Disney’s Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser review: Let loose and play
Guests dine in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room during a performance by galactic superstar Gaya.
Disney
Immersion takes on new meaning aboard Disney’s newest theme park attraction, the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser.
From the moment passengers board the shuttles to the Chandrila Star Lines’ starcruiser known as the Halcyon, the adventure begins. And it doesn’t slow its pace until they disembark two days later.
On Monday, CNBC ventured aboard the Halcyon for a preview of Disney’s new experience. Branded as an “immersive adventure,” the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser blends elements of the company’s resorts, cruise lines and theme parks into a 48-hour romp in space.
First teased during Disney’s D23 Expo in 2019, the Galactic Starcruiser, situated near the company’s Orlando, Florida-based Disney World Resort, has drawn curiosity and criticism from potential passengers. The experience comes with a steep price tag — around $1,200 per person per day — and has been cloaked in secrecy until now.
So, let’s address the Bantha in the room right away: Is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser worth the price of admission?
Yes, but with one condition — you have to be willing to play.
Passengers get back what they put into their time aboard the Halcyon. If you suspend your disbelief, embrace the story and participate without self-consciousness, this will be a trip you, and your family, will never forget.
Breaking down the cost
There is no denying that traveling aboard the Halcyon is pricy. For two adult guests, the trip will cost around $4,800 and for a group of four (three adults, one child) the price tag is nearly $6,000.
That can be a hard number to digest, especially considering a typical Disney vacation for a family of four can cost that much for a week-long trip, depending on hotel and restaurant choices.
However, for fans looking for the ultimate Star Wars experience, a voyage aboard the Halcyon may be worth the price, even if it is for a shorter period of time. The two-day experience includes a hotel room, all food and drink, minus alcoholic and specialty beverages, a day trip to the Hollywood Studios park, a Magic Band and valet service at drop off.
The rooms are spacious and hold typical hotel amenities like a hair dryer, in-cabin safe, television and bath and shower products. Although, guests will find that they will spend very little time in these rooms.
A standard cabin inside the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience.
Disney
The designers took inspiration from different aspects of the Star Wars universe. The bunk beds, for example, are reminiscent of shapes found on the Millennium Falcon.
Lucasfilm’s Doug Chiang, who serves as the division’s vice president and executive creative director, told CNBC that the team sought to keep the ship fresh and familiar, but to allow between 30% and 40% of the design to have a “component of new.” Guests will notice that cabin doors, which are unlocked by Magic Band, open by sliding, not in or out on a hinge. It is a…
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