Disney Cruise Line is expanding fast, and today is a big day for it. Disney Believe, the next ship in the fleet, gets a livestream reveal on October 7, 2026. Here is what is already confirmed, what is still unknown, and why it matters if you are thinking about a Disney cruise in 2027 and beyond.
What is already confirmed
- The name and class. Disney Believe is the fourth ship in the Wish class, following Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny.
- The arrival window. Disney says the ship is on track to debut in late 2027. It is being built by Meyer Werft.
- The size. Reported at roughly 140,000 tons and about 4,000 guests.
- The theme. Each Wish-class ship has its own story. Wish is enchantment, Treasure is adventure, and Destiny is heroes and villains. Believe is about promise and possibility, with storytelling drawn from Encanto, Frozen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Moana, and The Little Mermaid.
- Early design details. Moana and her companions are set for the Grand Hall, Woody and Buzz Lightyear for the stern, and Tinker Bell for the bow.
- The crew. Disney Cruise Line has named 20-year veteran Trent Hitchcock as the opening cruise director.
What is still unknown
Before today's presentation, Disney had not announced the homeport, the itineraries, or when booking opens. The livestream is scheduled to cover the homeport, itineraries, venues and entertainment. Guests sailing on Disney Wish this week are also getting a one-night-only stage show previewing the new ship.
Disney's Believe will be based out of Ft. Lauderdale. It will boast a themed dinner with Wandering Oaken and his family, along with lounges themed to Little Mermaid, Snow White and The Haunted Mansion. The big shows on board will be Disney's Encanto and Tangled. It will be sailing the Caribbean on 4 and 5 night cruises starting in November 2027.
The bigger picture
Believe is part of a much larger buildout. Disney Cruise Line says the fleet is heading to 13 ships by 2031, and at its August 2026 earnings call, Disney said the expansion is running ahead of schedule: two next-generation ships are now expected in 2029, with a third in late 2030. Disney Adventure, which sailed its first voyage from Singapore in March 2026, is already part of that growth.
What this means if you are planning
New ships tend to book early and sell at a premium, and the first sailings are usually the hardest to get. Two practical points:
Do not wait for Believe to cruise. Plenty of families put off a Disney cruise to wait for the newest ship, then miss out on sailings they would have loved. If you want to see what the Wish class feels like now, Treasure and Destiny are sailing today. Our guides on Disney Treasure and how to pick an itinerary are good places to begin.
If you do want Believe, plan early. Once Disney opens booking, popular dates go quickly. Having an advisor ready to move on release day makes a difference, and the Villains are happy to help.
