With Oriental Land Company venturing into the cruise business with Disney Cruise Line, it appears that there may be plans for a second ship in Japan.
Possible Plans for Second Disney Cruise Line Ship in Japan
In the 2035 Long-term Management Strategy packet, Oriental Land Company (OLC) looks ahead to its upcoming debut in the cruise industry, “building on its proud track record of evolving and growing Tokyo Disney Resort for more than 40 years.”
The document gives an overview of the significance of OLC entering the cruise business, and its “strengths not found” in their existing ventures:
- Acquire a new pillar of revenue for the OLC Group
- Highly profitable business model
- Not subject to land constraints
- Avoid the risk of concentrating all businesses in Maihama
- Business model less susceptible to weather conditions
- Employment from overseas
Last year, OLC announced a new agreement to launch their own Disney Cruise Line ship in Japan, targeting a FY2028 launch. Construction on the ship is scheduled to begin this fiscal year. Meyer-Werft has been commissioned to build the Disney Wish-class ship (joining the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and Disney Destiny).
As of the July 2024 announcement, the investment amount in the new ship totaled ¥330 billion. As of April 2025, that amount is divided into ¥290 billion for the ship’s body, and ¥40 billion in contingency funds. Net sales are expected to be ¥100 billion, with the operating margin to be on par with OLC’s theme park segment. The ship is expected to generate profit from FY2029 when full-year operation is scheduled.
Because of this new revenue stream, OLC appears to already be considering a second ship. In the document, OLC states that “the launch of the second ship will be considered when the first ship is successfully on track.” This means that we could see the announcement of a second Japan-based Disney Cruise Line ship sometime after 2028 or 2029, when the first ship is in service.
It’s worth noting that plans can always change, and details at this point on the potential of a new ship are scarce. But the fact that OLC is even considering a new ship before the first one is in port indicates their confidence in entering the cruise business.
This marks the first time that a Disney Cruise ship will not be operated by Disney Cruise Line. By 2031, Disney Cruise Line will sport a fleet of 13 ships, which include the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Fantasy, Disney Dream, Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, Disney Destiny, Disney Adventure, a smaller class of three ships, and OLC’s Wish-class ship.
Other announcements in the 2035 Long-term Management Strategy include possible land overhauls at Tokyo Disneyland, an expansion of Tokyo DisneySea, and the consideration of building new Disney hotels at the resort.
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