Rory has been asking to go to “the bad guys ship” for four months.
It started in December when I was browsing DCL itineraries during my lunch break and accidentally left my phone on the table while a Disney Destiny promo video played. He walked over, watched it in silence for about thirty seconds, then turned to me with complete sincerity and said “Mama, the bad guys are on that ship.” He has not stopped asking since.
The Disney Destiny launched November 20, 2025 as the third Wish-class ship, following the Disney Wish (2022) and the Disney Treasure (2024). It sails year-round from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on 4 and 5-night Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries. I have been tracking it since before it launched, because we loved the Wish and wanted to know whether this one was worth choosing over it for families with toddlers.
The Heroes and Villains Theme Is Not as Scary as It Sounds
The first question every parent has asked me is whether the villain theme is going to terrify their two-year-old. Short answer: no. Disney leaned into playful over frightening. The Grand Hall centers on Loki in a pose that reads more mischievous than menacing. Cruella de Vil does glamorous photo ops. The space feels theatrical and stylized, not dark.
Character meets include Black Panther, Spider-Man, and Hero Minnie alongside Cruella, Maleficent, and Dr. Facilier. The heroes-and-villains frame is layered on top of the classic cruise experience, not a replacement for it. Mickey, Minnie, and their usual crew are still present throughout the sailing. Rory is obsessed with the idea of “the bad guys” but honestly would be heartbroken if Woody wasn’t there too, so I was relieved to confirm he doesn’t have to choose.
One thing worth knowing: if your toddler has a specific fear of Maleficent or Dr. Facilier, those characters appear in some capacity. This ship isn’t going to work for a kid who can’t handle seeing villain imagery anywhere. But for most toddlers, the vibe is closer to Halloween excitement than anything that will haunt them.
The Water Areas Are Built for the Under-Five Set
The Toy Story Splash Zone is designed for young kids, with water jets, spray features, and a wading pool that both Gracie and Rory would spend every waking minute in. It sits alongside the AquaMouse water ride, which made the Disney Wish famous: a two-person raft slide with cartoon projection screens telling a story as you go. Rory was too small for it when we sailed the Wish in 2023, so this would finally be his chance.
The Destiny also has Slide-a-saurus Rex, a family waterslide that parents and small kids can ride together. That one matters more to me than the AquaMouse, honestly. Something you can do with the kids instead of watching them from the pool deck while Alan and I take turns being the adult who stays in the shallow end.
The ship has ten pools and water play areas total. There is simply no scenario where a toddler runs out of things to splash in on a sea day.
Dining: The Pride Lands Table Is the One People Talk About
The Destiny’s rotational dining rotates through three venues: 1923 (the Disney animation-era throwback similar to what you’d find on the Wish), Worlds of Marvel, and Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King.
Pride Lands is the one that separates this ship from its Wish-class siblings. The dining room is built as an immersive savanna environment with live performance woven into the meal, African-influenced cuisine, and atmospheric sound design. For kids who love the Lion King, this is going to land differently than a restaurant that just has some themed art on the walls.
Worlds of Marvel returns from the Wish, which means interactive tech-driven entertainment at the table and a more theatrical character experience than a standard meet-and-greet. Rory calls Spider-Man “the red one,” so that particular night is already planned in my head.
Adult specialty options are Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté, both upcharge and adults-only. Alan and I did Palo on the Wish and it was worth every penny of the upcharge and the babysitting logistics. The Destiny’s Palo leans more steakhouse than the previous brunch format, but the core premise is the same: two hours without anyone asking for chicken nuggets.
For more on how rotational dining works across the fleet, our rotational dining guide covers the full picture.
The Oceaneer Club Entrance Is a Slide
The Oceaneer Club, for ages 3 through 10, is on Deck 2 just below the Grand Hall. There are two ways in: stairs, or a slide.
If you have a three-year-old, you already understand why this matters.
The club has the same themed rooms found across Wish-class ships: Marvel Super Hero Academy, Fairytale Hall, Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, Star Wars Cargo Bay, and Mickey and Minnie’s Captain’s Deck. No extra charge, no reservations required. Parents check kids in and out, and kids can move between spaces freely during open hours. The slide entrance is specific to the Destiny and it is, by every account I have read, a completely unfair competitive advantage over every other ship in the fleet.
Gracie is three and would walk into a slide entrance and refuse to leave even without a Disney theme. With a Disney theme she will need to be physically carried out.
For the full breakdown on how the club works, our Oceaneer Club guide covers what to expect on Wish-class ships.
How the Destiny Compares to the Wish for Toddler Families
The bones are the same. Same general layout, same stateroom split bathrooms, same AquaMouse, same Oceaneer Club structure. If you loved the Wish, the Destiny is going to feel familiar in all the right ways.
Where it’s different: the overall atmosphere is bolder and more theatrical. The Wish had a fairy tale feeling throughout; the Destiny has a “something is about to happen” energy. That works better for some families than others. If your kid is in a full superhero or villain phase, this is the more exciting ship. If your family is princess-forward and nothing else is going to satisfy them, the Wish or the Fantasy might be the better call.
The 5-night Destiny itineraries stop at both Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, which means you get both private islands in one trip. If you haven’t been to Lookout Cay yet, our Castaway Cay vs Lookout Cay comparison is worth reading before you book.
Pricing is comparable to the Wish. Starting around $2,400 for a 4-night off-peak sailing, and considerably more for summer or holiday departures.
The Bottom Line
The Disney Destiny is the most ambitious Wish-class ship yet, and it delivers for toddler families in most of the ways that count. The water areas are excellent, the Oceaneer Club slide is something kids will talk about, and Pride Lands is a dining experience the Lion King generation has not had on a cruise ship before.
The villain theme adds drama without adding fear, which is harder to pull off than it sounds and Disney got it right. Rory is two and has been requesting “the bad guys ship” for four months. If that is not a reliable toddler focus group, I don’t know what is.
Alan and I are looking at late fall sailings when prices come down. One of us will probably cry at Pride Lands. It won’t be the kids.
