Setting the Scene

After the sail-away party we gathered in the Atrium for the first major story setting event. Here, we were introduced to Zayah (a storyteller) and Gamble (a potion-maker) who set the stage for many activities throughout the ship. Zayah and Gamble popped up in unexpected places throughout the sailing, including as the hosts for the highly popular “Treble-Making with Cruella” at DeVil’s piano lounge.

Haunted Mansion Parlor

The Haunted Mansion Parlor is open to families (and includes a great list of mocktails for younger sailors) until early evening when it becomes 18+ only. The space is filled with items both directly related to the ride and introduces some new spooky decor.

Haunted Mansion Game

Passengers traveling with a Magic Band+ could play the Haunted Mansion game throughout their sailing. Completion of a quest gets a clue to another location (usually a piece of art) that is activated by a wave of the band. Completion of the tasks required a lot of steps and some patience, as some of the elements were’t working well.

Cask & Cannon

Cask and Cannon was a Pirates of the Caribbean themed lounge that children could also visit earlier in the day. The 2026 World Cup started during our sailing, so it was a very popular spot for guests who wanted to watch the matches live. The lounge is located in slightly hidden corner near the second floor of the Saga entertainment venue, so it would be easy to miss for guests who didn’t often walk past the area. Triton Lounge was on the other side of Saga.

Pirate Night

The Pirate Night is a standard for most Caribbean Disney Cruise Line sailings that are four nights or longer. On the Destiny it feels like just another addition to the overall theme of heroes vs. villains. All restaurants share the same themed menu and passengers are provided bandanas to augment their well-planned pirate costumes.

Cafes- Megara’s and Merida’s

I’ve always loved these two heroines, and never more than when their cafe’s supplied me with specialty coffee. Megara’s (named and themed for the fantastic and underrated heroine from Hercules) and Merida’s were great spots on Decks 4 and 5, a convenient option for guests staying on lower Decks to splurge for specialty coffee instead of going for the free coffee at the drink station on Deck 12.

Cruella De Vil

De Vil’s Piano Lounge is a very small piano bar, themed for 101 Dalmatians. The lounge was open to adults only in the evening with special times set aside for “Treble-Making with Cruella.” The show we attended was hosted by Zayah and Gamble, who are introduced at the beginning of the sailing as the resident storytellers. We arrived for the first show of the evening and the small space filled quickly.

Families with younger children were very “in the know” and prepared for the Wretched Runway, hosted by Cruella. The runway-style show filled the Grand Hall atrium with 101 Dalmatians- themed attire.

Heroes and Villains in Staterooms

Wayfinding on the Destiny is made easier with the iconic designs from heroic stories that line the carpeting on each deck, matching the theme of the staterooms to which they lead. Our floor was Hercules themed, while others feature Mulan, Merida and other characters.

Two villains that create memorable character experiences are Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) and Dr. Facilier (Princess and the Frog). Both have meet and greets for photo opps, but also have live performances, noted on the Navigator App. Dr. Facilier’s Parlor is tucked away on Deck 5, but attracts long lines of people waiting for the 15-minute interactive show.

Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King celebrated all-things Simba-related and offered a menu with African-inspired dishes and catered to a more mature pallet. The show itself combined some of the original songs with new scores and a new story.

Loki & Black Panther

Many people have referred to the Disney Destiny as the “Marvel Cruise” and I think a passenger could spend nearly the entire time immersed in that world. Loki and Black Panther play a big role in the overarching story and both have meet at greets througout the sailing. The line to meet Black Panther in the Marvel Academy stretched the throughout multiple hallways. One parent of a kindergartener that I spoke to attributed the popularity to new animated shows that target a young audience.

The Sanctum

Unlike DeVil’s and The Haunted Mansion Parlor, The Sanctum is an open space on Deck 4. During the day it hosts family activities while in the evening it caters to adults, with live music and specialty drinks. The Dr. Strange mystical arts theming also isn’t as intricate as the closed lounges, but provides enough film props and potion-style cocktails to be on-brand.

The Imagineering the Disney Ships adult-exclusive tour popped up in the Navigator App and we booked it not quite now what to expect. We met our guide at Merida’s and were given headsets, then followed our guide to learn about the details in the design of ship elements and in the artwork that filled nearly every wall.

Disney Ships provide free child care for ages 3+ in the Oceaneer Club for children, Edge Club for preteens and Vibe Club for teenagers.

I somehow missed the Open House sessions throughout the cruise that allowed Adults and older kids to enjoy the Oceaneer Club on Deck 2 with younger children, so I don’t have any photos inside. It is very similar to the spaces found on the Disney Wish, so you can check out that Blog to learn more. The Wreck-it Ralph characters welcome kids as they check into the club, whether it be from a slide in the Grand Hall or a desk on Deck 2.