The Sanctum Sanctorum in New York City is one of Earth’s biggest lines of mystical defense in the MCU, and now the Disney Destiny has that same protection thanks to its Doctor Strange-themed Sanctum lounge, which IGN is so proud to exclusively reveal the first look at.
IGN was invited to Papenburg, Germany, to learn how the Disney Destiny was built at the Meyer Werft Shipyard in August, and we got to see The Sanctum under construction. Just yesterday, we were invited on board Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship ahead of its Maiden Voyage on November 20 to see and reveal the finished space for the first time, and you can see it for yourself in the video and pictures below.
A Lounge Worthy of a Sorcerer Supreme
To learn more about this space on this Heroes and Villains-themed ship, we spoke with The Sanctum’s creative director, Beth Burkhardt from Walt Disney Imagineering, and she shared why this lounge is such a big deal for Disney Cruise Line.
“This is the first time we’ve ever had a Marvel lounge on board a Disney ship before, so that in itself is very exciting,” Burkhardt said. “This is an inspired-by space. So, we took a lot of the color palettes from the film and wanted to show off the best of New York’s Sanctum, including the Cloak of Levitation and details from the Chamber of Relics.
“We wanted it to feel like The Sanctum was kind of hidden in plain sight. So, a lot of the more specific details you’ll see on the bar side of the space, and the area where we have a lot of entertainment is a bit more subtle, but the architectural details and color palette carry through.”
Doctor Strange-Themed Sanctum Lounge Aboard the Disney Destiny
Speaking of the bar, the most striking piece is a recreation of the iconic window with the Seal of Vishanti symbol right in the middle. It lights up with a beautiful purple color accented by oranges and whites, and those lights bleed into the rest of the lounge, creating a really cool mood and vibe throughout the space.
At the end of the bar is the Cloak of Levitation, which was designed after the one Doctor Strange wore in his first solo film. It’s always a joy to see items from films brought to life, but a part of me was waiting for it to fly over and recognize me as a powerful sorcerer. Oh well, maybe next time!
To the left and right are more private seating areas that are circular booths. Alongside design motifs taken straight from the Doctor Strange films, they also have items fans will recognize right away, including the Eye of Agamotto, three Wands of Watoomb, daggers, Sling Rings, and much more.
Just across from the bar is a recreation of the Ancient One’s private collection of spell books from Kamar-Taj, where Doctor Strange first pulled out the Book of Cagliostro in his first film. And yes, I did ask if the Darkhold was present. Burkhardt told me with a laugh that it was not as they really wanted to focus on the heroic parts of Doctor Strange. There’s also the fact that Loki will be wandering the halls of the Disney Destiny, and one could only imagine what mischief he would get up to with that in his arsenal.
Before we jump to the other side of The Sanctum, we have to talk about the drinks. While I didn’t get to try any yet, they did have some of the glasses on display that will add a bit of magic to this lounge. These glasses were a collaboration between Disney’s food and beverage team and Imagineer Daniel Joseph, who also helped bring the fantastic Haunted Mansion Parlor to life, and they are pretty spectacular.
The first one I saw was literaly levitating and spinning, with the lights hitting the glass in a beautiful way that spread sparks of light all around the base.
The second was for an alcoholic tea drink called the Eye Opener that was made of glass and featured a ring to place the teapot that let it appear to be floating.
Lastly, we got to see the electric glass the Mirror Dimension cocktail will be served in, and it even reacts to your touch in an really fun way the feels as though your are controlling the lightning inside.
This was all made even better as they let me try on a model Sling Ring that the bartenders may use from time to time, and I truly hope they let guests try that out or sell it in a gift shop one day because I’d love to add it to my collection and… you know… create portals to other places and dimensions!
As for the menu, you can check it out below;
The Subtle Touches that Make a Space
As Burkhardt mentioned, the other side of the bar is a more subtle space for guests to relax and enjoy a cocktail, mocktail, or even some Mystic Waffles while watching entertainers perform, learn how to draw your favorite character, and more.
There aren’t any big movie recreations here, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things fans will love to discover. Lining the side of the stage are glass cases with artifacts that honor the fact that sorcerers can come from anywhere.
“The sorcerers are from all different time periods and places, and we wanted to have props that honored that idea in here,” Burkhardt said. “So, you’ll see influences from all around the world, including from Nepal, where Doctor Strange studied at Kamar-Taj.”
In another nice touch, behind the artificats are beautiful mirrors, which Burkhardt told me were a nod to the Mirror Dimension from the films. These nods can be seen elsewhere, as the geometric patterns on the wall coverings are pulled from the movie, there are designs on the carpet that look like a spell being cast, and many of curtains and chairs are the same blues and reds you associate with Doctor Strange himself.
There are even fun things to find on the outside of The Sanctum, and two of my favorites are the 177a Bleecker Street plaque and a custom piece of art that is made of painted string that is meant to give you the feeling of of three-dimensional depth that happens when a spell is being cast.
The Sanctum Is But One Story Waiting to be Told on the Disney Destiny
The Sanctum isn’t an overwhelming space, and I think that’s a good thing. It is a special place right near the Grand Hall and just steps away from the Haunted Mansion Parlor that’s great to hang out at and relax with those that mean the most to you.
We come to these spaces to feel as though we are part of the stories we hold closest to our heart, and this is another example of Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Cruise Line providing that for us. It’s also just one part of the story.
The Disney Destiny in Papenburg, Germany, in August. Image Credit: Disney
We’ll be aboard the Disney Destiny for the next few days and will be covering all of its biggest spaces right here, including Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King, the Broadway-style Hercules show, the Incredibles’ themed Edna À La Mode Sweets, the 101 Dalmatians-themed piano bar called De Vil’s, the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Cask & Canon pub, and much more from the ship all about Heroes and Villains.
For more from the world of Disney, check out our ultimate guide to the Disney Treasure, what it was like visiting the real-life Parr House from Incredibles 2 at Disney’s first Storyliving Community called Cotino, and our thoughts on Disney Parks first step into Fortnite.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
