Disney Cruise Line is owned by the Walt Disney Company, and its home port is Port Canaveral, located about an hour away from the four Disney World theme parks in Orlando, Florida. Passengers can take cruises only, or they can combine a cruise with trips to the theme parks. Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters appear on the ships, which also feature first-run Disney movies and Disney-related activities. The cruise line has been around since 1995, and its fleet and itineraries have expanded over time.

Founding

Disney Cruise Line was founded in 1995. Previously, Disney had an arrangement with Premier Cruise Line to allow its characters to appear on the Premier "Big Red Boats." This arrangement ended, and Premier switched over to the Looney Tunes characters. Meanwhile, Disney entered into a contract with Fincantieri, an Italian shipyard, to build two ships for its newly established cruise line.

Disney Magic

The Disney Magic was the first ship launched by Disney Cruise Line. It began sailing out of Port Canaveral on July 30, 1998. Its godmother is Patty Disney, ex-wife of Roy E. Disney. Its original itinerary was three- and four night-cruises to Nassau in the Bahamas. Each cruise also included a stop at Disney's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay.

Disney Wonder

The Disney Wonder was the second ship launched by Disney Cruise Line. It was built at the same shipyard as the Disney Magic, and it was launched on August 15, 1999. It sailed out of Port Canaveral like its sister ship, the Magic. It started doing the same three- and four night-itineraries as the Magic. Several months later, the Magic switched over to seven-night eastern and western Caribbean itineraries.

New Itineraries

In June 2005, the Disney Magic sailed to Los Angeles to do an itinerary on the Mexican Riviera for the summer. This was done in honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary. The Wonder remained in Florida, doing its usual itinerary. In May 2007, the Disney Magic sailed to Barcelona, Spain. It sailed a Mediterranean itinerary for the summer before returning to Port Canaveral in September. It returned to Europe to repeat its Mediterranean itinerary in 2010. It also sailed to several northern European capitols before returning to Port Canaveral in September 2010. The Disney Wonder will move to Los Angeles in 2011, and it's expected to remain there for at least two years.

New Ships

Disney Cruise line contracted with Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany to build two new ships. The first, the Disney Dream, will be delivered in 2011. The second, the Disney Fantasy, will be delivered in 2012. They are similar in style to the Magic and Wonder, but are two decks higher and have more up-to-date facilities and amenities. The Disney Dream's home port will be Port Canaveral, and the Disney Fantasy is expected to be based there as well.

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About the Author

Based in Kissimmee, Fla., Barb Nefer is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience. She is a mental health counselor, finance coach and travel agency owner. Her work has appeared in such magazines as "The Writer" and "Grit" and she authored the book, "So You Want to Be a Counselor."

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