Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World is about to take off for the general public on March 1, but the media blitz began in earnest yesterday when the embargo was lifted for those press who were able to get a look at the new interactive hotel.
This new resort is your home base for a two-day “immersive” adventure. Remember when as a child you might have used a plastic bat as a lightsaber and made up your own adventures with your friends about being in the Resistance? Well, according to reviewers who spent time in the resort, it’s that and a a lot more. You are, as they said, living the adventure.
But as they all pointed out, it comes at a hefty price – about $5,000 for a two-night stay. It includes lodging, food and entertainment.
Throughout the voyage, guests’ choices determine their personal stories as they interact with characters, crew and other passengers, becoming part of the action and the broader Star Wars saga. They may be asked to keep a secret, deliver a covert message, take part in a high-stakes heist, defend the ship, hide an ally, etc. Decisions guests make affect how these tales unfold, intertwining with those of other passengers and well-known characters such as Chewbacca and Rey.
The story told aboard the Halcyon – the name of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser – finds the ship marking its 275th anniversary with a celebratory re-creation of its maiden voyage to Batuu, a far-flung destination along the galaxy’s Outer Rim at the edge of Wild Space guests experience when they visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The planet is home to Black Spire Outpost, a bustling, infamous port home to smugglers, traders and adventurers wishing to avoid any unnecessary entanglements with the First Order. And you can take an active role in it all.
Now, there were two types of reviewers who were allowed on the Halcyon. One were those who were provided a two-night stay and those who were given a four-hour tour. To help all get a wide set of viewpoints, we read a lot of reviews and are providing some which provide good insight into the experience.
From CNet, Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser Isn’t a Star Wars Hotel. It’s Like Living Inside a Video Game:
“This immersive theater sleepover costs way more than any typical vacation. It starts at roughly $5,000 for a two-night stay. Disney invited me to check it out early before it opens to paying customers on March 1. People have, understandably, scoffed at the high price — dropping this kind of money can get you a two-week vacation, while this place doesn’t even have a spa or pool. But it was immediately clear to me that you’re not paying for a room. You’re paying to live in a high-tech, constantly changing, personalized Broadway production with access to a few no-wait theme park rides. It’s hard to explain. But if you love Star Wars and role playing and the energy of live theater, this is an entertaining and moving experience.
If you don’t participate, you’ll still see the main general story unfold at the end, but you will be wasting your money.”
GMA, which is owned by Disney, provides a few specifics, Inside the new Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser: Lightsaber training, droids and more!:
A private reservation can be set up for Halcyon guests at the infamous Oga’s Cantina, where I made friends with a chemist in order to get some pertinent information back to the ship for my own storyline’s mission. The brightly colored, foaming, fizzing and bubbling beverages are a welcome libation break at this point in the planetside adventure and the perfect fuel before enjoying activities like hacking droids and running covert ops for either the dark side or the Resistance.
It also talks about the “shuttle” ride to Batuu.
As for off-ship, the special transport shuttle is reminiscent of a luxury bus-like liner and takes less than a 10-minute blast to planet where you are greeted by a private concierge service with cold water, charging ports and offered a direct contact to drop off any goods secured along the excursion, so if you purchase a porg plushy toy or local garments, you can leave them safely with the crew who will free your hands and take it back to the ship. Before departing Batuu, where temperatures can run hot, the crew offers chilled, wet towels and more beverages while waiting for your pod departure.
The Wrap, Disney’s New Star Wars Hotel Is Beyond Ambitious – And Oddly Moving:
One of the storylines throughout your voyage has involved Rey coming onboard your ship. Another storyline involves a First Order spaceship that was parked in Galaxy’s Edge that is now essential. During this finale, Rey and Kylo Ren collide, and what could have ostensibly been a well-choreographed stunt show is instead truly special. Rey ignites the “real” lightsaber that has been teased for so long and it looks amazing, the first of many impressive effects (including when Kylo Ren grabs and pulls her using the Force, probably achieved by a hidden treadmill) and gags (like when Ren unmoors a chandelier using the Force, the massive installation swaying above guests).
Cinemablend discusses the technology in the rooms, Galactic Starcruiser Preview: Disney World’s Star Wars Hotel Is A One Of A Kind Experience:
However. the most impressive thing inside the room, and one of the more impressive things in the entire Galactic Starcruiser is D3-09. She is your personal concierge, of a sort. D3-09 is a droid that is visible on a small screen in your room. She speaks to you, and you can speak back to her. D3-09 lets you know what’s going on all over the ship and she wants to hear about what you’ve been up to as well. D3-09 responds to simple voice commands and was surprisingly flexible during the test I witnessed, responding to what might be considered less than clear statements.
This is a way to interact with the ship and the story that doesn’t require you to “play the game” with live characters, which may appeal to a lot of people, and it was really cool to just see what D3-09 was able to say and do. One note, we were specifically warned that D3-09 may not always be available, so it appears this technology is the most cutting edge on the ship, and perhaps hasn’t worked out all the bugs quite yet.
Gizmodo, Disney’s $6,000 Star Wars Hotel Is Incredibly Immersive—But It Still Costs $6,000, provides the most entertaining review:
I never, ever (ever) would have paid what it costs to take my family to this thing—the two night experiences starts at $4,800 for two people, and up to just shy of $6,000 for four. But when presented with the opportunity to do so for free, I certainly didn’t say no. Since few others are likely to be so lucky to visit when the hotel opens to the public from next week, barring some sort of Make-A-Wish-level tragedy, I’m here to tell you all about it, and help you decide whether it’s worth the money. The short answer? No. But it is really is incredibly cool.
The backbone of the narrative is, not unproblematically for anyone who goes on vacation to get away from a life spent staring at screens, an app. When you board the ship, you’ll be handed your “datapad,” which looks a lot like an iPhone 12 mini running a stripped-down OS (the default unlock code is, naturally, “1138”). This is where much of the narrative will unfold, and how your own schedule will be shaped. And sorry if you have a “no phones” rule for your kids, because they’ll be getting their own too. If your kids are anything like mine, you will unironically yell something like “That’s it, no more datapads!” at them before the voyage ends.
This is definitely among the quickest way to spend a lot of money while at Disney World, but when weighed against a $900 a night room at the Grand Floridian plus the cost of park tickets, it’s arguably a better value for the experience you receive in return. You know, relatively. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that left me with some truly magical memories, but I also didn’t have to foot the bill for it. If you’re going to visit Galactic Starcruiser, my best piece of advice is to have Disney pay for everything.
Polygon, Inside Galactic Starcruiser, a tiny Star Wars hotel filled with gigantic performances, helps give a perspective of what it really feels like:
Some of those activities feel a bit like escape rooms, albeit incredibly elaborate ones. While on the bridge, I worked with a partner at a command console, flipping switches and turning dials to move cargo around and take down enemy TIE fighters. The action played out on a massive curved screen. The feeling of moving through hyperspace, with the dark of space smeared into signature starlines warping above and around me, was exhilarating.
Other activities feel like stumbling into a short film where you and the other guests around you are the stars of the show.
For The Points Guy superfan in The all-new Star Wars hotel is the travel experience I waited 45 years to enjoy, it is the authenticity that is key:
My “Star Wars” voyage was more than I could have imagined. Never in my wildest dreams as a kid could I dream up a vacation as immersive and life-changing as this one, yet somehow, Disney made it happen.
“Star Wars” fans are a unique breed who crave authenticity in all things related to the movies. They demand the utmost attention to detail in everything attached to the “Star Wars” name. Miraculously, Disney seems to have found a way to do the impossible and please those diehard fans.
I couldn’t believe how real the world around me felt while staying at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. And honestly, part of me still can’t believe it was real. Even if you’re not a “Star Wars” geek like me, you’ll find it hard not to be floored by the experience of staying here … assuming the several thousand dollar price tag doesn’t floor you before you enter the building.
