Believe it — Disney's 'Believe' maiden voyage is sold out

Only potential stowaways still believe they will be able to secretly board the inaugural sailing of Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, Disney Believe.

The ship’s December 18, 2027 maiden voyage sold out October 14 during advance reservations, a Disney Cruise Line customer-service representative confirmed Thursday. Later departures remained available, she shared with PAX.

The tiered booking window opened Oct. 12 for Pearl Castaway Club members, followed by Platinum members on Oct. 13 and Gold members on Oct. 14, the day the maiden voyage reached capacity.

Silver members, Disney Vacation Club members and Adventures by Disney Insiders followed on Oct. 15, with the public last in line on Monday, Oct. 19, at 8 a.m. ET.

The ship will sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., offering four- and five-night Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries. Onboard additions include an Encanto stage production, Frozen-themed dining, and a Moana-inspired Grand Hall.

Among the Disney Cruise enthusiasts who secured a booking, it is unclear whether any were Canadian travellers.

Few people are better placed to explain that than Tricia Madill, founder of Lawrence Park Travel in Toronto, who sold Disney for years at Pure Magic Vacations, a Disney-focused agency, before leaving to broaden her business in a move she says was driven in part by the climate around U.S. travel.

"I have kind of shifted my focus, partially because of what's happening in the U.S., to be honest with you," Madill shared with PAX during a phone interview. "I knew that shifting my focus was important because either you pivot or you get stuck in one spot."

Her Disney clients have not so much stopped travelling as redirected, she said.

Madill fields inquiries for Disneyland Paris and for Disney and Universal in Japan, and says that a Disney cruise, boarding in Florida, then sailing the Caribbean, "feels like international waters" to clients uneasy about a U.S. vacation.

However, some Canadian travellers draw a firm line in the sand when it comes to U.S. travel.

"I have clients who won't even connect in the U.S. Like, if there was a flight to Europe, and they had to connect in the U.S., they wouldn't take it," she said.

Despite U.S. “elbows up” trade tensions, families will still travel to Disney in the U.S. 

"Your kids are only little for a defined amount of time," she said. "A lot of people are like, 'We're going to Disney.' And they feel like it is a world, like, a separate world from all the other stuff going on."

Loyalty does the rest when it comes to Disney Cruises.

"People are very, very loyal to Disney Cruise Line, especially when a new ship comes out, it is a rush to get your clients a spot, and we know exactly when it's being released, and we know what our client's status is, and which day they can book,” Madill said.

U.S. travel up, but remains below 2024

Broader travel figures indicate Canadians are returning to the United States in greater numbers than a year ago, although travel remains below September 2024 levels.

Preliminary Statistics Canada figures released October 13 recorded approximately 1.9 million Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. by air and automobile in September, up 6.8 per cent year over year.

Return trips by air increased 11.6 per cent from September 2025 but remained 18.7 per cent below September 2024. Automobile return trips were 31.1 per cent below September 2024.

Planning ahead

For advisors helping clients secure space on new Disney ships, Madill said understanding the cruise line’s loyalty-based booking windows is important.

“Especially when a new ship comes out, it is a rush to get your clients a spot,” she said.

Madill continues to handle Disney bookings for loyal clients, although they now represent a smaller part of her business.

For clients interested in Believe, the maiden voyage has filled, but it is one departure in a broader inaugural season.

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