Disney Cruise Line announced at the August 16-17, 2026 D23 Expo the introduction of the new ‘Disney Believe’ ship class, with the first vessel planned to enter service beginning in 2029. The announcement detailed that the ‘Disney Believe’ class will be a distinct new fleet segment, supplementing its existing Wish-class ships.
The first ship in this new class shares the name ‘Disney Believe’ and is currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, where steel cutting began on August 8, 2025. Disney officially confirmed the ship’s name in March 2026. Designed to accommodate approximately 4,000 passengers, the
Disney Believe ship is set to debut before the other three vessels planned from 2029.
Ship Design Themes and Character Features
The Disney Believe ship’s artistic themes focus on “promise and possibilities,” showcasing belief in magic, adventure, and self-confidence. The bow’s artwork features Tinker Bell central to a hand-painted filigree design, surrounded by silhouettes of Peter Pan, Wendy, John, Michael, Captain Hook, and Smee from Walt Disney’s 1953 film, Peter Pan.
Inside, the Grand Hall centers on Moana, with a bronze statue of the character accompanied by Pua and Heihei and Polynesian-inspired décor including wave motifs and water patterns in the carpeting. Toy Story characters Woody
and Buzz Lightyear appear on the ship’s stern sculpture, engaging with oversized yellow crayons to complete the ship’s name lettering. The stern lettering adopts large angled block fonts inspired by Toy Story, differing from the standard Disney Cruise Line font. Additional characters from Frozen, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto will be incorporated, though further details were not disclosed.
Intermediate Ship Size and Environmental Focus
The new ‘Disney Believe’ ship class will be sized between Disney Cruise Line’s smaller classic ships and their newer, larger vessels. Each ship in the class is projected to carry approximately 3,000 guests and measure about 100,000 gross tons, making them roughly
20% larger than the Disney Magic class but smaller than the Disney Dream and Disney Wish classes. This sizing aims to enable access to more ports and diversify itineraries.
Disney stated the new ships will incorporate advanced industry technologies for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Features include streamlined hull designs, next-generation propulsion systems, energy-efficient onboard systems, battery support, shore power compatibility, and fuel adaptability for hydrotreated vegetable oil and renewable methanol. These innovations align with Disney Cruise Line’s goal to expand its fleet to 13 vessels and reach new destinations and audiences.
Construction Timeline and Future Reveals
The steel cutting for the Disney Believe ship
began on August 8, 2025, at Meyer Werft in Germany. The ship is scheduled to debut in late 2027 as the fourth vessel within the Wish class. Following this, three new ships from the ‘Disney Believe’ class are expected to enter service starting in 2029.
Disney has planned a fuller reveal of the Disney Believe ship during a livestream event on October 7, 2026, promising more comprehensive details on design and features to be shared publicly. No official home ports or itinerary specifics have been announced for the new ships.
Strategic Purpose and Official Statements
Claire Weiss, Portfolio Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering,
emphasized that the Disney Believe ship celebrates “belief in magic, family, the power of nature, and belief in yourself.” She added, “All the stories we tell onboard will be tied together by the core Disney notion of believing in something fantastical.”
Weiss highlighted the strategic decision behind the ship size, stating the vessels will be positioned “right in the middle of our classic ships and our newer ones,” enabling Disney Cruise Line to “visit new places and reach brand new audiences we haven’t before.” The new class is part of Disney’s initiative to expand the total fleet size to 13
ships.
Information Not Yet Disclosed
Disney has not released additional technical specifications beyond basic size and passenger capacity. Specific homeports, sailing itineraries, and full onboard amenities or character integrations, except for those noted, remain undisclosed. The names of the three additional ships launching in 2029 have also not been revealed.
