My Dad passed away in 2018, well before his time, and Coco helped me in such a way with this terrible loss that I could never hope to truly put it into words. The film, and the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos that inspired it, felt like the warmest blanket on the most frigid of nights and helped me believe for the first time that he was still with me and always would be.
So, it should go without saying that when Disney invited me on the media preview sailing of the Disney Treasure and I first stepped into that world via the Plaza de Coco restaurant, complete with a recreation of the Rivera’s Ofrenda and the Plaza de Santa Cecilia, my heart soared and that feeling came rushing back.
This dining experience was one of the most emotional meals I’ve had in quite some time and I was so honored to be able to speak to and hear from Coco’s director Lee Unkrich, Miguel’s voice actor Anthony Gonzalez, and members of the team that brought Plaza de Coco to life to learn more about why this is one celebration you won’t want to miss.
Our Love For Each Other Will Live on Forever
Plaza de Coco is set three years after the events of the film and it was such a pleasure to see how Santa Cecilia and the Rivera family have changed since the credits rolled. Héctor is now the star and Ernesto de la Cruz is nowhere to be found. There is a long hallway that leads to the main part of the restaurant, and it is adorned with the letters Héctor wrote Coco and the song lyrics and notes to the tracks my kids and I still dance and sing along to today.
The hallway also has nods to the Rivera family being shoemakers with a workbench, shoes, and tools all around, and these are joined by pictures of the family from the present and the past. From those first few steps, you can feel how the events of Coco have changed the family and this town for the better.
This then extends into the dinner show itself, which takes place over two nights. We only got to see the second night, which is much more a retelling of the events of Coco and features a lot more of the most popular songs, but the first night appears to set the stage in a wonderful way.
“Because our story starts three years after the film, we wanted to let that sink in for our guests,” Plaza de Coco Show Director Juan Cantu said. “So, it really is about seeing Miguel meeting Abuelita Elena a few years later where she's allowed music into her life. I mean, remember, she's the one that broke his guitarra, and I know what that felt like.
“I mean, my parents never broke my guitar, but I certainly felt the way Miguel felt at that moment wanting to be a musician. So, we're seeing how generational trauma has been healed through music, and that's really, really powerful.”
Speaking of powerful, seeing the Rivera’s Ofrenda in person - complete with the picture of Mama Coco who passed at the end of the film and the restored photo of Héctor, Mama Imelda, and Coco that now allows Héctor to cross the Marigold Bridge - was a tearful moment I won’t ever forget. It also meant a lot to Coco’s director Lee Unkrich, who had never seen it brought to life in such detail before.
“We spent a lot of time creating the Rivera family’s Ofrenda and we based it upon elements of the most beautiful Ofrendas that we saw in rural Mexico during our research trips,” Unkrich said. “We would be with families that were very, very poor, yet they pulled together the most beautiful Ofrendas that sometimes took over whole rooms in their homes.
“We wanted more than anything to capture that beauty, so it was crazy for me to walk in and see that Ofrenda there that the Disney team put together because it looks so much like the one in the film. In all seriousness, I've only ever experienced that Ofrenda digitally while making the film, so it was really amazing for me to be able to walk up to it and touch it and just see the actual framed photos. It was very surreal in the best way.”
Gonzalez was also moved by seeing the Ofrenda at Plaza de Coco, because it means so much to not only his character in the film, but his heritage and those he loves the most.
“Seeing the Ofrenda was a very special moment because it represents the love that Miguel has for his family and represents the love that we all have for our ancestors,” Gonzalez said. “So, to see Miguel's family there and Mama Coco right in the middle was a very special moment to see in real life.
"Plaza de Coco is a place that honors family. Sure, it honors Miguel's family, but also all the families that are going to come here and experience this wonderful culture, food, and music for themselves.”
Remember Me
I know it’s taken a while, but yes, I’m happy to report Anthony was right and the food is also wonderful! There were a ton of authentic Mexican dishes crafted specifically for Plaza de Coco, and the Michoacán Carnitas tacos entree was my favorite bite of the entire cruise. It just had the most tender and crispy bits of carnitas and a beautifully spicy and bright salsa, cilantro-lime rice, guacamole, pickled red onions, and delicious tortillas.
Miguel’s Churros Calientes, which were sugar spiced and came complete with a warm cajeta caramel, were a close second as they were everything you’d hope a churro would be. Delightfully crispy on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside, and accented masterfully with that sauce.
Other highlights included the Red Chicken Enchiladas with Guajillo spiced red enchilada sauce, the Beef Birria Empanada with Oaxaca Cheese and Birria Consomme, and the Sunrise Spectacular Chocolate Cake with raspberry chocolate creme and Marigold petals. Oh, and it’s hard to beat chips and salsa waiting for you on your dinner table.
Also waiting for us was that second night of the Plaza de Coco show, which features Miguel being joined once again by Héctor and Mama Imelda and singing the most popular Coco and Mexican songs. Just like everything else at Plaza de Coco, the team infused so much of Mexican culture into the show and hearing them talk about what a meaningful thing that was stuck with me long after I left the ship.
“It was such an honor to be invited to be part of this project as the cultural consultant,” Mario Trujillo said. “It was such a critical part to find authentic musicians to play the instruments from Mexico like the vihuela, wear the proper Mariachi outfits in the trajes de charro, and play beautiful, authentic Mexican melodies that are very, very familiar to not only our Hispanic cultures and Mexican cultures, but worldwide like ‘Cielito Lindo,’ ‘Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu Paloma,’ ‘Sabor a Mi,’ and the birthday song ‘Las Mañanitas.’
“We wanted to bring so much of our culture to Plaza de Coco and share it with our guests, who we believe will leave here as familia knowing they can start their own traditions after hearing this beautiful story and learning more about Dia de los Muertos, which is not a somber occasion, but a celebration of life. It's a celebration of the future. It's a celebration of the past of those we loved. And when it's deeply rooted in culture and tradition, I think that's the magic.”
Mario, I’m so happy to report that there was magic in that room and the love, care, and authenticity put into every corner of Plaza de Coco shines so bright. It also really made me think of father in a beautiful way, and there is a truly special moment in the show where we all get to honor those we lost. I could ramble on about what that meant to me, but I want Juan Cantu to have the final words here and share a story that echoes my own and so many others around the world.
"My parents are from Monterrey, Mexico, and I definitely dedicate this to my parents,” Cantu said fighting back tears. “I do this to honor them, and I celebrate them every night when I see the show. There's a beautiful moment where you will be invited to remember a loved one and I definitely think of Maria y Ramiro Cantu and honor them through this work.
“That's the beauty of this whole experience. They were a part of me going to Mexico to hold auditions for our actors and then they were there for every creative decision along the way. I felt them whispering in my ear, and not just them, but all of our ancestors, who we truly feel are present in this space when we perform this show. It's a very heartfelt, meaningful experience.”
It may have been the rendition of Proud Corazón that gets me every time when watching Coco or the Ofrenda or that moment where got to honor our loved ones, but I did feel that my Dad was in that room with us, and what’s a better gift than that?
For more on the Disney Treasure, check out why The Tale of Moana is one of the best shows I've seen on land or sea and why the Haunted Mansion Parlor is the perfect extension of the beloved Disney Parks Attraction.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
