The Disney Destiny, the latest ship from the ever-expanding Disney Cruise Line, is just about ready for guests, and we got to see some of the ship’s NEW elements up close!

The ship, which will have its maiden voyage this November, will be themed to Heroes and Villains and be “inspired by the dynamic duality of every great Disney story when developing this new ship, where opposing forces of light and dark drive characters to rise to their purpose,”  according to Disney’s Imagineers.

The Destiny will celebrate the “legacies of beloved Disney stories, characters, and theme park attractions,” according to the company, which continues throughout the ship’s public spaces, attractions, restaurants, lounges, and even guest rooms.

AND WE’RE LIVE FROM AN EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW TO SEE IT ALL!

Today, we are on board the Disney Wish to get the first looks at what the Disney Destiny will be bringing to life when it sets sail in November 2025. First, we got to check out the merchandise! 

From Spirit Jerseys to Loungeflys and, of course, the Minnie Ears, we got to see a bit of everything!

There were also pins on board, of course!

Who doesn’t need a few plushes to add to the collection?

We also got a glimpse at the new souvenirs featuring superheroes Mickey and Minnie to match the theme of the cruise line.

Next up was a look into the staterooms! We got a glimpse of the new artwork that will be featured throughout the rooms. The rooms will feature art inspired by Hercules…

Mulan…

and Brave!

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When it comes to food, we also test out a sweet treat inspired by Pixar’s The Incredibles!

And what’s a Disney Cruise without characters? We spotted a few superheroes (and even a villain) on board! First was Minnie Mouse in her Superhero Costume!

Next was the queen of mean, Maleficent!

We even spotted the Black Panther, who is the focal point of this ship’s Grand Hall Statue.

Even Spider-Man stopped by to show off some superhero poses!

 Another amazing sneak peek we got was a first glimpse at the brand new Hercules stage show that will premiere on the ship!

Disney’s first live Hercules his us right in the feels with one of the most emotional Disney songs of all time! ??#disneydestiny #hosted pic.twitter.com/EUhHjMQCFu

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) April 14, 2025

We also got to check out the new concept for the show. It looks absolutely incredible!

Disney also gave us a peek into what will await us as we step inside the Sanctum Lounge inspired from the Marvel “Doctor Strange” films! The centrally located entertainment parlor will host a variety of activities throughout your voyage while offering an array of mocktails, cocktails, spirits and coffees. Here you’ll come to be dazzled by the mystic art of mixology in a lounge taking cues from Doctor Strange’s New York Sanctum. This lounge will feature mystical items designed to aid sorcerers in protecting the world like theRune Shields, the Cloak of Levitation and spell books from the library of Kamar-Taj.

While the lounge isn’t available to explore yet, we were able to get a look at a few of the drinks you’ll be able to order here. This looker is called the Circle of the Cosmos and is served in an upside down martini glass (which ironically is a non-alcoholic drink) which we found to be tart but not unpleasant — almost like a ginger lemonade…

…while the Vapors of Volkov is a beautiful hue of purple with fascinating bubbles to boot! It’s basically a super fancy version of a Moscow Mule but with more balance due to the butterfly pea and lime flavors working against the heavier ginger presence.

Since this is the lounge that will be where The Bayou is on the Disney Wish and Skipper Society is on the Disney Treasure, it certainly feels like we could be 3 for 3 of this class of ships with the same spot having our favorite drinks.

Cocktail hour for the evening was inspired by De Vil’s and we tried two of the drinks you’ll find onboard like the Fashionista made of freeze-dried strawberry and banana-infused Patron Añejo Cristalino Tequila with banana liqueur, agave nectar, and fresh lime juice clarified with milk and chilled, served up with strawberry shortcake flavored popcorn!

There’s also a few other drink cups we got to “spot” like this mysterious dark goblet…

…and a drink served in a red stemless tumbler…

…and this fascinating drink called Fearless Sir Galahad made of Free Spirits Non-alcoholic Bourbon, bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup, and Angostura bitters finished with aromatic smoke!

The whole room was inspired by the look of De Vil’s you’ll find onboard the ship during our experience. Cruella interacting with us was the highlight of the evening…

…and when you’re sailing the Disney Destiny and find yourself slinking around De Vil’s, there are two short shows Cruella will be performing for you. Cruella took to the crowd for a bit of a fashion critique of their outfits where she walked them around and asks them to pose with her and in another segment while a pianist was playing ‘Cruella De Vil’ she was interrupting the song at parts she didn’t agree with (and some that she did like having eyes that watch you from underneath a rock) and we loved seeing her so spunky and willing to banter.  Look for her around the lounge or the grand atrium of the ship!

For the grand finale we enjoyed a special look at Pride Lands that will become of the new rotational dining restaurants onboard the ship! This is obviously inspired by The Lion King and will feature lots of nods and imagery throughout the restaurant’s theme, decor, and menu to help you feel like you’ve become one of the pride.

We were treated to concept of art to help us envision the space before we’re there…

…and we even got a peek at the Cast Member costumes your hosts and servers will be sporting around the restaurant!

Everything designed here from the plates and saucers…

…to the table setting…

…and those tiny details have all been curated with the utmost attention and we were blown away at how much Disney Cruise Line was able to show off already of this new restaurant!

We even got a peek at the Kid’s Menu…

…and a few fun sippers you can opt to purchase while on board like the familiar Timon sipper we’ve seen in Disney World…

…and a new laughing Ed that’s just adorably fun!

Several of the dishes y0u’ll be able to order from the menu were on display and here’s a look at a few now! Nala’s Roasted Pork Tenderloin…

…Cape Malay Shrimp Curry…

…Berbere Spiced Roasted Chicken…

…soup…

…and more!

Desserts were in full force too! We got to see the Warm Chocolate Malva Pudding…

…and the Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

They even had drinks, too! We sipped on the Can You Feel The Rum Tonight?…

…and the Slimy Yet Satisfying!

Best of all though we were treated to a number you’ll hear during your dining time performed right in front of our eyes!

This dining experience will be spectacular and we can’t wait to see it onboard the Disney Destiny ship.

We are onboard the ship all day and can’t wait to show you even more as we continue. We got to experience elements of the Disney Destiny, and if they’re any indication, the ship is going to be a crown jewel addition to the Disney Cruise Line Fleet. Stay tuned to DFB for more on the new ship!

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Which part of the Disney Destiny are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments below.

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney to attend their media preview of the Disney Destiny. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ