Disney Business Intelligence Report

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Business Intelligence Report

The Magical Cruise Company Limited, which does business as Disney Cruise Lines, provides cruise line services. Incorporated in 1996, the company is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Magical Cruise Company Limited operates as a subsidiary of Walt Disney Company (Bloomberg, 2011).

Disney Cruise Lines consists of four ships: the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, whose maiden voyages took place in 1998 and 1999 respectively, and Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy. The 4,000 passenger Disney Fantasy, Dream's sister ship, is currently under construction, and scheduled to begin sailing in March 2012. Disney Dream is the third ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, sailing its maiden voyage last January. For the first time, Disney Cruise Line will set sail from three new ports in 2012, New York, Seattle and Galveston, Texas (Disney Cruise Line, 2011).

The Disney Cruise Line has been a success ever since their launch with only two ships. For years, the two vessels have been filled at premium rates. Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, was asked why it took Disney more than a decade to roll out a third vessel. His response: "Getting the asset right is far more important than getting it done quickly" (Sloan, 2011).

Until this past January, it had been more than 12 years since Disney Cruise Line last launched a new ship. The Disney Dream, at 128, 690 tons and 2500 passenger capacity, is 40% larger than Magic and Wonder, as well as two decks taller. Dream itineraries offer three, four, and five night Bahamian cruises departing from Port Canaveral, Fla. (Independent Traveler, 2011).

Billed as the most high-tech cruise ship ever, the Dream features innovative use of technology. The recently launched Dream features the AquaDuck, the world's first shipboard water coaster. The 765-foot long flume ride features twists, turns, drops, and uphill acceleration and river rapids, all the while crossing the Disney Dream's upper decks. Enchanted Art comes alive in corridors and stairwells. A 24 X 14-foot LED screen faces Donald's pool attached to the forward funnel. Playrooms include video games and 3 green-screen enabled animator's studio and Wii-filled recreation areas. Complimentary "Wave phones" in every cabin can be used to call or text other passengers. Inside cabins also include another industry first: virtual portholes. In reality they are flat screens designed to look like portholes which project a real-time view outside the ship by means of high definition cameras and a live video feed (Independent Traveler, 2011).

While reviews of the Dream experience have been overwhelmingly positive, there are nonetheless areas where improvements are needed. According to USA Today reporter Gene Sloan (2011b), the wait to ride the acclaimed AquaDuck was more than 30 minutes at times. Given the popularity of the ride, there is probably little that technology can do to change AquaDuck wait times. However, technology can be used to make the wait less burdensome.