If blasting off to a galaxy far, far away sounds like your bucket-list getaway, then this is the vacation you’re looking for. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Disney’s new Star Wars Hotel experience, launches in spring 2022 at Walt Disney World. The two-day, two-night adventure will cost you a few more credits (that’s Star Wars speak for money) than your average Disney World hotel, but this is no ordinary hotel stay.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser takes guests on an immersive, out-of-this-world “journey” aboard the Halcyon starcruiser. No, you don’t actually go to space, but from the moment you step aboard the Halcyon, you’ll feel like you’ve embarked on a sort of “space cruise.” The adventure begins at the terminal, where guests will board a launch pod and “blast off” to meet the Halcyon, which, so the story goes, is too large to land on a planet. Guests will see stars whiz by as they travel to the ship before entering the atrium through a pair of those iconic airlock “Star Wars” doors.
Choose-Your-Own Star Wars Adventure
Billed as a “first-of-its-kind Star Wars adventure that’s your own,” guests are promised a “bespoke experience” during which they’ll interact with a diverse group of Star Wars characters, both new and familiar, and will get the chance to explore the ship, dine on galactic cuisine, learn to wield a lightsaber, and play a round of Sabacc (think Star Wars poker) while sipping an exotic cocktail.
A sample itinerary gives a taste of what’s in store during the experience. The first day includes a Captain’s Reception, dinner featuring live music, Outer Rim Regalia (space ball, anyone?), bridge training showcasing the inner workings of the ship, and an “unexpected story moment” that gives guests the opportunity to play their own role in the story.
Day two takes guests back on solid ground for a journey to the Outer Rim planet of Batuu, aka Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars-themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests will remain in the story, traveling to the land in an immersive transport shuttle that will feel light years away from nearby Toy Story Land and the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction.
While on Batuu, guests will get the chance to ride both of the marquee attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, plus have lunch at Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo and enjoy another “story moment,” making them a part of the action on land just like on the ship.
Back on board the Halcyon, even grownups get to try their hand at lightsaber training (kids must be at least 7 to participate). Other activities include a droid racing competition, the chance to build a model ship, and a spectacular finale after dinner.
How Much Does Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Cost?
The two-night experience starts at $4,809 for two guests. For three guests (two adults and one child), the starting price increases to $5,299 ($885 per person per night) and for four guests (three adults and one child) it starts at $5,999.
The package price includes a two-night stay in one of the ship’s cabins or suites, as well as food and drinks (excluding alcoholic and specialty beverages), valet parking, entertainment, and a Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser databand (like a Walt Disney World MagicBand). The price also includes admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as well as lunch at Docking Bay 7.
The Rooms
You probably won’t want to spend too much time in your room when you could be out rubbing shoulders with Wookiees and and Twi’leks, but the immersion continues in your cabin or suite, where a window looks out into space as ships, planets, and stars float by. There are three room types offered on the Halcyon:
Standard Cabin – sleeps four to five passengers in a queen bed, 2 bunk beds (large enough for adults) and a wall pull-down bed.
Galaxy Class Suite – one-bedroom suite featuring a living space and seating area plus a bar area, and two windows; sleeps four passengers in a queen bed plus two wall pull-down beds.
Grand Captain Suite – two-bedroom suite with a living space, seating area, second bathroom, bar area, and three windows into space; sleeps up to 8 passengers in two queen beds, 2 bunk beds, and 2 wall pull-down beds.
The Food
Ever since Luke Skywalker’s first sip of blue milk, fans have been captivated by thoughts of what the other-worldly food of the Star Wars universe might be like. Disney has already set a precedent within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for serving up incredible food, exotically presented yet palatable to the unadventurous, so expectations are high as to what they’ll cook up on the Halcyon.
Meals are served in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room, with a table-service supper club-style meal and live entertainment on the first night. Breakfasts and lunches will feature “colorful fare from all over the galaxy,” along with “familiar favorites from your home planet” for those who might not be ready to dig into more inventive dishes like a plate of vibrant blue shrimp, as seen in the Disney+ hit series, “The Mandalorian,” washed down with a cold glass of Bubo Wamba Family farms blue milk.
Dinner on the second night is a sort of intergalactic food festival, “The Taste Around the Galaxy,” showcasing dishes inspired by planets from across the Star Wars galaxy.
The Entertainment
Billed as “part live immersive theater, part themed environment,” don’t expect Broadway-style theater like on a typical cruise ship. Here, you’re part of the action. Guests are encouraged “dress the part” as they each become “a unique character in the Star Wars galaxy.” Expect in-the-moment interaction with Star Wars characters, plus some never-before-seen moments, like Rey wielding a real lightsaber.
“Watching that lightsaber activate right before your eyes will be just one of the countless ways that, from the moment you arrive to the moment you depart, you’ll be plunged into a Star Wars story where your decisions and actions — or even the casual conversations you may have — determine how your personal journey unfolds,” a Disney Parks Blog post said.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser launches spring 2022.
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- Disney Cruise Line Shares a Stunning First Look at its Newest Ship — the Disney Wish
How to Help:
Give Kids The World Village is an 89-acre, nonprofit resort in Kissimmee, Florida, that provides week-long, cost-free wish vacations to critically ill children and their families from around the world who want to visit Central Florida and its theme parks. If you love visiting Walt Disney World, donate to Give Kids the World Village to help make it possible for a critically ill child and their family to do the same.
Brooke Geiger McDonald is the national content director for Make It Better Media Group. A Chicago native, she has worked for publications like O, The Oprah Magazine and SHAPE Magazine and her work has appeared in Parents, TravelPulse, Attractions Magazine, MSN, Disney Food Blog, and more. At home, she is outnumbered by her husband and two sons, and the four of them are certifiable Disney and Star Wars fanatics, always counting down the days to their next Disney vacation. Her favorite nonprofits to support include The Walt Disney Birthplace and Shedd Aquarium. Follow her on Instagram @brookegmcdonald and Twitter @BrookeGMcDonald.
