Disney Believe Reveals Encanto and Tangled Broadway Shows – But We’ve Seen One Before

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Disney Cruise Line has revealed two of the Broadway-style shows that will be performed on the Disney Believe when the new ship sets sail in late 2027 – and there is one very exciting new addition, along with one rather familiar choice.

During the Disney Believe reveal, Disney announced that Encanto and Tangled will both be represented in the Walt Disney Theatre.

For me, Encanto is the big news here.

I had predicted that Encanto would be a very strong contender for a Disney Believe stage show, so I was very happy to see this one confirmed.

Tangled, however, is an interesting choice.

Encanto Is Coming to the Disney Believe

An Encanto Broadway-style production feels like such a natural fit for a Disney Cruise Line ship.

The movie has everything that Disney needs for a spectacular theatre production – instantly recognizable music, colorful characters, elaborate costumes and, of course, the extraordinary Madrigal family home.

Just imagine what Disney’s theatrical designers can do with Casita on the Walt Disney Theatre stage.

Songs such as “The Family Madrigal,” “Surface Pressure” and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” have enormous potential for a live production, and Encanto gives Disney the opportunity to create something specifically for this new generation of ships.

Encanto was one of the stories Disney had already told us would have a presence aboard the Disney Believe, but exactly where it would appear was the big question.

Now we know that the Walt Disney Theatre will be one of those places.

And this is exactly the kind of announcement I wanted from Disney Believe: something new.

But Tangled Is Already on the Disney Magic

The frist announcement was more surprising.

Disney Believe will also have a Broadway-style show based on Tangled.

Now, I love Tangled.

But Disney Cruise Line fans will immediately know that this isn’t the first time Rapunzel has taken over the Walt Disney Theatre.

The Disney Magic already has Tangled: The Musical, an original Disney Cruise Line stage production created exclusively for the ship.

And I know exactly how expensive and how difficult it is to produce another Broadway quality show. So I didn’t expect two new shows.

And I am genuinely excited about Encanto.

But the way they announed it was, for me, just a bit wrong.

They had the fabulous Susan Egan singing When Will My Life Begin?

Amazing, Can’t fault that. Spectacular performance.

But this was announced before Encanto, so those in the know had already started being underwhelmed by this point.

And it isn’t just the theatre where Tangled has a major presence on the Magic.

Guests can also experience Rapunzel’s Royal Table, the wonderfully themed rotational dining restaurant featuring Rapunzel, Flynn Rider and the characters from the Snuggly Duckling.

So my immediate question is:

Are we getting the existing Tangled: The Musical on Disney Believe, or is Disney creating an entirely new Tangled production?

That distinction makes a huge difference.

If this is a completely reimagined Tangled show created specifically for Disney Believe, I’m very interested to see what Disney does with it.

If it is essentially the Disney Magic production transplanted onto Disney Believe, I am considerably less excited.

So reality tells me, I am considerably less excited. There will be one new show on Disney Believe = and that is Encanto.

I keep repeating myself that I knew it would be one new show. But I am just surprised by how it was announced.

One of the things I want most from a new Disney Cruise Line ship is a reason to sail on that particular ship. The more entertainment, restaurants and concepts that are repeated around the fleet, the less distinctive each ship becomes.

And Disney Magic’s Tangled experiences are part of what makes the Magic special.

But reality tells me that it will be the same show. I get it. I completely get it.

But don’t let us think it might be a new show if it isn’t.

Susan Egan Was the Highlight of the Disney Believe Reveal

There was a highlight of the presentation that deserves another mention – Susan Egan.

Her performance was outstanding.

Egan has an extraordinary Disney history. She originated the role of Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and, of course, provided the voice of Megara in Hercules. She is also now very closely connected with Disney Cruise Line, producing live entertainment through the Broadway Stars Series and serving as Godmother of the Disney Destiny.

And she absolutely showed why she was the right person to be part of this reveal.

For me, her performance was by far the strongest part of the presentation. Followed by the Encanto performance.

The rest of the show?

I wasn’t quite as convinced.

There were some Disney Believe announcements to get excited about, but the presentation itself felt strangely flat at times.

Perhaps it was simply difficult to judge through the livestream, but the reaction from the audience often seemed surprisingly muted considering they were being shown details of Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship.

There were moments when I expected a huge reaction and instead heard… not very much.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the audience wasn’t excited – livestream audio can be deceptive – but it certainly came across that way watching from home.

Who Was “Molly”?

There was also an intriguing moment during Susan Egan’s appearance when she made a reference to someone named Molly.

Disney fans watching may immediately wonder whether she was referring to a familiar Disney content creator (who is fabulous and I am a huge fan), but at the moment I haven’t seen confirmation of exactly who Egan was talking about.

So I am not going to speculate too far on that one – but I definitely noticed it!

Encanto Is the Show I’m Most Excited About

Of the two Disney Believe theatre announcements, Encanto is easily the one I am most interested to see.

Lin Manuel Miranda appeared on a recorded segment.

Disney Cruise Line has produced some genuinely exceptional original stage shows over the years, and Encanto seems almost tailor-made for this format.

The music is already there. The characters are there. The visual possibilities are enormous.

Now I want to know just how ambitious Disney is going to be with it.

Tangled is slightly different.

I already know Disney can create a fabulous Tangled musical because I’ve seen what they created for the Disney Magic.

What I want to know now is whether Disney Believe is getting something genuinely new – or whether another piece of an existing Disney Cruise Line ship is being repurposed for the newest member of the fleet.

That is going to be an important distinction.

Very very excited for Encanto.

And the third show – no annoucement there.

What do you think about Encanto and Tangled coming to the Disney Believe?

Are you excited to see Tangled on another Disney ship, or would you rather Disney had created something completely new?