Disney Destiny Ship Brings New Entertainment Tech to Sea

The Disney Destiny, the seventh ship in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet, displays the magic that can happen when imagination meets engineering. On a ship that features bow-to-stern storytelling, the most innovative technical elements can be found in the Walt Disney Theatre. It’s here that performers are bringing Disney’s Hercules story to life with first-of-its-kind technology.

The Making of Exoskeletons

The headline advancement of the Disney Hercules show is the first-ever use of exoskeleton technology in a theatrical show, bringing two of the Titans of the Underworld from the 1997 Disney animated classic to life on stage in towering, realistic form.

“The exoskeleton suit technology that we use with our Ice and Rock Titans has never been done in a theatrical setting before, or in an operational setting,” says Arin Dale, producer for Disney Hercules. The initial exoskeleton debuted as Hulk at D23 in 2022, and according to Dale, “has never been put into any form of operation” until its debut in this production of Hercules on the Destiny. 

“The suits allow us the ability to have a 10-foot-tall Ice Titan and a nine-foot-tall Rock Titan [onstage] designed to carry all of the weight, so the performer does not have to carry it,” says Dale.

Three creative teams were responsible for creating the Hercules exoskeletons. Michael Curry Design, renowned for their live-theatrical puppets seen in Finding Nemo – The Musical at Disney's Animal Kingdom and for co-designing the puppetry in The Lion King on Broadway, is credited as the puppet designer. 

The team worked closely with Jeff Conover, creative director of puppetry at Walt Disney Imagineering. The physical suits are custom-built by Robrady, a Sarasota-based product design and engineering firm that developed the exoskeleton technology. 

Projection Mapping on Live Performers

Disney also debuted projection mapping onto live performers in the Hercules performance to enhance visual storytelling. “We have 16 cameras throughout Walt Disney Theater that help us to create an immersive environment … allowing our audience to really feel like they're part of the show, not just watching the show,” says Dale. “[Those cameras] allow us to project onto The Muses, which is something we haven't yet done.”

Designing Within Ship Quarters

“We have three shows in rep, and the ship is only so large,” says Kelly Benton, managing producer with Disney Live Entertainment. “We can't tow a barge behind us to carry all these extra scenic pieces … we have to design [each show] with space and storage in mind.” Curry encourages the designers from each show to collaborate. “Say, a staircase unit needs to be in Hercules. What if we turn it around the other way and dress it a little differently, so it looks like it could be in Frozen?” 

The Disney Destiny officially launched with its new stage technology on Nov. 20, 2025, sailing four- and five-night round-trip itineraries from Fort Lauderdale.