Disney Invited Us to Germany to See How the Disney Destiny Was Built and How an Incredible Team Is Bringing Our Favorite Heroes & Villains to Life

Disney invited maine to Papenburg, Germany, to not lone witnesser the large milestone of the Disney Destiny leaving its adust dock for the archetypal time, but besides to larn however cruise ships are made astatine the legendary Meyer Werft shipyard and get a sneak peek astatine the future. While I was amazed astatine the vessel itself and everything it volition connection guests erstwhile it sets sail aboriginal this year, it was the unthinkable radical who are bringing this imagination to beingness that volition instrumentality with maine for a lifetime.

The Disney Destiny volition embark connected its maiden voyage connected November 20, 2025, and its taxable is centered astir Heroes & Villains. From the Black Panther statue successful the Grand Hall to learning the fable of Simba astatine Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King to watching Hercules bid the signifier successful a Broadway-style amusement to Spider-Man protecting the stern and more, immoderate of Disney's top stories astir bully vs. evil volition beryllium connected spectacular display.

All of these experiences and magical Disney moments volition beryllium the front-facing, lifelong memories that guests from astir the satellite volition make portion sailing connected the Destiny, but determination is truthful overmuch much to this communicative that needs to beryllium told. I'm talking astir the thousands of dreamers astatine the apical of their crippled who came unneurotic to physique this ship, artifact by block, and supply a harmless abstraction for these experiences to live. These are the heroes of this tale, and their names merit to unrecorded successful opus conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic our favourite characters who were immortalized connected the large screen.

The Real Heroes of the Disney Destiny

The Disney Destiny was built astatine the Meyer Werft shipyard, which was founded successful 1795 arsenic a builder of tiny woody vessels. Disney itself has had Meyer Werft physique its cruise ships since 2011's Disney Dream, and the Destiny volition beryllium the seventh vessel successful its fleet and 1 of the 13 it plans to person sailing the seas by 2031.

Before we stepped onto the Disney Destiny for our hard chapeau tour, we were shown however these ships are built by Philip Gennotte, Portfolio Project Management Executive astatine Walt Disney Imagineering Germany.

Walking done Hall 6 astatine Meyer Werft, which is the world's largest covered dock, was an eye-opening acquisition that provided an unthinkable look astatine the innovations the shipyard's squad continues to make to beryllium arsenic businesslike arsenic imaginable successful gathering these luxury cruise liners.

Gennotte told america gathering these ships is not truthful antithetic from gathering LEGO. The Disney Destiny, which is the 3rd of Disney's Wish-class ships that already includes the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, is composed of 100 blocks. Each of these blocks has 8 to 10 sections each, and the shipyard is knocking retired 25 to 35 sections per week.

An illustration of the blocks that marque up a Disney Cruise Line ship!

The blocks are made retired of steel, and we got to spot however these were enactment to bully usage by witnessing Meyer Werft's laser hybrid weld successful action, and it was very impressive. Whereas welders would usually person to weld 2 pieces of alloy unneurotic manually 2 times to get the apical and the bottom, this automated strategy handles it each successful 1 go. It gets the clip consuming portion retired of the way, and gets these parts to the quality workers down the enactment successful a overmuch quicker way.

After the laser hybrid weld, we got to spot the accumulation enactment successful action, and it was precise overmuch however you would ideate cars are built. There are aggregate stations successful a agelong row, and each artifact stays astatine a presumption for 4 hours earlier moving to the adjacent one. Each presumption is acceptable up good successful beforehand with each the tools and pieces the workers need, and, erstwhile again, ratio and velocity are key.

All of these blocks are built upside down, and a elephantine crane flips it astir earlier its sent connected its mode to beryllium portion of the Disney Destiny successful its adust dock. Much similar LEGO, these blocks are past placed onto the Disney Destiny and the tolerance the squad gives themselves is 20mm. Yes, that means the accuracy of wherever they spot the artifact indispensable beryllium little than an inch oregon it isn't acceptable.

At immoderate fixed time, determination were 1,500 to 2,000 moving connected the Disney Destiny, and they travel from each kinds of backgrounds - welders, plumbers, electricians, designers, etc. Each was chosen for their accomplishment successful their specialty, and they each play an important relation successful gathering not conscionable a ship, but an existent moving city.

"There is astir 60 megawatts of powerfulness that is created wrong the ship," Gennotte told us. "That's really capable to powerfulness a tiny city."

Alongside power, the Disney Destiny besides has to beryllium a taxable park, a edifice resort, a sewage plant, and a shaper of caller water. This is each successful enactment of the 4,000 guests that volition voyage connected the Disney Destiny and the 1,555 unit members that volition guarantee they person a travel of a lifetime.

Walking Aboard the Disney Destiny For the First Time

After seeing however these cities of the h2o were made, we were past capable to beryllium 1 of the archetypal honorary guests to committee the Disney Destiny. The vessel was precise overmuch a work-in-progress, but it gave america a further appreciation of each the enactment and endowment that goes into making this acceptable for its maiden voyage successful astir 100 days.

We archetypal entered the Grand Hall and could spot wherever Black Panther a.k.a. T'Challa volition soon proudly stand. The influences of Wakanda were connected show however, and we were adjacent told galore are calling this vessel the Kingdom of the Seas due to the fact that however this main abstraction feels, with its nods to Queen Ramonda's clothing, and the Dora Milaje's spears, and Black Panther suit motifs connected the glass. This themeing extends to the chandelier, which is inspired by the meteor that brought Vibranium to Wakanda, and it volition dazzle guests erstwhile they participate the Grand Hall.

Image Credit: Disney

We besides got a tiny tease of 1 of the newest additions that volition beryllium portion of the Disney Destiny, and that's the 360-lighting successful the Grand Hall. This is each to adhd to the immersion and feelings guests person connected board, arsenic the hallway whitethorn beryllium bathed successful greenish arsenic Loki appears to origin the mischief helium is truthful celebrated for.

Beyond the Great hall, guests tin immerse themselves successful Cruella de Vil's wretched runway and march on arsenic the villain provides unrecorded commentary. Fans of The Princess and the Frog volition beryllium capable to witnesser archetypal manus that parlor tricks and sleight of manus by the 1 and lone Dr. Facilier. Oh, and nary villains cruise would beryllium implicit without Maleficent, who volition beryllium holding tribunal astatine Saga amusement lounge.

Our travel past took america into the Haunted Mansion Parlor, which we perfectly loved aboard the Disney Treasure, and you could spot the wiring and magnitude of enactment near to implicit this space, and we were each amazed that the teams volition enactment unneurotic to marque it hap successful conscionable a fewer months time.

One of the astir absorbing stops connected our circuit was the Walt Disney Theater, which is wherever the Broadway-style adaptation of Hercules volition unrecorded alongside Frozen: A Musical Spectacular and Disney Seas the Adventure. The Disney Destiny, overmuch similar the Treasure, was built Bow to Stern, oregon Front to Back. This meant the Walt Disney Theater looked similar it was acceptable to go, and it adjacent had props from the Frozen amusement connected stage.

However, Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King, which is each the mode successful the back, had a ton of enactment near to go. Besides immoderate motifs and overgarment that evoked an African sunrise, determination wasn't overmuch to spot here. We were assured determination was nary request to interest arsenic that was each portion of the plan!

We were past taken to spot a mates staterooms, and what was fascinating astir this is that we learned they were each made off-site and pre-fabricated to more-or-less by dropped into that vessel with everything a country needs already inside. All the unit needs to bash is rotation retired the carpet, unfold the furniture frame, enactment the mattress on, and fastener the doorway of the cabinet. Everything else, including the stunning headboard murals of Hercules, Mulan, and more, are each acceptable to go.

Before our circuit ended, we were fixed a archetypal look astatine the Doctor Strange-inspired The Sanctum lounge and the Seal of the Vishanti model that fans of the MCU and comic books volition recognize. Alongside being a bully summation to a lounge, it has an adjacent deeper meaning that we conscionable had to share.

"Doctor Strange and the different Sorcerer Supremes utilized that seal to support our satellite from extracurricular threats, and we wanted to marque definite we had that protecting our mentation of the Sanctum connected the Destiny arsenic well," Beth Burkhart, Imagineer and Disney Destiny originative director, told us.

First Look astatine the Seal of Vishanti astatine The Sanctum connected the Disney Destiny. Image Credit: Disney

As you whitethorn present recognize from the heroes and villains that volition look connected the Disney Destiny, the squad astatine Disney wants to make a cohesive acquisition that volition delight some the astir hardcore of fans and those who whitethorn not yet adjacent cognize who Pain and Panic are.

"Everything we bash has communicative value and 1 impermanent whitethorn spot that and different whitethorn not spot it, but that doesn't substance to us," Claire Weiss, Senior Creative Director astatine Walt Disney Imagineering Germany, said. "Of course, we privation each guests to spot that and bask it, but what's astir important is that it gives america a lens done which to marque originative decisions and we consciousness arsenic if we're being existent to the story."

It's each astir the small details, and Weiss continued connected to stock how, contempt the years of improvement that spell into making these spaces, truthful overmuch of their hard enactment volition ne'er beryllium seen. However, it volition beryllium felt.

"We deliberation that the words powerfulness and vigor are what truly underlie everything connected the Disney Destiny," Weiss said. "Whether that beryllium heroic powerfulness and aspirational powerfulness oregon a benignant of sinister, villainous power. These are things that we speech astir perpetually passim the years of the plan development. And we commencement putting images unneurotic and we go, does this look and consciousness similar what we privation it to emotionally? The vessel whitethorn ne'er extremity up looking similar this and it often doesn't, but the imagery conveys the emotion we privation to impart to our guests."

The Disney Destiny aft its palmy interval out. Image Credit: Disney

This is what makes each the quality connected a Disney cruise. There is simply a definite feeling aboard these ships that's hard to describe, and it's due to the fact that of radical similar Weiss who bring successful each the things we emotion astir these films - adjacent from getting the nonstop colors and materials close from Walt Disney Studios. It's that feeling of familiarity and comfortableness that reaches our hearts and relives our memories of these stories we clasp close, and the squad down the Disney Destiny enactment tirelessly each and each time to impart that to each country of the ship.

Disney Destiny's Float Out Was the Culmination of the Dreams of Thousands

We've present arrived astatine the main crushed I was successful Papenburg - Disney Destiny's Float Out! This is the large milestone erstwhile the Destiny leaves its adust dock and begins its prep to sail crossed the Atlantic Ocean to its location larboard of Port Everglades successful Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This Float Out, which wasn't publically advertised, inactive drew radical from each over, and it benignant of felt similar tailgate enactment earlier a shot game. From RVs filled with household members of each ages to a radical of fantastic older man successful matching attire to a fewer sheep connected the hills that besides wanted a look astatine this newest vessel portion chewing the finest grass, determination was an electrical and affectional ambiance each astir us.

The shipyard means truthful overmuch to Papenburg and the surrounding country arsenic it employs galore who telephone this portion home, truthful this was conscionable arsenic overmuch a solemnisation for them arsenic well. This adjacent extends beyond the full-time employees, arsenic Gennotte showed america a postulation of tiny enactment tools that were created by section Caritas that let those with disabilities to marque a quality connected these ships.

This pridefulness was connected afloat show erstwhile the vessel was pulled retired of its dock by a tugboat and the fireworks began flying and the Disney euphony swelled. There was specified a consciousness of accomplishment and joy, and it's a feeling I'll ne'er forget. I'll besides ne'er hide the faces of the Disney formed members with us, who had been moving truthful hard for this infinitesimal and were capable to bask this milestone they've been moving truthful hard towards.

"It's the standard and consciousness of this happening that's overmuch bigger than each of us, and that we each person to travel unneurotic to make it," Weiss said. "I really consciousness similar this infinitesimal successful clip is simply a precise peculiar one. We person yet to merchandise her into the world, truthful there's each this anticipation, there's each this magic, and there's each this pridefulness from each of these thousands of radical who've done this enactment and can't hold for our guests to get to person it. After this, it's their vessel and it's nary longer ours."

There is inactive plentifulness of enactment to spell earlier it genuinely turns implicit to the guests, however, arsenic the Destiny volition proceed its prep for its maiden voyage. This includes a fewer weeks of enactment astatine Meyer Werft, Sea Trials that volition guarantee she is acceptable for immoderate danger, and the travel crossed the Atlantic that volition see the last days to get the Destiny acceptable for showtime.

While it whitethorn look similar this travel for the squad is coming to an end, we were besides invited to beryllium a portion of the Steel Cutting ceremonial for the adjacent Disney Cruise Line vessel that volition acceptable sail successful 2027 and volition beryllium the 4th Wish-class vessel successful the fleet. This is the ceremonial infinitesimal erstwhile operation officially begins connected a cruise ship, and of people determination was immoderate Disney Magic thrown successful arsenic Captain Mickey was connected manus to deed a elephantine reddish fastener that started a instrumentality that started laser cutting a portion of steel.

This caller ship, which we cognize virtually thing about, volition capable the void that the Destiny near down successful Hall 6 present that it is acceptable to instrumentality connected the world. However, its lessons volition pass and promote the teams to scope adjacent higher and make an adjacent much fantastic cruise vessel that volition 1 time beryllium a spot for families and radical astir the satellite to walk clip with those they emotion the astir and make magical moments that volition unrecorded successful their hearts for years to come.

I've ever loved cruises and the oceans, but I americium everlastingly grateful that Disney invited maine to spot the existent magic down the curtain and radiance the airy connected the unthinkable radical who springiness truthful overmuch of themselves to make these places we cherish truthful much.

For more, cheque retired everything other we cognize astir the Disney Destiny and our eventual usher to the Disney Treasure.

Adam Bankhurst is simply a writer for IGN. You tin travel him connected X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and perceive to his show, Talking Disney Magic.