Galactic Starcruiser

''Star Wars'': Galactic Starcruiser was a '' Star Wars''-themed 2-night live-action/role-playing choose-your-own-adventure experience aboard a simulated cruise in outer space within the ''Star Wars'' galaxy. It opened on March 1, 2022, and closed on September 30, 2023. Starcruiser guests began their experience at the terminal next to Disney's Hollywood Studios, in the Epcot Resort Area of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The hotel accompanied the ''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge themed area in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

History

In April 2017, Disney contracted the website '' Swagbucks'' to survey visitors in order to gauge interest in a possible ''Star Wars''-themed hotel. As a result of the survey, Disney decided to approve such a hotel, with a visitor experience based on the ''Star Wars'' storyline. Plans for the ''Star Wars'' hotel were announced at D23 Expo 2017 in Anaheim, California, unveiled along with 22 other improvements and additions to Disney parks around the world. At D23 Expo 2019, it was revealed that the hotel would be called the Halcyon and would be a two-night immersive experience where all guests arrive and depart together, similar to a cruise line.

The planned 2021 opening of the ''Star Wars'' hotel was delayed to March 1, 2022, by the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel received positive reviews from guests—according to CNBC, the hotel "earned some of the highest guest satisfaction ratings in the history of Walt Disney World"—but it was extremely expensive. Guests were only allowed to stay for two nights, and the minimum room rate was $4,800 for two people.

Bob Chapek, then-chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, said the ''Star Wars'' hotel would be Disney's "most experiential concept ever". Chapek described the hotel as a "100% immersive" experience that "will culminate in a unique journey for every person who visits." Planned features included creatures and droids acting as certain hotel staff; guests wearing ''Star Wars'' costumes; and an ability to interact with features of the hotel as if visitors were really in the ''Star Wars'' universe. Visitors would also be able to have lightsaber training and duels (an extension of the Jedi Training Academy in Disney's Hollywood Studios); explore and pilot ''Star Wars'' spacecraft; and go on "secret missions" personalized toward the visitors' experience. These concepts were modified into droids participating as crew members, and lightsaber training solely on the ship for passengers. Instead of piloting the ship, passengers were able to partake in "Bridge Ops" training.

One writer for ''The Verge'' called the planned hotel a "Westworld for ''Star Wars'' fans," noting the hotel amenities that would facilitate the immersive-hotel experience. '' Mic'' compared the planned hotel to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Universal Orlando's Cabana Bay Beach Resort, two hotels containing immersive experiences, though to a lesser extent.

In May 2023, Disney announced that the Galactic Starcruiser would have its last two-day voyage on September 28, and then close for good. The Galactic Starcruiser officially closed at 10 a.m. on September 30, 2023, and the website is no longer operable.

Description

Early renderings of the project in 2017 showed that the new hotel would be shaped like a ''Star Wars'' starship. The guest rooms contained full-size bunk beds and a queen-sized bed; some rooms also had a pull-down to sleep a fifth guest in the style of ''Star Wars'' bunkers. Renderings also showed a lobby in the style of a ''Star Wars'' spaceship interior.

On May 30, 2018, it was announced that the hotel would be located just south of Disney's Hollywood Studios, to the east of World Drive. Valet parking was available for guests arriving in personal vehicles (no self-parking), or guests could use other means, such as ride sharing or a taxi. A driveway connected the Starcruiser's main terminal to the Cast parking lot of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

The ship, named the Halcyon, was described as containing thirteen decks, with only four being "available" to passengers: 4, 5, 6, and 7. Deck 4 contained the Crown of Corellia Dining Room, the Lightsaber Training Pod, the Climate Simulator, the Transport Dock to Batuu, the Cargo Hold, the Brig, and the Engineering Room. Deck 6 contained the Atrium, which led to the Bridge, the Sublight Lounge, the Chandrila Collection (souvenir shop), and the Passenger Services' Desk. Decks 4, 5, and 7 hosted the guest cabins.

On their second day, guests at the hotel traveled directly to ''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge by a "shuttle-pod transportation system". The interior resembled a shuttle spacecraft that ferried guests between the hotel and the land while maintaining the illusion of traveling from space to the planet's surface and back. The hotel's direct entrance to Disney's Hollywood Studios was located between the '' Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run'' attraction and the First Order ship at Docking Bay 9 in ''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge, though this entrance was for Starcruiser passengers only.

Deck 4:

Dining Room (52930541285).jpg, Crown of Corellia Dining Room
Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser lightsaber experience-1.png, Lightsaber Training
Climate Simulator (52935345902).jpg, Climate Simulator

Deck 6:

Atrium (52921676888).jpg, Atrium
Shop Interior (52936512294).jpg, The Chandrila Collection
View of the Bridge (52936419229).jpg, Starcruiser Bridge
Sublight Lounge (52930205474).jpg, Sublight Lounge

Deck 7:

Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Deck7 Corridor.png, Deck 7 corridor
Inside Cabin 5-212 (52915885211).jpg, Guestroom

Reception

Critical reception of Galactic Starcruiser focused on its high price for a generally less-than-luxurious experience. Early photos of the ''Halcyons small, windowless cabins went viral before the hotel opened to the public, with many commentators on Twitter complaining that they were not a suitable luxury accommodation. One commentator said its high prices had kept many from visiting even once, while the lone storyline offered to guests dissuaded them from visiting twice.

''Polygon'' regarded Galactic Starcruiser as a form of participatory entertainment, requiring guests to put in effort to see and do everything they want during their brief stay, without spending much time in their cabin other than to sleep. "If you love ''Star Wars'' and want to commit to this experience in full by wearing costumes and interacting with characters and living your best ''Star Wars'' life, you'll enjoy yourself," wrote a reviewer for ''Nerdist''. CNBC reported that the price, about $1,200 per person per day, was "steep," but that the experience was worth the cost as long as guests were willing to engage with many of the activities on board, with very little downtime.

In November 2022, Galactic Starcruiser won a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for outstanding achievement in brand experience.

References

External links

*

{{coord, 28.351389, -81.561111, display=title

2022 establishments in Florida
2023 disestablishments in Florida
Hotel
Defunct hotels in Florida
Hotel buildings completed in 2022
Hotels established in 2022
Immersive entertainment
Hotels disestablished in 2023