OPEN Brief: If you want the construction timeline, the gigablock breakdown, the confirmed design theme, and how it stacks up against its sister ships for the Disney Believe, this OPEN guide has every verified detail in one place. Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship just floated its first massive hull section out of Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. That section alone weighs more than 31,000 tons and holds the future home of the ship’s Grand Hall. The Disney Believe is set to sail in late 2027 as the fourth ship in the Wish class, joining the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and Disney Destiny.

What Happened During the Disney Believe’s First Gigablock Float Out?

Disney Believe’s first gigablock, a midship section weighing over 31,000 tons, floated out of Meyer Werft on September 18, 2026.

Meyer Werft builds the Disney Believe at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. This first section is the midship portion of the ship, and it already contains the future home of the Grand Hall. Two more gigablocks still need to come together: the forward section comes next, followed by the aft section. Once all three sections are complete, workers weld them together to form the finished hull.

Getting your first real look at a section this size makes the late-2027 debut feel a lot closer. Disney Cruise Line fans have been tracking pieces of the Disney Believe since parts started arriving at the shipyard earlier this year, and this float out is the biggest milestone yet. If you’re planning a Disney Cruise Line vacation of your own in the meantime, OPEN keeps current coverage of the Disney Cruise Line fleet, including sailings already in service. You can read the full construction update from Disney’s own Ship’s Log at the official Disney Parks Blog.

What Is a Gigablock in Cruise Ship Construction?

A gigablock is a massive prefabricated ship section built with its walls, plumbing, and wiring already installed.

Meyer Werft builds the Disney Believe in three of these giant sections instead of assembling the whole vessel as one piece from the keel up. Each gigablock is finished separately, then floated out and welded to the others like pieces of a puzzle. Disney says a single gigablock can weigh more than 31,000 tons, and the midship section that floated out on September 18, 2026, is the first of the three.

What Is the Construction Timeline for the Disney Believe So Far?

Disney Believe construction began with a steel-cutting ceremony on August 8, 2025, and the ship targets a late 2027 debut.

Meyer Werft assigned the ship hull number S.723. Newly appointed Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro revealed the Disney Believe name on March 18, 2026, during his first day on the job at The Walt Disney Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Meyer Werft targets a fourth-quarter 2027 delivery for the ship.

Here is how the milestones line up so far.

You can track the Disney Believe’s full build history, including hull number and shareholder meeting details, through The Disney Cruise Line Blog’s Disney Believe archive.

What Design Theme and Disney Stories Inspire the Disney Believe?

Disney Believe carries a theme of promise, possibility, and what lies beyond the horizon, drawing on stories like Moana and Encanto.

Disney Cruise Line has confirmed that onboard experiences will be shaped by Disney Animation’s Encanto, Frozen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Moana, and The Little Mermaid. A July 2026 teaser video also featured characters from Inside Out, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Monsters, Inc., and Tangled, though Disney has not yet confirmed which of those stories get dedicated onboard spaces. Claire Weiss, Portfolio Executive Creative Director, unveiled the Grand Hall concept and exterior artwork on August 15, 2026, during the Horizons: D23 Disney Experiences Showcase.

Weiss told the D23 audience that the Disney Believe “celebrates belief in magic, family, the power of nature, and belief in yourself,” and that its stories are tied together by the idea of believing in something fantastical. Disney Cruise Line plans to share more onboard details during its October 7, 2026 livestream reveal, with a one-night-only stage show aboard the Disney Wish the same night. If you’re stacking a cruise onto a park trip, OPEN also tracks Disney Resorts availability and the wider Central Florida events calendar so you can plan both legs of your trip together.

What Will the Disney Believe’s Grand Hall Look Like?

Disney Believe’s Grand Hall will center on a bronze statue of Moana with her companions Pua and Heihei.

The Grand Hall serves as the ship’s central gathering space, a tradition shared with every Wish-class sister ship. Disney says the space will carry artisanal Polynesian finishes inspired by the South Pacific setting of the Moana films, with the bronze statue positioned to face toward the horizon.

What Artwork Will Decorate the Disney Believe’s Bow and Stern?

Tinker Bell will decorate the Disney Believe’s bow, while Woody and Buzz Lightyear appear together on the stern.

Tinker Bell’s hand-painted filigree depicts her as she first appeared in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 1953 classic Peter Pan, flanked by silhouettes of Peter Pan, Wendy, and Captain Hook. On the stern, larger-than-life sculptures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story films appear etching the ship’s name with oversized yellow crayons, using a playful block-style font instead of the looped calligraphy seen on earlier Disney Cruise Line ships.

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How Does the Disney Believe Compare to Its Wish-Class Sister Ships?

Disney Believe is expected to match its Wish-class sisters at about 144,000 gross tons and 1,119 feet long.

Disney Believe is expected to carry up to 4,000 guests, the same maximum as the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and Disney Destiny. Each Wish-class ship carries its own design theme: the Disney Wish leans on enchantment, the Disney Treasure on adventure, and the Disney Destiny on heroes and villains. Here is how the four ships line up.

Disney Believe will be the ninth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet once it enters service. You can browse the naming ceremony details and shareholder meeting coverage through The Disney Cruise Line Blog’s naming announcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Disney Believe?

Disney Believe is Disney Cruise Line’s ninth ship and the fourth vessel in the Wish class, currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

When will the Disney Believe set sail?

Disney Believe is scheduled to enter service in late 2027, with Meyer Werft targeting delivery in the fourth quarter of that year.

What is a gigablock, and why does it matter for the Disney Believe?

A gigablock is one of three massive prefabricated sections, each weighing over 31,000 tons, that Meyer Werft welds together to build the Disney Believe. The first gigablock, containing the future Grand Hall, floated out on September 18, 2026.

What Disney stories inspire the Disney Believe’s design?

Disney Believe draws on Disney Animation’s Encanto, Frozen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Moana, and The Little Mermaid, with the Grand Hall themed specifically to Moana.

Status Brief

Disney Believe just cleared its biggest visible construction milestone yet, with a 31,000-ton midship gigablock floating out of Meyer Werft on September 18, 2026. Two more gigablocks, the forward and aft sections, still need to be built and welded into place before the ship can sail. The confirmed Moana-themed Grand Hall, Tinker Bell bow art, and Woody and Buzz Lightyear stern sculptures give guests a first real sense of what boarding will feel like in late 2027. Mark your calendar for October 7, 2026, when Disney Cruise Line’s livestream reveal is expected to fill in more of the onboard details, and check Disney’s own Disney Believe Ship’s Log for the next construction update.

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