Ahead of the 25th Anniversary her maiden voyage, the Disney Magic is fresh out of a 21-night dry dock in Freeport, Bahamas. The fleets first ship spent most of the time out of the water for routine cleaning, paint, and upgrades. Leading up to the dry dock, Disney Cruise Line was quiet, only mentioning they would be converting a block of staterooms on deck 8 to concierge level. Marking today, as the big reveal when guests are welcomed aboard.

The big upgrade to the ship was shore power technology which was installed as part of the ship’s dry dock project. This is part of Disney Cruise Line’s longtime dedication to minimizing its impact on the environment. When available at the port, this will allow the Disney Magic to “plug in” to the port’s electrical grid, reducing the ship’s emissions.

Soul Cat Lounge

The popular Promenade Lounge on deck 3 between Lumiere’s and Rapunzel’s Royal Table has been re-imagined into Soul Cat Lounge taking inspiration from the movie 2020 Disney and Pixar film Soul.

Soul Cat Lounge Menu

The heartfelt story of “Soul” was the inspiration for the brand-new Soul Cat Lounge designed to look like Joe Gardner’s favorite music spot from the film, the Half Note Lounge. The space, located on deck three near Rapunzel’s Royal Table restaurant, instantly transports guests to a classic New York jazz club appointed with decorative details like brick walls, wood accents and plenty of rich leather seating around a stage set for live music, so guests can grab their partner and head to the dance floor for a swinging good time each evening.

The Soul Cat Lounge is adorned with custom artwork from Pixar featuring nods to the film including record labels, concert posters and portraits of jazz legend Dorothea Williams and her bandmates. Thoughtful “Soul”- inspired details are subtly layered throughout the design including record players, instruments and Joe’s hat.

Adults can enhance their big city experience with table-side Manhattans and martinis or choose from a selection of native brews and cocktails made with New York spirits. A fun collection of mocktails, specialty coffees and sodas are also on the menu. In addition to new drink options, guests can take a bite of Little Italy with an order of zeppoles, the classic Italian pastry similar to a fried doughnut, while enjoying the live music.

To support the additional concierge staterooms, the Concierge Lounge was expanded. The concierge lounge was reimagined and expanded to feature a sophisticated new theme and tropical color palate inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana” and an additional outdoor covered seating area on deck 10 where guests can relax with a refreshing beverage while enjoying the ocean breeze. All concierge suites, including one- and two-bedroom accommodations and the two signature royal suites, have been completely refurbished with fresh fixtures, furniture and elegant artwork, further elevating the premium experience for concierge guests.

“An Encanto Celebration” Brings the Family Madrigal to the High Seas for the First Time

Guests can join the fantastical family Madrigal during an all-new immersive experience, “An Encanto Celebration,” designed to engage families through music, crafts and storytelling. The interactive experience gives guests an opportunity to meet and take photos with Mirabel and the family member we don’t talk about, Bruno, during their Disney Cruise Line debut. Families can also join a spirited sing-along of beloved “Encanto” songs and create butterfly and flower crafts inspired by the film. During the show, guests can experience a true taste of South America thanks to a selection of local Colombian beers, cocktails and sodas along with film-inspired mocktails.

This article will be updated as we learn of any additional changes to the ship that started it all back in 1998. Special thanks to those onboard such as Siren Chudgar who has been kind enough to share some photos.

The Disney Magic sets sail later this afternoon with guests from San Juan on an 8-night Southern Caribbean cruise. The Disney Magic will sail an additional Southern Caribbean cruise afterwards before repositioning to Miami where the ship will be based through September. In October, the Magic will head west through the Panama Canal taking over the Disney Wonder’s itineraries in San Diego into mid-December.