The newest ship in Disney’s cruise fleet, the Disney Adventure, began its inaugural season sailing three-, four-, and occasionally five-night itineraries from the port of Singapore in Asia.
For at least its first year, this ship’s itineraries will consist entirely of days at sea. In other words, the Disney Adventure will not stop at any ports during its voyages, and the only place you will visit during your trip is Singapore itself, when you depart and when you return from your cruise.
This itinerary choice may be the result of both logistical and economic strategy, helping Disney simplify operations in Asia while also encouraging more onboard spending from guests who never disembark the ship. Whatever the reason, it means that the onboard entertainment offered during sea days must work harder to keep guests engaged and occupied throughout much of the day.
To achieve this, Disney Cruise Line has introduced a lineup of original shows and performances on the Disney Adventure, complementing the recreational activities we already know from Disney cruises, which range from bingo to seminars and character meet-and-greets.
In this article I will share my personal ranking of the shows I enjoyed most during the two cruises I took on the Disney Adventure, both three nights long. I will not include Disney Seas the Adventure on this list, since it is not an original or exclusive production for the Adventure and is also presented on other ships.
6. Baymax Super Exercise Expo
This show is presented several times throughout one of the days on the Garden Stage. It is relatively short and features Baymax and Hiro Hamada leading a series of exercise demonstrations, inviting the audience to move along with dance steps inspired by other characters from Big Hero 6.
It is an entertaining show and, let’s be honest, probably necessary to help guests get a bit of exercise and stretching during their vacation. However, it is not quite at the same level as the other shows on this list. It feels more like a short aerobics class with characters than a full production comparable to the level of entertainment Disney usually delivers.
5. Moana: Call of the Sea
Presented at Wayfinder Bay, a small stage located at the back of the ship, Moana: Call of the Sea is a great opportunity to enjoy the excellent music from the first Moana movie, with appearances by Moana, Maui, and a group of dancers.
While it is a charming show, I believe it could be greatly improved with the addition of more dancers interacting with the water in the pool area, or even with live musicians. As a live musical performance it works quite well and the singers do an excellent job, but the production design could be significantly enhanced.
Here you can see the video we made of the show:
4. Duffy and The Friend Ship
Duffy the Disney Bear and his friends are among the most popular Disney characters in Asia. In fact, I would even say that I saw more of these adorable plush characters – on stuffed toys, T-shirts, and headbands – in the parks of Tokyo and on the cruise itself than I did of Mickey Mouse.
For that reason, having a Duffy show at sea is a very smart decision by Disney, and particularly fitting on the Disney Adventure, which even features a dedicated shop just for these characters.
Duffy and The Friend Ship is presented on the Garden Stage and younger guests will undoubtedly enjoy it. It is a very sweet show, with lovely songs and an easy-to-follow story that reinforces the importance of friendship in finding meaning in the simple things in life.
Here you can see the video we made of the entire show:
3. Remember
This is the original Disney Adventure stage show presented alongside Disney Seas the Adventure in the Walt Disney Theatre. The production features WALL‑E and EVE as its main characters and follows a structure similar to other Disney Cruise Line productions, such as Disney Believe, where different Disney characters appear in a series of musical numbers.
Remember features beautiful scenes, excellent use of technology, impressive puppetry for its main characters, and all the nostalgia and charm that we love about Disney.
However, I believe it lacks a strong enough narrative concept to fully connect all the scenes in a cohesive way. In Disney Believe, for example, the characters and musical numbers develop the idea that believing in magic is an essential part of our lives and our relationships with those we love. In Remember, the musical numbers feel more like a nostalgic mechanism whose main narrative purpose is simply to restore Eve’s battery. As a result, the story feels somewhat thin, and it is not always clear why certain characters or musical numbers were chosen.
2. The Lion King: Celebration in the Sky
This was one of the most pleasant surprises among the Disney Adventure shows. The ship’s fireworks spectacular is inspired by The Lion King and features several of the movie’s most iconic songs, including He Lives in You.
Narrated by Shah Rukh Khan, The Lion King: Celebration in the Sky delivers a fireworks and lighting show that feels far more emotional, nostalgic, and cohesive than other Disney at-sea spectacles. It is also considerably longer and far more ambitious in terms of pyrotechnics.
1. Avengers Assemble!
My favorite show by far was Avengers Assemble! on the Garden Stage. The story features Tony Stark presenting a new device aboard the Disney Adventure designed to teleport superheroes. Things quickly go wrong when the new technology falls into the wrong hands, forcing the heroes to battle villains and restore order on the ship.
Avengers Assemble! combines dozens of performers, acrobatics, special effects, audience interaction—and even interaction with the ship itself—along with plenty of humor, particularly from Deadpool, whose presence becomes one of the show’s most entertaining elements.
Without a doubt, I recommend watching it more than once to fully appreciate all the details.
You can find the schedule and locations for all of these shows in the official Disney Cruise Line Navigator App once you are onboard the ship.
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