Ever since she was a little girl, Savannah Bay Strandin dreamed of becoming a Disney princess. Now, the 31-year-old native of Rockford is living her dream, performing as Cinderella in the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, the Singapore-based Adventure.
“Every little girl wants to be a Disney princess. That's the dream,” Strandin said in an interview with WVIK Friday, June 12, during her three-month break in a two-year contract. “I've always loved Disney. I remember going to the park (Disney World) for the first time when I was 5.
"For my 5th birthday, and then we went, it was only fair for my brother to go for his 5th birthday too, so I got to go again when I was 8, and then I didn't go until my senior year of high school with my family again, and then I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is probably my last time at Disney before I have my own family and kids someday.’ Little did I know I would start dating someone who also loves Disney more than me, I think. I would say definitely more than me. He turned me into a Disney adult for sure.”
Her husband Tristan Tapscott (a fellow Circa ’21 veteran) is co-host of WHBF-TV’s “Living Local” and has co-hosted (with Sean McCall) a Disney-themed podcast, “Of Mice and Main Street Men” since early 2022. They’ve been to Disney parks every year since their first one in 2021.
Strandin celebrated her 5th birthday with dinner at Cinderella’s Castle in Florida, and had chocolate mousse for dessert, with a little chocolate tiara on it, and the fireworks were going right outside the window. And of course she met Cinderella, not realizing she’d get to portray her on a Disney cruise years later.
She played her first Disney princess in summer 2022, as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” at Circa, opposite Kyle DeFauw as the Beast.
Growing up, she loved the Rodgers and Hammerstein “Cinderella” starring Brandy and Whitney Houston. “I watched that on repeat,” Strandin said. “I loved ‘The Little Mermaid.’ I would make my cousin play ‘The Little Mermaid’ with me when we were swimming at my family's house at the lake in Wisconsin.”
She was on stage in her first show at 4, in “Annie” at Starlight Theatre in Rockford. “I watched the movie ‘Annie’ a lot. That was another one that was on repeat. And it was the community theater that my mom had performed at a lot,” Strandin said, noting she performed just about every summer there from 1999 to 2013.
One of her favorite musical roles was the title part in “Violet,” in 2015, at Western Illinois University, where she majored in musical theater.
“I think this career is very self-motivated. You have to go into it knowing that like nothing's going to be handed to you,” Strandin said. “You could have all the training in the world, but you have to go to the auditions, you have to put in the work, you have to email the theaters. So if you go in with that mindset, you can be very successful in this career. It's also you define your own success.
“Like some people probably believe I'm only successful if I'm on Broadway, but I've made a living, like I pay my bills doing what I love,” she said. “I'm performing and I'm getting paid to do that. I'm getting paid to play make-believe and tell stories. It's pretty cool.
"But I always knew that this was the option. I'm sure I could have figured something else out, but in high school I was like, ‘This is the only thing I'm good at.’ So this is what I'm going into, this is my only option, so I have to make it work.”
“What would I do if I wasn't doing this? I have no idea,” Strandin said. “But it always seems to be when I say I'm gonna quit, I'm gonna figure something else out, this is too much. Then I booked something incredible, you know?”
She and Tapscott created the Mockingbird on Main theater in downtown Davenport, which operated from July 29, 2021 to May 28, 2023, when the building they were in (324 Main St.) partially collapsed, killed three people, and then subsequently torn down.
“Tristan and I were co-producers, co-artistic directors if you will. We would build the sets together, we planned out the seasons together, prop hunting, costume hunting. I painted the sets, that was always my job, was to paint everything,” Strandin said, noting they also built the stage in the cabaret-style, 40-seat space.
“We just really wanted to create like an artistic hub, you know? We wanted a space for people to create, a safe space,” she said. “To create, especially like new works or works that really made a statement. And it was cool to see it come to life.” Some of her favorite shows were originals by Alex Richardson and Bradley Robert Jensen.
Mockingbird later produced “The Glass Menagerie” at Black Hawk College and “To Kill a Mockingbird” at Black Box Theatre. Tapscott’s 12-year-old daughter Harper Leigh is named after “Mockingbird” author Harper Lee.
The building collapse was a nightmare for many reasons, Strandin said.
“It’s heartbreaking to have a business close in general, you know? But the way it happened was truly a nightmare. And we're still dealing with it,” she said.
Strandin loved creating the BBT “To Kill a Mockingbird” set, in May 2024, a year after the collapse.
“I loved being a part of the creation of that show. We had a stellar cast,” she said. “We were very, very thankful to be able to use the Black Box, and Lora is incredible. The partnership with her was amazing. But like, she had her stuff going on that was already scheduled there, and we were also putting on a show.”
“Tristan and I went in Saturday night to start building. So by Sunday afternoon, they had at least like a base layout of the set. And then Sunday night after rehearsal, we painted the entire thing,” Strandin said. “And so literally in like 48 hours with a rehearsal in the middle of it, we had built and painted and set up an entire world of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.”
The long road to her Disney Adventure
She had submitted audition material for Disney Cruise Line before (the Adventure is its eighth ship), and did again in January 2025. In late February, she got an email asking her to come for an in-person audition in New York City that March.
Strandin was choreographing for Double Threat Studios at the time, owner Megan Warren gave her the OK to do the audition, and she took a 19-hour train ride from Chicago.
Her audition song was “Right Hand Man” from “Something Rotten,” which Double Threat was doing then.
“I sang my 32-bar cut. And while I was singing, the casting director was in there typing some things, and then he said, ‘Thank you so much,’ and I left,” she recalled. “I was in the room for maybe a minute and a half, and then I left. And a lot of times, from what I've heard, Disney will offer a callback while you're in the room.
"They'll give you a little sheet of paper with the role you're being called back for and a QR code to all of the audition materials so you can go home and prepare for the callback a couple days later. And I didn't get that.”
“I was like, you know, it's just not meant to be. I didn't get this, it's just not in the cards for me to work with Disney,” Strandin said. She spent five days in New York and celebrated her birthday there with friends.
After getting home, she got an email saying, “We'd like to call you back for this role and this role. Will you sing this cut from ‘Tangled the Musical’ and this cut of ‘Touch the Sky’ for Merida?”
“I had a week to get that done. Before I had even submitted those callbacks, I got another email saying, hey, we also have another new ship opening, the Disney Adventure. Would you be interested in doing a callback for Cinderella?” Strandin recalled.
“I just thought it was another cruise ship. I was like, why would I say no to that? That's crazy. So I said, yes, absolutely, I'm interested in Cinderella. So now I have three callbacks to film by the end of the week. So I get them all done. Cinderella, I do in one take. I sing ‘A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes’.”
Three weeks later, she got the DCL offer to play Cinderella on the Disney Adventure (the largest Disney cruise ship ever), a two-year commitment, based in Singapore with breaks for vacation.
“And he was freaking out. He was like, that's incredible,” Strandin said of Tapscott. “It's a two-year contract with breaks. But I was like, that's a long commitment. It's two years. I'll be, you know, 32. Or turning 32 by the time it ends. You know, that's crazy. Like, that's just— it was so daunting to think about. It was so scary.”
She got other advice from friends and family, including her parents.
“I called my parents and I told them the news and they started crying, so I started crying, tears of excitement for them,” Strandin said. “And I was like, ‘I just don't know if I can do it.’ And they were like, ‘We support you in anything you decide, but this has been your dream for so long, so like, you'd be silly to say no.’
"And then Tristan said the same thing. I was like, ‘I don't know if I can leave you for two years.’ And he's like, ‘This is your dream though. Like, Disney called. Mickey Mouse called. And you can't say no’.”
She watched the half-hour video of “Disney Seas the Adventure,” the DCL welcome show she would perform in, with the new hour-long “Remember,” created for Adventure.
“And it's all about Goofy finding his way, and he has this dream of being a captain,” Strandin said of the first show. “So Minnie's like, ‘I have to step away from the steering wheel for a second, will you take over, Goofy?’ And he's like, ‘I don't know if I can.’
"And she's like, ‘You got it!’ And she leaves. And so Goofy goes on this adventure while he's sailing the ship. He meets Nemo and friends. He meets princesses. He meets Tiana. He goes down to the bayou for some beignets and gumbo. And he meets Hercules.
“And like, through all of this, like, he's realizing like he's capable of anything. And Minnie comes back and she goes, ‘How'd it go?’ And he's like, ‘Oh, you know, I don't know if I'd be a very good captain because I kind of went off course a little bit,” she recalled.
“And Minnie says, ‘You can never go off course if you follow your heart.’ And I immediately started sobbing. I'm getting emotional now. And that's when I knew. I was like, ‘I have to do this! I have to say yes to this really, really cool opportunity!’ Like, no matter where it takes you.”
First Disney ship in Asia
While the Adventure cast originally was supposed to start rehearsing in July through September 2025, it got pushed back due to delays in finishing the ship renovations (they acquired an existing vessel) and detailing. Strandin rehearsed in Toronto until early October, came back home until early November, then got on board in late November, with the first passengers on March 10, 2026.
They first sailed from Germany to Florida (Strandin took her first Disney cruise when she was 12, from Florida, but had never before been outside the U.S.), and then off the coast of South America, through the Panama Canal, to Los Angeles, and then to Tokyo, and Singapore.
“While we were in LA, we were only there for a day, but I met Josh D’Amaro, the new CEO of Disney,” she said. “He was so sweet. He took the time to shake my hand, ask my name, ask what I do on the ship. And he was like, ‘Thank you for being a part of this. Thank you for creating the magic. Can't wait to see the new show, Remember. And we'll see you in Singapore.’”
A March christening ceremony punctuated the introduction of the cruise line’s first-ever ship to sail in Southeast Asia.
In the high-tech, Broadway-style Walt Disney Theatre aboard the ship, guests witnessed the magic of Disney storytelling come to life through vocalists and musicians, video effects, and star-studded surprises, including special appearances from Captain Mickey Mouse and Captain Minnie Mouse, according to a Disney release.
"It's a gorgeous theater, a high-budget theater," Strandin said.
A 23-piece orchestra, Hollywood Performing Arts Hall of Fame inductee Jed Madela, and international recording artist of Eurovision fame Dami Im guided the show through classic Disney, Pixar, and Marvel melodies accompanied by visuals that sprung to life on screens that surrounded the stage.
Chairman of Disney Experiences and Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, and President of Disney Signature Experiences, Joe Schott, joined the artists on stage to mark the occasion.
“The Walt Disney Company has always been built on the power of storytelling and innovation – and Disney Cruise Line brings those values to life in extraordinary ways. Our cruise ships are ambassadors of our brand that carry joy, wonder and enchantment to destinations around the world,” D’Amaro said in the company release.
“As our first ship to homeport in Asia, the Disney Adventure represents a new chapter for Disney Cruise Line and will introduce Disney to audiences who may be experiencing our magic for the very first time. It offers fans across this region an opportunity to immerse themselves in unforgettable ways and create memories that are uniquely Disney.”
The Godparent of the Disney Adventure, Robert Downey Jr., lent his voice to the ceremonial blessing for good fortune for the ship and all its guests.
“I’ve had the privilege of getting to know the team at Walt Disney Imagineering, and I can tell you Adventure is the perfect name for what they’ve created,” he said. “Being the Godparent of this majestic vessel is an honor, and I have some serious duties to perform, so let’s make it official, shall we?”
Downey Jr. cued the orchestra, saying, “You bring the theme and I’ll bring the thunder,” followed by the official blessing, “I christen thee, Disney Adventure, may God bless this ship and all who sail upon her.”
The Christening Ceremony culminated with a confetti burst and a multitude of beloved Disney characters in a rousing rendition of “Let’s Set Sail,” a Disney Cruise Line tradition that builds excitement for the journeys that lie ahead onboard the Disney Adventure.
The ship features seven immersive themed areas, each transporting guests into iconic stories and worlds including San Fransokyo Street from Disney’s “Big Hero 6”. On board, guests can enjoy a brand-new Broadway-style musical, “Remember”; immersive dining experiences; signature fireworks at sea; imaginative clubs for kids of all ages; a dynamic collection of bars and lounges for adults; and thrilling attractions, including DCL’s first-ever roller coaster at sea, Ironcycle Test Run.
Part of a dream
On stage, Strandin is literally part of a dream, she said, doing 19 performances a week, seven days a week.
"Obviously, these characters in the show are already established, but we got to make them our own, and we're kind of the blueprint now for all the future productions of this show, which is just crazy to think about," she said.
“Oh, it's so much fun. I played hide and seek with Donald Duck every day. That was the highlight of my week, you know?” she said. “I was playing hide and seek with Donald Duck! That's so cool!”
She got her first break on May 15, and she is off until Aug. 23. Strandin and Tapscott and Harper are returning to Disney World this Tuesday for a five-day trip. Her DCL contract will run through September 2027 (Harper and Tristan plan to visit the ship in summer 2027, and Strandin’s parents that August).
“You're living on a cruise ship, so you're in this bubble already. And you struggle with a lot of things,” she said. “It's so normal for people to go through the fatigue of the cruise lifestyle. The mental health roller coaster that is working on a cruise ship.
"Some days are amazing and some days are really tough, as any career is. Like, every job has its ups and downs, but I feel like when you're in that bubble, it really is accentuated quite a bit because you're with the same people all the time, you're doing the same shows."
"You're away from your friends and family and your support system. So it's tough. If you had asked me in February, I would have been like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don't love it. Like, I want to go home. I miss home. I can't wait for this contract to be over'," Strandin said.
“And then like a month later, I was like, ‘This is the best thing in the world. I love it so much. I don't want to end my first phase yet. I could stay here forever’,” she recalled.
“Hopefully I can continue working with the company, or I'd love to do a national tour someday after this,” Strandin said. “I'm so grateful for the opportunity and being able to say that I was a Disney princess on a new Disney ship, an inaugural cast debuting a brand new show. Like, that's really cool.
"That's so cool. Even if I don't do anything after this, what a cool story to like tell my future kids, you know? Even Harper, like my already existing child, brags to her friends all the time that her stepmom is a Disney princess. So telling her stories has been really cool.”
She’s gotten very close to her 25-some other cast members on the Adventure.
“It’s a super cool experience. So grateful for the opportunity. And like, it's Disney, of course it's magical,” Strandin said. “But it is difficult to open a new ship. It's just a lot of time, a lot of work, a lot of effort, a lot of tears. You know, it's, it's a lot. It's a lot to handle and go through. We're all pretty tight-knit.”
She also is missing her Circa family.
“I saw ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ last week and it was beautiful and I was so jealous,” Strandin said. “I have this amazing opportunity that I'm doing, but it takes me away from my family and my theater family. And so I'm excited to hopefully get back to the Circa stage on one of these breaks or when my contract is over. We'll see. Only time will tell.”
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