Disney invited me to Papenburg, Germany, to not only witness the big milestone of the Disney Destiny leaving its dry dock for the first time, but also to learn how cruise ships are made at the legendary Meyer Werft shipyard and get a sneak peek at the future. While I was amazed at the ship itself and everything it will offer guests when it sets sail later this year, it was the incredible people who are bringing this dream to life that will stick with me for a lifetime.
The Disney Destiny will embark on its maiden voyage on November 20, 2025, and its theme is centered around Heroes & Villains. From the Black Panther statue in the Grand Hall to learning the legend of Simba at Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King to watching Hercules command the stage in a Broadway-style show to Spider-Man protecting the stern and more, some of Disney's greatest stories about good vs. evil will be on spectacular display.
All of these experiences and magical Disney moments will be the front-facing, lifelong memories that guests from around the world will create while sailing on the Destiny, but there is so much more to this story that needs to be told. I'm talking about the thousands of dreamers at the top of their game who came together to build this ship, block by block, and provide a safe space for these experiences to live. These are the heroes of this tale, and their names deserve to live in song just as much as our favorite characters who were immortalized on the big screen.
The Real Heroes of the Disney Destiny
The Disney Destiny was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard, which was founded in 1795 as a builder of small wooden vessels. Disney itself has had Meyer Werft build its cruise ships since 2011's Disney Dream, and the Destiny will be the seventh ship in its fleet and one of the 13 it plans to have sailing the seas by 2031.
Before we stepped onto the Disney Destiny for our hard hat tour, we were shown how these ships are built by Philip Gennotte, Portfolio Project Management Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering Germany.
Walking through Hall 6 at Meyer Werft, which is the world's largest covered dock, was an eye-opening experience that provided an incredible look at the innovations the shipyard's team continues to develop to be as efficient as possible in building these luxury cruise liners.
Gennotte told us building these ships is not so different from building LEGO. The Disney Destiny, which is the third of Disney's Wish-class ships that already includes the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, is composed of 100 blocks. Each of these blocks has 8 to 10 sections each, and the shipyard is knocking out 25 to 35 sections per week.
The blocks are made out of steel, and we got to see how these were put to good use by witnessing Meyer Werft's laser hybrid weld in action, and it was very impressive. Whereas welders would usually have to weld two pieces of steel together manually two times to get the top and the bottom, this automated system handles it all in one go. It gets the time consuming part out of the way, and gets these parts to the human workers down the line in a much quicker way.
After the laser hybrid weld, we got to see the production line in action, and it was very much how you would imagine cars are built. There are multiple stations in a long row, and each block stays at a station for four hours before moving to the next one. Each station is set up well in advance with all the tools and pieces the workers need, and, once again, efficiency and speed are key.
All of these blocks are built upside down, and a giant crane flips it around before its sent on its way to be part of the Disney Destiny in its dry dock. Much like LEGO, these blocks are then placed onto the Disney Destiny and the tolerance the team gives themselves is 20mm. Yes, that means the accuracy of where they place the block must be less than an inch or it isn't acceptable.
At any given time, there were 1,500 to 2,000 working on the Disney Destiny, and they come from all kinds of backgrounds - welders, plumbers, electricians, designers, etc. Each was chosen for their skill in their specialty, and they all play an important role in building not just a ship, but an actual moving city.
"There is about 60 megawatts of power that is created inside the ship," Gennotte told us. "That's actually enough to power a small city."
Alongside power, the Disney Destiny also has to be a theme park, a hotel resort, a sewage plant, and a producer of fresh water. This is all in support of the 4,000 guests that will voyage on the Disney Destiny and the 1,555 crew members that will ensure they have a journey of a lifetime.
Walking Aboard the Disney Destiny For the First Time
After seeing how these cities of the water were made, we were then able to be one of the first honorary guests to board the Disney Destiny. The ship was very much a work-in-progress, but it gave us a further appreciation of all the work and talent that goes into making this ready for its maiden voyage in roughly 100 days.
We first entered the Grand Hall and could see where Black Panther a.k.a. T'Challa will soon proudly stand. The influences of Wakanda were on display however, and we were even told many are calling this ship the Kingdom of the Seas because how this main space feels, with its nods to Queen Ramonda's clothing, and the Dora Milaje's spears, and Black Panther suit motifs on the glass. This themeing extends to the chandelier, which is inspired by the meteor that brought Vibranium to Wakanda, and it will dazzle guests when they enter the Grand Hall.
We also got a small tease of one of the newest additions that will be part of the Disney Destiny, and that's the 360-lighting in the Grand Hall. This is all to add to the immersion and feelings guests have on board, as the hall may be bathed in green as Loki appears to cause the mischief he is so famous for.
Beyond the Great hall, guests can immerse themselves in Cruella de Vil's wretched runway and march along as the villain provides live commentary. Fans of The Princess and the Frog will be able to witness first hand that parlor tricks and sleight of hand by the one and only Dr. Facilier. Oh, and no villains cruise would be complete without Maleficent, who will be holding court at Saga entertainment lounge.
Our journey then took us into the Haunted Mansion Parlor, which we absolutely loved aboard the Disney Treasure, and you could see the wiring and amount of work left to complete this space, and we were all amazed that the teams will work together to make it happen in just a few months time.
One of the most interesting stops on our tour was the Walt Disney Theater, which is where the Broadway-style adaptation of Hercules will live alongside Frozen: A Musical Spectacular and Disney Seas the Adventure. The Disney Destiny, much like the Treasure, was built Bow to Stern, or Front to Back. This meant the Walt Disney Theater looked like it was ready to go, and it even had props from the Frozen show on stage.
However, Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King, which is all the way in the back, had a ton of work left to go. Besides some motifs and paint that evoked an African sunrise, there wasn't much to see here. We were assured there was no need to worry as that was all part of the plan!
We were then taken to see a couple staterooms, and what was fascinating about this is that we learned they were all made off-site and pre-fabricated to more-or-less by dropped into that ship with everything a room needs already inside. All the crew needs to do is roll out the carpet, unfold the bed frame, put the mattress on, and lock the door of the cabinet. Everything else, including the stunning headboard murals of Hercules, Mulan, and more, are all ready to go.
Before our tour ended, we were given a first look at the Doctor Strange-inspired The Sanctum lounge and the Seal of the Vishanti window that fans of the MCU and comic books will recognize. Alongside being a nice addition to a lounge, it has an even deeper meaning that we just had to share.
"Doctor Strange and the other Sorcerer Supremes used that seal to defend our world from outside threats, and we wanted to make sure we had that protecting our version of the Sanctum on the Destiny as well," Beth Burkhart, Imagineer and Disney Destiny creative director, told us.
As you may now understand from the heroes and villains that will appear on the Disney Destiny, the team at Disney wants to create a cohesive experience that will delight both the most hardcore of fans and those who may not yet even know who Pain and Panic are.
"Everything we do has narrative significance and one guest may see that and another may not see it, but that doesn't matter to us," Claire Weiss, Senior Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Germany, said. "Of course, we want all guests to see that and enjoy it, but what's most important is that it gives us a lens through which to make creative decisions and we feel as if we're being true to the story."
It's all about the little details, and Weiss continued on to share how, despite the years of development that go into making these spaces, so much of their hard work will never be seen. However, it will be felt.
"We think that the words power and energy are what really underlie everything on the Disney Destiny," Weiss said. "Whether that be heroic power and aspirational power or a sort of sinister, villainous power. These are things that we talk about constantly throughout the years of the design development. And we start putting images together and we go, does this look and feel like what we want it to emotionally? The ship may never end up looking like this and it often doesn't, but the imagery conveys the emotion we want to impart to our guests."
This is what makes all the difference on a Disney cruise. There is a certain feeling aboard these ships that's hard to describe, and it's because of people like Weiss who bring in all the things we love about these films - even from getting the exact colors and materials right from Walt Disney Studios. It's that feeling of familiarity and comfort that reaches our hearts and relives our memories of these stories we hold close, and the team behind the Disney Destiny work tirelessly each and every day to impart that to every corner of the ship.
Disney Destiny's Float Out Was the Culmination of the Dreams of Thousands
We've now arrived at the main reason I was in Papenburg - Disney Destiny's Float Out! This is the big milestone when the Destiny leaves its dry dock and begins its prep to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to its home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
This Float Out, which wasn't publicly advertised, still drew people from all over, and it kind of felt like tailgate party before a football game. From RVs filled with family members of all ages to a group of wonderful older gentleman in matching attire to a few sheep on the hills that also wanted a look at this newest ship while chewing the finest grass, there was an electric and emotional atmosphere all around us.
The shipyard means so much to Papenburg and the surrounding area as it employs many who call this region home, so this was just as much a celebration for them as well. This even extends beyond the full-time employees, as Gennotte showed us a collection of small support tools that were created by local Caritas that allow those with disabilities to make a difference on these ships.
"It's the scale and sense of this thing that's much bigger than all of us, and that we all have to come together to create it."This pride was on full display when the ship was pulled out of its dock by a tugboat and the fireworks began flying and the Disney music swelled. There was such a sense of accomplishment and joy, and it's a feeling I'll never forget. I'll also never forget the faces of the Disney cast members with us, who had been working so hard for this moment and were able to enjoy this milestone they've been working so hard towards.
"It's the scale and sense of this thing that's much bigger than all of us, and that we all have to come together to create it," Weiss said. "I actually feel like this moment in time is a very special one. We have yet to release her into the world, so there's all this anticipation, there's all this magic, and there's all this pride from all of these thousands of people who've done this work and can't wait for our guests to get to have it. After this, it's their ship and it's no longer ours."
There is still plenty of work to go before it truly turns over to the guests, however, as the Destiny will continue its prep for its maiden voyage. This includes a few weeks of work at Meyer Werft, Sea Trials that will ensure she is ready for any danger, and the trip across the Atlantic that will include the final days to get the Destiny ready for showtime.
While it may seem like this journey for the team is coming to an end, we were also invited to be a part of the Steel Cutting ceremony for the next Disney Cruise Line ship that will set sail in 2027 and will be the fourth Wish-class ship in the fleet. This is the ceremonial moment when construction officially begins on a cruise ship, and of course there was some Disney Magic thrown in as Captain Mickey was on hand to hit a giant red button that started a machine that started laser cutting a piece of steel.
This new ship, which we know virtually nothing about, will fill the void that the Destiny left behind in Hall 6 now that it is ready to take on the world. However, its lessons will inform and encourage the teams to reach even higher and create an even more wonderful cruise ship that will one day be a place for families and people around the world to spend time with those they love the most and create magical moments that will live in their hearts for years to come.
I've always loved cruises and the oceans, but I am forever grateful that Disney invited me to see the true magic behind the curtain and shine the light on the incredible people who give so much of themselves to create these places we cherish so much.
For more, check out everything else we know about the Disney Destiny and our ultimate guide to the Disney Treasure.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
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