Disney Cruise Line teases its first new ship class since the Wish, arriving 2029
Disney Cruise Line revealed the first look at an all-new class of three ships debuting in 2029, sized between the Disney Wonder and the Disney Wish. The fifth class in the fleet's history fills out the 13-ship expansion announced at D23 2024, and a never-before-seen teaser gave fans their first glimpse of the ships that follow the Disney Believe. Names, home ports and itineraries are still to come.
Disney Cruise Line gave fans their first look at the fleet's next chapter during the Disney Experiences Showcase, Horizons: A Carousel of Progress. Three new ships in an entirely new class, the fleet's fifth, will debut starting in 2029, deliberately sized between the line's classic vessels and its newer Wish-class ships to reach ports the current fleet cannot. A never-before-seen teaser played for the crowd, the first public glimpse of the design.
Key Details
- What: Three new ships in a brand-new Disney Cruise Line class, the fleet's fifth
- Debut: First ship arrives in 2029
- Size: Larger than the roughly 84,000 gross ton Disney Wonder, smaller than the 144,000 gross ton Disney Wish
- Before that: Disney Believe, the fourth and final Wish-class ship, sails in 2027
- Fleet target: 13 ships, per the expansion announced at D23 in 2024
- Revealed by: Claire Weiss, alongside host Neil Patrick Harris, with a never-before-seen teaser
A new class joins the fleet in 2029
The reveal came during the Horizons: A Carousel of Progress presentation, where Disney Cruise Line's Claire Weiss joined host Neil Patrick Harris on stage. Jack McBrayer also appeared dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. Weiss confirmed that after the Disney Believe launches in 2027 as the fourth and final Wish-class ship, the next three vessels will belong to an entirely new class, the first of them arriving in 2029.
The expansion itself was announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024, when Disney committed to growing the cruise fleet to 13 ships. The new class fills out the back half of that plan.
Sized between the classics and the Wish class
Most details are still under wraps, but Weiss shared the defining fact: the new ships occupy a gap Disney has never filled, the middle of the fleet's size range. "Right in the middle of our classic ships and our newer ones. That gives us some amazing opportunities to visit new places and reach brand new audiences we haven't before," she told the crowd. In practical terms, that means bigger than the roughly 84,000 gross ton Disney Wonder but smaller than the 144,000 gross ton Disney Wish.
That middle size matters for itineraries. Smaller ships can reach ports the larger Wish-class vessels cannot, so the new class gives Disney more flexibility as it sails to new destinations around the world. Weiss tying the size directly to "new places" is the strongest hint Disney has dropped that these ships are aimed at itineraries beyond the line's Florida and Caribbean core.
The first teaser, shown publicly for the first time
Attendees at the showcase saw a teaser for the new class that Weiss said had never been shown publicly before. Disney has since shared the clip online. Beyond the sizing and the 2029 date, details remain under wraps, including the ships' names, home ports and itineraries.
Where the fleet stands today
Disney Cruise Line currently sails eight ships, and the announcement puts the current lineup in context. Each existing class marks a step in the fleet's growth:
- Disney Magic and Disney Wonder: The original two ships, launched in 1998 and 1999 with a classic ocean liner look. They are the smallest and most intimate vessels in the fleet.
- Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy: The second generation, launched in 2011 and 2012, larger ships known for their grand atriums, expanded dining concepts, and spaces themed to Disney stories.
- Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and Disney Destiny: The current class, each ship built around a different spirit of Disney storytelling, with the Disney Believe joining as the fourth in 2027.
- Disney Adventure: The newest ship in service and the biggest in the fleet, sailing from Singapore with experiences drawn from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel stories for families across Southeast Asia.
Add the Believe and the three unnamed new-class ships and the announced pipeline reaches 12, with one more vessel to come to hit the 13-ship target.
What this means for cruisers
The 2029 ships are still years out, and names, itineraries, and home ports remain unannounced. The size positioning is the real news: a mid-size class built to reach ports and regions the biggest ships cannot, which suggests new destinations rather than more capacity on existing routes. Cruisers who prefer the scale of the Magic and Wonder over the larger Wish-class ships now know that style of sailing has a future in the fleet. Disney typically opens bookings more than a year out, so expect names and first itineraries to surface well before the 2029 debut. Current itineraries are bookable at DisneyCruise.com.