Imagineering the Disney Wish
Originally published at Disney Parks News
CONSTRUCTION UPDATES FROM GERMANY
Hello, Claire here! I am coming to you from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, where the Disney Wish is being constructed. As one of the Imagineers leading the creative direction for Walt Disney Imagineering Germany, I oversee design efforts for numerous interior spaces on board the Disney Wish. It has been a dream come true sprinkling pixie dust all throughout the staterooms.
Your stateroom is truly your home at sea — it is peaceful, calming, functional and infused with enchanting details that make it uniquely Disney. The story of how the staterooms came to find their home on the Disney Wish is nearly as magical as the end result!
Have you ever wanted to go behind the scenes to see how we Imagineers bring the magic to life? I am thrilled to give you the 411 on stateroom construction.
The design process begins with collaboration. We spent years working with designers and artists to examine every detail; carefully considering how color, light and shapes interact to ensure the environment we create is both restful and magical. Since the majority of the finished pieces for the Disney Wish were fabricated offsite, our team built hundreds of mockups prior to final construction in order to visualize how everything is coming together. It is all about the attention to detail!
Once the design is finalized, we hit “full steam ahead” on the production line! The 1,254 staterooms are manufactured on an assembly line, where each piece is carefully installed on a conveyor belt. That includes everything from furniture and walls to artwork and lighting.
The final magic touch is when the staterooms are placed on the ship. That’s right – a crane lifts each one and places it on the Disney Wish.
Staterooms are the perfect blend of what Imagineering does best: artistry and technical perfection. It is a priority for every aspect of our design to be both narratively beautiful and highly functional to provide you with the best experience! Everything we do is with our guests in mind.
When the Disney Wish sets sail next June and you are finally at rest after a day of adventure and enchantment, I hope you can feel just a little more magic knowing each piece was carefully designed to bring Disney stories to life.
I’ll give you a hint of what is to come. I may not have magical hair that glows when I sing, but I enjoy exploring creativity through art just like Rapunzel, who is also the Disney Wish stern character. The team and I look forward to sharing stern character updates with you in the new year!
