PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Set against a colorful background
reminiscent of the 1930s, Disney officials on July 28 christened
Disney Cruise Line's first ship, the 964-foot Disney Magic.
With the flip of a switch, a three-foot-high bottle of
Taittingers champagne smashed into the hull of the ship as it was
launched by its "god parents" Roy E. and Patty Disney.
Prior to the christening, Disney officials handed out bottles of
water and electric fans to about 2,500 people, who braved the hot
Florida sun to see the ship's arrival at Disney's private terminal
here. As the 83,000-ton ship inched toward shore for the ceremony,
Walt Disney Co. chairman Michael Eisner offered congratulations and
said, "This ship combines the romance of the old with the
[technology] of the present."