Disney Cruise Line (DCL) has revealed all-new details about Disney Imagination Garden, one of the seven themed areas aboard the Disney Adventure, which will set sail from Singapore in 2025.
Disney Imagination Garden, the central hub of the ship, will transport guests into the pages of well-loved Disney stories alongside their favourite characters with its colourful landscapes.
At the centre of the courtyard is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey Mouse topiary that stands with his wand held high as if conjuring this magical garden to life.
The open-air garden will be set against a three-deck-tall, storybook castle art piece, a first-of-its-kind onboard a DCL ship. The space will also include a theatrical Garden Stage that will bring beloved Disney stories to life, an open area leading to a large staircase that will double as amphitheatre-style seating, and a selection of garden-view staterooms.
Here, guests will also find two eateries – Mowgli’s Eatery serving Indian, vegetarian and regional dishes, and Gramma Tala’s Kitchen, inspired by the scenery and island flair of Moana.
One signature entertainment experience performed on the Garden Stage will be Avengers Assemble!, an action-packed stage show with stunts and special effects where Deadpool makes his DCL debut to lend his signature irreverence and comedy to the spectacle.
“Disney Imagination Garden is the heart and soul of the Disney Adventure, where our guests will interact with our Disney, Pixar and Marvel stories in a whole new way,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio executive creative director, Walt Disney Imagineering. “Rooted in the rich legacy of Disney storytelling, we’re creating an area that will open doors to new adventures and encourage guests to create magic of their own.”
The other themed areas on the Disney Adventure include Disney Discovery Reef, San Fransokyo Street, Wayfinder Bay, Town Square, Marvel Landing and Toy Story Place.
More details about these themed areas will be released at a later date.
A “gap” between institutes of higher learning (IHL), students and industry was raised during a recent PATA Youth Symposium and has resulted in a call for curriculum to be developed by academics with practical experience, to be updated on a regular basis to close it.
Ex-hotelier and Innovative Internship Coaching founder, David Jones, who has worked in the US and Asia, commented faculty with “real-world industry experience are essential in bridging the gap between academic learning and practical demands”.
First-hand knowledge provides students with a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed, he added.
Nisha Abu Bakar, co-founder World Women Tourism and founder of Elevated Consultancy and Training, suggested more guest lecturers from industry be incorporated into the curriculum.
She pointed out: “This is not given priority now. Also required are more industry-based projects that are closely monitored and assessed to ensure that student learning happens effectively.
“Soft skills such as resilience and agility, critical thinking, networking, very relevant to the industry are not taught in IHLs adequately.”
Retired tourism professor and former research and strategic information head at PATA, John Koldowski, observed a lack of talent training in critical thinking, design thinking and other similar approaches to enable new talent to develop “real flair in problem-solving”.
He proposed that “IHLs systematically and routinely meet with and hear, not just listen, to a cross-section of industry executives”.
He continued: “Just hearing C-suite views, far removed from the actual workers to fully understand what is needed and required of trainees at the practical level, could give a distorted view in some cases.”
Senior public sector industry executives, he said, also need to be part of the discussions with IHLs and industry.
“Failure must be seen as ‘trying’, not as failure per se. If you are not failing, then you are not trying, is perhaps a more appropriate mantra, to a point,” Koldowski opined, while Jones added mistakes are learning opportunities and not to be feared.
Koldowski quipped: “One idea that has been floated is funding for IHLs be linked to their job placement proportions for recent graduates and the satisfaction the employer has with those placed graduates. Get that right and employers will be coming to the IHLs.”
As for Abu Bakar, she urged employers to view training and talent development as an investment, not an expense.