New Lighthouse Point Island & Disney Wish Cruise Ship Announced!
Disney Cruise Line has announced details about its new private island in the Bahamas, as well as the highly anticipated fifth DCL ship. In this post, we’ll share new concept art, details, and also offer some commentary about the next ship and Lighthouse Point project, which is being led by Imagineer Joe Rohde.
To start, Disney Wish was revealed as the name of DCL’s fifth cruise ship. Disney Cruise Line has revealed concept art showing that the Wish’s atrium will be a bright, airy, and elegant space inspired by the beauty of an enchanted fairytale.
It’s difficult to ascertain from the concept art whether this will follow the established pattern of DCL atriums, or be more abstract or fantastical. I’d guess (and hope for) the former. Either way, it’s nice that we’re finally seeing something tangible for these new Disney Cruise Line ships.
Disney Cruise Line also revealed that the Disney Wish will feature Rapunzel on the ship’s stern. This is a fun tradition for DCL, with Goofy brought to life on the stern of the Disney Magic, followed by Donald Duck and his nephews on the Disney Wonder, Sorcerer Mickey on the Disney Dream, and Dumbo on the Disney Fantasy.
Rapunzel is the first Disney princess to be featured on a ship stern. With paintbrush in hand, she uses her enchanted hair to suspend herself as she decorates the stern of the ship with the help of her feisty sidekick, Pascal. Spirited, smart, curious and above all, adventurous, Rapunzel embodies the wish and desire to see and experience the world.
The Disney Wish is scheduled to sail in January 2022. It along with the other two new ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas and, at approximately 144,000 gross tons and 1,250 guest staterooms, be larger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.
Next up, Lighthouse Point. I think some background here is appropriate for those who have not followed this story. Since Disney began shopping for a second private island a few years ago, the company’s interest in the area has been met with a mixed reaction among Bahamians.
Disney’s first intended purchase on Eleuthera, an island about 75 miles east of Nassau, was on the north end of the island a few years ago. Bahamians learned of Disney’s ground testing at Egg Island and collected over 3,000 signatures to oppose Disney’s plans to build a port. Ultimately, Disney Cruise Line abandoned that project due to environmental impact assessments showing that island’s marine and environmental profile could not survive its intended development.
Following that, Disney’s interest on Eleuthera turned to Lighthouse Point, an area on the far southern tip of the island. The company entered into a purchase agreement with the land’s private owner. This deal has been similarly controversial among Bahamians.
Essentially, conservation groups have argued that the land should be set aside for a national park and that Disney’s high-volume development proposals will destroy the natural beauty of the island. They also contend that Disney would provide low-quality jobs and the economic benefits of the proposal are overstated.
(After reading more about this, we have serious concerns about Disney Cruise Line choosing to develop Lighthouse Point rather than elsewhere. Lighthouse Point is surrounded by important geological features and rich biodiversity, including endangered coral, high concentrations of sharks, fish and other marine life. The surrounding ocean is so biologically rich that the area has been formally proposed to the government as a Marine Protected Area. You can read more about the concerns of environmental groups here.)
Other Bahamians are concerned that environmental groups are overzealous, and their approach will slow tourism development. This could negative consequences for local communities in dire need of economic revitalization. Both sides seem to agree that there needs to be a balanced approach to promote both environmental sustainability and economic development.
While the debate continues, Disney’s proposal has been approved. Disney has agreed to turn over 170 acres of the land to the government, only developing 20% of the land, and taking every effort to ensure the project would be a cultural asset to the community and have as little impact as possible on the natural environment.
Enter Imagineer Joe Rohde.
Renowned for his culturally-respectful work on Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Aulani Resort & Spa in Hawaii, Villages Natures in Paris, and a variety of other independent projects, Joe Rohde is unquestionably Disney’s best ambassador when it comes to conservation and projects that highlight cultures.
Joe Rohde took the stage at the 2019 D23 Expo to share that he has embarked on an in-depth cultural tour of the Bahamas meeting with local artists and cultural experts. Joe has explored cultural sites across New Providence and Eleuthera, from Junkanoo shacks to noted art galleries, gathering samples, hearing from locals, and determining the best approach for telling their stories.
If anyone could “sell” a project like this to conservation groups or those otherwise opposed or on the fence, Joe Rohde is that person. He has an effortless way of passionately speaking about pretty much anything, doing so in an earnest and engaging way. He comes across as genuine and easy to trust. Unlike some stuffed shirt, if he says Disney will focus on culture and conservation, you believe him. Or at least, you want to believe him.
I have no idea if Joe Rohde actually met with officials from the Bahamian government to pitch Lighthouse Point, but his pitch on-stage at the D23 Expo certainly sold me on Lighthouse Point (and everyone else with whom I spoke after the Parks & Resorts panel). This is despite little in the way of substantive concept art or details. If it’s anything like a “light” version of Aulani or Animal Kingdom, the Lighthouse Point development should be something special.
Disney Cruise Line has indicated that construction at Lighthouse Point will begin after an Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan are reviewed and accepted by the Government of The Bahamas and public consultation has occurred. Construction is expected to begin in 2020 with completion in late 2022 or 2023.
I didn’t really care about this before Joe Rohde’s presentation. After it, I became legitimately excited about Disney Cruise Line’s plans for Lighthouse Point. After reading some more, I’m concerned about the environmental issues it poses. I’m not really sure where I stand on this, but if DCL does proceed with these plans, I really hope Disney is genuine in its plans to not disturb the natural environment and develop in an environmentally-responsible way. We shall see what happens as this saga continues.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of the Disney Wish cruise ship? Looking forward to this or any of the 3 new ships? What about Lighthouse Point? Does Joe Rohde’s involvement make this more interesting to you? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I have spent a lot of time on Eleuthera, as my family owns a home near Governor’s Harbour. THANK YOU for researching Lighthouse Point, and presenting both sides of the controversy! I, too, am conflicted. I see the possible negative impact on the environment, and the destruction of the unspoiled beauty. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to experience Lighthouse Pointe in its raw, natural form – I wish more people could. However, I also see the positive effect this *could* have for the Bahamian people who rely on tourism for support. I hope Disney will be respectful of our friends in Eleuthera, and create something that everyone can enjoy. Please keep us posted as you learn more about the project!
Lighthouse point is one of the most amazing places I have been! As a Disney fan and future cruiser I am sure it will be great BUT it was so unspoiled. Literally a 20 minute drive down a dirt road with trees brushing up on the sides of your car….to get to a gorgeous pink sand beach with limestone cliffs and caves, private coves, and at times not one other person as far as the eye could see! I hope they build far away from the point and lighthouse itself and that area is given back to Eleuthera.
As a side note Princess Cay is right where the road to lighthouse point begins so there is already a cruise line extremely close. With Princess Cay it is gated off and there are no excursions. At least it looks like Disney will and hopefully they will help the economy of the island.
YES! You simply can’t understand the beauty if you’ve never experienced it. Lighthouse is kind of like the end of the Earth.
Really interesting read! The concept art looks beautiful.
Joe is a treasure.
Joe cares about nature and preserving and respecting cultures.
Joe was behind Dinorama and the GotG:MIssion Breakout.
In other words, like a blogger, he’ll throw his conscience away in a heartbeat to tow the company line.
Having read a lot about the location, I have major concerns about Disney dropping off one-three major cruise ships here weekly.
This is a travesty. Anyone who has visited Eluthera knows what a treasure this spot is. Lets clear a few misconceptions up. 1. It is not a private island. It is the southern most point of Eluthera. 2. The citizens of Eluthera have been fighting for years to get this area protected as a national park. There are very few places in the Caribbean that are like this. 3. The people of the Bahamas are not benefiting from this commercial take over of an untouched natural wonder. This is an prime example of corruption.
If you are interested in more of the details about this please visit http://www.savelighthousepoint.com Here you will find out what is really going on. Don’t get me wrong I love Disney and visiting the parks but this is not something I support and hope the right thing will be done in the end.
Is the savelighthousepoint.com site supposed to have more info than just the change.org link? That’s all I see.
With that said, I read the petition and started to read a bit more about this, and definitely have new/additional concerns. Articles I had read previously definitely downplayed the natural destruction. I plan on reading more about Lighthouse Point this afternoon and updating the article accordingly. Thanks for the heads up!
Just checked it out, thanks for the link. I love Disney too, but I agree with you. This area needs to be conserved. Sounds like Disney has it pretty much in the bag though, but maybe something will hold it up in the end?
About two years ago, my wife and I were having a snack in the Club Level at Jambo House. I looked over and there was Joe and his wife, having a snack too! I didn’t want to bother him and thought about just walking over and saying something like, “hey Joe, I love your work… keep it up!” but I am an old man I knew I couldn’t look him straight in the eyes while seeing his stretched ear with a pound of ear rings hanging off without cringing, so I did not!
I truely love what he has done!
This is now on the top of my bucket list! I think by 2023, I can convince my husband we need to go on a cruise. He wants to do the Egypt trip from Adventures by Disney, and hoping maybe in 2022, there will still be dates to do that with no waitlist. Now if I only I could get him to be as obsessed with all things Disney as I am!