Room Tour: Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Cabin Photos & Video
Walt Disney World’s new Star Wars “hotel” has two types of rooms: standard cabins and 1-bedroom suites. In this review of Galactic Starcruiser’s accommodations, we’ll share photos & video from inside a less expensive of the two, pros & cons, whether these can comfortably sleep 4-5 adults, and more.
Those are air quotes around Star Wars “hotel” because that’s something of a misnomer–even if it’s how the vast majority of potential customers will refer to it and assume that’s what it is prior to booking. (Which is precisely why Galactic Starcruiser has its own dedicated site and can only be booked over the phone.)
In reality, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is more like more like a cruise on land, with all-inclusive food & non-alcoholic drinks, similar staterooms, immersive entertainment, and live action role-playing. This is why our 4,000+ word, spoiler-free Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Review barely even touched on the rooms, whereas our normal Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews dedicate about half of their text to the topic.
Another way that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser differs from normal Walt Disney World resort rooms is the cost. Don’t get us wrong–there is a significant premium for the Disney brand, theme, and on-site location. The Star Wars “hotel” would take that to the next level were if best viewed as a normal hotel, minus the air quotes.
The room you’ll see in this review & tour cost cost $6,634.32 for a party of 4. We shared the room with another couple, friends of ours with whom we regularly travel. Sarah and I paid a total of $3,317.16 for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser–or $1,658.58 per person. For more thoughts on this expensive pricing, see Is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Worth the High Cost?
For the exact same dates, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort would have cost $1,470 total, or $735 per night. Of course, the critical distinction is that the Poly is very much a hotel, and while it offers daily entertainment and programming for guests, it’s not the same. Nevertheless, we’ll use other on-site Walt Disney World resorts throughout this post to provide an imperfect comparison. Just know that this is an apples to orangutans situation.
Before we dig into the substance of the resort room review, here are some basics about guest cabins aboard the starship Halcyon. Per Walt Disney World, the starcruiser features 100 well-appointed cabins and suites, each one offering an atmosphere of elegance, style, comfort, and exclusivity.
Your Star Wars story continues even in your cabin or suite. There, you can relax in comfort and gaze out your window as ships, planets, stars, and other breathtaking galactic sights float past on the majestic canvas of the cosmos. (In case it’s not clear, those are very much Disney’s words and not mine.)
Each Standard Cabin is fitted with furnishings and fixtures designed to ensure comfort while traveling throughout the galaxy—including a pullout table and a TV with entertainment from your home planet—and a window with a view out into space.
Specifications
- Sleeps: 4 to 5 passengers
- Room Configuration: queen bed, 2 berths (bunk beds) for one adult each and a wall pull-down bed for one adult (if sleeping 5)
Cabin Amenities
- Mini refrigerator
- Hair dryer
- In-cabin safe
- Phone with voicemail messaging
- Interactive TV
- H2O Plus spa, bath and shower products
One-bedroom Galaxy Class Suites feature a living space complete with an integrated seating area and have all the comforts of Standard Cabins plus a double vanity bathroom, bar area, 2 windows with views out into space and a few extra surprises.
Specifications
- Sleeps: 4 passengers
- Room Configuration: queen bed and 2 wall pull-down beds for one adult each
Cabin Amenities
- Mini refrigerator
- Hair dryer
- In-cabin safe
- Phone with voicemail messaging
- Interactive TV
- H2O Plus spa, bath and shower products
Note that the high-roller suite only sleeps 4, whereas the standard cabin sleeps 5. This is actually not particularly uncommon with suites versus standard hotel rooms at Walt Disney World, but it’s still odd to me. You’d think more space would equal more guest capacity, but apparently not.
Room size is one of the most common reader inquiries we’ve received, so let’s start with that.
Based upon our rudimentary measurements, there’s about 200 square feet of usable room space. For context, the Value Resorts at Walt Disney World are ~260 square feet. Rooms at the previously-discussed Polynesian Village Resort, among the largest at Walt Disney World, are ~450 square feet. (See Hotel Room Sizes at Walt Disney World for a full rundown.)
For such a relatively small room, the bathrooms are quite (arguably disproportionately) large.
This reminds me a bit of the Tower Studio at Disney’s Riviera Resort, which has an incredibly economical living area, but inexplicably large bathroom. (Those rooms are 255 square feet, so probably slightly larger than this after the entire space is accounted for.)
Speaking of inexplicably large, that describes the shower in the standard cabins at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
I didn’t do a good job of capturing it in the photo above, but it extends the full length of the vanity and toilet area. Perfect for bathing a Bantha, I suppose.
The standard cabins definitely present smaller than they actually are due to the layout. Beyond the bathrooms, there’s the way that the bunk beds are recessed into the wall.
This makes the room more economical with its space, so to speak. Two of the beds aren’t included in our square footage number above because you can’t walk around them. If counted towards the total, the standard cabins in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser should be almost as large as a Value Resort room.
Speaking of the bunk beds, they are deceptively large. Certainly more spacious and longer than we expected after seeing photos and concept art prior to the opening of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser’s opening.
In fairness, no one in our party was exactly “large.” The fact that 4 people, all of whom are under 6 feet tall and weigh less than 175 pounds each (guessing on that one, still haven’t found a polite way of asking our friends if I can weigh them) found the bunk beds comfortable and sufficiently sized may not be saying much.
However, we’ve also heard from a number of others who are larger. The prevailing sentiment was similar–the bunkbeds are “surprisingly spacious.” One reader even said her 6’5″ spouse was able to sleep in the beds. That height is probably pushing it, but the point stands that humans of most heights will fit in the bunk beds just fine. (Families of Wookiees might want to seek alternative accommodations, or multiple rooms.)
Speaking of which, the bunk beds and pull-down bed (which is much smaller and probably only suitable for someone well under 6′ tall) use funky sleeping bags instead of normal bedding. These are actually pretty cool, perfectly functional, and will be undoubtedly popular with kids–hopefully the gift shop starts selling them soon!
In general, we have heard a lot of sentiment that the standard cabins in the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser are “surprisingly spacious” from other guests.
No offense to those offering this feedback, but I’m going to discount it. In large part, this early assessment is coming from people who have followed this project closely, saw concept art, knew this was going to be like a cruise cabin, etc. As compared to photos, the Halcyon’s rooms do appear larger in real life. That’s subjective, but “feels true.”
For newcomers to Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser who are first learning about it now, or otherwise will have expectations based on pricing or comparisons to other hotel rooms around Walt Disney World, these rooms will likely appear and feel smaller than expected.
Whether the room size is ~200 square feet or ~260 square feet, it’s small. It just is. No amount of space-saving innovations or trickery to maximize the usable area of the cabin materially changes the equation. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser’s standard cabins are small. (Never a good sign when the majority of my room photos are shot with a fisheye lens!)
In fact, I’d argue that the standard rooms aboard Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser do a worse job of utilizing their footprint than do the redesigned rooms at the Value Resorts.
With those, one of the beds converts into a table when not in use, which is both functional and increases the open area of the room. The bathrooms also have better balance, and take up less of the square footage. In addition to that, there are a lot of little functional upgrades and little features. From my perspective as a hotel reviewer, all of this is quite noticeable–these things immediately stick out.
However, there’s still the question of whether it’s all noticeable to an actual guest over the course of staying in the Halcyon and using the room during the 2-night immersive experience.
Largely, no. We spent barely any time in the cabin, which seems par for the course with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. While the same could be said for a “commando tourists” staying at regular resorts, we often find ourselves in the room eating breakfast, taking a midday break, or even relaxing on our non-parks day.
None of that exists with the Halcyon. Included breakfast is offered elsewhere and taking a midday break eats into story/adventure time. About the only things you’re doing here are sleeping and the ole SSS routine.
The only major exception I could see to this is with a group doing elaborate costuming and makeup, or multiple outfit changes per day. I’d probably advise against that in the first place as a time-waster for most, but it’s going to be integral to the experience for some. In that scenario…I’m not really sure. Breathing room and space for getting ready might become more of an issue.
The more apt comparison is probably to Disney Cruise Line’s staterooms, many of which are under 200 square feet in size.
That’s not just similar from a size perspective, but also the experience being more analogous. Even then, we spend far more time in our stateroom aboard DCL, on average, than we did during our Galactic Starcruiser stay.
For our party, the size of the standard cabin was no issue whatsoever. There was sufficient space for storing our luggage and navigating the room, especially given how infrequently everyone was in there simultaneously, outside of when we were asleep.
My main annoyances revolve around features. Unless hidden in a secret compartment of the ship, there was only 1 USB outlet in the entire room. This definitely caught us off guard given Disney’s recent push to add these to redesigned resort rooms. Also, while there was ample luggage storage space, the same cannot be said for the contents of said suitcases. Be prepared to live out of your bags for your time aboard the Halcyon.
If you want to better visualize the layout (or see details I forgot to photograph) of the standard cabin, here’s the room tour Sarah shot of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser:
Speaking of little annoyances, the toiletries are in wall-mounted pumps. This is done throughout Walt Disney World now, and was a move done under the guise of environmentality. We are mostly ambivalent to this, recognizing that in reality, Disney did this to cut costs–but the outcome of less waste still exists.
Many of you are, ahem, far more “passionate” about this subject than us. In addition to being upset about the loss of packaged toiletries, there are some concerns about tampering. Something tells me no one is dropping $5,000+ to play a practical joke involving shampoo, but perhaps I’m too trusting.
Regardless, I can understand the frustrations on this front. It would be one thing if this wasn’t happening simultaneous with higher prices and other nickel & diming. (In defense of this practice at Galactic Starcruiser, there is a provided tin of face clothes and foaming bubble masks–for now–which is a nice touch.)
Although I forgot to get a photo of the panel, there are also buttons for ‘do not disturb’ and to request housekeeping. Unlike at other Walt Disney World hotels, that’s not an issue at Galactic Starcruiser. Presumably, since it’s a 2-night stay with security as you enter, there will not be daily room checks, either.
Turning to some of the unique features of the Halcyon, each cabin has a pullout table and a TV with standard entertainment (didn’t get a chance to check out the Resort TV situation) and a “window” with a view out into space. The table, pictured above at the bottom of the frame, is largely useless. It feels like an afterthought, as do the footstole-style chairs.
In keeping with the overarching story, what’s visible out your “window” reflects that’s shown in other “windows” around the Halcyon and on the bridge. Meaning that if the ship jumps to hyperspace, you’ll see that in your portal, too.
There’s also the D3-O9 Logistics Droid, which interacts with you via an panel on the wall. D3-O9 seems a bit like the coming “Hey, Alexa” service on steroids, with the ability to brief guests on mission elements, details, and more.
Built centuries ago by Chandrila Star Line’s founder, D3-O9 has a lot of knowledge and opinions. According to Walt Disney Imagineering, she’s advanced Artificial Intelligence and is the next frontier of storytelling. D3-O9 is currently being treated as a “limited playtest” and Walt Disney World has repeatedly emphasized that D3-O9 might not always be available.
D3-O9 was a surprise hit with us. Not the interactions, those were clunky and felt fairly rudimentary rather than advanced. Perhaps if we used her more (I suspect a big role D3-O9 fills is involving guests in the story who spend more time in the cabin) it would’ve been more fluid.
Rather, D3-O9 was great for her dry humor and wit. The amusing “bedtime story” she told us at the end of a long day was perfect, and just another way Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser manages to thread the needle with levity.
By contrast, we were really looking forward to the “window” offering views into space, and it was only okay. Not that I expect this to look real, but even suspension of disbelief is difficult. Most of the time, there are too many reflections, distortion, and odd ‘bleed’ from the way details are displayed.
With that said, I did go back to the room at one point to grab something, and was struck by how peacefulness of the portal, and the stars’ light illuminating the room. It was a serene moment, further underscoring just how different these cabins are than all other rooms at Walt Disney World, both in practicality and purpose.
Ultimately, that’s really what makes it so difficult to review the cabins at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. This isn’t a real resort, and the rooms are certainly not what a lot of people would expect at this price point. While the service and attention to detail are top-notch, this is most definitely not a luxury hotel in any traditional sense of the term.
Even with that and all of our other caveats out of the way, the rooms aboard Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser do not disappoint in any of the ways you might expect. Although small, the rooms are perfectly serviceable given the nature of the experience. The bunkbeds are sufficiently spacious for adults. The bedding is comfortable and high-quality, with quilted texture to the pillows and bedspread–plus a runner!
The rooms are not the least bit sterile or cold, instead having plenty of fun details and features–just not always the most functional ones. If anything, that’s the most surprising “miss” for us; even after redesigning so many rooms to address common guest complaints, Disney still made a few mistakes with features and layout.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on anything covered in this room review and tour? What do you think of the size, features, or layout of the standard cabin? After reading or seeing firsthand accounts of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort, has your perception of it it changed? Excited to step aboard the starship Halcyon, or is this ‘immersive experience’ not for you? Would you prefer a more conventional hotel stay at a Star Wars-themed or decorated hotel? Do you agree or disagree with my 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!
Where can we book the rooms?
Did you feel claustrophobic or closed in without a traditional outdoor window? With space so tight, at least you have a window or Verandah (besides inside staterooms) on a cruise. I can’t do inside staterooms for that reason, but wasn’t sure if that was an issue here.
So about 2 hours after getting on board I was like “this feels weird not seeing outside.” (I’ve never been on a cruise so I had no comparison.) However, there is a “climate simulation room” that’s available for the duration of your trip. Being in the room wasn’t a problem for me at all after knowing there was easy access to the outdoors as needed. At that point it was just like we’d drawn the blinds for two nights; you’re barely in the room AT ALL.
I get the continued comparison to a “cruise ship on land” or in this case in space….but it seems like sizing the cabins the same as their sea-worthy brethren is a bit cheap.
Cabin density is imperative on a cruise ship. To pile in the people.
A 100 room boutique hotel should have larger rooms.
Tom:
Thank you for your blog…it really is the best!
My family just got back from our cruise on Saturday and I think your blog sums up the rooms very well. The experience is so creatively imagined we barely spent any time in our room, but the time we spent we really enjoyed. All of the bedding was comfortable, we loved the window, and D3 was really a great use of AI and we all loved interacting with her(we even wonder IF we ever went again would she remember us?!?!)
What I think it boils down to for this and your other review is if you book this experience and look at each individual part of the ship, the room to a lesser degree the food and expect each individual thing to live up to the price…then you will be setting yourself up to be disappointed….This is an experience that the sum is MUCH, MUCH greater than the individual parts. Particularly for families of 8 to 14 year olds that are Star Wars fans!
We loved our Starcruiser adventure! Since there were only two of us, the room seemed plenty spacious. While we didn’t spend much time in our cabin, there were a couple of things I’d have changed about it:
– when the closet doors are open, they block the small hallway. That made it difficult for both of us to get ready at the same time
– the toilet tissue was awful!
– I wish we could have turned off or dimmed the lights surrounding the window. It would have been great gaze at “space” while falling asleep.
Two questions. 1. On the bunk beds what are the odds the top piece ever gets cleaned by Mousekeeping? 2. If the bedspreads are a true sleeping bag style, how often are these going to be cleaned?
Hi Tom, Thanks for the info! Although I loved the blog, I’d like to know where Sarah got her outfit!
Thanks!
Jillr
This is it: https://amzn.to/3JxKuGh (Size XS)
Thanks Tom (and Sarah)! I’ll check it out.
Jillr
It doesn’t seem to be that much more than a deluxe resort, considering the fun things you can do. Because I snore, and I mean I grind those planets you were flying about, it would be a travesty for any human being to have to share a room with me. So I could not do that hotel alone due to the cost. I can however, live it through your review and as a bonus save $6000. Thank you!
Wireless noise cancelling headphones are game changer when it comes to sharing a room with snorers! 😉
Can the room fit an ECV?
There are actually little ‘docking bays’ (not sure that was the exact name, but it’s something fun) in the hallways for ECVs!
Is it $6k for just two nights? Wasn’t clear how long u stayed there.
@Brooke Yes, that’s the cost of a two-night “cruise.”
Every stay is 2 nights. Your voyage “departs” on whatever day of the week you’ve booked, and “returns” 2 days later. No new people arrive or depart on the middle day.
Are snacks plentiful like on a cruise? Hoping I get a few Mickey Bars next month for my $6k. I’m also planning to sample each of the cocktails!
I wouldn’t say “plentiful” (not to the same degree as a cruise) but there’s always food available, whether it’s in the main dining room, from the lounge, or a little stand in the atrium.
As someone who did attend with a (relatively) elaborate costume, I can say that the bathroom space and the mirrors were absolutely stellar. Er, no pun intended. I believe that if you go into the experience expecting a small, cruise-ship like room…then you will be surprised by how spacious the room actually is. If you go in expecting it to be like other Disney Rooms, then you will be disappointed in how small it is.
As my party used to travel several times a year for different conventions, we have become ‘masters’ at room reconfiguration–moving the setup of a hotel room around to better generate useful surfaces and extra space. For a costumer, there were a lot of good configurations in our standard suite. For instance, I removed both chairs from the wall and used them to store merchandise we had purchased, and then put suitcases up on top of them for ease of access. Then, the largest suitcase tucked nicely into the wall and under the table, which was just large enough to place out items needed for the next day. We also pulled down the 5th sleeper, and used it as a table to hold the rest of the suitcases and the ironing board we had requested.
The room actually gives you a lot of closet space, but it’s almost unnecessary. Since the voyage is so short, you really do have to live out of your suitcase. There’s no point in taking any of your precious time to move clothes around, except to maybe hang a nice dinner dress or suit.
Overall, I really liked the rooms more than I expected to, but was also disappointed in the view port. However, it’s also responsible for one of my best memories…falling asleep on the big bed, watching communication satellites drift by. When all the lights are off and all the ship is asleep, it’s almost magical…even if it never looks real.
Thanks for sharing your experience on sharing the room and getting ready as someone with more elaborate costumes. If anyone would know about that, it’s you!
Also, very jealous that you got to fall asleep with the portal open.
Ok – biggest question when doing your video of the room tour. Were’s Tom
My guess is as Sarah was in the shower you snuck in the bathroom as she headed back out to show the pull down bed & table
Haha, Mike. That was my question too. I watched the video again and noticed he is behind her or to her left in the beginning of the video. You can see his reflection from 0:37 to 0:45. Then, I assume he squeezes into the corner when she turns (around 1:00). You see his reflection again at 1:28 as he exits.
My first viewing I wondered who lowered the bed and pulled out the table and chairs.
Nice video! Thanks!
I’m glad some of you not only appreciate our “seamless” transitions, but also replay the videos to figure out how we did it.
In this case…I do not remember. Josh’s detective work is better than my memory. All I can recall is that we had to do it twice, because I screwed up the first time.
Thanks Tom & Sarah for another great review! I keep meaning to ask… does Imagineering do anything to make it feel like the Starcruiser is in motion through space, whether by sound or vibration or otherwise? I would think that would be key for immersion / suspension of disbelief. At least in the halls and common areas. Probably a bad idea to do this in the rooms, especially during sleeping hours!
No, there’s no false sense of motion with the building itself. All of the screens do a surprisingly good job of simulating that, though.
We also enjoyed the bedtime story. The real hero is finally getting his due.