For two years fans have been wondering what a Star Wars hotel would be like. Well, it turns out, it’s not a hotel at all.
Earlier this week, we reported that this immersive experience will be called Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. And Sunday in the Disney Parks panel at the D23 Expo, we learned much more about how the whole thing will work. Yes, you sleep there, but it’s a two day vacation within a vacation that takes people deep into space, all while never leaving Orlando, Florida.
First of all, the experience is two days and two nights. That’s it. Like a cruise ship, everyone boards at once and everyone leaves at once. How that works though is, you arrive to a special terminal in Orlando to check in. From there you get on a “launch pod” that blasts you into space. That’s where you meet up with the Halcyon, the ship you’ll be on the next two days, as you travel through space.
Now, when I say “launch” and “travel through space” that’s just the illusion, obviously. Disney didn’t explain how they will achieve it but, probably lots of screens and different animations to try and make you feel like you are in a real space.
Once you get on the ship, how you experience the adventure is up to you. You can relax and watch the stars fly by as the Halcyon travels through space. Or you can take place in all manner of different activities to learn how to be a hero. You can use a lightsaber, you can help pilot the ship, or you can learn about the ship’s defences so that, just in case the First Order drops by, you’ll be able to help. (They’ll be dropping by.)
The crew will be comprised of “aliens,” every window has a view into space (including the one in your cabin), and characters new and old (they showed Chewie, Rey and Kylo) will be part of the experience. An experience that has one stop on it — Batuu and the Black Spire Outpost, aka Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.
There was also a tease that, the more you explore the ship, the more stories you may find in lower decks and things of that nature. So the more you interact and explore, the more opportunities open up to have new experiences.
Now, how much will this cost and when will it open? Officially, all that was said was “Begin booking soon.” However, rumours on prices have been all over the internet, averaging a few thousand dollars per room for the event. Which makes sense. You have to think of the pricing like a cruise ship. A Disney one. Themed to Star Wars.
For more on this experience, visit the Disney Parks blog.