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USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
A floating Disney bubble: What families can expect on Disney cruises
A floating Disney bubble: What families can expect on Disney cruises Show Caption Hide Caption Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom tour on the new Disney Treasure USA TODAY took a ride on the brand new Disney Treasure cruise ship. Here's what to know about the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom. "Family travel' is a six-part series showcasing the best experiences and destinations for young families looking for an escape. If you'd like to contribute to our future reporting and share your experience as a source, you can click here to fill out this quick form. I've been visiting Disney parks my entire life. I thought I knew what the Disney bubble was. Disney Cruise Line blew my definition out of (or into) the water. Everything Disney fans look for in a Disney vacation is – as Disney likes to say – plussed up on their ships. Here's what I experienced on my first Disney cruise and what your family can expect on yours. What is special about a Disney cruise? Disney cruises are made for Disney fans. 'We know that when guests get on one of our ships, 40, 50% of them are saying the only reason I'm cruising today is because Disney is here,' Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro told USA TODAY last August, ahead of the cruise line's expansion announcements at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. 'These cruise ships are ways that we can tell all of the amazing stories that we have. We bring them to life in dining; we bring them to life theatrically. We bring them to life through technology and our cast members.' Many ship venues are inspired by Disney stories. Guests who want to learn how they can take an Art of the Theme Show Tour during their sailing. Disney characters roam about regularly and unlike in the parks, never have long waits to meet them. The entertainment on board is truly Broadway quality, not only because Disney is at heart an entertainment company, but it's also produced numerous shows on Broadway. My favorite show on our Disney Treasure sailing was "Disney the Tale of Moana," which Disney developed with Broadway veterans and Polynesian cultural advisors and cast. The youth clubs, particularly for younger children, feel like stepping into Disney movies. Many kids happily spend hours there, and adults wish they could, too. The closest grown-up guests get is during open houses. Guests rotate through a variety of themed restaurants for dinner each night of their sailing, and servers rotate with you so they can get to know you and your preferences, as well as any dietary needs. The level of customer service is exactly what you'd expect from Disney. Ships are designed with families in mind. Most staterooms have split bathrooms, so multiple people can get ready at the same time, and most feature bathtubs, which are clutch with young children. You're traveling with fellow Disney families and fans, who share your enthusiasm. Non-Disney fans can still enjoy sailings, but for those who love Disney, it's the ultimate floating Disney bubble. Disney parks take to the seas: How the new Disney Treasure makes magic Is a Disney cruise all-inclusive? Disney cruises include lodging, most dining, entertainment, recreation, youth club access, and more in their standard fare. There is an additional fee for childcare for infants and toddlers under age 3 at 'it's a small world nursery.' Extra experiences like adult-exclusive dining, makeovers at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Sea, the Royal Court Royal Tea Party with Disney princess, and spa and salon services also have fees. Is all the food on a Disney cruise free? Meals at rotational dining restaurants, on-board buffets, and various food stands are included in the cruise fare, as is most room service. Guests may choose to pay extra for adult-exclusive dining like Remy or Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement. Treats at smoothie and sweets shops and snacks at concession stands near onboard movie theaters have à la carte fees. Specialty coffee drinks and alcohol are also extra. Do Disney cruises have good food? Yes. There are various options at each rotational restaurant. Guests are also welcome to ask for other offerings off menu, but what stuck out to me were everyday dishes like comforting congee at breakfast and a mountain of succulent crab legs during lunch at the Treasure's Marceline Market buffet. Mickey Churro Waffles and Disney Cruise Line chicken tenders are other fan favorites. So are Mickey ice cream bars, which you can order for free through room service. Italian-inspired Palo and other adult-exclusive restaurants, which cost extra, are so popular that reservations book up well ahead of sailings. Guests who miss out in advance can try to book in person upon embarkation. Is there unlimited alcohol on Disney cruises? No. There are no unlimited alcoholic beverage packages on Disney cruises. You can buy individual drinks and bottles of wine on board or pre-order bundles of hard seltzer, beer or wine. There are also deals like Drinks of the Day and the Beer Mug Savings package, which, for a one-time $15.25 fee, gets you 21-ounce beer refills for the price of 16 ounces. Upon initial embarkation and at each port, guests of legal drinking age may also carry on up to two unopened bottles of wine or champagne or six unopened beers no larger than 12 ounces. These must be brought in carry-on luggage, not checked, and may not be consumed in lounges or public spaces, aside from restaurants, where there is a corkage fee. Is there a casino on the Disney cruise? No. There are no casinos on Disney cruise ships. The closest thing to gambling is BINGO, which is extremely popular. Is there free Wi-Fi on Disney cruises? Yes. Guests can use free DCL Guest Wi-Fi to access the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App and message fellow guests. You can also message folks back home using third-party tools like Apple Messages and WhatsApp. However, you'll need paid internet service for anything more substantive like making calls, accessing social media, browsing the internet, posting or streaming video, and more. How much does a Disney cruise cost per person? Prices vary widely by sailing (ship, dates, itinerary, cruise duration and more), stateroom category, how many guests share the same stateroom and guest age. Kids under age 3, ages 3-12, and 13-17 are charged at different rates than adults, according to Plan Disney. Limited-time promotions also impact pricing. For instance, Disney Cruise Line is currently offering up to 30% off select summer 2025 sailings from the U.S. Prospective guests can find the latest special offers on the cruise line's website. Additionally, Disney Cruise Line passengers can lock in 10% off a future cruise when they purchase a refundable placeholder reservation while onboard a ship. At last check, the lowest priced sailing for a family of four departing the U.S. with two adults and two kids between the ages of 3-12 was priced at $2,620. That works out to $655 per person in an interior cabin on the Disney Wish for a 3-night Bahamas cruise leaving Port Canaveral on Aug. 22, 2025. Three-night cruises on the new Disney Adventure, launching in Singapore this December, start even lower. Does Disney Cruise Line go to Europe? Yes. Disney sails from three European ports: Barcelona, Spain Citavecchia, Italy (outside Rome) Southampton, England Transatlantic sailings are also offered several times a year. Do adults with no kids go on Disney cruises? Yes. Even though the cruises are designed with families in mind, lots of Disney adults sail kid-free. Many enjoy getting to feel like kids again themselves. Each ship and both of Disney's private island destinations have adult-exclusive areas and experiences. What are Disney's two private islands? Disney's has two private island destinations in the Bahamas: Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Is it cheaper to go to Disney or Disney cruise? That depends on how long you plan to sail versus visit parks, as well as choice of accommodations, dining and time of year. It can go either way. What is the cheapest way to book a Disney cruise? Guests will generally find the best prices the day itineraries are released. This happens a few times a year, about 15 to 18 months in advance of sailings, according to Plan Disney. Travelers can work with travel agents to keep tabs on when the next batch will be released or sign up for Disney Cruise Line email updates and follow the cruise line on social media. Are Disney cruises worth it? They are for many fans. 'They rate us very, very highly, and they tend to want to come back,' D'Amaro said. But just like any vacation, the cruises may not be worth it for everyone. The reporter on this story received access to the ship from Disney Cruise Line. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of reviews.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Disney Cruise Line quietly makes big plans for Texas
Right now, if you want take a Disney cruise on one of the line's buzzed-about new ships, your departure port options are mostly limited to Florida. The brand-new Disney Treasure is now sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida alongside the 2022-launched Disney Wish. And in November, the Disney Destiny, the cruise line's new heroes- and villains-themed ship will debut from Fort Lauderdale. Related: Savvy Disney vacationers use this service to save big on trips But as Disney Cruise Line continues its multi-year fleet expansion, which includes new Disney cruise vacations in Asia, too, the cruise line may be about to go bigger in Texas. Although Disney Cruise Line has not yet made any announcements about its future plans in Texas, Port of Galveston CEO Rodger Rees recently made some bold statements regarding the cruise line's plans for its sailings from the Texas port. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. In a recent meeting with the Galveston City Council, Rees revealed that Disney Cruise Line plans to expand its cruise schedule from the port in 2027, the Galveston County Daily News reported. Rees said that in 2027, the cruise line will begin sailing year-round from Galveston, and likely on a larger and newer ship. Currently, Disney Cruise Line sails seasonal cruises to the western Caribbean from the port on board the oldest ship in its fleet, the Disney Magic. Recent incidents of plumbing leaks and backups reported on board the 27-year-old Disney Magic have left passengers wondering whether it's about time for the cruise line to retire its beloved maiden vessel. Related: Disney Cruise Line dealing with plumbing problems Considering that most mainstream cruise lines expect to get about 30 years of service out of each ship, it would make sense that Disney would replace the 2,700-passenger Disney Magic as it expands in Galveston. Rees even suggested that the bigger ship headed to Galveston could be Disney Cruise Line's biggest ship yet - the 6,700-passenger Disney Adventure megaship that the cruise line is launching in December from Singapore. However, Disney Cruise Line has previously said that the Disney Adventure will sail from Singapore for at least five years as part of a collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board. It's much more likely that a 4,000-passenger Wish-class ship will sail from Galveston in 2027 - potentially the fourth ship in the class, which the cruise line plans to launch that year. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Although Princess Cruises recently dropped Galveston from its future cruise itineraries after 20 years of sailing from the popular port, other cruise lines are making major investments in Texas. Cruise lines plan to invest more than $200 million in western Caribbean cruise itineraries and Galveston is well poised to facilitate much of that growth, Rees told the city council. He said that's because Florida's biggest cruise ports are running out of room to expand and more people than ever now live within driving distance of Galveston. Royal Caribbean invested in a new cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston in 2022, and other family-focused cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises have since inked long-term agreements with the port, too. Related: MSC Cruises takes another bold step in its ambitious growth plan Galveston is a convenient cruise departure port for many families in Texas and surrounding states who want to explore the western Caribbean, so it makes sense that Disney Cruise Line would want to increase its capacity there, too. This year, more than 400 sailings carrying around 1.75 million passengers are scheduled to depart from Galveston. Following the opening of MSC Cruises' brand-new $156 million Galveston cruise terminal in late 2025, the growing port expects eventually welcome more than two million passengers annually. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
If You Invested $10K In Walt Disney Stock 10 Years Ago, How Much Would You Have Now?
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) is a global entertainment company operating through three segments: Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences. The company's stock traded at approximately $109.24 per share 10 years ago. If you had invested $10,000, you could have bought roughly 92 shares. Currently, shares trade at $109.81, meaning your investment's value could have grown to $10,052 from stock price appreciation alone. However, Walt Disney also paid dividends during these 10 years. Don't Miss: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – The team behind $6B+ in licensing deals is now building the next billion-dollar IP empire — Walt Disney's dividend yield is currently 0.94%. Over the last 10 years, it has paid about $9.71 in dividends per share, which means you could have made $889 from dividends alone. Summing up $10,052 and $889, we end up with the final value of your investment, which is $10,941. This is how much you could have made if you had invested $10,000 in Walt Disney stock 10 years ago. This means a total return of 9.41%. However, this figure is significantly less than the S&P 500 total return for the same period, which was 231%. Walt Disney has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a price target of $124.25 based on the ratings of 29 analysts. The price target implies more than 13% potential upside from the current stock price. On May 7, the company announced its Q2 2025 earnings, posting revenues of $23.62 billion, above the analyst consensus of $23.14 billion, driven by its Entertainment and Experiences businesses. Adjusted EPS of $1.45 beat the analyst consensus of $1.20, as reported by Benzinga. Trending: Invest Where It Hurts — And Help Millions Heal: Disney's experiences division benefited from visitors to parks in California and Florida, holiday package sales, and the launch of the Disney Treasure ship in December. The entertainment division also benefited from recent price hikes across the company's streaming services, including Disney+ and Hulu. For its full-year 2025, Disney projected an adjusted EPS of $5.75, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.44. Check out this article by Benzinga for seven analysts' insights on Disney. Given the expected upside potential, growth-focused investors may find Walt Disney stock attractive. Furthermore, they can benefit from the company's solid dividend yield of 0.94%. Read Next: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . , which provides access to a pool of short-term loans backed by residential real estate with just a $100 minimum. Image: Shutterstock Send To MSN: 0 This article If You Invested $10K In Walt Disney Stock 10 Years Ago, How Much Would You Have Now? originally appeared on
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
Forget the buffet: Here's why a cruise should be on your vacation bucket list
Many people flock to cruise ships for their vacation because you get everything you want and need in one place: multiple ports of call, spas, pools, live entertainment and, of course, buffets. For some, however, buffets are a deterrent, and many cruise ships are starting to realize they may not be what passengers want anymore. The realization couldn't come at a better time, as travelers are increasingly choosing cruise travel over land-based vacations, according to June 2024 research from JP Morgan, which noted that consumers are more and more "focused on value within discretionary categories, with the value spread between cruises and land-based alternatives standing at 25-30% today versus 10-15% pre-pandemic." As a result, cruise operators are overhauling their fleets and on-board offerings to appeal to these consumers. In April 2024, Norwegian Cruise Line placed its largest ship order ever to meet rising demand. And Disney announced at its D23 fan event last August that it will expand its cruise fleet to 13 ships by 2031. Cruise lines are also getting creative with their dining solutions to accommodate guests who favor a more selective experience in lieu of a massive standard buffet. Aboard Princess Cruises' Sun Princess, the latest ship added to the cruise line's fleet, you'll still find grandiose dining rooms and a buffet, however, guests are offered a served buffet rather than a serve-yourself concept. The cruise line has also teamed up with some of the top chefs from around the world to curate its unique dining experiences. The ship boasts over 30 restaurants and bar venues with celebrity collaborators, including mixologist Rob Floyd, world-renowned artist Romero Brito, supermodel Tyra Banks, famed butcher Dario Cecchini and many others. "We wanted to bring a new taste and flair to our guests," said Sami Kohen, vice president of food and beverage operations for Princess Cruises. "The cruise line industry has been around since the early 1960s and the traditional dining room is part of our dining choices, but it's not the primary one that we want to implement." Take Makoto Ocean, for example, an edomae-style sushi restaurant aboard the Sun Princess. Chef Makoto Okuwa, a famed Japanese chef known for his brick-and-mortar restaurant in Miami Beach, has brought his culinary talents to the high seas, serving his delicious sushi and specialty dishes to cruise guests. Another unique addition to the Sun Princess is Spellbound by Magic Castle. The members-only concept -- the original clubhouse is located in Los Angeles -- is now giving passengers a sneak preview of its sumptuous dining, extravagant cocktails, and magical entertainment aboard the cruise ship, treating them to "incredible feats of magic from talented magicians, surprises in themed rooms and theatrical cocktails delivered by sleight-of-hand servers," according to a press release. Meanwhile aboard the Disney Treasure, Disney's latest vessel and sister ship to the Disney Wish, the company is taking immersive experiences to a whole new level. The Treasure's Haunted Mansion bar is the first bar of its kind in the cruise line's fleet. The ship is the first vessel to incorporate storylines found in Disney theme parks into new experiences found on-board. Unique light shows, spooky handcrafted cocktails, and even appearances from Madame Leota herself are just some of the sneaky surprises you can expect from this elevated, adults-only experience. Over at Plaza de Coco, the Treasure is taking dinner and a show to a whole new level. Once you walk past a long corridor, you feel like you're no longer aboard a ship and have been transported to a plaza en La Ciudad de México (Mexico City). With authentic Mexican cuisine and delicious handcrafted cocktails paired with an incredible mariachi show and entertainment from Disney and Pixar's famous animated film "Coco," you'll surely be celebrating Dia de los Muertos with your newfound familia. "When you think about the entertainment part of it, I haven't been to a place where you can actually have live music and entertainment and have a menu like this where we are putting all these Mexican touches," said Disney Cruise Lines food and beverage expert Isai Coca. In addition to elevated dining experiences, travelers are also seeking greater flexibility. Many cruise lines are doing away with the concept of seated dinners and giving control back to passengers so they can plan their days accordingly, whether they're looking to do a little remote work, spend an extra hour at the pool, or just head back to their cabin for a midday nap. Carlos Justina, food and beverage director aboard the Sun Princess, says that giving control back to passengers when it comes to when they want to eat, plus the use of technology with the Princess App, actually helps the company to adequately prepare and deliver a stronger experience to guests. If you're moving on from the cruise vacations of yesteryear or are simply looking to embrace a fresh, experiential concept, cruise lines are listening -- and chances are, you'll find what you're looking for.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Disney's blowout quarter proves it can still turn stories into empires. The stock soars 10%
Photo: Lyvans Boolaky (Getty Images) Disney's (DIS) latest earnings report delivered a bit of old-school magic. Revenue rose 7% to $23.6 billion, up from $22.1 billion last year. EPS rose to $1.45 from last year's $1.21. As the company works to steady its streaming ship, it's the theme parks that continue to do the heavy lifting, with higher prices, fuller cruise ships, and longer guest stays all contributing to that rising bottom line. Disney stock rose 10.4% in Wednesday morning trading. The shares are still down about 8% so far this year. Standout performance in parks Revenue in the Parks, Experiences, and Products segment jumped 10% year over year to $8.4 billion, while operating income from domestic parks climbed 12% to $1.9 billion. Disney Cruise Line added the Disney Treasure to its fleet and expanded its itineraries. Guest spending also rose, thanks to add-ons like Genie+ and Lightning Lane. Defying some analysts' fears that the trade war is weighing on American brands overseas, Disney's international parks turned in a strong quarter, with operating income up 7%. Hong Kong Disneyland even turned a profit—something that hasn't happened in years. CEO Bob Iger called the parks 'a cornerstone of our business,' and with $60 billion earmarked for further buildouts over the next decade, the company is clearly betting that physical experiences will keep driving real-world dollars. So far, the bet is working. Even amid a softening consumer economy, guests aren't balking at the price hikes. Disney's storytelling machine is humming again, too. Mufasa: The Lion King has now quietly pulled in over $720 million globally since its holiday release, and as Iger pointed out in his comments, Marvel's Thunderbolts is the top film in the world. The rest of the 2025 lineup reads like a greatest-hits remix: Freakier Friday, Zootopia 2, Elio, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are all examples of the franchise extensions Disney is well known for. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Moana universe 'knows the way.' Moana 2 became one of the top three films of 2024, earning $1 billion at the box office, and has clocked 139 million streaming hours on Disney+ since March. The original remains the most-streamed film on the platform with an eye-watering 1.4 billion viewing hours — and like other Disney IP goes on minting cash by fueling attractions, stage shows, and character meet-and-greets across parks and cruise ships. It's less a virtuous cycle than a virtuous voyage. Content powers streaming to modest growth All this momentum is translating into modest growth for Disney+. The service added 1.4 million subscribers in Q2 to reach 126 million overall, driven by both domestic and international gains. Executives credited the strong content bank — especially Moana 2, Mufasa, and Daredevil: Born Again — for the bump in subscriptions and streaming revenue.
