Oriental Land Co. says its Disney Imagination cruise ship is on schedule to sail from Tokyo in spring 2029, as Tokyo Disney Resort posts record first-half sales and operating profit.
Japan’s first Disney cruise ship is still on course. Oriental Land Co., the company that runs Tokyo Disney Resort, said in its Oct. 29 earnings materials that progress on Disney Imagination “is on track” for the ship to begin service in the second half of fiscal 2028, or spring 2029.
That timing hasn’t moved since Disney first announced the deal in July 2024. Back then, Disney said service was “expected to begin by early 2029.”
When does Disney Imagination start sailing?
Spring 2029. OLC’s fiscal year runs April to March, so the second half of fiscal 2028 covers late 2028 into early 2029.
OLC expects the cruise business to run year-round in fiscal 2029. That’s also when it expects the business to start turning a profit, according to the Disney Cruise Line Blog’s read of the results.
For now, the cruise line has no revenue. OLC did not issue new financial targets for it this quarter.
Where will Disney Imagination sail from?
Tokyo. The ship will be based at Tokyo International Cruise Terminal and sail short trips of two to four nights, according to the Disney Cruise Line Blog and MickeyBlog.
OLC held the naming ceremony at that same terminal in mid-October. The ship will fly the Japanese flag, per OLC’s slides.
Here’s the official name reveal from Tokyo Disney Resort:
How big is Disney Imagination?
It’s a sister ship to the Disney Wish, so it’s big. OLC lists these specs:
Size: About 140,000 gross tons
Staterooms: About 1,250
Guests: About 4,000
Crew: About 1,500
Builder: Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, per Disney’s 2024 announcement
Fuel: Liquefied natural gas
Onboard, plans include a theater with more than 1,300 seats for original stage shows, character shows on an outdoor deck and about 30 places to eat and drink. Three main restaurants will have different themes and menus that change daily.
How much does Disney Imagination cost?
A lot of yen. OLC is spending about 290 billion yen on the ship itself, plus a 40 billion yen contingency fund. That’s 330 billion yen in total, or roughly $2.1 billion at OLC’s assumed rate of 155 yen to the dollar.
Fares should be easier to swallow. OLC expects common stateroom types to run about 100,000 to 300,000 yen per person, or roughly $645 to $1,935.
OLC is aiming for about 100 billion yen in yearly sales and about 400,000 passengers within the first few years.
How did Oriental Land Co. do this quarter?
Very well, thanks to Tokyo DisneySea’s 25th anniversary.
Here’s the April to September half, as reported by Dpost:
Net sales: 348.7 billion yen, up 10.3%
Operating profit: 78.4 billion yen, up 15%
Net income: 61.8 billion yen, up 28.1%
Attendance: About 13.1 million guests, up 6.9%
Spending per guest: 18,940 yen, a record
OLC called both sales and operating profit record highs. Net income got a boost from a one-time gain of 14.7 billion yen from selling a hotel in Okinawa.
The company also raised its full-year forecast. It now expects 763.3 billion yen in sales, 185.4 billion yen in operating profit and 28.5 million guests.
How is Disney Imagination different from Disney Cruise Line ships?
The biggest difference is who runs it. OLC will build and operate the ship through its own company, Disney Cruise Line Japan.
It’s a lot like Tokyo Disney Resort, which OLC owns and runs through a partnership with Disney that goes back more than 40 years.
The ship is based on the Disney Wish, but OLC says some areas are being changed for Japanese guests. It will also sail only short trips from one home port, all year.
The target audience is different too. OLC is going after families, younger guests and visitors from overseas.
Why is OLC betting on cruises in Japan?
Because almost nobody in Japan cruises yet. OLC says only about 0.2% of people in Japan take cruises, compared with 5.9% in the United States, MickeyBlog reported.
OLC sees that gap as room to grow. A second ship isn’t off the table, but OLC says it will only consider one after the first ship is up and running.
So no Disney Imagination 2 just yet.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Oriental Land Co. (Oct. 29), first-half results slides, ship specs, cost and timeline
Dpost (Oct. 29), first-half results figures and full-year forecast
Disney Cruise Line Blog (Oct. 29), results recap, home port, pricing and profit timing
MickeyBlog (Oct. 29), dining details and Japan cruise market figures
Disney Parks Blog, 2024 announcement, builder and launch window
Tokyo Disney Resort, official name reveal video
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