Disney has made an agreement with the Oriental Land Co., the current operators of the Tokyo Disney Resort, to build a new ship that will operate year-round sailings from Japan by the end of the decade.
Building on the organisations' 40-year partnership (dating back to the co-development of Tokyo Disneyland and opening of Tokyo DisneySea, the resort's second park), the addition of a locally-based Disney ship is designed to offer Japanese guests even more choice for a dream Disney holiday and entice international guests to twin the experiences on a bucket-list trip.
Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, promised "ambitious plans to bring family vacations and Disney storytelling to more guests around the world than ever before," continuing, "We are thrilled to continue the success of this expansion as we collaborate with Oriental Land Co. to introduce another distinctly Disney vacation experience to families and fans in Japan."
OLC will operate the new ship, which will be designed in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering.
This announcement comes hot on the heels of the confirmation that Disney Cruise Line's third ship, Destiny, will draw on the legacy of its iconic heroes and villains.
