Disney Treasure cruise ship makes grand debut with 3 never-before done venues
The all-new Disney Treasure has officially been christened and "Good Morning America" got a first look aboard the sixth ship to join the magical Disney Cruise Line fleet.
The sister ship of the Disney Wish was inspired by Walt Disney's love of exploration and will immerse guests in an adventure theme throughout. The Treasure features all-new venues with live experiences and touches that bring Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar and Disney Parks to life like never before -- such as the Plaza de Coco dining experience, Haunted Mansion Parlor and live music jazz club, the Scat Cat Lounge.
Disney CEO Bob Iger joined "GMA" co-anchor Michael Strahan aboard the Treasure to discuss the firsts on this new ship, including what he thinks fans will love about the expanded storytelling at sea from the theme parks and movies.
"With each new ship comes new storytelling. And what these ships are all about is really taking our Disney stories around the world," Iger said. "As you know, people interact with our stories all the time in our theme parks, but they're fixed locations. So this gives us an opportunity to tell more stories to more people in more places. And I think people will just love it."
While all of the vessels in the Disney Cruise Line fleet "take with them some things from our theme parks," Iger said "this is one that relies on storytelling that is very specific to theme parks."
"There's a Haunted Mansion bar here as a for instance -- so I think it's the first time that we've actually expressed theme park storytelling on our ships," Iger explained.
Paying homage to Walt Disney's passion for travel, exploration
"Walt actually loved to travel, even though, you know, he was from a small town," Iger said. "He went to Europe early on and took black and white pictures with a camera that we actually still have those photos. And when you see the photos, you get a sense for that I think. One of the things this does is it enables people, as Walt did back in his day, to enjoy the Disney experience but also to see the world at the same time."
As 4,000 passengers prepare to set sail from Port Canaveral next month for the Caribbean on the maiden voyage, Iger said he's most excited for guests to enjoy "much more interactivity" and activations throughout the ship. "It's just much more kinetic all around you almost wherever you go."
The storytelling aboard the Treasure was made possible by the honorary "Godparents" of the ship, which is a traditional maritime role to symbolically bestow good fortune and safe passage.
"We decided we would make the cast members of all of Disney the godparents," Iger said. "The reason we did that is you can build these great ships with all the engineering in the world and the technology, and of course the artistry, but it's people that make them come to life. It's people that really deliver the experiences for our guests. And so there's a way of respecting those people and giving them a little bit of something to appreciate their work. We thought everybody -- all of our cast members -- should be the godparents."
3 brand-new Disney Animation, Pixar and Parks-inspired venues aboard the Treasure
Check out some highlights on deck that passengers can expect to discover and enjoy aboard the all-new Disney Treasure below.
Plaza de Coco
This is the first-ever restaurant on a Disney ship or property to bring to life the picturesque town of Santa Cecilia from the 2017 Pixar Animation Studios film "Coco."
Guests will enjoy two different evenings of seated dining with theatrical entertainment, mariachi performances, and a retelling of Miguel's family history, the famed magic guitar and a menu inspired by his colorful world.
Featured dishes include Abuelita Elena's Shrimp Diabla with chili-chipotle sauce, cilantro, pickled red onion, and toasted birotes; Chorizo Street Croquettes with chili-lime crema, cotija cheese, and cilantro; and Blistered Poblano Pepper stuffed with Oaxaca cheese and green rice.
Scat Cat Lounge
The world's first venue inspired by the 1970 Walt Disney Animation Studios classic "The Aristocats" will combine the elegance of an old-school jazz club with artistic references themed to the movie.
Scat Cat Lounge brings the groovy penthouse performance of "Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat" into the real world for the first time in a hot new venue inspired by the music-loving feline.
It will offer an elegant onboard destination to experience live music and a themed craft cocktail menu with drinks like the Créme de la Créme Martini infused with cognac, chocolate and a nutmeg topping and the Cat Drink with clarified bourbon, amaro, Aperol and fresh lemon.
Haunted Mansion Parlor
The world's first Haunted Mansion-inspired bar aboard the Disney Treasure welcomes passengers who are 21 and older to a spirit-filled experience.
From craft cocktails to nostalgic décor and beloved characters, the Haunted Mansion Parlor will immerse guests in the next chapter of the Haunted Mansion saga, bringing a fan-favorite lore to life in a new way.
"Our lounge, reminiscent of a first-class lounge from a cruise liner from yesteryear, where we tell the story of a captain that went on a disasterly date with his bride-to-be," Darren McBurney, the opening Cruise Director of the Treasure, told "GMA" of the backstory for the space.
The design resembles a first-class drawing room of a classic cruise liner from the golden age, drawing on inspiration from the original Haunted Mansion with a nautical twist.
Visitors will encounter a few legendary characters from the original Disney Parks attraction, plus some new seafaring arrivals, in a portrait gallery depicting the Disney Treasure's own ghostly residents.
"Many years ago when they were first creating the Disneyland attraction Haunted Mansion, Walt Disney Imagineering Rolly Crump started to create an illusion of a ghost fish tank that was never actually used in the attraction itself," McBurney said. "But we are so happy to be able to create it here in the Haunted Mansion Parlor."
When does Disney Treasure set sail with cruise passengers
The treasure celebrated a maritime tradition with a christening in New York City on Tuesday night to prepare for its official maiden voyage on December 21.
The Disney Treasure embarks on its maiden voyage, a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, from Port Canaveral, Florida, followed by an inaugural season of seven-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral.
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