Disney’s upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser “hotel” is launching in 2022 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and is poised to take hotel-themed experiences to new heights.
Guests check-in at the terminal then enter the Launch Pod. Once onboard the Pod, guests can watch through the windows as Walt Disney World, Florida, and Earth slowly disappear as the transport ship leaves Earth’s atmosphere. Once in space, the Pod jumps to hyperspace, eventually docking with the Halcyon starcruiser for a 2-night adventure.
As the Pod doors open, guests enter the majestic Halcyon starcruiser’s central atrium, which is the center of life and adventure aboard the ship.
Once passengers settle into their cabin, they’ll find an operational console and window view of space where they can watch ships fly by and adventures unfold.
Here is how Disney describes what the experience entails:
• A visit aboard the Halcyon starcruiser plunges guests into a multi-day, interactive story that interweaves with members of the crew, other passengers, familiar Star Wars characters and others. Guests may encounter the starcruiser’s strong and charismatic captain, the ship’s plucky mechanic, heroes of the Resistance or many more as they choose alliances and chart their courses.
• The all-immersive experience features enthralling onboard activities, such as:
– Learning the ancient ways of the lightsaber and facing off against a training remote, where guests may discover their own connection with the Force.
– Visiting the starcruiser’s Bridge to learn about its systems and how to operate them, including navigation and defense – skills that may come in handy during a journey through this adventure-filled galaxy.
• Guests will find refreshment each day in an enticing supper club known as the Crown of Corellia Dining Room. This bright and welcoming hall will offer breakfast and lunch daily to passengers before transitioning each evening into a lavish multi-course menu of both otherworldly and familiar origins.
– One night’s dinner will feature a live performance from a galactic superstar who can captivate an entire room with the crook of her jewel-encrusted purple Twi’lek finger.
• The journey also includes an excursion to Batuu, where guests can explore the winding pathways of Black Spire Outpost and seek out a hidden Resistance base.
To enhance the experience, even more, Disney has unveiled a new ultra-realistic lightsaber that will debut onboard the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience is enough to make the most die-hard cosplayer extremely envious.
Over the past several decades we’ve seen many hotels offer immersive experiences to guests. This includes Great Wolf Lodge which has themed suites along with MagiQuest and ShadowQuest challenges where guests can hone their magical powers.
But no hotel has ever gone to the extent of Disney with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser where you become 100% immersed in the experience over a two-night span. From your outfits to your training and from your cast interactions to your rooms, Disney is setting the bar high for the future of hotel-themed experiences. Every inch of the Halcyon starcruiser is themed and every moment is immersed in the story.
This new type of guest experience could launch other endeavors by other companies. For example, imagine Universal Studios Orlando building an extension of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and allowing families to stay on-campus as recruits. Rooms have views of Hogwarts where you can watch Quidditch matches and you can cheer for your favorite team. But then you catch a Dementor quietly floating by, causing you to run and tell a professor. Together, you and the professor hatch a plan to eliminate the threat.
Travel to Hogwarts would be via the Hogwarts Express. When you arrive, you face the Sorting Hat that assigns you to one of the four school Houses. You join clubs like the Dueling Club, Potions Club, or Slugs and Bugs Club.
As you can see, the potential is endless.
Themed experiences at hotels have, until now, been “mini-experiences” that you could leave at any time. The Disney concept basically locks guests into an amazing adventure over a multi-day period, completely immersing them in the story and experience. This is truly revolutionary for hotel-themed experiences that had previously been relegated to rooms, activities, or shows. It takes the concept of “immersion” to a whole new level.
Before, hotels were a place to stay close to one’s destination. Thanks to Disney’s Star Wars hotel, they can become both the hotel and the destination.
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one giant immersive and believable experience that guests are likely to never forget.
Our Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser FAQ (updated):
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Feature Photo of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser room: (David Roark, photographer)
Artist Concept Drawings: (©Disney/Lucasfilm)
