Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is a highly-hyped new resort providing 2-night experiences at Walt Disney World. The themed resort behind Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios is now open, and this information covers all the pieces you might want to know–together with pricing, 2023 reservation data, what’s included, and extra! (Updated October 29, 2022.)
We’ve been “aboard” Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser twice now. Once for a preview and as soon as for the inaugural voyage aboard the starship Halcyon, jewel of the Chandrila Star Line. We’ll be sincere with you–this isn’t going to be for everybody, and even most guests to Walt Disney World. As a threshold matter, it’s best to decide whether or not that is good match to your social gathering by studying our spoiler-free Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Review.
The nature of the expertise alone will get rid of many households visiting Walt Disney World. Then there’s the fee, which makes it a complete non-starter for a lot of others. We paid $6,634.32 for a celebration of 4–or $1,658.58 per particular person. For extra ideas on this costly pricing, see Is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Worth the High Cost?
As for what it’s, that’s tough to concisely clarify. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has an immersive ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ fashion story layered on high, in addition to alternatives for nearly-endless present parts. It’s an unprecedented hospitality and leisure endeavor, with the tip product being superior or alienating, relying upon your perspective.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is in contrast to something Walt Disney World has ever accomplished, an amalgamation of a bunch of various leisure choices. It’s not likely akin to a theme park go to or conventional resort keep. Instead, consider it extra like a cruise on land–because the title suggests–with all-inclusive (principally) meals & drinks and comparable programming. Even the cabins are extra just like cruise staterooms, as you may see in our Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Room Review, Photos & Video.
Unlike Disney Cruise Line, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort places friends within the middle of an interactive journey that they management. Think of this as a hybrid between a reside motion position enjoying sport and the all-inclusive resort hands-on ‘enrichment through entertainment’ expertise.
Disney has examined related ideas like Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser earlier than, however that is envelope-pushing by way of its scope and degree of immersion. It’s additionally in contrast to a conventional resort. About the one similarity is that it has visitor cabins with beds. Many of the facilities and options you’d count on of a traditional Walt Disney World resort should not current at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
In reality, evaluating Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser side-by-side to a Deluxe Resort reveals that it doesn’t examine lots of the similar packing containers. If you need a luxurious expertise with a pool, spa, concierge, well-appointed rooms, and extra–you’ll be upset. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has none of these issues. It doesn’t even have home windows within the visitor rooms–it has simulated portals into outer house. Although it’s on land, it’s pretending to be a spaceship, that means it doesn’t have something you wouldn’t discover on a spaceship.
None of that is to say that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is missing–it simply will not be what you would possibly count on from a typical Walt Disney World resort at this value level. The focus right here is way more on the immersive expertise, role-playing, and themed atmosphere. Suffice to say, don’t conflate “expensive” with “luxurious” as that is one thing completely different solely.
With that mentioned, let’s dig into all the main points, as a result of there’s a ton to find out about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort!
Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Updates
Voyages aboard Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser have now been launched by means of September 2023. Above is a take a look at November by means of January 2023. Fewer than half of the departures this vacation season are offered out, which is the busiest time of 12 months at Walt Disney World.
Worse but, there isn’t a single itinerary that’s offered out in 2023. Keep in thoughts that folks usually ebook holidays–particularly costly ones like this–about 6 months upfront. Most folks aren’t taking multi-thousand greenback holidays on a whim. It’s in all probability regarding to the corporate that this new expertise with extremely restricted capability already will not be filling up.
With that mentioned, availability fluctuates a lot. Keep in thoughts that one reservation will be the distinction between “sold out” and “available,” that means that every one it takes is one cancellation or perhaps a modification to completely different dates to go from obtainable to not obtainable.
You actually need to name (407-939-1800) for correct availability in case your dates are throughout the subsequent 3 months. You would possibly discover that there are alternatives for dates that look offered out, or that some voyages that seem obtainable are literally gone.
If you’re already looking forward to doing Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in Fall 2023, it’s possible these received’t go on sale till someday in early 2023. As you may see from the supply calendar above, there’s actually no rush to make reservations even as soon as they’re obtainable.
The “new ship smell” has already worn off the Halcyon, so dates promoting out shortly is unlikely to be a problem going ahead. If something, you would possibly profit by ready. Walt Disney World is probably going going to want to supply reductions sooner quite than in a while Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Disney just lately has been conducting paid analysis on visitor “perceptions, observations, and attitudes” in direction of stays on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser” at Walt Disney World. It’s attainable that is both routine suggestions or there’s a larger sense of urgency and significance if the corporate must make changes to extend bookings.
With solely 100 rooms to fill, it’s possible regarding to the corporate that many peak dates this vacation season–and completely nothing in 2023–haven’t but offered out. It’ll be attention-grabbing to comply with the supply state of affairs to see how shortly adjustments are made, or whether or not reductions are provided.
Even if voyages don’t promote out, it wouldn’t shock us to see Walt Disney World not provide reductions for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser till mid-2023.
Releasing particular presents inside a 12 months of the debut date doesn’t ship a superb message to traders and firm analysts in regards to the success of this pricey funding. Disney may additionally need to preserve the looks of a premium product–with commensurate pricing–to shoppers. Discounting units a precedent, and one which’s tough to undo.
When you do name to make your reservation, have all contact data (names, ages, and so on.) for everybody in your social gathering prepared in addition to your Disney account e-mail deal with (when you someway don’t have one, make it earlier than calling). Also be ready for prolonged maintain instances and being transferred a few instances. Wait instances are typically a number of hours; on busy days, the decision queue closes utterly.
While we’ve discovered the reps reserving Galactic Starcruiser to be educated and skilled, they’re additionally very “careful” with data. For instance, they received’t merely inform you which dates are most cost-effective or provide pricing data sure suites–you must present particular dates and data, after which they’ll provide you with a quote for these dates–and solely these dates. It generally is a bit tedious.
If you don’t need to trouble with it your self, we extremely advocate requesting a free/no obligation quote from an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and having them take care of the complications so that you don’t should. That journey company, and presumably most others, have devoted planners which might be already skilled in reserving Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser who will probably be blissful to help you with the method, assist you to select essentially the most economical dates, finest add-ons, and so forth.
Just remember the fact that choices, particularly the Galaxy Class Suite, Grand Captain Suite, and Captain’s Table, are restricted and won’t match the calendar above. In the previous few months, availability has fluctuated wildly. Using an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner is certainly the best way to go when reserving Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser–it’s simpler and so they can monitor for availability and take care of calling in to handle the reservation since nothing will be accomplished on-line (and there are at all times wait instances on the telephone).
We’ve accomplished our first voyage on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, paying full value for the costly expertise. (Well, we shared the room with 2 different adults, so technically we paid half value–however the level is that there was no low cost!) We’ll have complete opinions and protection of the particular expertise for paying friends within the coming weeks, so keep tuned.
With that replace out of the best way, right here’s all the pieces else we find out about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort…
Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Experience Details
Prior to their departure, friends making ready for his or her voyages aboard the Halcyon are inspired to buy Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser costumes offered completely on storeDisney.com. Options vary from $70 to $150 for adults and $60 to $100 for teenagers. Each seemingly serves a distinct function, so I suppose you’ll “need” to purchase a number of wardrobe adjustments to keep away from any intergalactic fake pas or fashion errors.
StoreDisney’s merchandise is out there for buy completely by friends with a qualifying Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser reservation. Eligible friends are eligible to purchase these outfits on storeDisney.com as much as 60 days previous to their Galactic Starcruiser reservation check-in date and as much as 30 days after their check-out date. In order to finish the transaction, the e-mail deal with used to signal into storeDisney should even be linked to your Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser reservation.
Following that and all different pre-departure preparations, the precise journey begins when friends arrive on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Terminal at Walt Disney World and examine in for his or her two-night expertise. Guests then enter a Launch Pod for transport into house. Through home windows, they’ll see themselves depart Florida behind, leaping into hyperspace and drawing nearer to the Halcyon, which is the starcruiser they’ll name residence for the following two nights.
When the Launch Pod docks with the Halcyon and the airlock opens, friends step into the ship’s essential deck Atrium to start their journey by means of a galaxy far, far-off. A go to aboard the Halcyon turns into a multi-day story that interweaves with members of the crew, different passengers, acquainted Star Wars characters, and an tour to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
While staying aboard the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, friends work together with an eclectic group of characters each acquainted and new. This consists of the Halcyon’s robust and charismatic captain, a plucky ship’s mechanic, and a galactic celebrity who can captivate a whole room with the criminal of 1 jewel-encrusted purple Twi’lek finger.
This singing sensation is a featured performer throughout one of many eating experiences contained in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room. The engaging supper membership’s title is an homage to Corellia, the planet recognized galaxy-wide for its shipyards that gave us not solely the Halcyon starcruiser, but additionally the Millennium Falcon. The eating room is a vibrant and welcoming corridor that serves breakfast and lunch to passengers earlier than transitioning every night right into a lavish multi-course menu of each otherworldly and acquainted origins.
During their all-immersive expertise aboard the Halcyon, friends are invited to delve deeper into their private adventures by collaborating in onboard actions, interacting with characters, crew, different passengers they meet, and turning into a part of the motion.
Some of those actions embody wielding a lightsaber and dealing with off in opposition to a coaching distant, visiting the starcruiser’s Bridge to find out about ship programs and find out how to function them, and working the starcruiser’s navigation and protection programs–abilities that turn out to be useful throughout a journey by means of this adventure-filled galaxy.
Guests are capable of discover the Halcyon and uncover hidden areas deep within the mechanics of the ship–just like the Engineering Room, which is ideal for uncovering secrets and techniques or holding secret conferences. Another attention-grabbing spot is the Sublight Lounge, the place friends of all ages can get pleasure from libations and video games in a trendy setting.
On the surface, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort appears to be like like an industrial bunker, and not an precise starship. When you enter the resort, you’ll solely be seeing the terminal and Launch Pod, not the Halcyon itself. Any representations of the Halcyon from contained in the resort are simulated. The exterior of the resort and surrounding space is extremely unimpressive and industrial.
Additionally, there are only a few visitor rooms within the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort–solely 100 rooms whole. That ought to make for an intimate (and in-demand) expertise as in comparison with different resorts at Walt Disney World, a lot of which have effectively over 1,000 rooms.
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is bodily positioned backstage behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios close to Cast Member parking and the present buildings for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. However, each window within the Halcyon, together with these in every visitor cabin, has a view into outer house, with ever-changing vistas because the ship progresses from place to put.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort will not be open for most of the people to go to. This is in contrast to every other resort at Walt Disney World, and even the DCL comparability doesn’t do it full justice. A docked ship that might have facilities and amenities that overlap with a regular resort, however this received’t have issues like a pool, spa, tennis courts, or actually any out of doors recreation choices.
The Galactic Starcruiser is extra like a long-form, multi-part attraction or on-board cruise tour. Think of it alongside these strains–it’s an immersive expertise…that’s so lengthy it presents a spot to sleep, too.
To provide you with an thought of what to anticipate, right here’s a pattern itinerary for Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser:
With some fundamentals in regards to the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort out of the best way, let’s cowl different questions in regards to the Star Wars resort that we’ve been receiving from readers…
What’s Included
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser trip packages embody:
- 2-night keep in a cabin or suite
- Ongoing, immersive and interactive leisure, the place decisions decide your expertise
- Food and drinks on the starcruiser (excluding alcoholic and specialty drinks) and a quick-service meal at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo or different choose places at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to your planetary tour to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Valet parking
- Exclusive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser MagicBand
Pricing
Walt Disney World has launched pattern pricing for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort. Above is a take a look at charges for departures on weeknights within the fall low season.
Just a few issues to notice right here. First, that is the low season at Walt Disney World and it’s when rack charges in any respect motels are at their lowest ranges of the 12 months. For instance, Grand Floridian rooms begin at $742 per evening for those self same dates however soar to over $850 per evening for a lot of dates in October.
Suffice to say, pricing for weekends or extra well-liked journey dates may find yourself being significantly costlier. With that mentioned, we’re truthfully stunned by how “low” the costs are for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Obviously, this expertise will not be low-cost. To the opposite, it’s very, very costly. Total voyage prices of ~$5,000 to $6,000 for low season weekdays is a ton of cash and suggests peak dates are hundreds of {dollars} costlier.
However, that’s nonetheless much less cash than we anticipated (a previous model of this submit predicted prices of round $3,000 per particular person). Some dates may find yourself being on the costlier finish of that spectrum, however the beginning costs–and prices for households of 4 are a pleasing shock. Again, it’s nonetheless an exorbitant sum of cash…simply much less exorbitant than the outrageous numbers we had been bracing ourselves for.
We’re certain many–if not most–of you’ll disagree with this. Perhaps it’s all about expectations. We anticipated this to be astronomically priced given what the expertise entails, its all-inclusive nature, and the way Disney costs each its luxurious resorts and cruises. Others would possibly’ve had completely different expectations than us. No matter the way you slice this, it’s costly. But it may’ve been worse.
Another factor to think about right here is that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is basically an all-inclusive boutique resort plus an interactive reside leisure expertise. It’s labor intensive however doesn’t have many rooms, that means that the price-points listed below are excessive.
Scarcity can also be an enormous issue. Some have derided this as a resort or expertise for the highest 1%, however that’s really not correct. On any given day, lower than .01% of the friends at Walt Disney World will probably be staying at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort. This isn’t to say it’ll solely attraction to the rich…simply that an infinitesimally small variety of Walt Disney World’s total visitor inhabitants will probably be staying right here.
There are loads of diehard Star Wars and Disney followers with giant quantities of disposable earnings. Look no additional than the costs Savi’s Workshop for Handbuilt Lightsabers is ready to cost for that have attributable to its extremely restricted capability. This resort is just like that, however with a extra elaborate and concerned expertise.
Reservations & How to Book?
Reservations for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort will be booked by calling (407) 939-1800 to verify availability and ebook your voyage. Again, reservations can’t be made on-line. The solely option to bypass lengthy wait instances on the telephone is by contacting an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and having them reserve your trip package deal for you–that’ll prevent time and work, as they’ll do your planning.
If the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort is one thing that pursuits you, we’d extremely advocate reserving it sooner quite than later. This is for a few causes. First, costs are more likely to go up–Disney hardly ever decreases costs. The ‘sample pricing’ graphic you see under is probably going the most cost effective Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser will ever be.
Second, that is an formidable and envelope-pushing thought, and is at the moment in a state of ‘pure & pristine’ Imagineering. Over time, compromises and adjustments are more likely to be made in service of operational realities, altering demographics, and visitor suggestions.
Third, if for some purpose this idea doesn’t work and Disney is “forced” to lower costs to draw extra friends…extra of the aforementioned compromises will probably be made to protect the corporate’s margins on the Galactic Starcruiser. Cuts will probably be made to leisure or eating (charging further for meals & beverage is an apparent option to minimize the up-front value whereas growing total income).
This is all hypothesis on my half. However, it is a actually unprecedented challenge for Walt Disney World, and iteration is more likely to proceed based mostly upon visitor suggestions and conduct patterns. This will possible start as a thematically formidable expertise with structured reside motion roleplaying plus minimal actual world intrusions. It’ll possible be aimed on the hardcore Star Wars followers who need one thing extremely immersive and all-encompassing. And that’s largely who it’ll appeal to at first–Star Wars zealots and different hardcore followers who save or splurge on this.
What the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort evolves into relies upon largely upon each the effectiveness of Disney’s messaging and potential friends really listening to advertising and marketing. Walt Disney World is already stressing that this isn’t a typical resort keep, however that doesn’t imply folks will hear or comprehend that.
Ultimately, it’s attainable that Imagineering will fine-tune the choices aboard the starship Halcyon, and it’ll age like a superb wine. This may imply new storylines, seasonal occasions, added characters, and who is aware of what else. We had been stunned to search out the expertise firing on all cylinders in the course of the inaugural voyage, and had been stunned by how effectively it appealed to friends of all ages and even mainstream audiences. There’s loads of potential right here.
With that mentioned, it’s additionally attainable that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort expertise will probably be diluted after its first 12 months or so (that is what we predicted previous to opening). The main demographic may shift from hardcore followers making an enormous splurge to prosperous friends wanting their first go to to Walt Disney World to include the easiest of all the pieces–mainly, wealthy mother and father with children who get pleasure from Star Wars. The latter group is way much less all for thematic and storytelling integrity, and extra so in exclusivity and opulent experiences. Over time, Imagineering will iterate on the idea so it comports with visitor suggestions and expectations.
Still have unanswered questions in regards to the attraction? Read our Ride Guide & FAQ for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which covers all the pieces you might want to know. If you’re planning on visiting the brand new land, you’ll additionally need to learn our Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Guide. It’s a superb primer for this large addition. As for planning the remainder of your journey, we have now an intensive Walt Disney World Planning Guide.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the addition of a boutique Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort to Walt Disney World? Will you be reserving this? If not, what’s your most per particular person price-point for this expertise? Would you favor a extra typical resort keep at a Star Wars-themed or embellished resort? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation and assessments? Any questions we will help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!