to Maui after a scene, and the performer who performs him, like the remainder of the forged, is improbable. (I get that they couldn’t forged Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to fill this position nightly, however the remainder of the casting is pitch-perfect.) It’s a testomony to all the things else in regards to the Tale of Moana that it manages to simply overcome this and nonetheless be a ten/10 manufacturing.
For me, Tale of Moana surpasses the Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, and Frozen stage reveals, all of that are glorious. It’s additionally much better than the only-okay Little Mermaid manufacturing on the Wish. In my view, the Disney Treasure has the perfect lineup of Broadway-style stage reveals of any ship within the fleet. I cherished Tale of Moana a lot that I might’ve positively watched it a number of instances if this have been a 7-night crusing and an encore have been introduced. Hey Disney, there’s an enormous empty theater at DCA–this might be a improbable match!
Coriander and Sage
Coriander and Sage are two new unique characters created completely for the Disney Treasure. They are nomadic adventurers who deliver surprise and curiosity to the ship’s Grand corridor, providing comedic aid, coronary heart, and emotion. They strike me as being storytellers within the spirit of One Thousand and One Nights.
Coriander and Sage supply a number of family-friendly reveals within the Grand Hall, however their spotlight occurs in Sarabi, the place the “Choose Wisely” interactive Indiana Jones-themed stage present recounts the adventures of the legendary archaeologist in wacky trend. Performed with simply two actors, makeshift props, and viewers enter, this present is an absolute hoot.
This goes to sound like hyperbole, particularly because you in all probability haven’t even heard of those storytellers even in case you’ve been studying different opinions of the Disney Treasure, however Coriander and Sage are the guts of the Disney Treasure. They are the connective tissue that ties collectively the thematic throughlines on the Disney Treasure, and so they put a pleasant little bow on high of all of it on the finish of the voyage.
Regular readers understand how I really feel about atmospheric performers and streetmosphere, and Coriander and Sage are that type of leisure–however the dynamic duo does rather more heavy lifting. With their trunks packed filled with props and curiosities collected throughout their travels, they inform tales that captivate visitors. Throughout the voyage, they pop up with interactive experiences, providing a kind of intimate leisure that’s participatory in nature and a ton of enjoyable.
The choices hosted by Coriander and Sage are decidedly low price range as contrasted with one thing like Tale of Moana, however for the visitors who take the time to cease and get in on the act, it’s a ton of enjoyable. I wouldn’t be shocked if some households depart the Disney Treasure speaking about their experiences with Coriander and Sage greater than anything. Disney is so nice at these “little things” that depart a long-lasting impression, and that is an exemplar of that. (So a lot in order that I concern they’ll be the eventual victims of price range cuts, which might be an absolute disgrace.)
The Little Things
Finally, a fast nod to the Disney Treasure getting the little issues proper, or no less than, extra to my liking. The Disney Wish already was my least-favorite ship earlier than our Very Merrytime cruise, however one factor that caught out to me much more throughout that crusing was an absence of effort in getting the little particulars proper, or going the additional mile to supply a layer of design applicable to Disney. The Treasure rectifies this, and feels, fairly frankly, prefer it had a much bigger price range. Or on the very least, like its price range was spent smarter.
Then there are the little annoyances on the Wish. This is outdated man yells at cloud materials, however I simply really feel just like the Wish is a tad tedious at instances. There’s artwork all through the ship, for instance, that appears much less about magic and whimsy and extra about making a press release. The artwork aboard the Treasure, against this, may be beautiful idea items for Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room or a lavishly-done brand-new piece of Te Fiti. It’s all beautiful enjoyable, and on-theme.
Then there’s the Little Mermaid present on the Wish. In speaking to different followers, the consensus is that this present is mediocre, to place it charitably, and the explanations for which are laid naked when evaluating–or relatively, contrasting–it with Tale of Moana. The set design is uninspired and rehashed, the costuming is sloppy, and the storytelling leaves one thing to be desired.
I don’t dislike the Little Mermaid by any stretch, however it’s underwhelming whenever you see what Disney is de facto able to in Tale of Moana. I do know the creators wished to do one thing “different” with that retelling of the story, however totally different isn’t at all times good–and the inventive selections, greater than anything, come throughout as lazy relatively than creative.
Ultimately, that type of underscores the variations between the Disney Treasure and Wish for me. Even although the bones are primarily equivalent, and lots of the options and themed areas are additionally clones (Worlds of Marvel, 1923, and so forth.), the entire modifications that have been made have been for the higher. Every single one.
Giving Imagineers a second likelihood at designing for an additional new ship resulted in studying from errors and placing ahead significantly better concepts. There’s extra element, higher stylistic selections have been made, and all the things that may very well be corrected or improved upon from a design perspective, was. The ship itself is essentially iterative, because it’s nonetheless a part of the Wish class, however that massively undersells the variations.
The degree of thoughtfulness that went into each side of the Disney Treasure’s design and programming shines by, making for a cohesive product and expertise from begin to end. By distinction, the Disney Wish is a thematic hodgepodge, just like the Disney+ house web page that highlights the (supposed) finest and hottest programming. Perhaps that resonates extra with most of the people, providing broader and extra floor degree publicity to the model, however it strikes me as rudderless and unfocused. For diehard Disney followers–particularly of the theme parks–the Disney Treasure is thus far superior to its predecessor that it’s actually arduous to consider they’re sister ships.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the Disney Treasure? If you’ve already set sail on this ship, how does it evaluate so that you can the legacy ships or the Disney Wish? Pleased with the thematic focus or design particulars, or do you continue to want the type of the older ships? Thoughts on the lounges, eating places, leisure, and so forth? Does this have you ever extra excited for the Disney Treasure? Do you propose on reserving a cruise aboard this ship, or are you awaiting extra fan suggestions–or offers? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation and evaluation? Any questions? Hearing suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!