Does “X” mark the spot? That’s the question Disney Cruise Line fans are asking this week.
In advance of official announcements about the Treasure coming next Wednesday, August 30, Disney Cruise Line sent out special “Treasure boxes” to some lucky Disney fans. From markings on the cardboard shipping boxes to a map in a locked case, Disney Cruise Line is giving us some clues to what we can expect onboard its newest ship.
What it all means is still speculative - but folks have been working to decipher the maps, including a very robust discussion in our own Facebook group. So, today, we’re unpacking the clues on Disney’s Treasure map and offering our own speculation on what it all means.
Before we dive in, we will be attending a special media version of the Treasure announcements next Wednesday at the same time Disney is streaming the public launch. We’ll immediately follow those announcements with a live show on our YouTube channel at 12:30pm Eastern / 9:30am Pacific. Mark your calendars to get our full breakdown of the announcements and see if any of our predictions below turned out to be true!
The Box.
Disney Cruise Line shipped its Treasure boxes in a cardboard shipping box that was full of teasers and hints about some of the Intellectual Property (IP) we might see onboard. Location stamps on the outside pointed directly at IP like:
Spiderman (Queens, New York)
Coco (Santa Cecilia)
Aladdin (Agrabah)
Haunted Mansion (Somewhere Beyond)
Jungle Cruise (EMS River)
Moana (Motunui)
Peter Pan (Neverland)
Castaway Cay
Some of these re-affirm prior teasers from last year’s D23 announcements. For example, we already know the Grand Hall of the Treasure will be themed to Aladdin.
Similarly, Disney also hinted at D23 that we would see Coco, the Haunted Mansion (Hitchhiking Ghosts), and Moana on the Treasure. Those announcements sparked speculation about a Coco restaurant akin to Arendelle, a Haunted Mansion themed bar as a replacement for Hyperspace Lounge, and a Moana stage show, especially given news about a live-action remake.
The new IP revealed from the outer box are Peter Pan, Spiderman and Jungle Cruise. None were previously hinted at, but all fit in nicely with the “adventure” theme of the Treasure.
The Castaway Cay stamp suggests that the Treasure will primarily be calling on that private island destination, rather than the forthcoming Lighthouse Point. This would also lend credence to the Treasure picking-up the Fantasy’s 7-night Eastern/Western Caribbean itineraries.
The Map.
Perhaps more interesting is the Treasure map that Disney included in the box. It clearly shows the outline of a ship - presumably the Treasure herself.
For those who have sailed on the Disney Wish, this map may remind you of a mural map of the Wish on Deck 3, that was also made available for sale onboard (and that we have hanging in our own foyer):
Comparing the Treasure map with the Wish’s actual floorplan also helps us orient into how we might decipher the hints in the Treasure map.
If the Treasure map is indeed meant to be a key to the spaces on the ship, then there’s a lot to unpack. The map is absolutely littered with Disney IP, a lot of which has not been the subject of announcements by Disney Cruise Line. More importantly, if the placement on the map is an indicator of where and how we might see this IP incorporated into the ship, then some of the prior speculation about Coco, Moana and the Haunted Mansion may need to be revisited. Thanks to a very high-quality scan by the DCL Blog we’ve been able to zoom into the map and get some more detail on the IP involved. Let’s talk potential restaurants, bars, and shows first. Then we’ll speculate a bit on some other IP that’s been included and how it might fit into the ship.
Restaurants
Some of the easiest IP to unpack here may be the restaurants.
First, there is a clear indicator that Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods will indeed be returning.
The map clearly shows a return of fan favorites: Donald’s Cantina (Mexican food akin to Chipotle at sea) and Mickey’s Smokestack BBQ, as well as Daisy’s Pizza Pies, Goofy’s Grill (for hotdogs, hamburgers, etc.), and Sweet Minnie’s Ice Cream. This is great news for DCL fans who have universally found the pool-deck food on the Wish to be some of the best in the fleet. Unusually, this artwork appears at the bottom of the ship, not the top where it would normally be found. It’s possible this entire middle section is meant to depict pool-deck theming. You’ll find more on our thoughts on the pool deck below.
Second, the image of Nick Wilde and Officer Judy Hopps enjoying an ice cream at a table together strongly suggests the sweet shop / ice cream parlor off the pool deck will be Zootopia themed.
The rotational and adult dining restaurants onboard are a bit murkier, but there are some clues buried in the map. First up, let’s talk adult dining.
With both Lumiere and Cogsworth making an appearance (and based on conversations we’ve had with the chef at Enchanté) we fully expect both Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté to return on the Treasure as adult dining venues - likely with very few changes in terms of theming or menu. Notably, the patch of roses nearby also hints at a return of the Rose bar, in keeping with the existing theming on the Wish.
As for rotational dining, there are three images toward the back of the ship (where the dining venues would normally sit) that may offer some clues.
The fist and perhaps clearest references are Captain America’s shield and a Quantum Core, suggesting that Worlds of Marvel will indeed make a return on the Treasure. This is not all that surprising as we suspected that the Marvel restaurant on the Wish was the “new” Animator’s Palette for the Wish-class ships. The question remains whether Disney will incorporate a new show into Marvel? With the inclusion of the Quantum core, the answer may be yes and no. With the Treasure expected to take on 7-night sailings, DCL will have to develop primary and alternate menus for the rotational dining venues as they have on the other ships. That could mean we see a return of Scott Laing for the primary show, with a secondary show (perhaps Spiderman or Captain America themed, based on the other hints) for the alternative night - much like Animator’s can support both Turtle Talk with Crush and Animation Magic depending on the night.
The other two images above hint strongly at something Pixar themed as one is clearly an image of Syndrome’s island from the Incredibles and the other appears to be the desert racetrack where Doc Hudson and Lightning McQueen (and Cruz Ramirez) practiced in the Cars franchise. Also pictured in an understated way is Maui’s fishhook, suggesting a tie-in to Moana. While many expected a Coco Themed restaurant as a replacement to for Arendelle’s Frozen dinner show on the Wish, this may hint at something else. Again, because of the need for primary and alternate nights it’s possible we’ll see a Coco or Moana dinner show, and some other kind of Pixar-themed show. We had hoped Disney might go this direction with Moana, as a Luau at sea would make for a lot of fun and some interesting food. The lack of other Coco references on the map is curious in light of the prior D23 announcements.
Bars
There are some hints to potential bar theming scattered throughout the map as well. These are far less definitive, but there are some clear indicators of Jungle Cruise, Mulan, and Moana theming in roughly the spots where one would find adult venues like the Bayou, Keg and Compass, and Nightingales on the Wish.
Personally, a Jungle Cruise themed bar (something like Jock Lindsay’s Hanger Bar or perhaps even a Trader Sam’s at sea would be at the top of our wish list for the Treasure. It would be out of character for Disney not to have a more “pub” themed bar onboard, but if they were going to replace that theming, a Tiki bar could be a real winner here. The Mulan and Moana theming are less clear to us (and Mulan may actually be tied-into the kids club theming, more on that below), although designing a bar that is more atmospheric, like the Bayou, could easily incorporate either of these themes.
It’s also worth highlighting and interesting tidbit in the map that hints at Alice in Wonderland theming.
Given its placement, it may suggest theming for coffee bars onboard, akin to the Sword and Shield coffee bars off the Grand Hall of the Wish. Of course, it may also signal theming for the onboard salon as well, like the Untangle Salon on the Wish.
Lastly, there is some art hinting at Star Wars in the map - specifically an image of an X-wing in upper forward area of the ship, and also some porgs at the aft.
The placement of these images doesn’t align to the location of Hyperspace Lounge on the Wish; and we’re highly skeptical that Hyperspace would be included on the Treasure given its lukewarm reception thus far on the Wish. We think it more likely that we’ll see something Haunted Mansion themed as a replacement for the Wish, but the map is curiously devoid of any hints related to the Haunted Mansion or Hitchhiking Ghosts, apart from mention on the outer box (see above).
Stage Shows
We wade into even murkier territory with potential stage shows. As previously mentioned, many thought there would be a Moana stage show, but artwork placed at the bow of the ship may hint at something different.
The above clearly shows art depicting The Jungle Book (the panther image), The Lion King (Timon, Pumba, Pride Rock, Simba and Nala), and Encanto (the colorful village), Tangled (Rapunzel’s tower). There’s also a non-descript garden the IP for which we can’t discern - perhaps Mulan? Our best guess is that we will see stage Adaptations of at least two, possibly three, very popular shows - the Lion King, Encanto and Tangled. Tangled is already at sea, the Lion King is already a Broadway property, and Encanto has been such a hit, each of these seem like potential “no-brainers” for DCL stage shows. We note too that Captain Hooks’ ship makes an appearance above. While we do expect to see some Neverland theming onboard, we don’t expect to see a Peter Pan stage show.
UPDATE (8/27): Several folks have suggested that the colorful village at the front of the ship is, in fact, from Coco. We went back and forth on this one but agree that art could be hinting at Coco. Given its placement, it would suggest a Coco stage show, rather than a Coco-themed restaurant as many were expecting. If' that’s true, it would lend more credence to the idea of a general Pixar-themed dining experience, as we already discussed above.
Some have suggested that the placement of Rapunzel’s tower may hint at theming for the Rainforest Room on the Treasure. Since the Wish’s Rainforest Room is not themed, we think this is unlikely.
Other Hints from the Map
In addition to the above there are some other great easter eggs hidden in the map that we think hint at pool-deck theming, re-theming of other venues onboard, and kids club theming. Let’s break those down, briefly.
Off the back of the ship there is a boat that some have suggested may carry Star Wars characters.
We’re less certain on that point, or what the boat might hint at. We suspect a possible water play area based on what looks to be water slide imagery, but this artwork is one of the more mysterious to us. Personally, I’m not sure how a vessel like this would fit into the Star Wars cannon and think it more likely to be something closer to Finding Nemo. But, we’re frankly stumped.
Moving from aft forward, next we encounter an image laden with Frozen references, including Olaf.
Some have suggested this might hint at a re-theming of the Hero Zone, perhaps with Disney’s first ice-rink at sea. That’s certainly possible, although Disney seems to have hit on a great multi-purpose space with the indoor Hero Zone, that also seems to be heavily used. If they do introduce an ice rink, we’d expect it to also have the ability to transform into similar multipurpose space.
It’s also possible DCL intends to theme the adult spaces on the back of the ship, the Cove Café, or even the AquaMouse to Frozen. We don’t think the AquaMouse is likely, given some other artwork featured in the map (more below). It also doesn’t seem likely that Disney would theme the adult areas or Cove Café to Frozen, given those areas are largely un-themed on the Wish.
Continuing forward on the ship, we also spotted a small easter egg in the mountain range for the rear funnel - the Up House.
We think the two mountain ranges represent the forward and aft elevator banks, suggesting DCL will continue with just two elevator banks on the Treasure, which is not at all surprising. We don’t think the reference to Up here signals anything significant - it may be theming for the elevators, or just being used as a visual queue that the mountains are indeed the elevator banks as the house floats up the range.
Of course, it’s also possible that some of this theming, like Frozen or Up, may be hinting at theming for the Tween and Teen clubs onboard. Although we suspect that’s not what DCL is trying to clue with these images.
Significantly more interesting is the artwork near where the pool deck sits today on the Wish.
Specifically, we find Goofy getting ready to dive into what looks to be a series of pools; suggesting that the Treasure will continue the Wish’s design with multiple tiered pools.
Even more interesting is the mysterious pyramid sitting on an island of its own that spans the two funnels. This appears to be a strong indicator for theming of the AquaMouse-like water ride we expect to see on the Treasure. A sleuthing listener noted that the symbol looks a lot like symbols used in DuckTales, suggesting Donald and friends may get a water attraction themed after them on the Treasure (AquaDuck redux?).
We’re a bit less certain on this theming, but we do suspect the art is meant to invoke the mysterious Society of Adventurers and Explorers (SEA). A new character has been introduced with the Treasure - Arthur Quinn. We suspect Quinn is a member of SEA and the pyramid may be hinting at something tied-into SEA as theming aboard the Wish. Notably, Dr. Albert Falls, Dr. Kon Chunosuke, and Frank Wolff, all of Jungle Cruise canon, were affiliated with SEA - so it’s possible the water attraction will be themed to the Jungle Cruise.
It’s also possible that the SEA theming here is hinting at the Haunted Mansion, especially because the map is devoid of any other Haunted Mansion easter eggs. Several characters associated with the Haunted Mansion (and similar properties in the other parks) were affiliated with SEA. So, it’s also possible that DCL is planning to make a dark water attraction themed to the Haunted Mansion, with the ghosts teased at D23 hitching a ride with your raft. Definitely lots of possibilities here.
Another significant area of the map depicts several Disney properties including the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin, Rex and Trixie from Toy Story, the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Mulan.
This art strongly hints at kid club theming in our opinion. Specifically, a Cave of Wonders slide off the Grand Hall into the club, and then areas in the club themed to the other Disney properties. Rex and Trixie may also simply be hinting at another Toy Story themed splash pad and Slide-a-saurus Rex akin to those on the Wish.
Next up is a curious reference to Spaceship Earth in the forward funnel.
We’re a bit stumped on what this might be hinting at, but since the Tower Suite on the Wish is located in the forward funnel, we suspect this is signaling both a return of that suite on the Treasure, and perhaps theming of the suite to Spaceship Earth just as the Wish’s Tower Suite is themed to Moana. It’s certainly an interesting choice.
One last piece of art we wanted to highlight sits in the upper right-hand corner of the map.
As we mentioned earlier, Castaway Cay was prominently called out on the outer packaging for Disney’s Treasure Box, and it makes a reappearance on the map, without any corresponding reference to Lighthouse Point. Again, this would indicate the Treasure is indeed taking over the Fantasy’s 7-night itineraries and will be primarily calling on Castaway Cay, rather than Lighthouse Point.
Well, that just about sums up all the easter eggs we’ve been able to find on the Treasure map. We’ll find out in the coming days if any of our predictions were correct. More than anything, we are excited to finally get some more news about the Treasure and can’t wait to set sail on her next year!