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
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025