What You’ll Find at the Star Wars Hotel
Disney has finally allowed a look behind the curtain at its newest hotel.
Guests have now spent time at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. And they’ve posted countless videos of their experiences.
Cruise Director Lenka Mok (left) and Captain Riyola Keevan (right) share a toast with guests in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Despite the early negative buzz, this place has just received GLOWING reviews. I’ve seen multiple guests reduced to tears from the experience!
Yes, the internet got this one wrong, and you’ll want to know more about the new Star Wars Hotel.
Here’s what you’ll find at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Accommodations
Okay, let’s start with the rooms themselves, which are the closest thing to a negative that I’ve seen mentioned thus far.
Passengers enjoy their Halcyon starcruiser cabin in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
The standard accommodations at the Star Wars Hotel qualify as “tight.” The hotel bed takes up much of the floor space, and the bunk beds feel crammed in.
However, anyone up to 6’5″ should be able to sleep in the bunk beds, which is somewhat surprising.
If you’re on the high end of that, your head and feet may touch the sides, though. Just curl your legs some, and you’ll be fine.
Meanwhile, kids will adore the bunk beds, which are stylish and fun.
Credit: Disney
As for the rest of the room, the bathroom comes straight out of any sci-fi movie you’ve seen. It’s quasi-futuristic and sleek.
You’ll notice your space portal, an exterior viewer that displays the various asteroids, stars, and planets that you’re passing during your journey.
Credit: Disney
You should know that you CAN pull down a shade and block the view. That’s important if you find the bright visuals distracting while trying to sleep.
Disney has added H20 products so that you’ll still bathe with your beloved shampoo and conditioner.
Other Parts of the Room
The television deserves special mention, as even the remote control comes with theming.
The TV defaults to the setting of your space voyage, just as if you were on any other cruise.
Beyond that, this TV works like all the other updated ones at Walt Disney World resorts. It includes Disney entertainment on demand plus a Chromecast.
So, you can cast your programs to your TV if you don’t mind ruining the illusion of space travel a bit.
The TV also carries local channels and cable, which I honestly hadn’t expected.
As with everything else at the Star Wars Hotel, Disney leaves it to the customer to choose their degree of immersion.
Overall, I will say that Disney’s philosophy that these rooms fit five strikes me as…optimistic. You’d need three young children for this to be true.
Then again, families are used to cramped quarters. Maybe they won’t mind as much. I think it’s a hotel room designed for two or three guests.
Aesthetics
The exterior of the hotel won’t impress anyone. That’s by design. The conceit here is that you’re traveling to an intergalactic shipyard.
For this reason, the first part of your journey works like a standard cruise check-in.
You’ll notify the system that you’ve arrived via My Disney Experience, just as you usually would.
You’ll likely ride a bus to the resort. However, if you drive, Disney does provide valet service.
Once you enter the building, you’ll notice a nondescript section of concrete walls and an “office” of some sort for the Chandrila Star Line.
That’s the cruise company you’re using when you fly on the Halcyon.
From here, you’ll board a ship that will travel to and then dock with the Halcyon. The effects here mirror the ones at Space 220.
You can look through portals to watch the process, although this part feels a bit overblown to me.
However, everything changes the moment you enter the hotel lobby or ship’s welcoming center or whatever you want to call it.
This section is bright and airy and vibrant. I joked that it looked like the living room at Jeff Bezos’ compound on Mars.
Directly to the left, you can enter the bridge of the vessel and admire the various consoles.
Early critics claimed that these appear dated and cheap. In execution, that’s just not the case at all. They’re pitch-perfect for the immersion.
Disney has created something that genuinely looks like a spaceship, and you’ll admire all aspects of it, from the dining room to the training areas to the lobby.
Notably, the styles here also match with aesthetics at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Disney has designed a livable universe through this themed land and hotel.
Food
Okay, here’s where I’d have a problem, while foodies will feel like they’ve died and gone to Space Heaven.
You’ll enter a dining hall that doesn’t look quite as luxurious as I expected. That disappointed me at first until I understood the why of it.
Disney has utilized this space for stage shows and other interactive elements. So, Imagineers needed to marry form and function.
You won’t care because the menu here will blow your mind.
Disney has challenged its chefs to cook unprecedented cuisine, and the cast members have met that challenge.
Remember when Galaxy’s Edge opened, and many people complained that the menu was too confusing? So, Disney dumbed it down for the average guest.
That’s not the case here. Since you’re buying into the premise of a Star Wars adventure anyway, the menu bears out these quirks.
Ronto is back on the menu with space beefs and space chickens and space mystery meats.
I’ve very much enjoyed watching videos of others sampling the cuisine. It reminds me of kids trying spicy foods for the first time.
They make a skeptical face, almost unwillingly swallow the food, and then smile broadly as that weird blue clump proves delicious.
Of course, some stuff doesn’t work. For example, you’ll occasionally notice someone try a bite and instantly lose their will to live.
People can and do spit out food at Galactic Starcruiser because some of it is just too far out there. However, I’m sure Disney will drop the unpopular stuff quickly.
Star Wars fans will be happy to learn that blue milk and green milk are available on tap in this giant cafeteria.
Also, the Captain’s Table experience appears quite popular. However, it is an upsell option. Therefore, you may not find it worth the extra cash.
Experiences
Everything hangs on how receptive you are to roleplaying and the idea of living out a Star Wars adventure.
However, introverts should take note. Disney won’t force anyone to participate.
Cast members repeatedly stress that you can do as much or as little as you like during your hotel stay. And you’ll find a LOT to do.
This part is why Disney couldn’t defend itself against early criticism. Instead, the company wanted to keep quiet on some of the experiences.
First Order Lieutenant Harman Croy stands in front of stormtroopers in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Even now, I’ll err on the side of caution and not list any of the surprises.
What I’ll say is that you’ll receive a datapad at check-in. It’ll survey you to discover whether you’re with the First Order or The Resistance.
Rey speaks with a young Halcyon starcruiser passenger in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Then, someone will contact you with various missions. Many of these are stealthy and exist simultaneously with what the other guests are doing.
You may find yourself crawling through a tunnel or actively working against others to complete your quest.
Guests may use the Star Wars: Datapad in the Play Disney Parks mobile app to deepen the immersion of their vacation experience in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
The experiences start when you enter the lobby, as character cast members quickly interact with you.
Most of them work onboard the Halcyon, making their experience Below Deck: Batuu.
Some are with the First Order, though. In fact, some Stormtroopers roam around and occasionally get in your way.
You’ll also discover lightsaber training that is primarily defensive in nature. So, you don’t need to worry about people accidentally clubbing you with lightsabers.
Other Aspects
I haven’t mentioned it elsewhere, but Gaya, the intergalactic music diva, takes the cruise with you. She also performs a concert at Crown of Corellia.
Halcyon starcruiser passengers enjoy a meal and performance by Gaya in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kent Phillips photographer)
I was SHOCKED by how great a show this is! All the songs are new as far as I can tell, and they’re glorious, dance-y fun! It’s like Space Sia playing a house show for 100 people!
The other characters on the ship will interact with you and possess at least some knowledge of what you’ve been doing.
So, your interactions change based on your choices and actions during the cruise. Ergo, the repeatability of this trip is off the charts!
To wit, you’ll spend an excursion day on Batuu. Yes, that means you deboard the ship and visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Photo: Richard Harbaugh
You’ll receive two Lightning Lanes, one each for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
You shouldn’t think that you’ll take it easy at the park, though. Your datapad will PUT YOU TO WORK. It’ll send you on numerous side quests.
By the end of the visit, you’ll feel like you’ve actually made a difference at Black Spire Outpost.
Then again, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of activities. I suspect that will happen with some people.
Guests may use the Star Wars: Datapad in the Play Disney Parks mobile app to deepen the immersion of their vacation experience in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Of course, that’s a good problem to have. Disney has created so many unique interactions that you may believe there are too many!
Final Thoughts
For years now, Disney fans have lamented the closing of the Adventurers Club at Disney Springs.
Credit: Mental Floss
We loved its interactivity and the mental gymnastics of the quick-witted cast members working there.
With Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, we finally have a spiritual successor to that premise.
In truth, you’ll find so much to do at the resort that I’ve glossed over some of the best parts.
Ouannii (left) and Sandro (second from left) are two characters guests may meet during their stay at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (David Roark, photographer)
Guests adore a poker-type game from the Star Wars franchise.
The “Bridge Training” includes many life-sized videogame elements. It’s what I wish DisneyQuest had become.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Is an immersive vacation experience that goes beyond anything Disney has done before. (David Roark, photographer)
Also, the characters display remarkable range. For instance, the First Order officials vary between professional, irritable, and happy.
Some of them are excited to watch a Gaya concert, too! Little touches like this add so much to the overall worldbuilding on display at Galactic Starcruiser.
I think my wife, a Star Wars fan, summed it up best. Before this week, she’d shown no interest in visiting this hotel.
Now, she’s already working on me to go on a cruise on the Halcyon. As someone who isn’t into Star Wars, I hadn’t expected to consider the idea.
Passengers learn the ancient art of wielding a lightsaber in the Lightsaber Training Pod onboard the Halcyon starcruiser in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Then, I watched LOTS of people crying after a surprising moment at the hotel, and I suddenly decided that I may want to do this.
The FOMO is real with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Astromech droid SK-62O greets guests in the Atrium of the Halcyon starcruiser in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Disney has done the impossible here. It has crafted an immersive hotel experience worthy of the legacies of Walt Disney and George Lucas alike.
Feature Image: Disney
