The Disney Destiny Is a Cruise Ship with Character (and Characters)

By Garrett Martin  |  November 14, 2025 | 3:02pm
Photo courtesy of Disney Experiences
Theme Parks Features disney destiny
The Disney Destiny Is a Cruise Ship with Character (and Characters)

The doctor is in demand. Word about Dr. Facilier’s Parlor spread throughout the Disney Destiny on the first night of the cruise ship’s recent media preview, after its earliest attendees raved about the intimate performance. Listed on the official cruise schedule with little explanation and no special emphasis, it nonetheless drew a long line on the second day well before it was supposed to start, with all of that day’s performances reaching capacity before the first one even started. Not hard to do with a show that only admits 10 guests at a time, but still, impressive nonetheless.

Located in a small, nondescript room usually reserved for themed photo shoots, Dr. Facilier’s Parlor is a short, small-scale live magic show for up to 10. Its success lies entirely on the actor’s sly, imperious portrayal of The Princess and the Frog’s shadow man villain; as guests enter, he stands hunched over his table, as if in an otherworldly trance, his face as frozen in intensity as the ones on the tombs of New Orleans, before quickly flashing the sinister charm and convivial but barbed familiarity Keith David brought to the animated character. He’ll pick out one of the guests in attendance to participate in his card trick, calling on others for ideas or assistance as needed, all with a creepy, malevolent tone that might genuinely scare younger passengers. It’s vanishingly short—it’s a single trick and the room turns over within 10 minutes—but it makes an impression. 

Disney rarely does anything this intimate these days. From the parks to the cruise ships, it’s built for scale, to maximize capacity, to get as many guests in and out as possible. With Dr. Facilier’s Parlor they’re aiming for something new. They’re turning the brief, one-on-one connection forged during a meet and greet—where you can talk with a character for a minute or so, or however long it takes to snap a few pictures—into something slightly more elaborate and impactful. You might not walk away from Dr. Facilier’s Parlor with a photo with the man, but you will have a memory of him playfully insulting you as he dazzles with a little bit of stage magic. But with only a few performances a day for 10 guests at a time, you’ll need to show up early.

This little show emblemizes how the Disney Destiny sets itself apart from its sister ships, the Disney Treasure and Disney Wish. The new ship, which is themed to heroes and villains, and whose maiden voyage launches on November 20, elevates the interactive elements that are already a signature part of the Disney Cruise Line experience, with more opportunities to see some of your favorite good guys and bad guys from Disney and Marvel up close and in action.

Beyond Dr. Facilier’s Parlor, there’s a recurring show starring Maleficent that uses projections, sound, and lighting to simulate her sorcerous ways. Shows featuring various Marvel heroes and villains are regularly held in the Grand Hall—whose signature statue, a regular feature on these ships, celebrates the Black Panther. Cruella de Vil often holds court in De Vil’s, a piano bar inspired by her, where she urges patrons to write a more positive new theme song for her that isn’t so hung up on her, uh, less desirable traits; she also judges a fashion show in the Grand Hall, spotlighting guests in their best Disney-inspired outfits. And of course the Destiny is full of the kinds of photo opp meet and greets you expect from Disney, with Captain Minnie, First Mate Mickey, and their pals regularly appearing throughout the ship in their sailor outfits. If you value these kinds of moments at Disney’s theme parks, they’re a major part of the cruise ships too—and with regular surprises, unique costumes, and characters rarely seen in the parks. The Destiny might be the most character-centric Disney cruise ship yet.

The Destiny sails from Fort Lauderdale with stops at Nassau and Castaway Cay—Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. It’s the third ship in the line’s Wish class, and will feel immediately familiar to you if you’ve ever been on the Wish or the Treasure. It has a similar layout, many of the same amenities, and a return of several of the dining and drinking concepts found on those earlier ships. There’s also enough that’s new here—including that increased focus on interaction—to make it a worthwhile trip for Disney Cruise regulars. 

Let’s start with the food. The Disney Destiny supplements its top-notch buffet—called, once again, Marceline Market, and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner—with a rotation of three themed dinner experiences. 1923 and World of Marvel exist much the same as they do on the Wish and Treasure. The former is a tony steakhouse with seafood and pasta options, set in art deco splendor and amid concept art and props from classic Disney and Pixar films. 1923 was the culinary highlight of the dining rotation on both the Wish and Treasure, but is actually outclassed on the Destiny by its one new rotational dinner—which also happens to be a live show. Pride Lands: The Feast of the Lion King takes up the spot held by Coco and Frozen-themed dinner shows on those earlier ships, and stands out as the best meal I’ve yet to have on a Disney cruise. Both the peri-peri shrimp and the berbere spice roasted chicken have a kick without being overpowering, and it all makes a lasting impression when enjoyed in the midst of a wonderful retelling of The Lion King—complete with singing, dancing, and some truly excellent drumming. (Unfortunately there are no puppets or any special effects—a curious choice.) World of Marvel, meanwhile, remains the least impressive of the bunch, with middling food and a return of the trivia-heavy show from the Treasure, which is a significant downgrade from the (already mediocre) star-packed film and live character appearance found on the Wish. It’s hard to imagine even the most dedicated and easily impressed Marvel fan loving this thing. There’s also a lineup of quick service fast food options on the pool deck—burgers, chicken fingers, BBQ, pizza—that’s included in the dining package, and various snacks and other light bites at two of the ship’s bars, The Sanctum and Cask & Cannon. And pastries can be found at two different coffee shops midship. 

Drinking might not be quite as central to the Disney Cruise experience as with other cruise lines, but, uh, it’s still pretty dang important. Fortunately the Destiny features four themed lounges, along with a handful of other bars found throughout the ship. The Sanctum, a Doctor Strange-themed space that’s this ship’s central lounge, has already been covered at length here. (Spoiler: it’s nice.) The Destiny also features its own version of the Haunted Mansion Parlor, a genuinely amazing themed bar that remarkably translates Disney’s beloved theme park attraction into an unforgettable immersive experience. The show elements are essentially the same, but the Destiny’s take on the concept includes a totally overhauled drink menu, as well as two new purchasable mugs and a fantastic plastic sipper based on the ride’s organist. (It even lights up. It’s rad.) De Vil’s, as mentioned above, is the Destiny’s piano bar; it’s all decked out in red, white and black, in honor of Disney’s infamous puppy-stealing villain, and has piano performances throughout the day. Its signature drink is destined for social media virality: the Perfectly Wretched serves a cocktail of vodka, elderflower, lime, agave, cucumber and strawberries alongside a frozen Chambord lipstick, a compact with edible glitter, and a perfume bottle filled with Champagne. It’s beyond stylish and will also get you a little tipsy, which is always a fantastic combination. And Cask & Cannon is the second new Pirates of the Caribbean-themed bar to open since the August debut of Disney World’s Beak & Barrel; it doesn’t have the audio-animatronic parrot or other practical effects of that theme park tavern, but it evokes the same atmosphere of 18th century debauchery, with a menu full of rum drinks and finger foods. The Dead Man’s Chest is another order that will kill on Instagram or TikTok; it comes with two glowing rum cocktails inside a treasure chest filled with gold(-wrapped) (chocolate) coins. Find a friend and dig in. As with the Treasure and Wish, the best drink on board might be a smoked whiskey cocktail at Hook’s Barbery, a salon for men where you can also get a trim or shave. And the two coffee shops, Cafe Megara and Cafe Merida, both serve cocktails, as well.

You won’t spend all your time eating and drinking, of course, no matter how tempting that might sound. With a full-service spa, several pools and hot tubs, the Aquamouse water coaster, an Incredibles-themed bounce house obstacle course, and various exclusive spaces set aside for kids, tweens, teens, and adults, there’s no shortage of fun or relaxation to be had on board the Destiny. And its two major stage shows follow in the Broadway-quality tradition that Disney’s cruises are known for. Its brand new Hercules show condenses the animated film into a rousing live performance, with some awe-inspiring effects and puppetry recreating the Titans and centaur from the movie. It preserves the best things about the film—the music, the surprisingly complicated and conflicted female lead Megara, the hyperverbal meta wit of Hades—while cutting out about 20 minutes of what doesn’t work on the screen. And if it makes you want to watch the original, you can find it streaming on your stateroom TV—or potentially screening in one of the ship’s two cinemas, one of which shows classics, the other of which is devoted to theatrical releases from this year. (If you sail in the next few months, the Disney Destiny will give you an entirely new way to not watch Jared Leto’s Tron movie.)

It nails the basics of the modern cruise experience with that patented Disney detail, but the Destiny difference comes down to character. This ship has more of it—and more of them—than the Wish or Treasure. If you’re a Disney fan looking for a getaway, or a family in the market for something new and unforgettable, you can’t go wrong with any of Disney’s cruise ships; but as the newest and the most interaction-heavy, the Destiny really stands out. It’s incredibly easy to be skeptical or cynical about Disney and its ironclad commitment to extracting as much money out of its customers as possible, but credit where it’s due: they are genuinely great at creating experiences that leave an indelible mark, at bringing friends and family and even strangers together, and at helping you escape, however briefly, from the increasingly toxic and caustic world we live in. The Disney Destiny is yet another testament to their particular brand of magic—which is even more impressive than Dr. Facilier’s card tricks.

Editor-in-chief Garrett Martin writes about videogames, theme parks, pinball, travel, and more. You can also find him on Blue Sky.

 
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