Disney’s new theme aimed at cruises

A main impact on the travel industry of the Disney Dream this week sailing into Port Canaveral is that the company is clearly turning towards cruises to supplement its theme parks, where attendance has been declining when compared to earlier high growth years.
 

In the past, Disney has only been a small player in the cruiser market, catering mainly to families with children.
 

“Disney has big expectations for the cruise expansion, a business that has proven immensely profitable for the company since it launched its cruise line 12 years ago,” said the Orlando Sentinel. It added:
 

“Disney’s two existing ships, the Magic and Wonder, have generated better returns than any of the company’s recent theme-park investments; in some years, they have churned out higher profits than the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif.”
 

The new Disney Dream, which cost more thanUS$900 million and features a high-speed water slide that takes riders out over the side of the ship and back, is the third ship in the Disney line. A fourth ship, the Disney Fantasy, is under construction and scheduled for its maiden voyage in March 2012.
 

Bigger is better when it comes to profits, points out Janet Brashear, a cruise analyst.
 

"If you look at the pricing on Disney ships versus others, they’re pricing above where other ships might price," she said
 

The company’s new liners are about 50 percent bigger than the original Disney ships and are scheduled to travel on popular Caribbean routes with stops at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.
 

Disney is obviously looking for more profits from their ships but other lines are getting more competitive — even to the point where they are offering something Disney has pioneered in, characters.
 

By David Wilkening