The Disney Believe's first gigablock has floated out, and Disney Cruise Line posted three photos from the shipyard

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Disney Cruise Line posted three photos of the Disney Believe under construction on September 18 and pointed to a Disney Parks Blog update confirming the milestone: the first of the ship's three gigablocks, the midship section that will hold the Grand Hall, has been completed and floated out at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The fourth Wish-class ship is still due to sail in late 2027, with a livestream reveal set for October 7.

The Disney Believe's first gigablock has floated out, and Disney Cruise Line posted three photos from the shipyard

Disney Cruise Line posted three photos of the Disney Believe under construction on X on September 18, its first look at the ship since the March reveal. The pictures accompany a Disney Parks Blog update published the same day, which confirms the milestone behind them: the first of the ship's three gigablocks has been completed and floated out at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The Believe, the fourth ship in the Wish class, is still due to sail in late 2027.

A man in a green jacket is seen smiling while two other men, one in a top hat and one in a white toga, are highlighted with purple and yellow outlines, with a Minnie Mouse character in a red dress highlighted with a yellow outline, and the word "villains," at the bottom.
A man in a green jacket is seen smiling while two other men, one in a top hat and one in a white toga, are highlighted with purple and yellow outlines, with a Minnie Mouse character in a red dress highlighted with a yellow outline, and the word "villains," at the bottom. Still from Disney Parks's video
A wide shot shows two men standing on a patterned rug in front of an elaborate, tree-like structure with glowing elements, in a large indoor area with multiple levels and balconies.
A wide shot shows two men standing on a patterned rug in front of an elaborate, tree-like structure with glowing elements, in a large indoor area with multiple levels and balconies. Still from Disney Parks's video
A chandelier with multi-colored lights hangs from a ceiling, with the text "in the chandelier," superimposed over the image.
A chandelier with multi-colored lights hangs from a ceiling, with the text "in the chandelier," superimposed over the image. Still from Disney Parks's video
A Halloween-themed tree with glowing pumpkins and a female figure is displayed indoors, with text overlayed on the image.
A Halloween-themed tree with glowing pumpkins and a female figure is displayed indoors, with text overlayed on the image. Still from Disney Parks's video
Several people are standing around a Black Panther statue in a multi-story building with ornate railings and decorative elements.
Several people are standing around a Black Panther statue in a multi-story building with ornate railings and decorative elements. Still from Disney Parks's video

Key Details

What Disney Cruise Line posted

The post went up on the Disney Cruise Line account on X at 2:33 p.m. Eastern on September 18. The caption reads: "The Disney Believe is taking shape! Take a look inside the construction of the Disney Believe, where we are bringing the newest Disney Cruise Line ship to life." Three photos were attached: two aerial views of the shipyard and one shot of an interior space still in its structural stage. A reply from the same account three minutes later read "Learn more" and linked to the Disney Parks Blog's running Disney Believe update page.

An aerial view shows a large shipbuilding facility with a partially constructed cruise ship in the water, surrounded by industrial buildings and smaller boats.
An aerial view of the shipbuilding facility, with a partially constructed cruise ship in the water surrounded by industrial buildings and smaller boats. Photo: Disney Cruise Line

Neither the post nor the reply says which shipyard the photos show or what the interior space is. The blog update fills in the first of those gaps, and the shipyard is the same one that built the ship's three sisters.

The first gigablock floats out

According to the Disney Parks Blog update, the Disney Believe is being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and the first of its three gigablocks has been completed and floated out of the yard. Disney describes that as an important step in the construction process.

The blog explains the method for readers who have not followed a cruise ship build before. Rather than assembling the vessel as a single piece, shipbuilders construct it in large sections, each one already fitted with walls, plumbing and wiring. Those sections can weigh more than 31,000 tons apiece, and they are welded together, in the blog's words, "like puzzle pieces" to complete the ship.

An aerial view shows a large cruise ship under construction in a dry dock, with several cranes and buildings surrounding it, and a body of water extending into the background.
An aerial view of the cruise ship under construction in a dry dock, ringed by cranes and shipyard buildings, with open water beyond. Photo: Disney Cruise Line

This first section is the midship of the Disney Believe. Disney singles it out because it is home to some of the ship's most familiar spaces, including the Grand Hall, the atrium that greets guests when they board a Wish-class ship. Disney also gave the build order for the rest of the hull: the forward section is the next gigablock to be constructed, followed by the aft. Only once all three are joined does outfitting move to the finished ship.

What the midship will hold

The Grand Hall inside this section already has a theme. At D23 on August 15, Disney Cruise Line showed the first look at the space, which draws on the Moana films and their spirit of exploration. A bronze statue of Moana with Pua and Heihei will stand as the focal point of the venue. The same presentation revealed the ship's exterior art: Woody and Buzz Lightyear hitching a ride on the stern beside lettering styled as yellow crayon, and a hand-painted filigree of Tinker Bell as she first appeared in the 1953 Peter Pan on the bow, flanked by silhouettes of Peter, Wendy, Captain Hook and other characters from the film.

Claire Weiss, Portfolio Executive Creative Director for Disney Cruise Line, framed the theme for the D23 audience: "This ship celebrates belief in magic, family, the power of nature, and belief in yourself. And all the stories we tell onboard will be tied together by the core Disney notion of believing in something fantastical."

A large, multi-level interior space is under construction, with exposed scaffolding, ductwork, and structural elements visible.
A multi-level interior space under construction, with scaffolding, ductwork and structural elements exposed. Disney Cruise Line did not say which venue this is. Photo: Disney Cruise Line

The interior photo in the post shows a multi-level space still in bare structure, with scaffolding and ductwork exposed. Disney has not identified it. Given that the midship section holds the Grand Hall and that the caption invites a look "inside the construction," a Grand Hall in its early stages is the obvious reading, but the post does not say so and the picture on its own cannot settle it.

How the sister ships got here

The Believe is following the path its two most recent sisters took at the same yard. The Disney Treasure was floated for the first time at Meyer Werft, was later guided by tugboat down the Ems River to open water, and reached its delivery ceremony in Eemshaven, Netherlands, before its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral on December 21, 2024. The Disney Destiny held its keel laying at Meyer Werft and sailed its first voyage from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on November 20, 2025. For each ship, the float-out of the first section came well over a year before guests boarded, which is consistent with the Believe's late 2027 target.

What is still unannounced

The shipyard update is the first construction news for the Believe since Disney Cruise Line introduced the ship on March 18 and set its debut for late 2027. Since then, Disney has named the stories the ship will draw on, including Encanto, Frozen, Snow White, Moana and The Little Mermaid, and has shown the Grand Hall and exterior art. It has not announced a homeport, itineraries, a stateroom count, tonnage, or any dining, entertainment or stateroom design beyond the Grand Hall.

Disney's own image from Snow White.
Disney's own image from Snow White.
A blurry, low-angle shot shows a large, multi-story indoor space with illuminated ceilings, green and orange lighting, and dark statues in the foreground.
A blurry, low-angle shot shows a large, multi-story indoor space with illuminated ceilings, green and orange lighting, and dark statues in the foreground. Photo: x.com

The next scheduled date is October 7, when Disney Cruise Line will hold a livestream reveal of the ship, announced on X in July. That is the likeliest place for the first itineraries and venue details to land.

What this means for cruisers

A floated-out midship is a schedule signal more than a booking one. It puts the Disney Believe roughly where the Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny were at the equivalent point in their builds, and Disney is still saying late 2027. Anyone holding out for the fourth Wish-class ship should watch the October 7 livestream for a homeport and sailing dates, and in the meantime the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny are all bookable at DisneyCruise.com.

A man in a white Disney VoluntEARS shirt holds a stack of books while standing in a brightly lit room with shelves of books and an exit sign.
A man in a white Disney VoluntEARS shirt holds a stack of books while standing in a brightly lit room with shelves of books and an exit sign. Photo: disneyexperiences.com
A blue cloud-shaped graphic with the words 'Disney Parks Blog' in white and light blue script is centered against a purple and orange speckled background.
A blue cloud-shaped graphic with the words 'Disney Parks Blog' in white and light blue script is centered against a purple and orange speckled background. Photo: disneyparksblog.com

Originally reported by x.com on . GenieGrove rewrote this story; the original reporting is theirs.