At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event last summer, Disney announced that in addition to the four Disney Cruise Line ships already on the way, they were developing four more, for a total of 13 sailing by 2031. But there is a lingering question in the air: Will Disney Cruise Line retire their original ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder?
The short answer is yes. But the long answer is complicated.
13 Disney Cruise Line Ships
With help from a performance of “I Swear” by All-4-One, Disney Parks & Experiences Chairperson Josh D’Amaro revealed at D23 that Disney would add four more ships to their fleet. (Watch the full panel.)
“Once these fantastic new ships are built,” D’Amaro said, “you’re gonna have 13 ways to experience Disney’s world-class entertainment, our renowned dining, and impeccable guest service in more parts of the world.”
Disney Parks Blog reiterated that “four additional ships will bring the fleet to a total of 13, giving you 13 different opportunities to experience everything that Disney Cruise Line is known for.”
These announcements confirm that Disney is planning to have 13 ships sailing at once. In early 2025, they confirmed that one of the four new ships would be part of the Wish class, joining the Disney Wish, Treasure, and Destiny. The other three will be a brand new class slightly larger than the Magic and Wonder, but smaller than all the other ships at 100,000 gross tonnage with a capacity for 3,000 passengers.
These small ships seem poised to essentially replace the Magic and the Wonder.
Small Ships
It’s necessary for Disney Cruise Line to keep smaller ships sailing. Some locations restrict the sizes of cruise ships allowed to dock there, either because of land capacity or dock size.
The Panama Canal famously can only accommodate ships of a certain size and is used frequently by Disney and other cruise lines to save time traveling from the east coast to the west. Despite some confusion on the matter, all Disney Cruise Line ships do currently fit through the Panama Canal, but Disney seems to prefer sending the Magic and Wonder along the route.
It’s also worth noting that the Disney Wonder was fitted with a reinforced hull during its 2016 dry dock, specifically for sailing through the icy waters of Alaska. It has been sailing around the northernmost state since 2011 and is the only Disney Cruise Line ship to do so. The Disney Magic will make its first Alaskan sailings next year.
In addition to the hull, the Wonder follows guidelines to protect the environment around Alaska. And though the hull update and other guidelines are not technically requirements, Disney could build a new, small ship with a strong hull and minimal emissions baked into the design. This could save time down the road if they want to replace the Wonder and Magic with a new ship in Alaska.
The Magic and Wonder
Disney Cruise Line’s first ship, the Disney Magic, set sail on its maiden voyage on July 30, 1998. Its sister ship, the Disney Wonder, set sail on August 15, 1999. Each has a gross tonnage of 84,000 and can accommodate 2,700 passengers.
Going on 27 and 26 years old, the Magic and the Wonder are elderly cruise ships. Most cruise ships sail for 20-30 years before retiring due to old age. Like a car, a cruise ship gets worn down and its technology ages out of date as the decades pass, until eventually it’s more expensive to fix a ship than to build or buy a new one.
Sometimes, a retired cruise ship will be bought by another cruise company and refurbished. One of the longest-running cruise ships currently sailing is the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. It’s been sailing under that name since 2022 but was first built in 1991 for Costa Cruises, making her 34 — just a few years older than Disney’s first two ships.
Even older is the MV Astoria, which began its life as the ocean liner Stockholm in 1948. It was turned into a cruise ship in 1993. (Cruise ships and ocean liners are technically different, and the only ocean liner currently in service is the 21-year-old Queen Mary 2.)
But in order for the 77-year-old Astoria to keep running, she had to be gutted and almost completely rebuilt. Other old ships have undergone similar refits, creating a Ship of Theseus paradox: if all of the original parts of a ship have been replaced, is it the same ship?
So, it’s possible for a ship to continue sailing past the 30-year mark. But this gets progressively more expensive and less safe.
It seems unlikely that Disney would want to sell one of their ships to a smaller company. The boats are built so custom to Disney’s purposes that they wouldn’t want any hidden Mickeys and other proprietary design elements accidentally ending up on a Margaritaville ship. Many retired ships are sold for scrap, which would be a sad fate for a piece of Disney history — but many defunct Disney attractions have found their way to the dumpster over the years. Disney could save many of the ships’ iconic elements and decorations, like their atrium statues and stern figures, and even repurpose them for other Disney Cruise Line ships.
So the question isn’t really will the Magic and Wonder retire; it’s when will they retire?
When?
Given Disney’s emphasis that there will be 13 ships at one time in 2031, the Magic and Wonder have at least six years left on the ocean before Disney Cruise Line plans on putting them out to pasture. If any of the new ships are delayed, that could be extended.
If Disney Cruise Line decides to keep the Magic and Wonder around indefinitely, they could enter dry dock for refurbishments soon after the new ships launch. Dry dock can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the work necessary. To extend the lives of the ships, they would probably need a significant amount of work and have a longer dry dock period.
Disney Cruise Line would also hopefully give fans plenty of time to book final sailings on the Magic and Wonder. Since Disney Cruise Line bookings open over a year in advance, they would probably give at least a year’s notice. The Wonder would also likely retire a year after the Magic.
All that said, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder will probably stick around for at least another seven or eight years, maybe a little longer. But it’s inevitable that they won’t last forever, and Disney Cruise Line guests might want to start planning their final sailings on the ships now.
The Future of Disney Cruise Line
Since the D23 announcement, Disney Cruise Line launched the Disney Treasure. The six ships currently sailing are:
- Disney Magic
- Disney Wonder
- Disney Fantasy
- Disney Dream
- Disney Wish
- Disney Treasure
The third Wish-class ship, Disney Destiny, will set sail on its maiden voyage on November 20, 2025. It will be followed by the Disney Adventure sailing out of Singapore on December 15, 2025.
The fourth Wish class ship will launch in 2027. Oriental Land Company, the owners of Tokyo Disney Resort, announced their own Disney Cruise Line ship expected to launch from Japan in 2029. The three smaller ships will launch in 2029, 2030, and 2031.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
If you’re thinking of booking a cruise on one of Disney Cruise Line’s new ships, why not contact our official travel agent, Be Our Guest Vacations, and let them handle the entire booking process for you!
