Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy: What is a Ship Horn Battle?

It’s war on the high seas! Just kidding. But, when two Disney Cruise Line ships cross paths they do go to battle – with their ship’s horns.

Ship horns are an important piece of safety equipment. The standard ship’s horn, used for communicating with other ships, is typically a single, sustained note. Think of an air horn that you might use as an emergency signal when camping with kids and you’ll be pretty close.

In addition to this single note, Disney Cruise Line ship horns can play tunes of a few notes in a row. These are used for fun, to highlight the brand and the theme … and to one-up the ship next door! Whenever two Disney ships are in the same location, they’ll engage in a little one-upmanship, playing their horns at each other in an ask-and-answer fashion.

Any historian of conflict knows that weapons tend to improve over time. The same is true for the Disney ship horns. The classic Disney ships, the Magic and Wonder, have only one tune. Both ships can play When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio. The Dream class of ships, the Dream and Fantasy, can play multiple tunes.

The Dream and Fantasy were the first ships to have a repertoire, but the lineup on each ship is similar. We also know that the horns have some “extras” built in. For instance, when the Fantasy hosted Star Wars Day at Sea themed cruises, her horn played a segment from the Imperial March. And we know that tunes can be added to the horns on these ships; Do You Want to Build a Snowman was added well after the ships’ inaugural sailings.

Beginning with the Wish class, the ship horn melodies have more variation from ship to ship. In particular, they feature songs that are paired with the ship’s theme. The horns available on the Wish are similar to those on the Fantasy and the Dream. But the Treasure’s roster includes A Whole New World as a nod to Aladdin and Jasmine who preside over the ship’s Grand Hall, plus Grim Grinning Ghosts and Coco’s Remember Me as highlights to themed dining and lounges on board.

The most common time that ships are in the same place is when they are visiting the same port. The battles are fun to listen to, but if you’re worried about getting some sleep, no need. A Disney Cruise Line horn battle is typically under 10 minutes long. You might hear a battle once at some point during the day or when the ships are departing, but it’s a brief entertainment and not a constant thing.

Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy is for first-time Disney cruisers looking to learn about the DCL experience. Got a question about a term that’s unfamiliar to you? Suggest it in the comments below!