Disney Believe First Look at Disney Cruise Line’s Newest Ship Coming in 2027
Disney Cruise Line is giving guests a first glimpse at the Disney Believe, the next ship joining its growing fleet in late 2027.
The newest Disney Cruise Line ship is being designed around a simple but powerful idea: believe in magic, believe in yourself, believe in family and believe in what lies beyond the horizon.
During the Horizons: D23 Disney Experiences Showcase on August 15, 2026, Disney revealed some of the first major design details for the Disney Believe, including the ship's Grand Hall, bow artwork and stern character sculptures.
The new ship will continue the storytelling tradition established aboard the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny, while introducing its own identity and a collection of Disney-inspired experiences.
Disney says the Disney Believe will feature new venue concepts and entertainment inspired by beloved stories including Encanto, Frozen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Moana and The Little Mermaid.
And based on the first designs revealed at D23, the ship is already shaping up to have some of the most distinctive exterior and atrium details in the Disney Cruise Line fleet.
The Disney Believe Grand Hall Will Be Inspired by Moana
One of the biggest reveals at D23 was the first look at the Grand Hall aboard the Disney Believe.
Like the Grand Halls aboard the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny, the space will serve as one of the ship's primary gathering places.
But instead of a royal castle or an adventure inspired by another Disney story, the Disney Believe will transport guests into the world of Moana.
The Grand Hall will draw inspiration from the optimistic spirit of exploration found in the Moana films, creating a setting centered around discovery, nature and the journey toward new horizons.
Moana Will Welcome Guests
At the center of the Grand Hall will be a bronze cast statue of Moana, accompanied by her two familiar companions, Pua and Heihei.
The trio will look toward the horizon, reinforcing one of the central themes of the Disney Believe: having the courage to venture beyond what is familiar.
The design also incorporates visual influences from the South Pacific setting of Moana.
Disney says the Grand Hall will feature artisanal Polynesian-inspired finishes intended to honor the cultural traditions of the region.
This could make the Disney Believe's Grand Hall one of the most visually distinctive atriums Disney Cruise Line has created.
Woody and Buzz Lightyear Take Over the Stern
Disney Cruise Line has a long tradition of giving every ship its own unique character artwork, and the Disney Believe will continue that tradition.
For the stern, Disney is turning to two of Pixar's most recognizable characters:
Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
The first rendering shows the pair working together on the back of the ship.
Instead of simply displaying the ship's name in the familiar Disney Cruise Line script, Woody and Buzz will be shown etching "Disney Believe" onto the stern using oversized yellow crayons.
The lettering will take inspiration from the playful block-style typography associated with Toy Story.
It's a fitting choice for a ship whose overall theme revolves around imagination, possibility and believing in something bigger.
And it gives the Disney Believe a stern design unlike anything currently found on another Disney Cruise Line ship.
Tinker Bell Will Decorate the Disney Believe's Bow
The Disney Believe's bow will receive an equally distinctive design.
Tinker Bell will be featured in a delicate, hand-painted filigree inspired by her original appearance in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 1953 classic Peter Pan.
Surrounding Tinker Bell will be silhouettes of Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook and other characters from the film, appearing to fly through the swirling artwork.
The bow design is particularly meaningful to Disney Cruise Line fans because Tinker Bell has a special connection to the fleet.
She is the godmother of the Disney Wonder, which makes her appearance on the Disney Believe a fun connection between one of Disney Cruise Line's earliest ships and one of its newest.
A Ship Designed Around Belief
While individual venues and entertainment offerings will give guests plenty of Disney stories to discover, the Disney Believe appears to have a broader theme tying the ship together.
During the D23 presentation, Claire Weiss, Portfolio Executive Creative Director for Disney Cruise Line, described the ship as celebrating:
Belief in magic
Belief in family
The power of nature
Belief in yourself
The possibility of something fantastical
That philosophy fits the ship's name perfectly.
The Disney Believe is being positioned as a ship about what happens when you decide to look beyond the horizon and pursue something you believe is possible.
Disney Believe Entertainment and More Experiences Are Coming
The D23 presentation offered only a first glimpse at what guests can expect.
Disney has already confirmed that the ship will feature new venue concepts and entertainment experiences inspired by stories including:
Encanto
Frozen
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Moana
The Little Mermaid
That means the details revealed at D23 are only the beginning.
Disney Cruise Line has also created the Disney Believe Ship's Log, a behind-the-scenes look at the ship's development.
Future updates are expected to take fans inside the construction process at Meyer Werft Shipyard, showcase the work of Disney artists and reveal more about the entertainment and experiences being developed for the ship.
For Disney Cruise Line fans, this gives us an opportunity to follow the Disney Believe from its construction through its eventual debut.
When Will the Disney Believe Set Sail?
The Disney Believe is scheduled to enter service in late 2027.
Disney has not yet released all of the details surrounding the ship's inaugural sailing, homeport or complete itinerary lineup.
As additional information is announced, those details will help paint a much clearer picture of where the Disney Believe will sail and how the newest ship will fit into Disney Cruise Line's rapidly expanding fleet.
For now, Disney is inviting fans to look beyond the horizon.
And the first glimpse is certainly intriguing.
Disney Believe Is Already Giving Us Plenty to Talk About
The Disney Believe may still be under construction, but Disney Cruise Line has already established a strong identity for the new ship.
Moana will welcome guests into the Grand Hall.
Woody and Buzz will create the ship's name on the stern.
Tinker Bell will soar across the bow.
And stories from Disney Animation and Pixar will help fill the ship with new entertainment and experiences.
The result appears to be a Disney Cruise Line ship built around a very fitting message:
Believe in the magic. Believe in yourself. And always look beyond the horizon.
We will continue following the Disney Believe as Disney Cruise Line reveals more details about this exciting new addition to the fleet.
A Disney Cruise Line History Connection
There is an especially fitting bit of Disney Cruise Line history connected to the timing of this announcement.
On August 15, 1999, the Disney Wonder embarked on her maiden voyage, becoming the second ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet after the Disney Magic. Disney's official fleet information lists August 15, 1999, as the Wonder's maiden voyage.
More than 27 years later, Disney Cruise Line was once again talking about the future of the fleet on August 15 — this time revealing major new details about the Disney Believe.
And there's an extra bit of Disney magic in that connection:
Tinker Bell, the godmother of the Disney Wonder, will appear prominently on the bow of the Disney Believe.
From the Wonder's maiden voyage in 1999 to the reveal of the Disney Believe in 2026, Tinker Bell provides a wonderful connection between Disney Cruise Line's past and its future.
Follow the Disney Believe's Journey
The Disney Believe won't arrive until late 2027, but the countdown has officially begun.
As Disney Cruise Line releases additional information about the ship's restaurants, entertainment, kids' spaces, staterooms, lounges, recreation, itineraries and inaugural sailing, there will be plenty more to discover.
For Disney Cruise Line fans, this is only the beginning.
The Disney Believe is coming — and the journey beyond the horizon has officially started.
