Port wants Disney cruise line to keep calling

[Jason]

ANNIVERSARY: Mexico trips in 2005 will mark Disneyland's 50th year. Officials hope ships' presence will stay.

By Donna Littlejohn, Daily Breeze

Escorted by Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Disneyland's Dixieland band, city and port officials arrived by trolley at San Pedro's cruise center Monday to celebrate next summer's arrival of the Disney Cruise Line to the Port of Los Angeles for a four-month stint. The 12 seven-day vacation cruises from May to September 2005 along the Mexican coast --Disney's first from the West Coast -- will be part of a worldwide celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Disneyland's opening in Anaheim. The port's proximity to Disneyland will add to the anniversary festivities and promotions, said Scott Tanner, director of travel industry for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Anaheim. Port officials, however, hope to persuade Disney to stay a bit longer. They would like to see the cruise line remain in port on a permanent basis.

Even the temporary stay, though, could bring hundreds of thousands of tourist dollars to the area and add momentum to San Pedro's waterfront redevelopment, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn said.

"That's the kind of magic we all want," Hahn said. Noting that the Port of Los Angeles is the busiest cargo port in the nation, Hahn said the Disney cruise line is a step toward making the port a leader in the growing cruise industry as well. There currently are 13 cruise lines calling in the Port of Los Angeles and negotiations are ongoing with others.

Cruise ships made 220 calls at the port last year, generating about $40 million in spending and almost $9 million in wages, port officials said. But the port suffered a setback to its cruise business in 1999 when Carnival Cruises left for Long Beach. The 2,600-passenger superliner Star Princess -- the largest cruise ship on the West Coast -- has also since defected to the Port of Long Beach.

Disney operates two family-friendly cruise lines out of Port Canaveral, Fla. -- the Disney Magic, the flagship vessel that will come to San Pedro next year and normally travels to the Caribbean, and the Disney Wonder, which travels to the Bahamas.

The 2,400-passenger Disney Magic offers family entertainment and extensive activities for children and teens. The ship's horn sounds "When You Wish Upon a Star" as it leaves port.

Joining the Disney-themed announcement festivities were the mayor's sister, Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who brought her 11-month-old granddaughter, McKenna Yates, wearing Mickey Mouse ears. In a play on Disneyland's slogan, port Executive Director Larry Keller said the cruises will soon make the Port of Los Angeles "the happiest port on Earth."

Talks with Disney began more than two years ago. The Disney Magic will sail from the Port of Los Angeles along the Mexican coast, with stops at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. The first cruise sails on May 28, 2005.

The Disney Magic will berth with other cruise ships at the World Cruise Center near the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The center recently was given a $15 million renovation. There is discussion, however, about constructing a new cruise ship terminal south of 22nd Street at Berths 46-48.

But some critics in the business community and residential neighborhoods have voiced concern that the southern location would be too far from downtown San Pedro and could complicate traffic flow in the area. Waterfront designers are studying the possibility of an additional cruise ship center.

Courtest of Daily Breeze/Torrance, California.