Disney Believe: What I'm Excited About, What I'm Not, and My Honest Thoughts on Disney Cruise Line's Newest Ship

If you know me, you know how much I love Disney Cruise Line. There's just something special about stepping onboard a Disney ship, from the incredible entertainment and dining experiences to all those little Disney touches that make a vacation feel magical.

So naturally, whenever Disney announces a new ship, I'm excited to see what they have planned.

But when Disney Cruise Line revealed more details about the Disney Believe, my first reaction was...

Meh.

And honestly, I wasn't expecting to feel that way.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the Disney Believe will be a beautiful ship, and there are definitely some things I'm excited about. But overall, I found the announcements a little underwhelming.

Maybe it's because we've already seen so many incredible experiences introduced on Disney's newer ships. Maybe my expectations were too high. Or maybe I was just hoping Disney would surprise us with something a little different.

Whatever the reason, the Disney Believe hasn't quite captured my excitement the way I hoped it would.

So let's talk about what I love, what I'm not particularly excited about, and what I wish Disney had done differently.

Are We Getting Too Much of the Same Thing?

One of my biggest disappointments with the Disney Believe is that I feel like Disney Cruise Line is repeating too many experiences from its other ships.

Now, I get it. These experiences are popular, families love them, and if something works, why change it?

But here's the thing.

Disney has SO many incredible movies, characters and stories to choose from, so why not change things up a little?

Take the Marvel dining experience, for example. We've already seen Worlds of Marvel introduced on other Disney ships.

Why not give us something completely different, like a Star Wars dining experience?

Can you imagine what Disney could do with that? The theming, the entertainment, the characters and the food! I think it could be an incredible experience.

And then there's Frozen.

I love Frozen, but do we really need another Frozen-themed dinner?

Why not something inspired by Zootopia? Or even Up?

I think either of those could make for such a fun and unique dining experience. Imagine the possibilities with all the creativity Disney is known for.

I'm not saying the experiences Disney has chosen won't be fantastic. I'm sure they will be, and I know plenty of families will absolutely love them.

But for those of us who have sailed with Disney Cruise Line before, I would love to see more variety between the ships.

Give me a reason to want to sail on every Disney ship because each one offers something different, not just because it's the newest ship in the fleet.

And I think that's what I'm missing with the Disney Believe.

What I'm Actually Excited About

Now, I don't want you to think I'm completely disappointed with everything Disney has announced, because there are definitely some things I love!

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Sea Notes and Wishing Well

I absolutely love that Sea Notes takes inspiration from The Little Mermaid and Wishing Well is inspired by Snow White.

These are the kinds of details I love seeing Disney incorporate into its ships.

We have so many wonderful classic Disney movies, and I love seeing them represented alongside the newer stories.

There's something special about those little touches that remind you of the Disney movies you grew up watching.

Big Hero Sips - Can we just talk about how cute this name is? Big Hero Sips!

I think it's such a fun and clever play on Big Hero 6.

Sometimes it's the smallest details that get me the most excited, and this is definitely one of them.

Encanto

Now this is one announcement I really am excited about!

I think Encanto has the potential to be an absolutely amazing stage show.

Between the music, the colourful characters and the magic of the Madrigal family, there's so much Disney can do with this production.

Disney Cruise Line has always impressed me with its Broadway-style entertainment, and I think Encanto could be something really special.

This is definitely one experience I would look forward to seeing onboard.

The Moana-Inspired Grand Hall: Does It Fit the Theme?

I actually like that Disney chose to incorporate Moana into the Disney Believe. I think she's a wonderful character, and I'm sure the Grand Hall will be absolutely beautiful. I'm just not convinced she's the best choice for this particular space.

When I hear the name Disney Believe, my mind immediately goes to Tinker Bell.

Faith, trust and pixie dust. Believing in magic and remembering what it felt like to be a kid, when anything seemed possible.

Now, I know Tinker Bell will be featured on the front of the Disney Believe, and I absolutely love that! But personally, I think she would have been an even better choice for the Grand Hall.

Can you imagine stepping onboard and being welcomed into a beautiful Grand Hall inspired by Tinker Bell, with touches of pixie dust and magic throughout?

To me, that would have captured the meaning behind the name Believe perfectly.

I understand that Moana's story is about believing in yourself, trusting who you are and following your own path. So I can certainly see the connection Disney is making.

And don't get me wrong, I love Moana! I just think there could have been another space onboard where her story would have been a better fit.

Of course, maybe once I see the Grand Hall in person, I'll feel differently. Disney has an incredible way of bringing its stories to life, and sometimes you need to experience something firsthand to truly appreciate it.

But for now, while I'm happy Tinker Bell is being represented on the ship, I can't help thinking she would have been the perfect character to welcome guests onboard the Disney Believe.

After all, isn't believing in magic what Disney is all about?

The Sweet Shop: Another Missed Opportunity?

Another area where I wish Disney had gone in a different direction is the sweet shop.

I'm sure it will be adorable, and let's face it, who doesn't enjoy a little something sweet while on vacation?

But I would have loved to see Disney explore a different theme.

With so many movies and characters to draw inspiration from, I think this was another opportunity to create something unique to the Believe.

And that's really what keeps coming back to me with this ship.

It's not that I dislike the experiences Disney is introducing. I just wish they had been a little more adventurous with their choices.

What About the Ship's Layout?

When it comes to the overall layout of the Disney Believe, I don't really have any major complaints.

I know the Wish-class ships have a different design from Disney's older ships, and while there are some things I prefer about the Dream and Fantasy, the overall layout isn't a dealbreaker for me.

One thing I definitely prefer on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy is the pool layout.

I just like how those ships have their pool areas arranged compared to the newer Wish-class ships.

But otherwise, I'm fine with the layout.

For me, it's not about needing Disney to completely redesign each new ship.

It's about wanting the experiences onboard to feel different.

I think Disney has done a wonderful job introducing new ships to its fleet, but I would love to see each one develop more of its own personality through unique dining, entertainment and themed spaces.

Will I Be Sailing on the Disney Believe?

Eventually? Probably!

But am I in a rush to book a sailing on the Disney Believe?

Nope.

And that's a little disappointing to admit because I absolutely love Disney Cruise Line.

When Disney announces a new ship, I want to be excited. I want to see something that makes me think, "We HAVE to experience that!"

And so far, the Disney Believe just hasn't given me that feeling.

There are definitely things I'm looking forward to, especially the Encanto stage show, and I'm sure Disney will deliver some incredible experiences onboard.

But with so many similarities to the other newer ships, I don't feel like I'm missing out by waiting.

In fact, I think our next Disney cruise will probably be on the Disney Wonder or Disney Magic.

And you know what? I'm actually really excited about that!

I love that Disney Cruise Line offers different ships and experiences, and sometimes the newest ship isn't necessarily the one that interests you the most.

That's something I remind my clients of, too.

Just because a ship is newer doesn't automatically mean it's the best choice for your family.

The itinerary, onboard experiences, price and what matters most to you should all play a part in choosing the right cruise.

And that's one of the things I love about helping families plan their Disney Cruise Line vacations. It's not about finding the newest or most expensive ship. It's about finding the one that's the best fit for them.

My Final Thoughts on the Disney Believe

I want to be clear that these are simply my first impressions based on what Disney has shared so far.

I haven't sailed on the Disney Believe, and I know there's a big difference between seeing concept art and actually experiencing a Disney ship.

I'm sure there will be plenty of families who absolutely love everything Disney has announced, and that's wonderful!

But I also think it's okay to love Disney Cruise Line and still wish they had done something differently.

For me, the Disney Believe feels like a missed opportunity to explore more of Disney's incredible collection of stories.

I would have loved to see more unique experiences, more variety between ships and a few surprises that we haven't already seen elsewhere in the fleet.

Will my opinion change once we see more of the ship?

Possibly! And I'm absolutely open to that.

But for now...

Disney Believe, I'm not saying no. I'm just saying you haven't convinced me yet.

Now I'd love to hear what you think!

Are you excited about the Disney Believe? Do you love the experiences Disney has announced, or were you hoping for something a little different?