Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Lotion-View-1444.asp" target="_blank"><b>LP Lotion: Disney Magic Announces a Major Makeover Debuting on October 20</b></a> Descriptions, videos and pictures of the major changes announced for the Disney Magic, debuting on October 20, 2013.
Originally Posted By macnak81 I just don't understand why? Walt Disney world is in desperate need of a Harry Potter buster and many needed repairs and upgrades. How does a ship require so many updates. Are the repeat customers so bored, the cruise ship down the pier is stealing all the customers? Maybe the cruise line division is making more money than the rest.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros When was the Magic's last big drydock? I suspect that they probably keep a schedule that's in line with WDW's hotel refurbs. A cruise ship gets used much more heavily than a theme park (more densely populated, being used all hours of the day) so it makes sense that they need to redo them more often I wonder if some of this is a result of people prefering the options on the new ships more, and trying to upgrade the old ones to also have those same features.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 It's a smart decision and since it will be in dry dock anyways, wouldn't be surprised if they add a show or two, hopefully getting rid of the Villains one.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 This isn't that surprising really. Since the budgets for the ships are not tied to WDW, why compare the costs? I'm sure that Disney is updating the Magic to not compete with other cruise ships, but with it's own. The more recent ships probably get booked faster because they have more up-to-date stuff, and the water coaster and other amenities are probably enticing. So, why not make all the Disney ships similar so they can spread bookings across all of the ships? It makes total sense to me.
Originally Posted By tonyanton I agree on the above points and also want to note that the ship is about 15 years old...it's either these sort of extensive upgrades every few years or time to scrap the ship.
Originally Posted By schnebs My understanding is that this big a refurb for a ship the Magic's age isn't all that unusual. Most cruise ships are considered to have a service life of about 30 years (although they may go longer, and they will not always stay with the line or mother corporation they started with), and the 15-year mark's the point where the ship goes in for major refurbishments -- same as how a hotel goes through a major remodeling to keep it fresh and interesting to guests and to add the latest and greatest amenities. The fact that it gives Disney a chance to add stuff that proved popular on the Dream and Fantasy (or it least stuff close to it) probably didn't hurt. Supposedly, there are folks at DCL who feel that the Magic and Wonder didn't do well on the various new itineraries they were sent on over the past couple of years because people compared them unfavorably to the Dream and the Fantasy, especially when DCL decided to charge their usual higher fares at the new ports. I think that the cruises didn't sell more for the latter reason than the former, but hey, I'm not a Disney exec, so what do I know?
