Disney Cruise Line’s fifth: Disney Wish

Disney Cruise Line’s fifth ship will be called the Disney
Wish. At its D23 Expo on Sunday, Disney revealed the name of the ship as well
as renderings of its stern design and atrium. 

Disney described the three-story atrium as “bright and
airy, inspired by the beauty of an enchanted fairytale.”

The stern design features Rapunzel with paintbrush in hand,
suspended by her enchanted blond hair. Her sidekick chameleon, Pascal, holds
the easel while Rapunzel paints.

“Spirited, smart, curious and — above all — adventurous,
Rapunzel embodies the wish and desire to see and experience the world,”
Disney said.

The Disney Wish is scheduled to enter service in January
2022.

“There couldn’t be a better name for our incredible new
ship because making wishes come true is part of the Disney DNA and is at the
heart of so many of our cherished stories,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney
Parks, Experiences and Products.

The Wish will be powered by liquefied natural gas. At approximately
144,000 gross tons and 1,250 guest staterooms, it will be slightly larger than
the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

Also at D23, Disney revealed new information about
Lighthouse Point, its second private destination in the Bahamas, located on the
island of Eleuthera.

Disney said Joe Rohde, whose work includes the design of
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando and the Aulani resort Hawaii, has
taken a cultural tour of the Bahamas to meet with local artists and cultural
experts. 

“The Lighthouse Point site is so beautiful and so full
of nature that we want to preserve this and use our designs to call attention
to the extraordinary quality of the place itself — a place of natural beauty
with a rich and fascinating cultural tradition,” Rohde said. “We will
be directly involved in conservation efforts to preserve and protect the
environment that creates this beauty, and we will be working with artists of
every kind, much like we did with Aulani in Hawaii, to create a unique
destination that is rooted in Bahamian culture and imbued with Disney magic.”

Disney Cruise Line completed its purchase of Lighthouse
Point earlier this year, committing to develop less than 20% of the property
and build an open-trestle pier that eliminates the need to dredge a ship channel.

Construction at Lighthouse Point will begin after an environmental
impact assessment and environmental management plan are reviewed and accepted
by the government of the Bahamas, Disney said. The company said construction
could begin in 2020 with completion in late 2022 or 2023.