Disney And Oriental Land Co., Expand Relationship Into Cruise Business

For over 40 years Disney and Oriental Land Co., Ltd. (OLC) have worked together to build theme parks and hotels in Japan, namely, the Tokyo Disney Resort. Now, the two businesses have reached a new licensing agreement to launch a new Disney Cruise Line ship together. The ship will bring year-round Disney cruises to Japan by early 2029.

According to a press release from OLC, “This decision was based on the potential growth of the cruise market in Japan, the experience the Company has gained in its theme park and hotel operations, and its strong relationship with the Disney Company.”

The partnership will see OLC build and operate a Disney-branded cruise ship, which will be the fourth Triton class ship in Disney’s growing fleet. Construction is set to commence in the Japanese fiscal year 2025, which starts April 1. The ship will be built at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Disney is currently building its next ship, the Disney Treasure, at the same shipyard, which will launch in December 2024 with weeklong sailings from Port Canaveral, Florida.

The Japan-based ship will have some of the same venues and experiences from Disney Wish, though there will be some specially designed spaces that are geared more towards Disney’s Japanese fanbase. The new vessel will be approximately 140,000 gross tons, powered by liquefied natural gas and have about 1,250 staterooms. The ship should be able to accommodate about 4,000 guests and 1,500 crew members.

While specific itineraries are not yet known, a press release from OLC states the ship will mainly do short-distance sailings departing from and arriving at ports around the Tokyo metropolitan area. According to OLC, the total investment for the project is approximately ¥330 billion, or about $2 billion.

“I am sincerely proud that Disney and Oriental Land will be able to work together to create a world-class cruise business in Japan,” said Yumiko Takano, representative director, chairperson and CEO, Oriental Land. “Oriental Land will use their know-how from the theme park business to continue pushing boundaries and provide family entertainment cruise experiences filled with inspiration and surprise.”

The announcement comes on the heels of Disney Cruise Line announcing its third Wish-class ship, the Disney Destiny, plus the Disney Adventure sailing out of Singapore in 2025. Disney Cruise Line also opened its new island destination in the Bahamas, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in June 2024. With the news of the Japan-based cruise ship, Disney’s fleet will have nine ships sailing around the world by 2029.

2024 has also been a big year for Tokyo Disney Resort, which debuted its newest land, Fantasy Springs, at Tokyo DisneySea in June. The $2.1 billion, 35-acre development is one of eight themed “ports,” or lands, inside the park. Fantasy Springs was built in partnership between OLC and Disney.

“Disney Cruise Line has ambitious plans to bring family vacations and Disney storytelling to more guests around the world than ever before,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Experiences in a press release. “We are thrilled to continue the success of this expansion as we collaborate with Oriental Land Co. to introduce another distinctly Disney vacation experience to families and fans in Japan.”