By TOM CALLIS
By TOM CALLIS
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Flower petals will rain from the sky today as the first Disney cruise ship to visit Hawaii docks in Hilo.
A helicopter carrying 5,000 orchids will drop its colorful cargo in the path of the 964-foot Wonder as it enters Hilo Bay at about 9 a.m.
The flowers will fall on canoe paddlers from the Na Wahi O Kalaniopu‘u Hawaiian immersion school who will be the first to greet the 1,826 passengers on board.
Upon arrival, the guests will be treated to hula dancers and music.
The dock will also be decorated with flowers.
Cruise ships are certainly nothing new to Hilo. The Wonder will be the 60th ship to visit this year.
But tourism promoters, conscious of the value of first impressions, say they are going to make this one count.
“We want to show the passengers what Hawaii is all about,” said Dinnie Kysar, Destination Hilo president.
The stop will not just be Disney’s first visit to the Big Island, it will be its first stop in the state.
“We got to make that first big impression for the rest of the Hawaii islands,” said George Applegate, Big Island Visitors Bureau executive director.
Alice Moon, Hilo Downtown Improvement Association executive director, said it will be reminiscent of ship greetings from the 1930s through 1960s.
Applegate, describing the passenger’s visit as Disney “magic meets real magic,” said he is confident that the cruise line will choose the island again.
“It’s an inspiring island,” he said.
After arriving, passengers will head off on island tours or take taxis to explore on their own.
The Wonder, homeported in Los Angeles, will depart at 11 p.m.
The visit will come just before the Hawaiian cruise ship season winds down as more ships head to Alaska.
Starting next week, one ship per week is scheduled for Hilo for the next three months
About 125 ships are expected to visit by year’s end,
The Wonder is scheduled to also stop at other Hawaiian islands. The ship, built in 1999, was the cruise line’s second vessel.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.