Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Resort: Opening, Hotel Reservations & Pricing Info
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is the most highly-hyped new hotels coming to Walt Disney World, opening behind Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios. This post covers everything you need to know–the latest on when the spaceship “Halcyon Hotel” will open, pricing, concept art, plus potential delays & changes (Updated September 11, 2020.)
Let’s start with the elephant in the room: the current status of this upcoming hotel. Although Walt Disney World has reopened and projects have resumed, there was a multi-month stoppage of all construction. This will inevitably lead to delays on virtually every upcoming project including new rides, restaurants, and resorts. In some cases, those will be commensurate with the length of the stoppage. In other cases, the delay will be disproportionate.
In very extreme circumstances, projects will be cancelled entirely. We’ve already seen this with another hotel, Reflections Lakeside Lodge, which was being built at Walt Disney World. Going forward, things will be very different, both in terms of health and safety protocol and in how consumers will spend money in the wake of a recession. Aside from those cancelled entirely, no project will be impacted as much as Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort…
The good news is that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort will not be cancelled–construction was too far along when the parks closed for that to be a practical option. In fact, work has already resumed on the hotel. We’ve observed visible progress in the past several weeks (you can see the construction site while leaving Disney’s Hollywood Studios) and crews appear to be once again working on it as normal.
Additionally, the Walt Disney Company’s CFO Christine McCarthy spoke at the Bank of America Conference on September 10, 2020 and specifically addressed the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort. She indicated that this was one of a handful of projects that are already underway that will be prioritized going forward. However, she did not provide any details as to how that will occur or what, if anything, about the project’s scope and details will change.
Our expectation is that some things will change, including the hotel’s opening date. This is because Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort has a couple of things going against it. First, the nature of the experience. It’s taking place largely inside a confined space with no windows or outdoor spaces as guests interact in close proximity to each other as part of a live action role-playing game. That should raise some red flags, and may not be exactly what the general public is clamoring to experience in the next few years.
Second, as the pricing section below indicates, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is expected to be incredibly expensive. This was not a huge issue when consumer confidence was soaring and the economy was booming. Flash forward a few months and there’s much more uncertainty about the future. Simply put, guests will be more apprehensive about spending big bucks on hotel stay.
These two issues are also interconnected. Part of the reason Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort will be expensive is because of its operating costs. Entertainment, Cast Members, and the experiential nature of the resort as planned will be crucial, and all of that contributes to it costing more.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is a bold, ambitious, and risky project from the start. It’s always been unclear what the market is for such an immersive and all-encompassing hotel experience, and that’s doubly true going forward. It thus might be prudent for Walt Disney World to scale back some of the more ambitious and costly elements of the hotel, and debut something that costs less for guests–and less to operate.
The other alternative is simply hitting pause on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort, waiting out an economic recovery and allowing potential guests to once again be more comfortable in confined, window-less spaces. That’s also a plausible path forward, especially if Imagineering has already spent a ton of money on R&D, or building the physical props and other tech that will be utilized inside Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort.
Suffice to say, there have been plenty of unknowns about this hotel since it was announced, and there are even more today as we wait to see what Walt Disney World’s next move will be with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort. It’s safe to say that much of what we previously knew and share below is subject to change…
Now, the basics and answers to frequently asked questions about what this immersive starship hotel experience will entail–if it actually ends up opening as planned. For now, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is slated to offer a two-night itinerary where all guests arrive and depart at the same time, similar to Disney Cruise Line.
Unlike DCL, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort will put guests in the center of an interactive adventure that they control. Think of this as a hybrid between a live action role playing game and the all-inclusive resort hands-on ‘enrichment through entertainment’ experience of the Disney Institute. While Disney has tested similar concepts before, this is envelope-pushing in terms of its scope and level of immersion…
The adventure begins when guests arrive at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Terminal at Walt Disney World and check in for their two-night experience. Guests will then enter a Launch Pod for transport into space. Through windows, they’ll see themselves leave Florida behind, jumping into hyperspace and drawing closer to the Halcyon, which is the starcruiser they’ll call home for the next two nights.
When the Launch Pod docks with the Halcyon and the airlock opens, guests will step into the ship’s main deck Atrium to begin their journey through a galaxy far, far away. A visit aboard the Halcyon becomes a multi-day story that interweaves with members of the crew, other passengers, familiar Star Wars characters, and an excursion to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
During their all-immersive experience aboard the Halcyon, guests will be invited to delve deeper into their personal adventures by participating in onboard activities, interacting with characters, crew, other passengers they meet, and becoming part of the action.
Some of these activities will include wielding a lightsaber and facing off against a training remote, visiting the starcruiser’s Bridge to learn about ship systems and how to operate them, and operating the starcruiser’s navigation and defense systems–skills that will come in handy during a journey through this adventure-filled galaxy.
Guests will be able to explore the Halcyon and discover hidden spaces deep in the mechanics of the ship–like the Engineering Room, which is perfect for uncovering secrets or holding secret meetings. Another interesting spot is the Silver C Lounge, where guests of all ages can enjoy libations and games in a stylish setting.
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort will look like an industrial bunker, and not an actual starship. When you enter the hotel, you’ll only be seeing the terminal and Launch Pod, not the Halcyon itself. There’s concept art for the starship Halcyon, but the physical building will not resemble that. Any representations of the Halcyon from inside the hotel will be simulated.
Additionally, there are very few guest rooms in the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort. The exact number of is not known, but construction permits and plans indicate roughly 100 rooms total. That should make for an intimate (and in-demand) experience as compared to other resorts at Walt Disney World, many of which have well over 1,000 rooms.
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is physically located backstage behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios near Cast Member parking and the show buildings for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. However, every window in the Halcyon, including those in each guest cabin, has a view into outer space, with ever-changing vistas as the ship progresses from place to place.
Although nothing is official, our expectation is that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort will not be open for the general public to visit. This is unlike any other hotel at Walt Disney World, and even the DCL comparison doesn’t do it full justice. A docked ship that would have amenities and facilities that overlap with a standard hotel, but this won’t have things like a pool, spa, tennis courts, or literally any outdoor recreation options.
The Galactic Starcruiser is probably more like a long-form, multi-part attraction or on-board cruise excursion. Think of it along those lines–it’s an immersive experience…that’s so long it offers a place to sleep, too. The resort won’t offer anything to do for non-guests, who will only get in the way and break the illusion. As such, it’s hard to imagine Walt Disney World allowing visitors to the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort.
With some basics about the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort out of the way, let’s cover the opening date, when reservations will open, anticipated pricing, and other questions about the Star Wars hotel that we’ve been receiving from readers…
Opening Date
As of right now, all Walt Disney World has stated in terms of an opening date for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is sometime in 2021. If this were a normal hotel, we’d have every reason to believe it could open next year, even with the delays caused by the closure of Walt Disney World.
However, that is absolutely not the case with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort. For one, the exterior is basically just a plain show-building. Aside from the porte-cochère, the rest of the exterior won’t be visible to guests. It’ll be concealed with trees and other cloaking devices. (Remember, the hotel doesn’t have actual windows.)
We drive by the construction site for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort every few days (not intentionally, it just happens to be right next to an overpass we use with frequency) and the exterior work looks like it’s nearing completion. Visible construction has been moving at a brisk pace over the course of the last year.
In other words, visible progress doesn’t mean anything–other than the fact that Disney is devoting significant construction resources to finishing this ASAP. The reality is that this is very different from a normal hotel, and a lot of work plus testing & adjusting will need to be done inside the resort before its ready to blast off into a galaxy far, far away.
As we’ve seen recently with the Space 220 Restaurant, which is another technology-heavy project, troubles with tech and construction can lead to delays in opening. That restaurant has had its opening date slip several times now, and that’s for a largely passive experience with screens offering views into outer space. The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is much more ambitious, has more moving parts, requires the seamless integration of screen-based technology & physical effects, and will also require a lot of Cast Member training.
In other words, it’s too early to offer estimates about an opening date for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort, and visible construction progress is absolutely no basis for such predictions, anyway. With all of that said, we’d be surprised if Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort opens next year. We think 2022 is looking more and more likely.
Reservations
In February 2020, Walt Disney World teased that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort reservations will open “later this year.” A more specific timeframe as to when is anyone’s guess, but it’s worth noting that Walt Disney World typically releases vacation packages for the following year in mid-June. For example, 2020 packages were released last year on June 18.
This does not mean that reservations for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort will open on that date–or the same date as the rest of Walt Disney World’s vacation packages. More likely, the reservation opening date will be dictated by construction progress and an internal projected opening date. Disney will want to be conservative with this, and have reasonable certainty of meeting that opening date.
If the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is something that interests you, we’d highly recommend booking it ASAP when reservations open. This is for a couple of reasons. First, prices are likely to go up–Disney rarely decreases prices. Second, this is an ambitious and envelope-pushing idea, and when it opens will be in a state of ‘pure & pristine’ Imagineering. Compromises and changes are likely to be made in service of operational realities, changing demographics, and guest feedback.
This is all speculation on my part. However, this is a truly unprecedented project for Walt Disney World, and iteration is likely to continue based upon guest feedback and behavior patterns. My guess would be that this begins as a thematically ambitious with structured live action roleplaying plus minimal real world intrusions. It’ll likely be aimed at the hardcore Star Wars fans who want something incredibly immersive and all-encompassing. And that’s largely who it’ll attract at first–Star Wars zealots and other hardcore fans who save or splurge on this.
What the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort evolves into depends in large part upon both the effectiveness of Disney’s messaging and potential guests actually listening to marketing. Walt Disney World is already stressing that this is not a typical hotel stay, but that doesn’t mean people will hear or comprehend that.
Ultimately, I would expect the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort experience to be diluted after its first year or so. The primary demographic will shift from hardcore fans making a big splurge to affluent guests wanting their first visit to Walt Disney World to consist of the very best of everything–basically, rich parents with kids who enjoy Star Wars. The latter group is far less interested in thematic and storytelling integrity, and more so in exclusivity and luxurious experiences. Over time, Imagineering will iterate on the concept so it comports with guest feedback and expectations–even if that means changes for the worse.
Pricing
The short and simple answer is that Walt Disney World has not announced official pricing for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort yet. Even once rates are released, there is nothing to say those are what guests will actually end up paying. With Disney Cruise Line, prices often increase after the opening day for booking itineraries. With Walt Disney World hotels, discounts are offered that render rack rates somewhat meaningless.
Since Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort was announced, there have been numerous rumors on pricing. Given that some of these began to appear several years ago, you should take all of these numbers with a huge grain of salt. Walt Disney World will charge what the market can bear. That amount will be derived from numerous factors, including some external to Disney (like the US economy and consumer confidence).
Yes, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is going to be incredibly expensive. That much is a given, especially with 2-night itineraries. If you want the likely price floor for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort, look no further than pricing for 3-night Disney Cruise Line itineraries…then double it. (This could very well start at over $3,000 per person.)
Another thing to consider here is that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is essentially a boutique hotel. This will not have many rooms, meaning that the price-points here will be driven by supply as much as demand. Whereas Disney Cruise Line has multiple ships with tons of stateroom inventory, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is one hotel with a small supply of rooms.
Scarcity is going to be a huge factor. Some have derided this as a hotel or experience for the top 1%, but that’s actually not accurate. On any given day, less than .01% of the guests at Walt Disney World will be staying at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort. This isn’t to say it’ll only appeal to the wealthy…just that an infinitesimally small number of Walt Disney World’s overall guest population will be staying here.
There are enough diehard Star Wars and Disney fans with large amounts of disposable income. Look no further than the prices Savi’s Workshop for Handbuilt Lightsabers is able to charge for that experience due to its incredibly limited capacity. This resort is similar to that, but with a more elaborate and involved experience. These fan demographics alone will push prices even higher, at least for the first couple of years that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is open.
Still have unanswered questions about the attraction? Read our Ride Guide & FAQ for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which covers everything you need to know. If you’re planning on visiting the new land, you’ll also want to read our Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Guide. It’s a good primer for this huge addition. As for planning the rest of your trip, we have a thorough Walt Disney World Planning Guide.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about the addition of a boutique Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort to Walt Disney World? Will you be booking this, regardless of cost? If not, what’s your maximum per person price-point for this experience? Would you prefer a more conventional hotel stay at a Star Wars-themed or decorated hotel? Do you agree or disagree with our advice and assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
What a unique experience this will be! I have no interest in going but it’s fun to read about and the comments from the Star Wars diehard fans who are really excited about it make me smile.:)
I still don’t know how this can possibly operate as planned even if we manage to get COVID under control. How many people are going to want to spend two days in a windowless show building with 100 other families and cast members with only a brief jaunt to Galaxy’s Edge for outside activities, especially at such a high cost? Not to mention the time, since it seems like those staying at the Star Wars hotel aren’t really supposed to go to the parks beyond Galaxy’s Edge during the 2 day experience. It seems more like an add-on to a traditional WDW vacation than a standard resort.
I think it would have been a smash pre-COVID, but that assumed the exclusivity and innovation of the experience would be enough to attract wealthy visitors that otherwise aren’t huge Star Wars fans. Now, that you add being trapped in a show building with strangers for two days I wonder how much of that group might decide it’s not worth it.
This new Star Wars hotel is a bad idea. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve visited WDW and I have no interest in ever staying at this hotel. It pains me to say this but, memo to Disney execs: the last three Star Wars movies were so bad that they have ruined the value of creating immersive experiences based on this property. Ask any 15 year old boy if they care about Star Wars – they don’t. That is due to they way Disney has mishandled the property.
You sound like a bitter Star Wars “diehard fan”; some of the highest grossing movies of all time. Give it a rest
Thinking on this from a Disney perspective (ie ‘how can we make money’) I took the continued work in this hotel to be a way to burst their income in 2020 by offering future stays at the Halcyon. If they get it done and know it’s done and ready, then they could offer some future date with more certainty (like summer or fall of 2021 when there will supposedly be a vaccine.) My own anticipation for this hotel hasn’t diminished in the slightest, and I doubt that I am the only one…and I would be more than willing to pay now for a guarantee to board next year. Though I also hope this isn’t true, because my willingness to pay now is offset by my ability to pay right now. Need to do some fast saving…
If I was in charge of WDW, not sure I would be sinking so much time and money into a project that is only going to effect .001% of the people visiting the parks in a day. I think with the uncertainties I would be devoting that time, effort and money to things that would increase the demand and experience to the overall Disney experience.
If I were the CEO of Disney Parks, with my priority being WDW, I would prioritize getting new ride construction completed as quickly as possible as my first objective. Next, I would see what, if anything needs doing construction-wise at any resorts that will be closed for the foreseeable future, said construction to be able to completed by the time of planned re-openings.
After that, getting this completed. It’s so far along that it makes no sense to abandon it. Get it finished, get everything installed and depending on the way things are going, mothball it, or open it. This is a resort that has a lot of flexibility built into it: Because it’s so small, 100 rooms, it can be opened on a seasonal basis if need be. Or instead of constantly “cruising”, have it cruise once or twice a week. That’s clearly not the goal, but it’s a possibility if the demand isn’t there for a variety of reasons.
Vaccines are supposed to be coming on line in the next few months (as of this date, clinical trials might uncover a need for a delay). So, if this opens by the end of 2021, or spring of 2022, the virus could well be a thing of the past, or reduced to no more of a concern than the flu. I’d expect WDW’s hotel priorities will be to get the existing resorts all back on line before opening this resort.
Right now, the economic variables are likely to be more important than the virus, due to this likely being a year+ from opening. I could see this being used as a paid tour prior to its opening, something I felt they might be able to do between “cruises” when we were talking about this when the world was normal. They could use that to drum up future business. There’s a lot more people who’d be willing to pay for this type of extra expense than who’d pay for the “cruise”. But I would look for this to not open until the economy will support it, so my guess is also 2022.
I think it is very likely that what was once a “spare no expense, top-of-the-line” project for Disney will sadly now experience severe cost-cutting measures that will strip the quality of the experience to a shadow of its former design. Even when Disney was rolling in cash, was making all kinds of little cost-saving cuts, which Tom has reported on here (RIP Muppets Great Moments in American History). Disney cannot possibly complete the original vision for this project when it has been bleeding Money in its parks segment to an unprecedented extent.
I really hope this gets to open to the level of immersion planned. I would rather they hold off until the market can support it than cut out the ambition to make it cheaper/able to open sooner.
It’s Disney. I’m assuming the rooms will be up to code, and that they’ve thought about evacuation options. Would I love to hear about a super high-tech air purifying/de-virus system? Yes! (There’s still time to make adjustments, Disney.)
I would absolutely take my kids here in three or four years. They’d have a blast, literally and figuratively.
I think you’ve got the pricing figured out (driving concept and philosophy, not numbers). It’s going to be expensive…it has to be with only about 100 rooms and guests cycling on a 2 day basis. I expect to see this property excluded from discounts and packages for the foreseeable future. Likewise, this hotel won’t be open to the public during the “cruise”, though I could see a window that opens every 2 days for there to be a tour. Naturally, Disney would never charge anyone extra money for such a 2-3 hour event…haha. But I think this is something more likely to happen down the line, not soon after opening.
Also down the line: Amenties. An outdoor Star Wars themed pool and recreation area might be future possibility. Just like cruise ships have shore excursions, they could mimic the same philosophy for this. But that’s something for much further down the line, if ever. Or it could build a show building and put it in there, having it being part of the ship, having the ship having been “upgraded”.
These are the kind of things that we might not see for a long time, as they’d be heavily guest driven, and need to be a factor in keeping the “ship” full of expensive paying guests.
Not at just any price. We are very much the die-hard fans a family of 4 equally so. However price is important coming from the Midwest very conservative. Very excited about this but still money is a fracture.
It makes a difference if the say 3000. per person covers the two day stay. If includes food what all is included at this huge price. Will be watching developing news closely
Dee Dee, from what I understand, the price is to be all inclusive: room, food, entertainment and etc…oh and oh yes a trip to Batuu. Rides included? I’m hoping so. Like you. I am also from the mid west – dead center Illinois. When we heard this was just a sparkle of a dream we started a Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser fund. We are financially ready to go. Our vacation time is saved up. So come on Disney and finish the job – but do it well…..you have yet another following °O°
As much as this hotel seems so much fun and immersive! In my opinion i think its not worth the money! I would rather stay at a hotel thats themed like star wars! But with a lot more to offer! I think that this idea will be over priced! I love star wars but not at the prices thy will offer for this! And i would like to be able to stay longer too! Its seems like a good idea on Disney’s part! But not for me!
Wow! You really like to end your sentences with exclamation points!
That’s funny, I thought the same☺️
This is just another article with no new information whatsoever. Recycled clickbait.
I think the Star Wars resort will be an interesting place to stay, but Disney continues to price resorts so that average people can’t afford it.
I didn’t realize I had some claustrophic thoughts until I read this post. The hotel rooms won’t have any windows. I get that because it would break the illusion, but what if there is an emergency (ie., fire?). Will there be only 1 egress (1 exit)? You can only get in and out through your hotel door?
It’ll probably be treated like their Cruise Liners with mandatory evacuation drill that design to look like you’re headed for escape pods.
How would a lack of windows be any different than being on the 10th floor of a hotel where ladders cant reach?
I see your point, but whenever I’ve stayed at Disney World, I’ve always been on either the bottom floor or the second floor.
The Concept is amazing and I know it will be well received. I am a little concerned with a building for lodging that does not have any physical windows for safety reasons. Will each room have an egress of some sort for evacuations? I realize that the plan is for 100 rooms or less however it is just a question I have about preparedness.
I wrote my comment with the same question before reading yours. I had the same thoughts & concerns.
They can’t even build it if it doesn’t meet safety codes.
One thing I noticed continually in the concept art is the guests’ attire – everything worn is something that could be worn in a movie setting. Do you think they will have special wear for guests? Wouldn’t that have to be included in the experience and price as seeing people in regular street wear would break the illusion. (For some reason, bowling shoes, hospital gowns and men’s backup dinner jackets come to mind.) I also wonder if direct tour guide access to Smugglers Run and ROTR is included without a wait. If the pricing iturns out as you suggest, direct access should be included with perhaps a special entrance to both rides, to once again not spoil the illusion. Also, the tour guide could be a Wookiee.
Having just visited Galaxy’s Edge for the first time, I would hope that the excursions to the land from the hotel would occur before/after regular guest hours. One of the biggest immersion-breakers is all the guests in Mickey ears and princess dresses.
Totally agree that after not long this will get watered down. Just like the other interactive Disney role playing experiences from Legends of Frontierland to Adventurers Club, guests are going to ruin it. Even the guests who love it will ruin it. It’s inevitable.
I get the idea of a cruise ship in Star Wars but isn’t the whole point of a hyperdrive that you can get to basically anywhere in the universe almost instantaneously. I know that’s mostly so they don’t have to make the movies 30 years long but once you have built that into your universe and even crappy freighters like the Millenium Falcon have it, the idea of days long cruise ship travel becomes moot. The current cruise ship model is basically, maximize days in port and nights at sea. It’s basically a hotel that leaves one port, serves dinner and goes to bed, and wakes up and serves breakfast in the next port with occasionally a long ride home. Make the time necessary to get from one end of the universe to another an hour or so and you have no need for cabins and beds.
Hyperdrive isn’t teleportation, each hyperdrive engine has a different speed.
The magic of movie editing cut out the boring parts of the trips, making them seem shorter than in universe travel times.
Dee Dee, from what I understand, the price is to be all inclusive: room, food, entertainment and etc…oh and oh yes a trip to Batuu. Rides included? I’m hoping so. Like you. I am also from the mid west – dead center Illinois. When we heard this was just a sparkle of a dream we started a Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser fund. We are financially ready to go. Our vacation time is saved up. So come on Disney and finish the job – but do it well…..you have yet another following °O°
Considering all the effort that went into developing the food for Galaxy’s Edge it is a safe assumption that they will theme the food here. Also, similar to other cruises, I assume the food will be included – any information on either thought?
Finally where is there information on booking if anyone is interested?
Here’s the link to the Disney Star Cruiser site. No booking information yet, but there is a place to sign up for email alerts.
https://tinyurl.com/w8ffjj2
Thanks!