Magic At Sea Capacity Increase Explained Post July 19th
Cruise 08-Aug-2021
On July 19th, most of the UK social distancing legal restrictions was removed. Following that news, the Disney Magic can now operate at a slightly higher capacity, as well as reduce the need for virtual queues and pre-booking of the Walt Disney Theatre. This has led to a little bit of a mild panic by a few people who have already booked the Magic At Sea staycation thinking the ship is now going to be packed to the brim. Fear not, it won't be.
Before July 19th, cruise lines could only operate at a maximum of 50% or 1,000 passenger capacity, whichever was lower. Keep in mind that cruise lines - which includes Disney - do not officially announce or share capacity details, however, it's not ridiculous to assume they work to the maximum capacity they can within the current laws and restrictions. Other UK staycation non-Disney cruises all run the same way.
On July 19th - when the UK social distancing legal restrictions was removed - there were still restrictions in place for cruises, but they were slightly relaxed. Disney didn't increase their capacity right away though, it wasn't until a couple of weeks had passed until they announced they were increasing the capacity. That was because of their rotational dining system. Disney's capacity was determined by the ability to make sure everyone onboard had a table for a dinner. Disney was able to optimise the capacity of the dining rooms to allow an increase in capacity for the ship overall.
The new UK government guidelines on July 19th stated that cruise ships can operate at a maximum of 50% capacity regardless of ship size. The Disney Magic can accommodate about 2,700 passengers. This means that before July 19th, Disney was operating at around a 1,000 passenger capacity, and following July 19th, they can operate up to about a 1,350 passenger capacity. Also keep in mind that it'll only hit that number if the sailing is sold out, but there's still a good chunk of availability later in the summer.
On the July 15th first public Magic At Sea sailing we went on, that reportedly had just under 1,000 passengers onboard. It honestly felt like a ghost town most the time. This slight increase shouldn't be of concern for those worried, it just allows a few more people to have some magic as more and more summer holidays get cancelled.
Book your 2023 Walt Disney World Resort holiday today to take advantage of Disney's "The Magic is Yours" package . Book your stay on select dates to take advantage of Disney's best offer for 2023.
"The Magic Is Yours... Read more >
Disney has released the first official real world photos of the Grand Hall inside Disney's newest ship, the Disney Wish. This fairytale-inspired space is a tribute to the story of Cinderella and includes a beautiful bron... Read more >
Disney announced two years ago that Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom will be re-themed to a new The Princess and the Frog attraction. Today, Disney has announced that attraction will be called Princess and the Frog: Tian... Read more >
In a new twist to the new and upcoming direct high-speed Brightline train currently under construction, comes the news that there will be a stop near Disney Springs. Originally, this new route - direct from Orlando Inter... Read more >
Disney's stunning new cruise ship - the Disney Wish - had her christening ceremony yesterday. That means that the media preview days are underway. There will be snippets of new information and experiences onboard being r... Read more >
Disney announced last month that Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique would be returning this year. Today, we have a date! Disney have confirmed that Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the Magic Kingdom will reopen on August 25, 2022.
Read more >
The Walt Disney Company board (via SA) have unanimously voted to extend CEO Bob Chapek's contract for another three years. This means that Bob Chapek will likely be the CEO of The Walt Disney Company through February 20... Read more >
The EPCOT International Food & Wine debuts on July 14th and will run through through November 19th. Today, Disney has released the menu offerings for the event. With more than 25 Global Marketplaces, indulge in cuisines... Read more >
It was announced at the end of 2021 that Brits will have start paying a €7 fee to enter the EU (just like we have to pay $21 for our ESTA's to enter the US). For those Brits who want to visit Disneyland Paris, you must... Read more >
Orlando Business Journal is reporting that Disney has scrapped the Walt Disney World train station stop on the upcoming Brightline route. Brightline announced in 2019 that they will be building a new high-speed train rou... Read more >
Up to $1200 Disney Dining & Merchandise Credit, $200 Disney Spending Money, and more!