It is the largest single project Oriental Land Company has ever launched beyond its park gates, and as of October 13, 2026, it has a name. Japan’s first Disney cruise ship will be called Disney Imagination, making it the fifth vessel in the Wish class alongside Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, Disney Destiny and the yet-to-debut Disney Believe.

A Wish-class ship tailored to Japan

Disney is sticking with a proven platform. The ship will come in at roughly 140,000 gross tons and carry about 4,000 guests in some 1,250 staterooms, with a crew of around 1,500. Size and layout therefore track closely with its sisters. Unlike them, the Imagination will sail under Japanese registry and is being modified for the Japanese market, though Disney has not yet spelled out what those changes involve. Details on dining, entertainment and onboard facilities are promised later.

Construction is taking place at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, where work on the hull began in October 2026 according to WDW News Today.

Ariel on the stern – and Tokyo as home port

Stern artwork is a Disney Cruise Line tradition, and the Imagination gets Ariel and Sebastian from The Little Mermaid. One detail underneath is worth noting: for the first time, a Disney ship’s stern will read Tokyo rather than Nassau as its home port. The ship will sail from the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal.


Short sailings built around a park stay

The itinerary concept is closely tied to Tokyo Disney Resort. The plan calls for short cruises of two to four nights that can be paired with a park visit. The announcement itself describes two- to three-night sailings, while OLC’s financial projections cite a two- to four-night range. The target audience is families, younger guests and inbound international travellers already heading to Japan.

OLC has also put numbers to expected fares: ¥100,000 to ¥300,000 per person for the most common stateroom categories, or roughly $645 to $1,935 at current rates. No booking date has been announced.

Who actually runs the ship

The structure behind the project is unusual. The operator is not Disney Cruise Line itself but Oriental Land Cruise, Ltd., trading as Disney Cruise Line Japan. According to WDW News Today, OLC has secured operational support from Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and Yusen Cruises Co., Ltd. The project was first announced in 2024.

The investment matches the ambition: OLC is budgeting ¥290 billion for the ship plus ¥40 billion in contingency funds, together around $2.1 billion.

What is still open

There is one wrinkle worth knowing about the in-service date. Announcements point to spring 2029, but OLC lists the ship under its own fiscal year 2028, which runs through the end of March 2029. The two can be reconciled, but no exact date has been set.

Whether a second ship follows is also unresolved. OLC has hinted at another Disney ship for Japan in the past, but that has not been confirmed.


Natacha Rafalski, president of Disney Signature Experiences, called the announcement a major milestone for Disney Cruise Line’s expansion and pointed to the company’s long-standing relationship with OLC. For Disney, the Imagination is the second ship sailing exclusively from Asia, following Disney Adventure. The fleet is set to grow to 13 ships by 2031.