Disney Cruise Line's greatest strength has always been world-class shows, but with the recent debut of the Disney Wish, the company is pushing the entertainment envelope even further.
EdWhitlow, Disney's director of artistic and talent casting, said during a panel held as part of the Wish's inaugural sailing in June that entertainment is the line's hallmark.
He said that it has to be in every corner. Every venue has a stage.
The Wish venues have a more traditional stage element. Disney calls the "Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure" a "theatrical dining experience."
The Arendelle restaurant raises the bar on the success Disney has had with previous dinner-and-a-show concepts like "Rapunzel's Royal Table" and "Tiana's Place."
The Arendelle were not created with an infrastructure for entertainment but they were.
The centerpiece of Arendelle is an elevated stage surrounded by dining tables. That doesn't mean that the entertainment is limited to the stage. The characters take breaks to interact with diners and create a more intimate experience.
The world of "Frozen" is brought to life in the "Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure". The photo was taken by Amy Smith.
The Wish's Grand Hall is a replica of the ship's atrium. The entertainment programming can go beyond the boards.
Disney Cruise Line's director of entertainment creative described the Grand Hall as an "environmental theater" that is inspired by fairy-tale castles.
Case said that they knew they could do more than just meet and greet. It gave us a new world of possibilities.
Wishing wands are given to children on the ship by the Grand Hall. On the first night of each sailing, children are invited to participate in a wand ceremony to wake up the enchantment of the Grand Hall.
There will be other small moments scattered in between the voyage and the Grand Hall. On your final night of the cruise, there will be other magic moments.
The upper deck of the Wish has received a redesign that puts entertainment at the top of the list. The tiered pool deck was chosen by Disney Cruise Line to give guests a better view of the shows.
It's a little bit flatter on our other ships. It feels like an amphitheater.
The ship's entertainment focused spaces have undergone a complete rethinking.
The Broadway-style stage adaptation of the 1989 Disney movie "The Little Mermaid" was developed for the Disney Wish. The photo was taken by Amy Smith.
One of the biggest undertakings for the Wish's entertainment team has been the development of a stage musical adaptation of one of Disney's most beloved animated films.
The biggest challenge in reinventing a Disney classic is to please audience members who love the original, while still adding new elements. The stage version of "The Little Mermaid" puts a more "soulful" spin on the character of Ursula, the story's villain, showing her glamour and confidence.
Sara Wordsworth is a show writer for the Walt Disney Theatre. Many adults in the theater have a relationship with the story.
I walk into the theater with my daughter and she is going to have a relationship with it. It's about how we're going to bring this to the stage and what's in it for the next set.
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