Heroic and Villainous Costume Sneak Peeks for "The Lion King" Dining Experience Aboard New Disney Destiny
Stick with this restaurant and you'll never go hungry again!
We are getting closer to the maiden voyage of the newest cruise ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, and we are now getting glimpses of some of the costumes from The Lion King-themed dining experience that guests will encounter as part of their included meals on board.
What’s Happening:
- The latest update in the ship log for the Disney Destiny has arrived, and this time it is teasing some of the costumes that performers will wear in one of the ship’s unique dining venues.
- Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King will be one of the ship’s rotational dining restaurants, and will surround guests with the world of The Lion King in a dinner performance similar to that on the sister ships of the Disney Destiny - Frozen on the Disney Wish, and Coco on the Disney Treasure.
- The costumes take inspiration from the various regions of Africa, with a mix of both contemporary and traditional silhouettes and details.
- Each also feels elevated and regal with nods to both the characters and the culture. Designers say that many of the costumes feature cowrie shell details, which draw inspiration from the country of Benin in West Africa. In Benin, the shells symbolize prosperity, wealth, good luck, and … here it comes, are you ready?...Destiny!
- Recently, thanks to the latest issue of Disney Twenty-Three, we learned that the hosts of the show will be named Mwongozo and Shaha, and they - along with the other performers, will wear specific accessories to embody the personalities and attributes of the characters from the original animated feature.
- As an example, the ship log points out that the only pieces in the collection that incorporate the color black represent Scar - with a headdress that will also feature a single red feather above the left eye, representing his scar.
- The Lion King will come to life at Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King, a first-of-its-kind dining experience celebrating the renowned music of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film that continues to transcend generations.
- The savanna-inspired venue will bring unique depictions of animals and nature to life through lighting and special effects, while the window-lined back wall will transform from stunning sunrises to enchanting sunsets throughout the meal.
- As guests dine, live musicians and storytellers will take the stage in the center of the restaurant - complete with tiered risers that evoke African drums - as they present a musical journey through the award-winning soundtrack. Performances will include productions of “Circle of Life" and “Hakuna Matata," plus a mash-up of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King" and “Be Prepared," a fun take that highlights the hero-villain dynamic of the story.
- The Disney Destiny makes its maiden voyage this November.
Hot Takes and Hot Plates:
- When the Disney Cruise Line first launched, they made waves with their original rotational dining concept. Where other cruise lines would put their guests in one main dining room every night, Disney instead took that idea and made three different dining rooms/restaurants each with their own menu that guests would rotate through each night, and with their wait staff following them to each different venue.
- When the concept was established the goal for the design and aesthetic of the three restaurants was set: one elegant (Triton’s/Lumiere’s), one casual (Parrot Cay), and one entertainment (Animator’s Palate).
- The design stayed true into the next class of ships (Dream class), elegant (Royal Palace/Royal Court), casual (Enchanted Garden) and Entertainment (Animator’s Palate).
- After numerous attempts to perfect the casual restaurant on the Magic Class, shifting from Parrot Cay (and including Carioca’s) we now have two dinner shows, a Tangled-based experience on the Magic and a The Princess and the Frog-based one on the Wonder.
- With the Wish (AKA Triton) Class, all the chips have been pushed in on entertainment dining it seems, with two of the three included restaurants being dinner shows based around IP that may or may not be liked by visitors.
- On a recent voyage aboard the Disney Fantasy, wait staff told this author’s group that their survey scores (the bread and butter for cruising staff) were low simply because they weren’t shows like the other ships.
- This is something I wholeheartedly disagree with, and think that they should have stuck to the original design principles of the first four ships with the new ones. Another recent trip aboard the Disney Magic left us Tangled-out. We opted to skip the included dinner (which we arguably already paid for) for an up-charged experience just to avoid more Tangled as a sing-along dinner show after we’d already seen the Broadway-style stage show on board.
- While I am a huge fan of The Lion King, I know others who aren’t that would enjoy other things on the Disney Destiny but essentially prepaying for this included dining experience as part of their cruise fare being forced to enjoy room service or pool deck fare to not be overloaded by an IP they aren’t a fan of could be a deterrent.
- Full disclosure: I am booked for a future cruise aboard the Disney Destiny, but the IP selections on the Wish class of ships for food (and other experiences) is why we opted for this ship instead of others.
- IP, especially in a musical and/or dining setting, can be a dangerous thing to play with when you can hit everyone’s favorites (see also: Animator’s Palate) in one sitting.
- For more information and finding the right Disney ship for you, be sure to reach out to our friends at Mouse Fan Travel who can assist with all your voyaging needs.
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