Guide to Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Hotel at Walt Disney World Resort
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is a highly-hyped new hotel offering 2-night experiences at Walt Disney World. The themed resort behind Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios is now open, and this guide covers everything you need to know–including pricing, 2023 reservation info, what’s included, and more! (Updated April 11, 2023.)
We’ve been “aboard” Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser twice now. Once for a preview and once for the inaugural voyage aboard the starship Halcyon, jewel of the Chandrila Star Line. We’ll be honest with you–this is not going to be for everyone, or even most visitors to Walt Disney World. As a threshold matter, you should determine whether this is good fit for your party by reading our spoiler-free Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Review.
The nature of the experience alone will eliminate many families visiting Walt Disney World. Then there’s the cost, which makes it a total non-starter for many others. We paid $6,634.32 for a party of 4–or $1,658.58 per person. For more thoughts on this expensive pricing, see Is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Worth the High Cost?
On a positive note, Walt Disney World is finally starting special offers on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. There are currently two discounts available, with the better being Save 30% Off Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. However, that’s only for Annual Passholders on select Spring & Summer 2023 voyages.
The other offer is Save Up to $700 on 2-Night Disney World Resort Stays + Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Voyages. With this discount, you save money on 2-night stays at select resorts when paired with a select Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage through September 30, 2023.
Unfortunately, these deals follow the unprecedented move for Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser to Slash Voyages. Our commentary there essentially expressed frustration that Walt Disney World was not fixing the underlying issue: pricing. This new discount does exactly that, so kudos to Disney for releasing these special offers. Hopefully they aren’t too little or too late.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, we should probably cover the basics of the Star Wars “Hotel” at Walt Disney World. As for what it is (and why the air quotes around hotel), that’s difficult to concisely explain. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has an immersive ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ style story layered on top, as well as opportunities for nearly-endless show elements. It’s an unprecedented hospitality and entertainment endeavor, with the end product being awesome or alienating, depending upon your perspective.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is unlike anything Walt Disney World has ever done, an amalgamation of a bunch of different entertainment offerings. It’s not really comparable to a theme park visit or traditional hotel stay. Instead, think of it more like a cruise on land–as the name suggests–with all-inclusive (mostly) food & drinks and comparable programming. Even the cabins are more similar to cruise staterooms, as you can see in our Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Room Review, Photos & Video.
Unlike Disney Cruise Line, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort puts 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.
Disney has tested similar concepts like Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser before, but this is envelope-pushing in terms of its scope and level of immersion. It’s also unlike a traditional hotel. About the only similarity is that it has guest cabins with beds. Many of the amenities and features you’d expect of a normal Walt Disney World resort are not present at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
In fact, comparing Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser side-by-side to a Deluxe Resort reveals that it doesn’t check many of the same boxes. If you want a luxurious experience with a pool, spa, concierge, well-appointed rooms, and more–you’ll be disappointed. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has none of those things. It doesn’t even have windows in the guest rooms–it has simulated portals into outer space. Although it’s on land, it’s pretending to be a spaceship, meaning it doesn’t have anything you wouldn’t find on a spaceship.
None of this is to say that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is lacking–it just is not what you might expect from a typical Walt Disney World resort at this price point. The focus here is much more on the immersive experience, role-playing, and themed environment. Suffice to say, don’t conflate “expensive” with “luxurious” as this is something different entirely.
With that said, let’s dig into all the details, because there is a ton to know about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort!
Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Updates
Voyages aboard Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser have now been released through September 2023. Above is a look at November through January 2023. Fewer than half of the departures this holiday season are sold out, which is the busiest time of year at Walt Disney World.
Worse yet, there isn’t a single itinerary that’s sold out in 2023. Keep in mind that people generally book vacations–especially expensive ones like this–about 6 months in advance. Most people aren’t taking multi-thousand dollar vacations on a whim. It’s probably concerning to the company that this new experience with incredibly limited capacity already is not filling up.
With that said, availability fluctuates a lot. Keep in mind that one reservation can be the difference between “sold out” and “available,” meaning that all it takes is one cancellation or even a modification to different dates to go from available to not available.
You really need to call (407-939-1800) for accurate availability if your dates are within the next 3 months. You might find that there are options for dates that look sold out, or that some voyages that appear available are actually gone.
If you’re already looking ahead to doing Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in Fall 2023, it’s likely those won’t go on sale until sometime in early 2023. As you can see from the availability calendar above, there’s really no rush to make reservations even once they are available.
The “new ship smell” has already worn off the Halcyon, so dates selling out quickly is unlikely to be an issue going forward. If anything, you might benefit by waiting. Walt Disney World is likely going to need to offer discounts sooner rather than later on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Disney recently has been conducting paid research on guest “perceptions, observations, and attitudes” towards stays on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” at Walt Disney World. It’s possible this is either routine feedback or there’s a greater sense of urgency and importance if the company needs to make adjustments to increase bookings.
With only 100 rooms to fill, it is likely concerning to the company that many peak dates this holiday season–and absolutely nothing in 2023–have not yet sold out. It’ll be interesting to follow the availability situation to see how quickly changes are made, or whether discounts are offered.
Even if voyages don’t sell out, it wouldn’t surprise us to see Walt Disney World not offer discounts for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser until mid-2023.
Releasing special offers within a year of the debut date doesn’t send a good message to investors and company analysts about the success of this costly investment. Disney may also want to maintain the appearance of a premium product–with commensurate pricing–to consumers. Discounting sets a precedent, and one that’s difficult to undo.
When you do call to make your reservation, have all contact information (names, ages, etc.) for everyone in your party ready as well as your Disney account email address (if you somehow don’t have one, make it before calling). Also be prepared for lengthy hold times and being transferred a couple of times. Wait times are sometimes multiple hours; on busy days, the call queue closes completely.
While we’ve found the reps booking Galactic Starcruiser to be knowledgeable and experienced, they’re also very “careful” with information. For example, they won’t simply tell you which dates are cheapest or offer pricing info certain suites–you have to provide specific dates and info, and then they’ll give you a quote for those dates–and only those dates. It can be a bit tedious.
If you don’t want to hassle with it yourself, we highly recommend requesting a free/no obligation quote from an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and having them deal with the headaches so you don’t have to. That travel agency, and presumably most others, have dedicated planners that are already experienced in booking Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser who will be happy to assist you with the process, help you choose the most economical dates, best add-ons, and so forth.
Just keep in mind that options, especially the Galaxy Class Suite, Grand Captain Suite, and Captain’s Table, are limited and might not match the calendar above. In the last few months, availability has fluctuated wildly. Using an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner is definitely the way to go when booking Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser–it’s easier and they can monitor for availability and deal with calling in to manage the reservation since nothing can be done online (and there are always wait times on the phone).
We’ve completed our first voyage on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, paying full price for the expensive experience. (Well, we shared the room with 2 other adults, so technically we paid half price–but the point is that there was no discount!) We’ll have comprehensive reviews and coverage of the actual experience for paying guests in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
With that update out of the way, here’s everything else we know about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort…
Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Experience Details
Prior to their departure, guests preparing for their voyages aboard the Halcyon are encouraged to purchase Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser costumes sold exclusively on shopDisney.com. Options range from $70 to $150 for adults and $60 to $100 for kids. Each seemingly serves a different purpose, so I guess you’ll “need” to buy multiple wardrobe changes to avoid any intergalactic faux pas or style mistakes.
ShopDisney’s merchandise is available for purchase exclusively by guests with a qualifying Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser reservation. Eligible guests are eligible to buy these outfits on shopDisney.com up to 60 days prior to their Galactic Starcruiser reservation check-in date and up to 30 days after their check-out date. In order to complete the transaction, the email address used to sign into shopDisney must also be linked to your Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser reservation.
Following that and all other pre-departure preparations, the actual 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 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 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.
While staying aboard the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, guests interact with an eclectic group of characters both familiar and new. This includes the Halcyon’s strong and charismatic captain, a plucky ship’s mechanic, and a galactic superstar who can captivate an entire room with the crook of one jewel-encrusted purple Twi’lek finger.
This singing sensation is a featured performer during one of the dining experiences inside the Crown of Corellia Dining Room. The enticing supper club’s name is an homage to Corellia, the planet known galaxy-wide for its shipyards that gave us not only the Halcyon starcruiser, but also the Millennium Falcon. The dining room is a bright and welcoming hall that serves breakfast and lunch to passengers before transitioning each evening into a lavish multi-course menu of both otherworldly and familiar origins.
During their all-immersive experience aboard the Halcyon, guests are 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 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 come in handy during a journey through this adventure-filled galaxy.
Guests are 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 Sublight Lounge, where guests of all ages can enjoy libations and games in a stylish setting.
On the outside, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort looks 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. Any representations of the Halcyon from inside the hotel are simulated. The exterior of the hotel and surrounding area is incredibly unimpressive and industrial.
Additionally, there are very few guest rooms in the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort–only 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.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is not 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 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.
To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s a sample itinerary for Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser:
With some basics about the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort out of the way, let’s cover other questions about the Star Wars hotel that we’ve been receiving from readers…
What’s Included
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser vacation packages include:
- 2-night stay in a cabin or suite
- Ongoing, immersive and interactive entertainment, where choices determine your experience
- Food and beverages on the starcruiser (excluding alcoholic and specialty beverages) and a quick-service meal at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo or other select locations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for your planetary excursion to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Valet parking
- Exclusive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser MagicBand
Pricing
Walt Disney World has released sample pricing for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort. Above is a look at rates for departures on weeknights in the fall off-season.
A few things to note here. First, this is the off-season at Walt Disney World and it’s when rack rates at all hotels are at their lowest levels of the year. For example, Grand Floridian rooms start at $742 per night for those same dates but jump to over $850 per night for many dates in October.
Suffice to say, pricing for weekends or more popular travel dates could end up being considerably more expensive. With that said, we’re honestly surprised by how “low” the prices are for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Obviously, this experience is not cheap. To the contrary, it is very, very expensive. Total voyage costs of ~$5,000 to $6,000 for off-season weekdays is a ton of money and suggests peak dates are thousands of dollars more expensive.
However, that’s still less money than we anticipated (a prior version of this post predicted costs of around $3,000 per person). Some dates could end up being on the more expensive end of that spectrum, but the starting prices–and costs for families of 4 are a pleasant surprise. Again, it’s still an exorbitant sum of money…just less exorbitant than the outrageous numbers we were bracing ourselves for.
We’re sure many–if not most–of you will disagree with this. Perhaps it’s all about expectations. We expected this to be astronomically priced given what the experience entails, its all-inclusive nature, and how Disney prices both its luxury resorts and cruises. Others might’ve had different expectations than us. No matter how you slice this, it’s expensive. But it could’ve been worse.
Another thing to consider here is that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is essentially an all-inclusive boutique hotel plus an interactive live entertainment experience. It’s labor intensive but does not have many rooms, meaning that the price-points here are high.
Scarcity is also 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 a lot of 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.
Reservations & How to Book?
Reservations for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort can be booked by calling (407) 939-1800 to confirm availability and book your voyage. Again, reservations cannot be made online. The only way to bypass long wait times on the phone is by contacting an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and having them reserve your vacation package for you–that’ll save you time and work, as they’ll do your planning.
If the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is something that interests you, we’d highly recommend booking it sooner rather than later. This is for a couple of reasons. First, prices are likely to go up–Disney rarely decreases prices. The ‘sample pricing’ graphic you see below is likely the cheapest Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser will ever be.
Second, this is an ambitious and envelope-pushing idea, and is currently in a state of ‘pure & pristine’ Imagineering. Over time, compromises and changes are likely to be made in service of operational realities, changing demographics, and guest feedback.
Third, if for some reason this concept does not work and Disney is “forced” to decrease prices to attract more guests…more of the aforementioned compromises will be made to preserve the company’s margins on the Galactic Starcruiser. Cuts will be made to entertainment or dining (charging extra for food & beverage is an obvious way to cut the up-front price while increasing overall revenue).
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. This will likely begin as a thematically ambitious experience 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, it’s possible that Imagineering will fine-tune the offerings aboard the starship Halcyon, and it’ll age like a fine wine. This could mean new storylines, seasonal events, added characters, and who knows what else. We were surprised to find the experience firing on all cylinders during the inaugural voyage, and were surprised by how well it appealed to guests of all ages and even mainstream audiences. There’s a lot of potential here.
With that said, it’s also possible that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort experience will be diluted after its first year or so (this is what we predicted prior to opening). The primary demographic could 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.
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? 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!
I think most people kind of figured that this is what was going to happen. This was a novelty that wore off very quickly. Especially with the amount of money a lot of people are having to pay for gas and groceries right now. If they were to open this resort as an actual resort and not a cosplay event to the tune of several thousand dollars for two nights then it might take off and be something. I think that if they continue with the price point where they have it set and for the short window that you’re allowed to experience it then I think it’s doomed to fail.
Tom, in relation to your discussion of the slowdown in bookings, are you aware that prices went up for the fall dates compared to earlier cruises? We recently priced out a couple different dates and the prices were over $1K higher in November and December non-holiday weeks than the prices we were quoted for June/July a few months back. It was discouraging and I wish they would just post the prices online. I think selling out the first few months made Disney cocky about the appeal, not realizing that the first to book were the uber fans who are limited in number, and bloggers of course, as well as locals who just need to pay the price of the starcruiser and not also pay expensive airfare and hotel stay the night before on top of the start cruiser price.
Did you see whether the June/July prices also increased? To my knowledge, there haven’t been any actual price increases for dates that were released at the beginning–November/December rate charts are always worse, and those hadn’t been released yet.
Now, it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re right and early cruises selling out emboldened Disney to price the holidays higher than previously planned. I also agree that Disney should make this easier to do online. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re losing some business simply by virtue of how complicated it all is to book.
We went on the excursion in April. It was amazing and we are looking forward to a second trip, this time with the kids. The risk that I would spend the trip in the room with the 4 yo was too high. Waiting for the kids to be able to read may be a good plan so they can be independent on the ship. There are cast members everywhere and letting the kids have different stories can be incredibly amusing… We made our own costumes, a lot came from the resale shop. Batuu was very fun for us. We haven’t been that many times and it’s always been part of HS day, so getting to slow down and explore was great. We were traveling with a friend that had never been. We had separate rooms, but we did need to have a cast member sync up itineraries. If you love starwars, and you can afford the price, it’s worth it. The experiences, the story, the cast, it pulls on the heart strings in just the right way.
I also got the invitation to the focus groups, which thankfully the one Instagram account that I possess and never post to hasn’t kicked me out of the option for. I would love to be picked just to give additional feedback, regardless of the money…and because I really want this to succeed. As much as I enjoy exclusive experiences, I would rather not be in the small minority that got to experience the pure, undiluted Halcyon. This would have been a life-changer for 13 year old me. Heck, it was a life-changer for 30+ year old me! And it wasn’t even the Star Wars time period that I like, so that is saying a lot. I just hope lots more people get to experience it, and its profitable enough to keep changing things up so I can keep coming back.
Hello Tom:
We have a “cruise” booked in August, and are very excited. Question about costumes on ShopDisney: do you know whether there is an expanded selection which only becomes viewable once you are within the 60 day arrival time? I get inconsistent answers from the call centre, and certainly I don’t really expect you would know better than Disney cast members. But then again: you often do seem to know more than them! The main reason I am asking is because it looks like you are wearing the mechanic outfit available on ShopDisney. But that is only for kids, and you seem tall in your photos, if anything! Can’t rule out supply shortages or that you did your own homemade version either (if so – nicely done!), but thought I would ask.
Thanks!
I am going in October and decided to source my costume very early and from other vendors to be sure of availability and delivery. When I checked Disney (granted a while back) prices seemed high and content was pretty “cookie cutter“. There is a lot you can find if you search for the pieces/look you want and combine to make your own. Plus there is entertainment value in that! Enjoy in August!
Thanks, that is very kind of you. I have been looking at other options, but sure appreciate the comment.
My costume is actually just this generic astronaut suit: https://amzn.to/3ztUoqb
Sarah likewise purchased her costumes from Amazon.
Some of the patches on that are cheesy, so you might want to cover them with Star Wars-centric stuff. Quality isn’t the greatest, but we also ordered (and returned) the Disney Galactic Starcruiser costumes because we weren’t impressed with the quality of those. Have fun!
What is available on Shop Disney never expands as you get closer. However, there are options available on the ship which aren’t available online.
Thanks for letting me know. The people on this website sure are a nice bunch!
On this topic, I thought I would share something that will amuse Star Wars fans (if not necessarily every Disney fan). From another source, my son decided to pick a Hayden Christensen / prequel trilogy era Anakin Skywalker outfit. His logic: “This way, I don’t have to decide if I’m gonna follow the dark side or the light side until we get there”. I loved it!
Thanks very much for this detailed post. I am considering to join the adventure with my son in December, but It is not so clear to me if the admission to galaxy edge is enough to enjoy the area in HS or just a passing by.
Should I reserve additional time in the galaxy edge or during my time in the starcruiser I will have enough time to enjoy everything?
Some old lines that I noticed:
inside the Crown of Corellia Dining Room, which you can see in this artist concept rendering we’re sharing today for the first time.
^ Replaced with a photo of Gaia singing
Another interesting spot is the Silver C Lounge,
^ I think that was supposed to be ‘Sublight Lounge’
You really tricked me for a moment into thinking you’d gone back for a second voyage! I keep finding myself getting curious about how the experience is already changing for guests. Apart from it depending on which cast and crew you get, I wonder how long the excitement of it will hold up for those cast members, or if they’ll get burnt out after a while. But…I also hope that leads into changing storylines and characters so that it’s fresh and repeatable.
Good catches, thanks!
I’m also curious, but not enough to drop another several thousand dollars to find out. A couple of our friends over at TouringPlans are going later this month–very curious to hear what their experience is like and how it compares and contrasts to ours.
Tom, you had to share a room with two other adults? That is SUPER weird, and for this price point a booking should have their own room. Did they tell you that you would be sharing a room when you booked the “cruise”? I was shocked when I read that line in this article. I would be “out” just from that alone.
He said in another post they were sharing a room with another couple friends just to see if it could truly fit 4 adults.
OK, thanks for the info. I was going to say…that is super weird!
They should have created some smaller “single” rooms -1 or 2 guests only. All the adults I know who have gone had to share rooms just to get the cost down (which isn’t an option for a family of 4-5… you are paying for that entire room, ie, double what Tom & Sarah or quadruple what any single bloggers paid unless they paid for their own private room.) I would love to ask single bloggers, if you had to pay 2-4x the cost would you do it? That’s the situation families are in.
“I would love to ask single bloggers, if you had to pay 2-4x the cost would you do it?”
Well, you can ask one of us and the answer is a resounding no. We loved the experience, but would not have paid that much.
It’ll be interesting how pricing is adjusted over time, as it already appears that they’ve exceeded the ceiling for what regular families will pay. If that has happened, it was faster than I expected.
I so want to do this with three other friends but show up as Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty and stay in character the whole time. Complete with tricorders and communicators.
You beat me to it! I would totally pay these prices for an equivalent Trekkie experience. Though I’d prefer to see Picard at the helm.
I know next to nothing about Star Wars or Star Trek – only enough to know what you’re referencing here…what a great idea! I hope you do it.
This is amazing!! Beam me up!
I imagine that many guests will skip the excursion to Batuu (if they can), having already been to Galaxy’s Edge one or more times previously. Going to DHS comprises just about the entire morning of the only full day for the whole experience! If you are able to opt out of DHS, how much impromptu interaction will there be with the cast, when the expectation is that this is largely a ‘down time’ for the employees to catch up on things while most if all not all guests are out of the building? Will you have access to the entire hotel (like the bridge) during this time, or will you be confined to common areas or your room until it’s ‘Show Time’ for that part of the narrative? How much of the story are you missing if you don’t go to Galaxy’s Edge, or will that gap of information even matter given the tradeoff of not wasting precious time doing something you’ve already done? I’ve seen snippets of the experience that I guess would be considered partial spoilers, and the environment looks to comes first (the hotel itself), the food second, and the experience (narrative/story/involvement) third. Maybe it’s just me, but why would anyone want to take time away from the main reason they paid to be there in the first place?
From what I’ve seen, you essentially have to go to Batuu if you want to stay “on mission” and be eligible for story opportunities on the ship later in the day.
They make up all the rooms while you’re in Batuu. There are onboard activities like Bingo and stuff during the morning (supposed to be low key and not very interesting), but none of the major events take place. Lunch is served onboard, but from the reviews it appears to be meager compared to the other meals. Also, if you don’t go to Batuu you’re wasting a free meal and alcoholic beverage for which you’ve been given chits.
Having just come back, I can say its absolutely worth going to Batuu. For one, the activities available on the ship are standard cruise fair and aren’t really that exciting. For another, visiting Batuu is a little different as a starcruiser guest and you get more themed interactions from the cast. Plus, completing ‘missions’ on Batuu will unlock more activities back on the ship.
That all said? Its possible to accomplish what you need in Batuu in less than two hours, so you could fly down early and get back to the ship in time for just about anything.
There are details that would motivate me to buy. First, nothing can be ‘“immersive” without the right wardrobe. Thus, it will only work for me if the first stop upon arrival is for appropriate clothing. Disney costumes thousands of cast members a day, so this would not seem an unreasonable ask. Next, the escape rooms on some cruise ships are simply awesome, which would be great for this concept. The “VOID” Star Wars experiences were cutting edge and amazing; it seems this would be something someone already knows how to do. You would need, however, different experiences based on the age of the group’s youngest particularly for an escape room-type experience. Similarly, many group immersive games and stories are tons of fun, but again the age issue for story/mystery complexity. The experience could be amazing if properly executed and more out into experience venues than rooms. But, if not amazing and nothing more than the Jedi Training Academy on steroids, it will be an enormous let down for people I think.
Besides knowing what it’s like to be a guest on the Halcyon, I’m interested to know how the experience at Galaxy’s Edge will change for HS guests. Think of vacationers staying on a Caribbean island — they’ll want to know exactly when the big cruise ships dock and depart, since having hundreds of “day trippers” invading shops and beaches totally changes the experience. For example, per the sample itinerary I could easily envision the following HS touring advice being given starting in March:
-For a fun diversion, gather at the entry gate for Halycon guests around 8:30am as they arrive and are greeted with a cast member “show” as they enter the land
-Lines at Rise of the Resistance will begin slowing considerably at 8:45am when Halcyon Guests arrive (vs. 9am today when ILL access begins)
-Try to avoid Docking Bay 7 between 11am and noon on “Halcyon port days” as a section of the restaurant will be blocked off for Halcyon guests
-Etc.
And of course, the travel planning sites will need to include the “Halcyon Port Schedule” as it’ll be relevant for any of the points noted above
Starcruiser capacity is somewhere in the range of 200-400 people headed to Batuu. Not the 3000+ of cruise ships. That many people is a drop in the bucket in terms of ride/show capacity. It won’t make as big of difference in operations as you expect.
Thanks, Ryan. Yeah I’m not thinking so much about the land getting crushed by thousands of debarking guests from a cruise megaship (which I’ve seen at various ports), but more the fact that these guests may (and should, at those prices) enjoy VIP status throughout the land. 200-400 new guests with 8:45am ILL lightning lane times will make an impact on ROTR rope-droppers, given the ride uptime is already spotty. 200-400 guests all getting vouchers for meals at Docking Bay 7 during a set window would have to impact capacity there, unless there’s a behind-the-scenes VIP area they’ll have access to. And in terms of entry/exit, I was only speculating but I feel like there will be some sort of spectacle when the Halycon guests arrive. Likely many of them, not to mention their cast member chaperones, will be in full Cosplay/LARP regalia and I’m assuming there will be some missions for them to complete — it’ll be noticeable when they’re “on world” in Batuu. And Disney will WANT it to be noticeable because those guests will be walking, talking advertisements for the Galactic Starcruiser experience! Disney isn’t going to want guest reviews to keep saying things like “I got dropped off on a glorified box truck to navigate a crowded land. They shoved a $20 meal voucher into my hand with a stern warning to be back on the ship by 12:30.” They want guests to feel like they were PART of Galaxy’s Edge and everyone else was just a tourist.
So while I agree with you that this won’t be significant enough operationally to warrant a “stay away” red flag, if I was going to Galaxy’s Edge I’d definitely want a heads-up when there was a Halcyon “shore excursion” planned.
When I do itineraries for guests, if they are into Star Wars, if possible I try to have them do HS on a non-halcyon day. It’s not that disruptive, but why add anything extra at all. An extra 400 people in the queue for RotR can make a difference for sure. They have to be depressing the number of LLs sold on those days by that much. Plus you have 400 more guests who are more likely to stay in Batuu the entire time, make Savis and droid reservations and eat lunch at Docking Bay. I don’t think it’s a huge difference but it has to be something.
@Peg
((First off, sorry for commenting so much in here, Tom.)) To answer the Q, Peg…It departs every other day. The calendar posted above is just Disney’s confusing way of indicating what days you can actually be physically inside the hotel on a three-day voyage. For instance…there is a voyage departing on March 5th-7th, but it’s booked up which is why the 6th is blocked out (because there is no way you can be present at the hotel on the 6th). However, the 5th itself is not blocked out because if you booked a voyage on March 3rd then you would technically be present in the hotel on the 5th. Hopefully that makes sense.
“((First off, sorry for commenting so much in here, Tom.))”
Don’t apologize–I very much appreciate it. I’m only one person, and it’s difficult to keep up with comments AND new content. So long as your answers are correct (they always are) or well-reasoned opinions (ditto), comment AS MUCH AS YOU WANT! 🙂
We don’t have the budget for the starcruiser but are lucky to have a WDW trip beginning March 3rd 2022. I’m making our park bookings and trying to avoid DHS on the Starcruiser Batuu Excursion days. I initially assumed the departure dates would be every 2nd days, but looking at the calendar above, it’s not the case, they’re sometimes 2 days apart and sometimes 3. I’m so confused! Is the 6th a departure date or the 7th? Help!
I am trying to figure out the same thing for a trip in May. Were you able to find out? Thank you
@Daniel
There are, but you’ll pay the same price for your room as a couple would (ie $4809 per the above pricing.) I wouldn’t be surprised if there are forums or social media groups out there somewhere who hook up parties interested in doing this together, though…
@Tom
I’m so glad to hear it! I wasn’t sure I’d get to read a review from you on this since the cost is so high, but now it’ll be something for me to look forward to. I’ll try not to spoil anything if our March trip is before yours…
Are there any options for single travelers?
I just finished reading your post and looking at the immersive drawings. I do see alot of little kids in these drawings. I just wonder what WDW will do when one of these children gets scared and doesn’t like it and cries incessantly wanting to go home. Will the CM;s let them outin an emergency pod back to earth or are they stuck in the ship? I know all children are different and some may not be ready for this type of thing, with interactive star wars creatures roaming around. I don’t know? I started wondering about this after looking at all the drawings of kids having a great time. It’s just something that popped into my head. You see meltdowns, crankiness, crying in the parks all the time. I wonder if disney has tested all this out on children to see their reactions? I wonder if there is an age limit? I love kids, don’t get me wrong. And WDW is mostly geared towards families with children, but this seems to be a lot different. Anyway, just my thoughts on the possibility of this happening.
It sounds like you’ve got personal experience with booking, Tom! Does this mean you’ll be doing a stay?
I found that using the DVC point charts they released to determine costs is really pretty accurate. For instance, the DVC cost for a suite on the sample pricing dates is 590 for a two-person room that would be 4809$. This works out to 8.15 dollars per point. I used that to guess how much my Captain’s suite would be on Sept 15, which for five people at 8.15 per point (for a 1262 pt reservation) should have been $10,285.
My actual reservation cost was $10,279 so…pretty spot on for anyone needing to calculate their costs. Also, still expensive, but…its like a two day ride so. Worth it for me.
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Also Pixie the Captains’ suite sleeps 8, and 5he above pricing should give you an idea of what to expect. If there are any suites left…
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Also also, a note that they will only let you book the Captain’s table for everyone in your room, like the Disney Dining plan and *not* like an actual cruise ship. It seems they would rather sail with empty Captain’s chairs than break this rule…which is currently causing me excessive frustration as I can’t add my friend to my room without cancelling our Captain’s table reservation. I’m really hoping they change this, as we don’t all need the Captain’s table…
“Does this mean you’ll be doing a stay?”
Yes, we have one booked for early on!
I will definitely be making reservations for my family and I. How many people will comfortably fit into 1 room or suite? I have a family of 8, from 2 years old to 72 years old. I know that it’s going to cost a little fortune but I don’t care. Lol. It sounds like an amazing experience of a lifetime. Way better than a cruise and this would be way more exciting, and the cost doesn’t seem exorbitant for the work, action and total emerson into another world is so worth it. Thank you everyone at Disney, you did it again.
I could see this immersive idea going into other areas. I have always envisioned some sort of hotel that immerses you in the 1950s, for example, or the 1980s — with technology from that era. I think people would do it for a couple days for the immersive experience.
As for the Star Wars experience, I absolutely would do this — if it is not too kid-friendly. That would be my big concern. The drawings suggest there will be kids running around everywhere, but I feel this is more for adults and older teens.