- Oriental Land, owner of Tokyo Disneyland, plans to invest $2 billion to bring Disney Cruises to Japan.
- The cruises will operate year-round from Japan from early 2029 and will be able to accommodate 4,000 passengers per voyage.
- Disney’s cruise business, which also includes its theme parks, accounted for 37% of its revenue last year.
The owner of Tokyo Disneyland is putting more of an emphasis on the Disney Magic with new investments in cruises.
Oriental Land, which owns and operates Tokyo Disney Resort, The company announced Tuesday that it will invest $2 billion to launch Disney Cruises in Japan.
The Tokyo theme park, which opened in 1983, is operated as a franchise and is the only theme park not wholly or partially owned by the Walt Disney Company.
The company said in a statement Tuesday that a new deal with the Mickey Mouse and Toy Story producer will bring year-round cruises to Japan, scheduled to depart from Tokyo by early 2029.
The 1,250-room cruise ship will be similar in design to Disney’s largest cruise ship, Disney Wish, and will carry 4,000 passengers.
The new cruises come amid a surge in international tourism to Japan: In the first three months of this year, 8.6 million tourists visited the country and spent more than $11 billion. A weaker yen is encouraging more foreigners to book longer trips and spend more.
The ship will be Disney’s second cruise to Asia, with the company announcing last month a cruise departing from Singapore in 2025.
Experiential attractions, which include cruises and theme parks, accounted for 37% of Disney’s revenue last year, or $32.5 billion.
“Frankly, cruise represents a tremendous opportunity for us over the long term, which is why we’re increasingly focused on it,” Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said during an earnings call in May.
Johnston also highlighted “global easing from the post-COVID travel peak” and rising wages as challenges for the company this year.
Disney owns five ships that cruise to destinations such as the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, the South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. Four-night cruises from Florida to the Bahamas start at about $900 per person.
