galactic star cruiser tour

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Complete Guide

by Dan Leonard Dec 29, 2022

Complete Guide to Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser

With its first cruise launching in March, 2022, the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser is Walt Disney World Resort’s newest and most advanced example of Disney storytelling brought to life. Guests have the opportunity to go beyond just watching the action unfold- they become characters in an all new Star Wars adventure, where everyone has the chance to be the hero (or villain, if that’s more your speed). This guide will give you all the (spoiler free) information you need to set sail on your own galactic adventure!

What is this Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser thing, anyhow?

Not just a hotel.

One of the most difficult things to understand for people who haven’t experienced the Starcruiser for themselves is what exactly is this experience all about? It’s unfortunate that most news stories and bloggers have been calling it the “Star Wars hotel” since it opened. The experience is so much deeper than just a themed hotel. A trip on the Galactic Starcruiser is like a 2-night murder mystery dinner party with Hollywood level production values, mixed with a live action choose-your-own-adventure book, wrapped up in a fully immersive atmosphere that allows guests to live in the Star Wars universe.

A Cruise Through The Galaxy

It’s also a legit cruise. Whether the ship actually goes anywhere is up to your imagination. It has all the makings of a cruise in outer space. Guests arrive and are escorted to their staterooms. A muster drill is required during the first day. There is fabulous gourmet food at dinner, and delicious buffets for breakfast and lunch. Galaxy class entertainment and a wide range of shipboard entertainment and activities are arranged by the ship’s cruise director. The ship makes a port call (in this case to Blackspire Outpost on the planet Batuu), where guests can take part in shore excursions.

The experience of cruising on the Halcyon isn’t only for dedicated Star Wars fans. Whether you’re well versed in the lore of our favorite galaxy far, far away, or have a hard time telling a lightsaber from a Wookiee, the Galactic Starcruiser is an amazing opportunity to experience immersive storytelling on a level that’s unavailable anywhere else.

Things to know before you go

A little preparation can go a long way to having the best possible experience onboard the ship. Here are some important things to know about preparing  for your trip.

Booking and add-ons

While the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser experience can be booked directly through Disney, we strongly recommend getting help with the booking from your trusted Key to the World Travel Advisor. There are lots of little details and extra experiences that can be added on to your cruise. Your travel advisor not only knows how and when to make those reservations, but is also happy to spend the time on the phone to get them booked for you.

Extra experiences that must be booked in advance include:

• Captain’s Table:  Sit at the Captain’s Table to make dinner at the Crown of Corellian Dining Room even more memorable. Guests sit in a prime location in the center of the dining room for the best view of the entertainment. Also includes extra courses during meals that are only offered at the Captain’s Table, and a chance to dine and interact with Captain Keevan. Price: $50/person for one seating.
• Chandrilla Star Lines Portrait Experience: Half hour private photo shoot with professional posing and lighting, captured by specially trained Cast Members. Photographers work with you to determine the types of photos you’d like taken, and find the best locations around the ship to help you look and feel like true inhabitants of the Star Wars universe. Price: $399/session.
• Image Design Makeup Session: “Image Designers” come to your cabin onboard the Halcyon and create a custom face paint design to help transform you into your chosen alien species for your cruise. They’re able to ensure that your face paint design is “Batuu Approved” so you look your best during your excursion to Black Spire Outpost. Price:$134.52 (includes gratuities)
• Activities on Batuu: Your Key to the World Travel advisor can help you make advance reservations for all the activities on your shore excursion to Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, including building a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop , designing a BB or R2 series droid at the Droid Depot , or reserving a table for drinks and snacks at Oga’s Cantina .

Who are you, and what do you look like?

This is where the fun really begins. Guests aren’t just allowed, but encouraged to dress the part! Costumes onboard the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser don’t have to be elaborate or screen quality. With a little thought and some time scrolling through your favorite online shopping site, you can easily put together a convincing “in universe” look for the cruise.

Name and planet of origin

First, spend a little time thinking about your character, and what path you’d like to follow during the cruise. This can help influence your “look”. Made up character names aren’t necessary, but can be fun and help you feel more connected to the story.  Crew members will ask you where you’re from. Feel free to pick a planet from a Star Wars movie, tell them what city you live in, or make up a new home planet for yourself. No matter what you say, the crew members will play along accordingly.

Clothes make the character

The type of character you want to portray can influence your outfits.

• Are you a Force sensitive student of the path of the Jedi? Light colored tunics and brown robes or cloaks fit the look. For a more subtle Force user look, consider emulating the Saja. The Saja are students and teachers of the ways of the Force and lightsaber combat about the ship. They dress in natural fibers, primarily dark blue with red accents. Look for accessories made of wood, stone, and other materials from nature.
• Resistance sympathizers often dress in a paramilitary style, with lots of flight suits and tactical gear. You can also emulate Han Solo, Poe Dameron, Rey, or your favorite resistance fighter. Vests, scarves and fingerless gloves are popular accessories for this bunch. Please note that blasters and other weapons (with the exception of lightsabers) are not allowed on board the Galactic Starcruiser. However, a very popular and useful accessory is a “drop hip bag”-a belt pouch that straps around the thigh and resembles a blaster holster.
• Are you more of a rogue or smuggler type? Imagine what a space pirate would look like, and run with it! Flamboyant jackets, scarves, flowing “pirate” tunics, and lots of flair help you fit the role.
• If you feel like letting your dark side out, or are a First Order sympathizer,  pack plenty of black! Sleek, futuristic clothes in black or grey, with deep red accents are the perfect fit for this character type.
• It can also be fun to let your imagine run wild. Want to be a member of an alien species? Watch some movies or check out some books, and go for it! Have a favorite character that speaks to you? Put together your best take on their signature look. There are plenty of resources online, including websites and Facebook costuming groups dedicated to the Galactic Starcruiser experience. Star Wars Visual Dictionary books are easy to find at your local library, and are great resources for costume ideas also.

Don’t forget, these are just recommendations. Use your imagination, and make your character look the way you want. Or don’t- costumes aren’t required, but definitely help to immerse you in the experience!

How much to pack for the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser experience

One question many guests have is just how much to pack for the cruise. The journey is 2 nights/1.5 days. The waking hours during the experience can get very busy, so a multitude of costume changes aren’t recommended. Of course, if you’re an expert at the quick change and want to go all out, feel free.

• One to two looks can be perfect for your cruise. It’s a good idea to include visual elements that carry from one outfit to another, to help crew members recognize you if they need your help later in the trip. Don’t forget that Batuu has three suns, and your visit to the planet can be very warm-plan accordingly. You might want a fresh set of clothes after you return from the planet in case you get sweaty.
• Even though both dinners during the cruise are extravagant affairs, formal dress isn’t required (although certainly welcome if you want to get fancy).
• Comfortable shoes are a must-you spend a lot of time on your feet. For a relaxing cruise, things can get very busy and hectic, especially if the First Order decides to make an unscheduled appearance during your sailing.
• What to expect on board the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser, and how to play the game
• Make sure everyone in your party has a smart phone or device capable of installing apps and connecting to WiFi and Bluetooth. You’ll need this to receive communications from crew members, check your schedule, and complete various tasks around the ship. Old cellphones work great for younglings. If you don’t have a device for kids in your group, ask at the ship services counter in the atrium of the ship. They have loaner devices and can help you get set up.
• Along with devices, each member of your party needs to have an account for the Play Disney Parks app. This app turns into the “datapad” which is the main tool for “playing” the game.

What to expect onboard the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser, and playing the “game”

The crew of the Star Cruiser do a great job of making sure everyone has the best experience possible. They subtly guide you through the cruise, and are always available to help if you run into technical difficulties.

Getting on and getting acclimated

Boarding the ship starts at 1 P.M., but you can arrive up to 2 hours early to navigate the parking line, check in, and line up to board. If you drive yourself, complimentary valet parking is required. Guests can also arrive by taxi or ride share.

Pro Tip! If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel prior to boarding the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser, make sure the front desk is aware of your cruise, and they’ll give you late checkout for embarkation day so you can stay in your room and prepare for boarding without rushing. The front desk can also arrange for complimentary transportation from your hotel to the starport where you board the Halcyon.

Once you’ve checked in, received your Em-bands (outer space magic bands), and cleared the bag check, you’ll take a transport shuttle up to the Halcyon. Crew members will greet you in the atrium, give you a brief tour of the ship, and take you to your stateroom.

Once settled in, make sure to keep an eye on the schedule in your Datapad. This will alert you to events such as the muster drill and Captain’s welcoming toast, as well as scheduled activities such as your bridge operations training session and lightsaber combat training.

Activities Onboard the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser

During free time, feel free to explore all public areas of the ship. Make sure you push buttons, scan your Em-band, and poke around. You might unlock secrets that help draw you into the story of your cruise. Talk to crew members and characters you meet on board.This is one of the key ways you receive tasks and move through story lines during your cruise.

Pro Tip! On day 2, your scheduled shuttle departure time for Batuu is more of a guideline than a strict rule. It’s a good idea to arrive at the shuttle bay earlier to catch one of the first transports out. This will help you get everything done before the heat of Batuu’s 3 suns reaches its peak, and allow you to spend plenty of time onboard the ship in the afternoon.

Food and drink on board the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser

There are many great options for dining and drinking around the galaxy. The best part is all food and most non-alcoholic drinks are included in your fare, so you can enjoy as much as you like without worrying about picking up the check!

• For breakfast and lunch, visit the Crown of Corellia for an intergalactic buffet with familiar but reimagined foods that are really from a different world. Note, the menu for these buffets is different each day, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to stop in as often as possible!

• Dinner each night in the Crown of Corellia dining room is a fantastic experience, with food that you really can’t get anywhere else. Try everything and be open to new things. Dinners are served family style, and if you want more of anything just let your server know. Also, feel free to order items off the younglings menu if you wish in addition to the main meal.

• Food is available in the late afternoon in the Sublight Lounge, and is included in your fare. Take advantage of the variety of snacks, they’re amazing. The smoked cheese plate is a highlight!

• The ship services counter has a rotating selection of snacks available throughout the day. The atrium also has a water station for refilling your stateroom’s water flask with still or sparkling water.
• Guests receive a voucher for a meal and beverage at Docking Bay 7 during your shore excursion to Batuu. This voucher can be saved and used at any theme park quick service location on disembarkation day if you prefer.  Pro Tip! Unless you’ve never visited Batuu and really want to try the food offered at Docking Bay 7, we recommend you skip lunch on planet. The variety of food in the Crown of Corellia dining room for lunch day 2 is phenomenal and not to be missed!

• If you need a break from the action, head to your stateroom and check in with D3-09, the in room droid. She’ll frequently have messages for you on the comms center in your room, and will occasionally have tasks for you to help with. If she offers to tell you a bedtime story the first night, make sure to accept!

• If a strange child approaches you in a public area of the ship and asks for help with a task, don’t be alarmed. It’s part of the story, so play along.
• Talk to lots of people! Make friends with fellow passengers and crew members. Heavy roleplaying isn’t necessary, but it is important to play along. You get out of the experience what you put into it.
• Push buttons, open doors, try to hack into computers that claim to be for crew access only. Even if nothing happens right away, it may unlock story elements later on.

Ready to book passage on the Star Wars:Galactic Starcruiser?

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A look aboard Disney’s $6,000 per stay, immersive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel

A galaxy far, far away gets a whole lot closer.

By Chaim Gartenberg

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I walked into Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser prepared to pretend. I was going to be Ch’aim Garteenbar, a reformed smuggler celebrating going straight with a luxurious cruise trip on the Halcyon, pride of Chandrila Star Line. 

Unfortunately, due to the compressed nature of the media preview, I spent most of my time aboard Disney’s biggest bet in years in my usual guise of “Chaim Gartenberg, reporter.” Part hotel, part LARP, part theme park, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser wants to be nothing less than the ultimate Star Wars experience, one that sucks you into a living, breathing sci-fi story unfolding around you — and for the price that Disney is placing on it, one that has a lot of expectations to live up to. 

To be extremely clear from the start: this is not a review of the full Galactic Starcruiser experience. The media preview I attended was a four-hour curated “sampler platter” of what guests will get over a two-day stay. I didn’t get to sleep at the hotel, and my time “on board” was focused on seeing the major set pieces and interactive components in group settings instead of the choice-based, smaller storylines that guests will get to build out over the full two-day trip. 

As such, this is not an assessment of whether the whole package is worth the eye-watering $4,809 starting price that Disney is charging for a Galactic Starcruiser stay. ( The exorbitant price tag was never far from my mind when I was touring the “ship,” though.)

While I can’t tell you everything about the minute-to-minute details of the branching, interactive storylines that Galactic Starcruiser is putting so much emphasis on, I did get to travel aboard the Halcyon and see some of the greatest hits and unique elements of the experience. 

Galactic Starcruiser, much like Galaxy’s Edge before it, isn’t just a creation for Disney theme parks. The modern desire to connect every element of media and storytelling together is a part of the Galactic Starcruiser experience, and Disney is already working to seed the luxury liner across decades of Star Wars history. 

The Halcyon plays a role in the ongoing High Republic multimedia storyline of books ; there’s already a comic book series that explains the backstory and shows iconic characters like Anakin Skywalker, Padme Amidala, and Lando Calrissian’s stays aboard the ship. There’s also the recently announced novel The Princess and the Scoundrel , which will reveal the untold story of Han and Leia’s honeymoon on the Halcyon. At the current rate of Galactic Starcruiser tie-ins, I’d put even odds on the ship appearing in an episode of a Disney Plus show before the year is out. 

Establishing the Halcyon as a key part of Star Wars lore isn’t just Disney not-so-subtly building hype and marketing for its pricey hotel, though. It’s a foundation for a key part of the sales pitch to guests. You don’t just get to live in a Star Wars - ish story for a day or two; your time aboard the Halcyon is part of the Star Wars saga — as much a part of canon as any of the movies, video games, or books. 

You’re participating in events but never really shaping them

That idea of living in an interactive hotel experience has seen Galactic Starcruiser draw a lot of comparisons to Westworld , the eponymous theme park from the HBO series. The two have a lot in common: a promise of total immersion in a fictional world (complete with factions and costumes), the idea that guests can forge their own stories within the setting, and the sky-high price tag that limits attendance to guests with exceptionally deep pockets. Galactic Starcruiser even has its own AI companions and roving robots (although they’re far less murderous than those in Westworld’s.)  

But Westworld’s impossible park promises a place where you can do anything or be anyone in the Wild West. Galactic Starcruiser puts more emphasis on “choice” over “agency.” A character can bring you to help sabotage the engine or rescue Chewbacca, but you won’t be the one making those decisions. Guests will have some control over which storylines they participate in and which side they’re on, but you’re still just a side character; you’re participating in events but never really shaping them.

The Galactic Starcruiser experience starts at a spaceport where you’ll ride a transport pod up to the Halcyon proper — the lines between “hotel” and “ride” blurring together from the start. 

Exiting the pod takes you to the Atrium, the Halcyon’s “lobby,” where you’ll run straight into guests and cast members alike milling around, ready to draw you into the plot. In quick succession, I met Gaya (the visiting galactic pop star), her manager Raithe Kole, an aspiring musician named Sandro Alimander (who, like me, was on his first trip off-planet), and the ship’s captain Riyola Keevan. Everyone had a story and, more importantly, wanted to try to involve me in it. Despite the elaborate costumes and setting, it still threw me off balance at first. I had to take a few minutes to figure out how I’d be fitting into the roleplaying. 

In some ways, the “ship” is a little too polished and clean. At a panel, Brad Schoeneberg, Disney’s vice president of brand merchandising, said it was inspired by “taking a look at the finer side of life in Star Wars, ” like the royal halls of Naboo, and (more oddly) the luxury yacht of crime lord Dryden Vos and the problematic halls of Canto Bight. It seemed like the visual language occasionally leaned more toward the gleaming ships of Star Trek than the lived-in style that’s the hallmark of Star Wars. There’s a glossy plastic look that never quite lets you forget you’re in what’s essentially a very large, very long theme park ride. 

The Halcyon is also smaller than you might expect. The main dining cabin is about the size of a medium-sized restaurant, while the atrium’s neon-soaked bar offers seating for a couple dozen people at most. (And only a single sabacc table!) There are “restricted” spaces that open up for story elements, like the cargo hold, brig, and engineering bay, but there are really only two or three main “public” spaces to spend time in outside of those plot moments.

The rooms I saw were pretty compact, too. There’s space for a bed, a slide-out table, and enclosed bunk beds built into one of the walls. It looks to have leaned too far into emulating the space-sensitive designs of an actual cruise ship. I’ve never stayed in a $2,000-per-night hotel room, but I would expect a lot more than this. 

No one will mistake Galactic Starcruiser for a traditional luxury hotel by Earth standards. There’s not much in the way of normal amenities — no pools, gyms, or spas, and virtually no natural light. (There is a single outdoor space, branded the “Climate Simulator” to avoid breaking character.) Sure, you wouldn’t go to Galactic Starcruiser for a regular hotel experience, but the price still feels like a miss.

Disney is putting plenty of emphasis on the food and drink aboard (both included in the ticket price, although specialty and alcoholic drinks are not). The presentation aims to go above and beyond a standard hotel menu. Much like Pandora or Galaxy’s Edge , food features unique shapes, colors, and textures to evoke a galaxy far, far away from our own, like colorful blue shrimp (allegedly sourced from Felucia) or black lava-rock bread evoking the volcanic world of Mustafar. 

At the Star Wars hotel, even the food has lore. 

Each trip on Galactic Starcruiser will follow the same broad story arc. Guests are passengers aboard the 275th anniversary trip of the luxury starcruiser, the Halcyon, which is emulating its original voyage from Chandrila to Batuu. Set in between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker , the ship runs afoul of the First Order — Star Wars drama ensues. 

Storylines, we’re told, will develop organically over the two-day trip, based on how players interact and react to cast members and the actions they take along the way. There are multiple branching paths, only some of which I got to take part in: smuggling a Resistance ally on board and sneaking into the engine room to reboot the ship’s systems — but there were other plots that appear at the finale event, like stealing access codes or unlocking a Jedi holocron, that weren’t in my (brief) journey. Someone else playing through a Resistance story might have seen more of those adventures, while a First Order-aligned guest would have had their own interactions to try to foil those plots. 

The whole thing culminates in an action-packed live stage show finale — it wouldn’t be Star Wars without a lightsaber duel (one which includes the spectacular-looking “real” lightsaber prop the company showed off a few months ago ). “You may all be watching the same big events, but you’re not watching the same things,” said Cory Rouse, a creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering, noting that a guest who sided with the Resistance will see payoffs that might not make sense to a scoundrel character, while a First Order ally will experience the finale in yet another light. 

Immersion is the name of the game here: each sign is written in both English and the fictional Aurebesh alphabet; every cast member, waiter, room service attendant, and bartender is in character the entire time; and elaborately costumed guests chat with you about their own lives to help draw you into the world. As you’d expect from a Disney park experience, there’s incredible attention to detail. All the doors on the ship are sliding, instead of on hinges, to better fit into the Star Wars universe.

But that level of theater is table stakes for Disney World. Galactic Starcruiser aims to take things a step further by actively looking to draw in guests. Visitors are encouraged to dress up in full Star Wars cosplay to inhabit the world, at least for a day or two. (Disney, of course, is happy to sell you Star Wars -themed attire if you don’t already have it.) And the key differentiator is the ability to participate in the adventure. 

The average Star Wars movie is about two hours long. Two seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney Plus will take you about half a day. Galactic Starcruiser aims for a far bigger scope: two days’ worth of Star Wars story. That means turning a lot of the ordinary parts of your day — including eating and sleeping — that you wouldn’t find in a movie into something more special and Star Wars -y. 

“[Movies] are a slice of life with all the boring cuts part out,” Rouse told The Verge . “Whenever we’re trying to build a world like this, we actually want you to have all of the extra — what we call the magical mundane,” turning those “boring parts” into something more. That might be a comment from your (in-character) server at the bar about the ongoings aboard the ship or a glimpse of a character like Rey gesturing at you from around a corner to help her with a mission.

“Do you want to play Star Wars?”

 “What they’re really asking you is ‘Do you want to play Star Wars?’” Rouse says. 

The word that Disney uses for most of Galactic Starcruiser’s more unique aspects is an “invitation.” As Ann Morrow Johnson, executive producer and creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, noted in a press panel, “I think so much of this experience lives in these smaller subtler moments where these characters are existing, they’re living their lives, and they’re inviting you to come and play with them, if you want to.” 

At one point in our abridged trip, a few members of my group were pulled aside by a crew member to assist in a jailbreak for a captured Resistance member. Together, we hacked a terminal, passed the brig override code across a room in a short game of telephone, and unlocked the door so that they could escape. Presumably, I could have decided not to help if I wanted to aid the First Order instead. 

Galactic Starcruiser asks a lot of its guests. You’re basically diving into a giant improv exercise with dozens of strangers. And what you’ll get out of the experience is largely what you put in. In my short time there, it was hard to shake the feeling that I was just going through the motions for the particular story track my group was assigned. Maybe the smaller groups, added time, additional context, and more gradual pace of storytelling that the full experience has help make the process feel more organic. But that guided nature that slots you into specific roles is at least part of the point. 

Galactic Starcruiser asks a lot of its guests

According to Sara Thacher, a senior R&D Imagineer and the creative director behind all the branching narrative choices on board, Galactic Starcruiser is intended so that “you can show up and not have a character, not have to know any lines, not have to know anything about the story” and still have a good time. She described it almost like a traditional video game: players fall into a role from the game, and they can make choices but still have the framework and guidance they need to have fun. My short time on board didn’t really give me the chance to make those decisions for myself, however. 

Disney also wants to make sure guests are able to understand what choices they’re making: Thacher explained that an important goal is making sure that when you make a decision (to help someone or not), it’ll be clear what the broader outcome is: “We want you to know, ‘Yes, this means if I do this, I’m helping the Resistance,’ and presenting those choices as clearly as we can and really, as often as we can, as you as you encounter different pieces of the story, different pieces of the narrative.” In other words, if you’re looking to fight with the Resistance, you shouldn’t have to worry that talking to the wrong person will get you stuck for your whole trip as a First Order sympathizer. 

“Real choice means I have to understand the stakes,” Thacher adds. 

There are a few ride-like activities on the Halcyon, like the lightsaber training pod or the bridge, and the overall vibe here is more cruise ship than theme park — albeit a cruise ship that’s been ripped out of the Star Wars universe. 

The lightsaber training was (unsurprisingly) the best of them. Guided by a Saja (a Jedi-like follower of the Force), guests are given a lightsaber to spin and slash around to block blaster bolts. The effects and haptics here make the activity — not just light and sound, but you can actually feel the saber blocking each bolt as it flashes in the real world. 

The bridge area, meanwhile, is a more cooperative group activity in the vein of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride at Galaxy’s Edge, with four different roles that guests rotate between. Bouncing across the different stations let me take a turn blocking asteroids, aligning the ship’s sensors by matching buttons and switches, blasting lasers, and more.

Those shipboard activities, in addition to offering entertainment in their own right, help serve as catalysts for drawing guests further into those story arcs. A bridge training exercise, for example, might end with helping the ship’s captain on a clandestine rescue mission in an asteroid belt. 

Guests will also journey down to the Galaxy’s Edge park in Disney World proper, where they’ll be able to ride the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance rides (Galactic Starcruiser guests will get to use the premium-purchase “ Lightning Lanes ” to avoid waiting in line, of course), along with accomplishing their own missions given to them from characters on the ship through the smartphone-based “Datapad” built into the Play Disney Parks app. Disney says those activities will also tie into guests’ individual, ongoing storylines when they come back aboard the ship. 

A franchise that you can not just love, but live in

The integration of narrative, traditional theme park rides, live entertainment, and a hotel stay make Galactic Starcruiser a blend of virtually every aspect of a Disney World trip all at once. It feels like the next step for the modern, all-encompassing pop culture machines that have come to dominate entertainment: a franchise that you can not just love, but live in. 

It’s also important to remember that Galactic Starcruiser is just the first of the company’s efforts here, one that will, like the parks it’s set in, presumably grow and change over time. And it’s easy to imagine that both Disney (and its competitors) will be thinking about how to bring this kind of first-hand fan experience to more properties in the future. 

That immersive experience comes at a very literal cost, though. When Disney first announced pricing, a two-night stay was quoted as starting at $4,809 for two adults, while a family of four (three adults, one child) was $5,999. That only includes the “basic” — relatively speaking — Galactic Starcruiser experience. Things like alcoholic or “specialty” drinks, outfits to better fit into the Star Wars universe you’re joining for your stay, and experiences like Savi’s Lightsaber Workshop on Baatu are extras you’ll have to budget in, too, additions to dive even deeper into the world. 

All this comes at a very literal cost

The end of our Galactic Starcruiser trip ended much in the same way that any day at Disney World does: a grand fireworks show celebrating a successful voyage. The explosions are bright and colorful, with shapes and designs far beyond anything terrestrial fireworks could do. But they’re also fake: they’re digital illusions playing on the massive “viewport” screens on the bridge, masked by the soaring John Williams score and the heightened reality you’re in. 

Photography by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge

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Activities & Itinerary on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

By Author Ziggy Oskwarek

Posted on Last updated: November 24, 2022

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By now you’ve heard about the Star Wars Hotel coming to Disney World a million times and how immersive the experience is.  But what is there to actually do onboard?  Let’s take a look at all the Activities & Full Itinerary on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.

In this post, we are going to show you everything you can do on the Galactic Starcruiser including a list and explanation of all the events, games, activities, and experiences available.  There are even things to do when you visit Galaxy’s Edge that will keep you immersed in the story.

We’ll show you the guest itineraries and how to use the Star Wars: Datapad, which is crucial to getting your itinerary and interacting with the characters on the ship.  You also need to know how to make reservations for the activities you want to experience, manage them, and use the map to navigate the ship.

Once we get on board March 1, we’ll review every one of the activities you can do and tell you which ones are can’t-miss, and which ones you can just skip.  Lastly, we’ll answer all your FAQs about the various experiences onboard.

Before we get started, here are some useful links that will help you find out everything you need to know about the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel:

• Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser – Ultimate Guide
• How Much Does the Star Wars Hotel Cost?
• How to Book a Reservation on the Galactic Starcruiser Hotel?

Once it opens we’ll have even more detailed information including a walkthrough of the entire hotel and a full review.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. We will update you as soon as we know more about the activities on the Galactic Starcruiser, and share the latest Disney vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Table of Contents

List of Star Wars Hotel Activities

Similar to a cruiser ship, there is no shortage of activities to do on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.  There are games, events, shows, missions, dining, and fully immersive role-playing experiences that make you feel like you are in the story.

Here is a list of all the activities you can participate in or see:

A Halcyon Starcruiser Celebration

Batuu transport, bridge ops training, cantina chronicles, captain’s reception, csl starshow at bespin, datapad orientation, droid racing tournament, engineer room, exploring the starcruiser, galactic social, galactic trivia, know your co-pilot.

• Lightsaber Experience

Loth-Cat Crew: Porg Detection Drill

Model ship building, outer rim regalia, ryloth dance lessons, sabacc lessons, sabacc tournament, ship muster, sweets & treats, using the datapad.

Technology and mobile devices are becoming more and more a part of the theme park experience, and that is on full display on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. 

If you have visited Galaxy’s Edge on Batuu before, you may be familiar with the Star Wars: Datapad.  It’s part of the Play Disney Parks app and it is Disney’s attempt to get guests to interact more with their surroundings.  

It lets you perform tasks around Black Spire Outpost like hacking into control posts or translating the native language of Aurebesh, all the while earning achievements and points during your visit to the land.

Naturally, the Star Wars: Datapad is a perfect fit on the Galactic Starcruiser and it lets you really immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe and the story you are participating in.

How Do Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser Guests Use Star Wars : Datapad and the Play Disney Parks app?

You use the Datapad to check your personal itinerary throughout the voyage so you can keep track of all the events available to you.  You also use it to receive communications from the crew and other characters you may encounter along the way.

If you want to do any of the missions, you will need to use the Play Disney Parks app to do it.

• Access your Galactic Starcruiser itinerary throughout your voyage.
• View details of all the experiences and activities.
• View communications from the crew and characters including personalized missions and secret adventures.
• View map of the Galactic Starcruiser.
• Interact with elements of the hote l (translate, hack, scan, etc).

To make sure everything is ready before your trip, download the Play Disney Parks app on your mobile device and connect it to your My Disney Experience account.

How is the My Disney Experience App Used During Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser Voyages?

Besides the Play Disney Parks app, you will also need to use the My Disney Experience app before your trip and at times during it.  Here are some ways you will use it:

• Link your Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser reservation to your Disney account. (This may have been done for you when you made your reservation.)
• Use Online Check-In service to expedite boarding at the Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser Terminal .
• View your reservation and any additional plans at the Walt Disney World Resort if your visit will extend beyond your Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser experience.
• Order food and beverages while on your planet excursion to Star Wars : Galaxy’s Edge.

Again, make sure this is all installed before your trip so that everything goes more smoothly once you get there.

Sample Guest Itinerary

Each guest will receive their own personal itinerary for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.  Your itinerary can be accessed in the Star Wars: Datapad in the Play Disney Parks app.

You can look through the itinerary and get a feel for what activities are running throughout your voyage and what times they are available.  You also get a brief description for each one to help you understand if it is something you’d be interested in or not.

Each itinerary will be similar, with slight differences depending on when your seating for dinner is scheduled. 

Here is a sample itinerary from the Galactic Starcruiser:

• Unscheduled: Lightsaber Training
• Unscheduled: Bridge Ops Training
• 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Lunch Buffet
• 1:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Sabacc Lessons
• 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Exploring the Starcruiser
• 2:00 pm – 3:45 pm: Datapad Orientation
• 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Galactic Social
• 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Ship Muster
• 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Captain’s Reception
• 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Sabacc Lessons
• 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Outer Rim Regalia
• 7:30 pm – 7:45 pm: Ryloth Dance Lessons
• 8:00 pm – 8:30 pm: Sector Set
• 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm: Dinner Service 1 – An Evening with Gaya
• 9:45 pm – 10:00 pm: CSL Starshow at Bespin
• 7:00 am – 10:00 am: Grab-and-Go Breakfast
• 7:00 am – 10:00 am: Breakfast Buffet
• 8:40 am – 4:00 pm: Batuu Transport
• 11:00 am – 4:00 pm: Lunch Buffet
• 11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Galactic Trivia
• 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm: Cantina Chronicles
• 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm: Droid Racing Tournament Sign Up
• 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Droid Racing Tournament
• 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Model Ship Building
• 2:15 pm – 2:30 pm: Sabacc Tournament Sign Up
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Sabacc Tournament
• 2:45 pm – 3:00 pm: Loth-Cat Crew: Porg Detection Drill
• 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Know Your Co-Pilot
• 4:15 pm – 4:30 pm: Know Your Co-Pilot Winners Announcement
• 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm: Dinner Service 2 – Taste Around the Galaxy
• 9:30 pm – 9:45 pm: A Halcyon Starcruiser Celebration
• 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Sweets & Treats
• 6:00 am – 9:45 am: Disembarkation
• 7:00 am – 10:00 am: Grab-and-go Breakfast

How to Access Your Itinerary

To view your own personal itinerary, first open up the Play Disney Parks app.

Make sure you are logged in with your My Disney Experience account and your Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel reservations are synced with your account.  If you are not logged in or registered properly, the app will not show your reservations.

Once you open the app, slide over to the screen that says: “Star Wars: Datapad.”  You need to turn on Bluetooth on your mobile device before accessing the Datapad.

Click the “Play” button to enter.

You will then arrive at the Datapad main screen.  Click “Start Using My Datapad” to get started.

If you aren’t at the Galactic Starcruiser, you will see a screen telling you that you are out of range and more features will be available when you arrive at the Halcyon starcruiser.  In the meantime, you can check the events itinerary, comms, map, profile, and use the translation tool.

Click on the “Events” tab at the bottom of the screen to see your itinerary and the list of events.

Click on any event for more details about it.

Reservations

For many of the activities and experiences onboard the Galactic Starcruiser, you need a reservation.  Some of them are not automatically booked for you with your vacation package, and cannot just walk in at the last second.

Things like the lightsaber training, bridge ops training, Sabacc lessons or tournament, droid racing tournament, and the trivia games all require reservations.

The hotel is small and the space for each experience is limited and can only hold so many guests at one time, which means reservations are a must.  

You must speak with a crew member to make reservations for your desired activities.   Reservations are not available on the Star Wars: Datapad.

In order to ensure you get to do the activities you really want to do, make booking reservations a priority right when you arrive onboard the starcruiser.  Many of them are “first-come-first-served” which means if you wait too long, there is a good chance you won’t be able to do them.

At times, the Bridge Ops Training and Lightsaber Training are automatically booked for you, so check your personal itinerary in the Star Wars: Datapad before your departure.  If they are not scheduled automatically, speak with a crew member upon entrance to the starcruiser.

Other Features of the Star Wars: Datapad

Besides just looking at your personal itinerary, there are many other features of the Datapad to take advantage of.  You can use it for communicating with characters on the starcruiser and to hack and scan interactive areas of the ship, which will further immerse you in the story.

You can also look at the map of the ship, and check out your personal profile where you earn credits and equipment you can use during the voyage.  

This is where you will see any vital communications from the Chandrila Star Line starcruiser.

When in the Star Wars: Datapad, click the “Comms” tab at the bottom of the screen.

Here you can see the CSL Announcements as well as Voyage Information.

The CSL Announcements will update throughout the voyage with important communications from the ship.  If you open it before your voyage, there isn’t much to see and it just tells you to check back once you are on board.

In the Voyage Information section, this is where you can get more information about your excursion to Batuu, or even learn some phrases like how to say hello, goodbye, or let’s celebrate.

In the Star Wars: Datapad, click the “Tools” tab.  Here you will see a list of tools that will help you complete your various missions throughout the voyage.

Tools listed include:

You will also see the “Jobs” button at the bottom which gives you more information about open missions you need to complete.

The only tool you can use before departure is Translate, all the other ones you need to wait to use until you are on board the Halcyon.

Click the “Map” button at the bottom of the screen.  Here you can look through a complete map of the Galactic Starcruiser.  There is a different map for each level of the ship. 

Maps include:

• Black Spire Outpost
• Deck 4 Cabins
• Deck 4 Dining Room
• Deck 5 Cabins
• Deck 6 Atrium
• Deck 7 Cabins

The map of Black Spire Outpost will come in handy when completing your missions on Batuu.

Here is where you can see the credits you’ve accumulated throughout your missions.

Once you start participating in the story, you will be classified as either one of the Resistance, First Order, or a Scoundrel, which likely means you play both sides to serve your own personal interests.

You also can gain equipment, star maps, schematics, droid data, transmissions, and titles.

Experiences

These experiences are the most interactive activities on the Galactic Starcruiser and you become an active participant.  They are likely to be the most fun things to do during your voyage and the most popular with guests.

Lightsaber Training Experience

This is probably the most anticipated experience at the Star Wars Hotel.  Here you can wield a lightsaber or shield and face off against a dynamic training remote.  Under the tutelage of the Saja, you’ll learn the basic movements and ancient philosophy behind this elegant Jedi weapon.

Read more about this experience in our Guide to Lightsaber Training on the Galactic Starcruiser .

Take on the role of an honorary crew member and learn the skills necessary to operate the Halcyon Starcruiser’s Bridge.  Training covers navigation, shields, control systems, loaders, and even weapons.  Your training here will come into play later on in the story when First Order forces invade the ship.

Porg Detection Drill: Sharpen your porg spotting skills in this Loth-Cat Crew activity. Practice with our crew as they prepare for the common critters of the outer rim and search for stow-away creatures.

Here you will discover the hidden secrets of the Halcyon, with secret spaces hidden deep in the mechanics of the ship. The Engineer Room itself is completely secret and not even listed on the map and its location is dependent on the missions you complete.

Who knows what secrets you will uncover, perhaps you’ll find a secret meeting or two while you are there.

The Galactic Starcruiser is full of games including trivia, card games, droid racing, and more.

Sabacc is the most popular card game in the galaxy!  Come learn how to play Coruscant Shift, the Halcyon starcruiser’s featured variant. It’s easy and fun.  If you can count, you can play!  For our younger passengers, try learning Bounter Hunter, a fun matching game for younglings.

Once you learn how to play Sabacc, come test your best game strategy against your fellow passengers!  Passengers must sign up prior to the tournament’s start.

Passengers of all ages can play this exclusive Halcyon starcruiser game.  Be the first to match all five planets located in a single region!

Test your knowledge of all things in the galaxy.  Questions in this quick, interactive game relate to planets, inhabitants, and especially, the Halcyon starcruiser.

The action is fast, frenetic, and always unpredictable.  Compete to see whose droid can navigate an obstacle course in the Atrium the quickest while staying in one piece!  Two types of model droids get raced: BB and R2.  Passengers must sign up prior to the tournament’s start.

The Halcyon starcruiser is one of the most legendary and identifiable ships that has ever journeyed across the galaxy.  Here’s your chance to assemble and decorate your very own model to take home. Model kits are available for pre-purchase in the boutique.

How well do you think you know your co-pilot?  In this game you test the strength of your relationship against fellow travelers with a series of questions!  Co-pilots can be of any age or relationship in this “getting to know you” game.  Sign-up is first-come, first served.

Events/Shows

There are plenty of events on the Galactic Starcruiser ranging from meet-and-greets with fellow passengers to grand fireworks shows at night.

LIke on a cruise ship, you first need to understand the layout of the Halcyon Starcruiser so you know where everything is.  Join a knowledgeable crew member on a 15-minute exploration around the Halcyon Starcruiser and discover its rich and colorful history. 

The orientation will visit a few key locations on the ship.  Groups leave every 30 minutes from the Halcyon Starcruiser model in the Atrium.

Every voyage of the Halcyon starcruiser is populated with interesting, intriguing passengers who hail from all over the galaxy.  This is a great way to meet other guests staying onboard the Galactic Starcruiser and who will have a part in the story with you.

All are invited for a brief celebration and shared toast to an enjoyable voyage.  Enjoy light snacks and drinks as you meet the Halcyon Starcruiser’s crew members and mingle with fellow passengers.  Captain’s Reception immediately follows Ship Muster.

Wear your best galactic outfit and join in our grand passenger showcase or come as a spectator and gaze at the sartorial parade on display!

Come to the atrium to learn a new dance that has the galaxy moving.

Nowhere are fireworks more dazzling than off-planet!  Immediately following dinner on the first night, a special pyrotechnic display will showcase the music of our featured performer on this cruise, the legendary singing sensation Gaya.

This is the second “fireworks” display at the end of the second evening on the Halcyon. 

In honor of the Halcyon Starcruiser’s history of galactic voyaging, enjoy another awe-inspiring pyrotechnic display featuring a very special musical soundtrack.  Gather in the Atrium to celebrate a successful and memorable cruise!

Food is always an event at Walt Disney World, and it promises to be even more so on the Galactic Starcruiser.  The Crown of Corellia Dining Room is where most of it will happen with breakfast, lunch, and dinner all taking place there.

Here’s what you can expect:

Grab-and-Go Breakfast

For something quick, a grab-and-go breakfast is available from 7:00 am to 11:00 am on Day 2 and 3.  Grab a light bite and a cup of coffee to start your day.

Breakfast Buffet

For a bigger meal, a breakfast buffet is available from 7:00 am to 10:00 am on Days 2 and 3.  Serving up the best breakfast in the galaxy, with lots of hearty and tasty choices.  It’s a wonderful start to your day, whatever adventures may be in store.

Lunch Buffet

This lunch buffet onboard the starcruiser offers many delectable wonders.  This isn’t your typical buffet as it focuses on individualized plates and perfect presentations.  Grab what you like and enjoy your lunch in the relaxing environs of the Crown of Corellia dining room or take it with you!

Lunch on Batuu

If you choose to eat lunch on Batuu, you can enjoy a meal at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo which is included in the price of your hotel stay.

Docking Bay 7 features new and unusual dishes inspired by Chef Cookie Tuggs’ travels.  Please see a crew member for details on placing your lunch order.   Subject to availability.

Dinner Service 1 – An Evening with Gaya

On your first evening, enjoy this delectable Halcyon Starcruiser feast, and then delight as the legendary Twi’lek star Gaya showcases her vocal talents in a special, intimate show.  Accompanied by her talented Rodian keyboardist Ouanni, this is truly a one-of-a-kind performance.

Dinner Service 2 – Taste Around the Galaxy

Dinner on the second night of your voyage is a taste of the senses with the chef’s specially-prepared, four-course meal of flavorful, exotic dishes inspired by planets throughout the galaxy.  On this cruise, the planets of Mustafar, Felucia, Kashyyk, and Chandrila are gastronomically represented.

Captain’s Table

If you really want to live it up at dinner, the Captain’s Table is an upgraded dinner available for an add-on cost of $30 per guest.  It’s like a chef’s table dining experience you’d find elsewhere.

Guests sit at the captain’s table in a prime location in the center of the Crown of Corellia Dining Room and are served extra courses that you don’t get with the regular dining experience.

This has extremely limited seating so if you want to sit at the Captain’s Table, make sure you book it immediately upon booking your Galactic Starcruiser vacation package.

Held in the Sublight Lounge , this is a unique tasting of exotic, exclusive non-alcoholic cocktails hosted by a knowledgeable mixologist who shares some fun, interesting, and even startling stories of each drink’s origins, ingredients, and careful preparation.

Come enjoy late-night family beverages and galactic sweets & treats.

Other Events

* The Ship Muster is required for all guests onboard the Galactic Starcruiser.

CSL and Halcyon Starcruiser protocol requires all passengers to convene for essential instruction prior to departure.  Meet the Captain and Cruise Director, who will welcome you aboard and impart important information to guarantee a successful cruise.

The Star Wars Datapad is a huge part of your voyage on the Galactic Starcruiser and you need to know how to use it.  Here a crew member will show you how to best use your Datapad while on your voyage. 

Passenger Services representatives are available to answer questions about your itinerary, comms, and any other topics about how your Datapad will assist on your journey.

Head to the Transport Dock for your visit to Galaxy’s Edge.  Guests can partake in role-playing missions and continue their stories on Batuu.  Guests also get free Lightning Lane passes to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance which means no waiting in line.

Transports come and go throughout the day so when you are ready to return jump on another transport and head back to the ship.

Additional Activities

Besides the things you can do onboard the Galactic Starcruiser, there are plenty of other Star Wars experiences you can do down in Galaxy’s Edge in Black Spire Outpost.

Of course, there are the missions to complete when visiting Galaxy’s Edge which is part of the starcruiser experience.

Guests also get free Lightning Lane passes to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run , and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance which means no waiting in line.

If you have ever wanted your own lightsaber, you have a couple of options in Galaxy’s Edge:

• Savi’s Workshop – This is where you build your own custom lightsaber including the entire hilt, blade and kyber crystal.  It also has a really cool experience beforehand where you learn about the Jedi/lightsaber connection.
• Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities – If you don’t want a custom but would rather get a replica one belonging to one of your favorite Star Wars characters, come to Dok Ondar’s.  The selection of Legacy Lightsabers includes those of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and even the Darksaber from The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

If lightsabers aren’t your thing, head down to the Droid Depot and build your own customized droid to bring home with you.  You can even use it in the Droid Racing competition onboard the Halcyon.

Last but not least, you can’t leave Galaxy’s Edge without stopping by Oga’s Cantina for a drink.  This is just like a cantina out of a Star Wars film with both great drinks and a wonderful atmosphere.  You’ll love the music that DJ-R3X is playing on his turntable. 

Get reservations for this as soon as possible because it fills up quickly.  Following the tips in our Disney World Advanced Dining Reservations Guide should help you to make it happen.

How Do I Book Additional Activities for Galactic Starcruiser Voyage

If you need help booking some of these extra activities for your Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage, you can call your Authorized Disney Vacation Planner (we recommend René and her team at  Show You the World Travel  for all your trip planning needs).

Otherwise, you can call Disney’s number for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage at (407) – 939-1800.

Some of these activities must be added 60 days prior to your arrival, while others during the 60-Day window before your arrival.  Make sure you figure out which ones you want to do enough ahead of time.

Let’s take a look at a map of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser so you know where to go for the various activities and events on board.

Just like on a cruise ship, each level of the ship is called a deck. There are 4 decks on the Halcyon starcruiser , decks 4, 5, 6, and 7. There are more in the story of the ship but were not actually built.

Here is a look at Deck 4 :

This is where the Crown of Corellia Dining Room, Engineering Room, Cargo Hold, Lightsaber Training Pod, Climate Simulator, and Transportation Dock are located. It is also the real ground floor of the building and where you enter before going up in the launch pod.

To the left and down the hallway are the first level of cabins:

On Deck 5 there are more cabins:

Next, we have Deck 6:

This is where the Atrium is located, The Chandrila Collection, the Bridge, Sublight Lounge, and the Launch Pod Dock.

Lastly, on Deck 7 are the last group of cabins.

Even though there are 4 decks, the starcruiser is actually quite small and you really only need to worry about finding your way around the 2 main levels on Deck 4 and 6. That is where all the activities and dining are located.

Are the Activities on Galactic Starcruiser Free?

Yes, almost all of the activities on the Galactic Starcruiser are free and included with the price of your vacation package.  The only ones that are an extra cost are the Captain’s Table dining experience, and the Model Ship Building (you need to purchase the ship which you then take home).

Can I Ride the Galaxy’s Edge Attractions While Staying at the Star Wars Hotel?

Yes, you can.  Guests staying at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel get free Lightning Lane passes to both Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.  So not only can you ride them, but you don’t have to wait in line either.

During the Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser Planet Excursion, Can I Visit Areas of Disney’s Hollywood Studios Beyond Star Wars : Galaxy’s Edge?

Yes, you can.  While we recommend spending most of your time in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when visiting on the transport excursion, guests are not required to stay in Galaxy’s Edge and can leave to explore other areas of Disney’s Hollywood Studios if they so desire.

The only reason we suggest staying in Galaxy’s Edge is it helps keep you immersed in the story you are living during your voyage.  If you go off and do Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster or the Tower of Terror, it ruins the atmosphere Disney has tried to create.

Plus there are so many activities to do onboard the starcruiser, it would be a shame to spend most of the day in Hollywood Studios doing other attractions.  We suggest planning an entire day just for Hollywood Studios so you can fully enjoy both the way that is needed.

Whatever you do, just remember, the final transport shuttle from Hollywood Studios back to the Galactic Starcruiser leaves Galaxy’s Edge at 4:00 pm.  Don’t be late or you won’t be getting back on!

Do I Need to Purchase a Park Ticket to Enter Star Wars : Galaxy’s Edge During the Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser Voyage?

No, you don’t.  Guests staying at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel have a theme park admission and park reservation for one day to Disney’s Hollywood Studios included in the price of their vacation package.  There is no need to buy additional tickets for the day of your excursion.

If you plan on going to any of the Walt Disney World theme parks on a different day of your vacation, in that case, you will need both park tickets and park pass reservations.

That wraps up our look at all the activities and experiences available to you on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.  We’ll take a closer look at each one and review them for you once the hotel opens on March 1, 2022.  Stay tuned for more soon.

In the meantime, here are some of our most popular planning guides for your trip to Walt Disney World:

• The Complete Disney World Planning Guide
• Disney World Crowd Calendar
• Best Times to Visit Disney World

Your Thoughts:

I want to know what you think about the different events and activities on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser…

• Which experience are you looking forward to the most?
• What other activites would you like to see?

Let us know in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media.  I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂

My name is Ziggy and I love Disney, everything Disney! I grew up on Disney and it has and continues to be a huge part of my life. I started young when my parents took me to Disney World when I was 18 months old. Little did they know that would be the first of an uncountable number of trips we would take. I have so many amazing memories going to Disney with my family and friends and it has been interwoven into my DNA.

Wednesday 16th of February 2022

Galactic Snoozer

Disney unveiled prices for its upcoming Star Wars hotel experience, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser , and by the stars, that’s gonna be a whole lot of credits.

The two-night immersive adventure promises a journey into a personalized Star Wars experience, where guests will board a “launch pod” and stay on the Halcyon starcruiser. The full itinerary includes character interactions, lightsaber battles , exploration of the ship and spaces in the Star Wars world, and dining with entertainment. It also includes “unexpected story moments” that aren’t planned, which may whisk guests to help Resistance stowaways or broker heist deals. Sounds super fun, except you’re probably going to want to start saving up money right away.

The exact pricing varies on whether you choose a standard cabin or one of the various suites, but a two-person getaway will start at $4,809 total (and that is specified to be weeknights only). For three guests (which is specifically two adults and one child on the listing) that bumps the price up to $5,229, with four guests (also three adults and one child — families with more than one kid, battle it out!) bringing it to $5,999 for the two-night experience. Truly, not an adventure for your run-of-the-mill moisture farmer.

The full price breakdown can be found on the website , along with the itinerary highlights. The Galactic Starcruiser will launch its maiden voyages in spring 2022.

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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
• 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.

• Sleeps: 4 passengers
• Room Configuration: queen bed and 2 wall pull-down beds for one adult each

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!

Written by Tom Bricker

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.

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Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser: What to Expect and What I LOVED

By: Author Rob Taylor

Posted on Published: June 21, 2023  - Last updated: August 23, 2023

UPDATED August 2023: Sadly, Disney has decided to move the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser into mothballs. The unique resort hotel experience, that I thought was really cool and perhaps too unusual, is no longer available for guests. If Disney decides to do anything with the property or concept, I’ll be sure to update the blog with the info, but in the meantime, we’ll all need to enjoy Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to the fullest.

I’ll keep this article live on our site for anyone who’s curious and in case there’s more info about its future.

I’m going to dispel all the confusion or misunderstanding about the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World. Everyone asks “What’s the Star Wars hotel like?!” and I will absolutely tell you, but I won’t give any big spoilers.

If you read no further, let me just say this: the Star Wars Galactic Starcruise is NOT a hotel, but an actual immersive theater experience. If you go into thinking that it’s a hotel for visiting DIsney World, you’ll be so confused and potentially upset. If you know you’re signing on for a legit Galactic cruise that’s basically an ongoing production all around you, you’ll absolutely love it. Ignore the pre-opening press coverage you may have seen, because this is an accurate account of what to expect on the Galactic Starcruiser from somebody who’s been through the experience.

The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Story

I think it’s important to understand that the Galactic Starcruiser is a Star Wars story, and not just a hotel you check into. Having the mindset that you’ll be participating in a story is key to both enjoying and getting the most out of the Galactic Starcruiser experience. From arrival to departure, every element of your stay is a part of the story.

I think it’s important to be familiar with the many Star Wars stories before boarding the Galactic Starcruiser, but even if you’re not a superfan, you’ll be fine. For Star Wars peeps, you’ll be able to pick up on elements that indicate where in the Star Wars timeline the Galactic Starcruiser experience takes place.

Is the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser for me?

This is a loaded question: is the experience of staying on the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser for me? Well, the short answer is yes. The long answer is probably, but maybe not. I say yes because there’s nothing quite like being onboard, and especially living in a theatrical Star Wars story for several days, wow. The “maybe not” answer comes in when you consider cost and if you don’t fully understand what you’re signing on for.

If you think you’re staying in a Star Wars hotel and then you arrive, you’re going to be like “So, I’m at a hotel… Now what?” Being in that frame of mind and thinking about booking this experience as A PART of your Disney trip, you won’t love it. If you set yourself to come to the Galactic Starcruiser and KNOW and understand that this is truly its own experience, you’ll love it.

The other big obstacle, but this is nothing new to those who frequently plan Disney vacations, is the overall cost. Of all Disney activities, staying onboard the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is a premium experience and has the price tag to match it. When you consider the complete picture and what you get and what’s happening (read on) it is worth it and matches the cost, but if you’re trying to decide if the experience is right for you, if it keeps coming back to the cost, then I would say it’s not a good fit for your vacation. You’ll

The Premise: the Halcyon Star Wars Story

I am not giving any spoilers to the story, but just a baseline so you can understand why the Galactic Starcruiser is such an unusual experience.

The Galactic Starcruiser is not a hotel, but is a cruise ship in space. The Chandrila Star Line is the cruise operator for the premise of the Halcyon Galactic Starcruiser story. When you arrive, you board the starcruiser via a pod, similar to a birthing boat for an ocean cruise. This is where the experience and cutting edge technology begin, on your way to the Halcyon cruise ship. 

Once onboard, a welcome reception starts the story and you get to meet some of the crew, the cruise director and the captain of the ship. It feels like the start of an ocean cruise, but as you go through muster, the windows show that you really are in space… and then there’s the whole jumping to lightspeed piece.

Onboard you’ll be a part of cruise experiences, such as being invited to the bridge to see how the starcruiser is piloted, as well as classes, including light saber training. You can enjoy leisure time or be a part of planned events. It’s great and perfect for the biggest Star Wars fan or somebody who just loves truly unique experiences.

And now onto the SPOILERS. This is where the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser turns into a fully immersive live theater experience…

Surprises on the Galactic Starcruiser (SPOILERS HERE)

CLICK HERE TO SKIP PAST THE SPOILERS

You are now going to read about the story development and involvement. These are spoilers and explain why the Galactic Starcruiser is so unique and worth the cost.

For context, the Galactic Starcruiser experience does actually have a place in the Star Wars timeline. It’s not just a concept of a story nobody is familiar with, but actually includes favorite Star Wars characters from both the films and from the attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

As you get settled into your cruise, the Chandrila Star Line ship gets boarded by the First Order. The Galactic Starcruiser experience takes place between Star Wars films 8 and 9, between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker . This means that the First Order is still very much THE power in the galaxy and they are in charge, including of the starcruiser. WITH THAT…

As you’re interacting with the characters and exploring the Galactic Starcruiser, you have the opportunity to complete missions, to pass on information and to either help or hinder the Resistance. I personally loved my moment of guiding Chewbacca through the ship, hiding him from the First Order.

The story progresses, you get to use your training on the bridge to shoot First Order fighters charging the Galactic Starcruiser, you go through Light Saber training… all kinds of fun and unique activities take place.

MAIN SPOILER on the Galactic Starcruiser

The climax of the story onboard the Galactic Starcruiser comes when you’re called to muster because the First Order has taken full control of the ship and they must find the Resistance fighters that are hiding onboard. With that, Rey shows up, running from Kylo Ren. This all culminates into a battle on the ship, complete with blasters, the set getting partially destroyed and an acrobatic Lightsaber battle before your eyes.

If you’ve read about the Galactic Starcruiser from people who haven’t been or didn’t actually know anything about it, you’ve probably read that it’s not all that impressive. You know what? It’f live space theater all around you. It’s absolutely remarkable.

What are the Rooms Like on the Galactic Starcruiser

This is the hotel element of the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Because the experience covers two and a half days, you do need to spend the night (2 nights) onboard. The cabins are really cool, and they are very much what you’d expect to find onboard a space ship. Since it is a Disney hotel concept, the finishes are nicer than what you see depicted in the Star Wars films, but also in keeping with the concept and story, they are not fancy like a deluxe property, such as Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Contemporary Resort .

The rooms are sleek, spacey, and very much my own Star Wars dream come true. Perfect for families, the cabins have a queen bed and two berths (bunks), as well as a pull down (Murphy-style) bed, so they sleep up to five people.

There are suites available as well, and because you are spending the majority of your Galactic Starcruiser trip onboard, you may find that the additional space is valuable for your family, but the common areas and activities will keep you active enough that the additional space isn’t necessary.

Technology in the Star Wars Cabins

There are two really cool pieces of Star Wars technology in the Galactic Starcruiser cabins: the space window and the interactive data pad. There are other tech elements, both in the cabins and all around the Galactic Starcruiser, but these two features are the most unique.

The space window is really cool. Since you’re on a cruise ship in space, when you look out your window it is the vast reaches of space you see. Stars, ships and other space sights make for a strikingly realistic view from your Galactic Starcruiser cabin/room.

The other technological wow is the data pad in the cabins. Outfitted with a remarkable AI interface, you can talk to the data pad, make requests, ask it questions, get information about your stay… It’s the most advanced AI that I’ve interacted with.

Yes, there is a phone in the room still, and yes there is a television with Earth’s programming. You’ll have the comforts of a Disney hotel, so don’t worry.

Experiences on the Halcyon Starcruiser Ship

Besides the story and the ship cabins that feel like you’re in space, there are other experiences onboard the Chandrila Starline Halcyon ship. Of course there is the dining and entertainment, that really are impressive (especially in comparison with other resort hotels), but there is more. Additional activities onboard include training on the bridge of the ship, lightsaber training, a bit of Jedi training, and character encounters.

No, there is no pool or spa onboard the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, but you’ll be plenty busy OR plenty relaxed (if that’s the experience you want). If you’re not looking to get fully immersed into the story, you can shop in the Chandrila Collection gift shop, grab a drink from the Sublight Lounge and sit in the main lobby reading a book and watching the stars go by.

I can’t stress enough that the experience you have onboard the Galactic Starcruiser is totally up to you.

Dining on the Galactic Starcruiser

Unlike other Disney properties, the Galactic Starcruiser isn’t full of dining options. In comparison to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort , which has 10 options for meals and drinks, there are only two dining options onboard the Halcyon cruise ship. Of course, should you be unable to dine with other guests for whatever reason, the Starcruiser staff can assist with dining in your cabin if that’s required.

Meals in the Crown of Corelia Dining Room

The main restaurant on the Galactic Starcruiser is the Crown of Corelia Dining Room. This is where you do all your meals onboard the ship. For breakfast and lunch, there are selections “from around the galaxy” including options from a guest’s “home planet.” Seating is relaxed for breakfast and lunch, but dinner seatings are pre-set to fill all available seats. You always sit with your travel party though.

I love dinner on the Galactic Starcruiser! There are two seatings each evening, and the menu is different for each night. The taste around the galaxy concept is really cool, and the food is genuinely unique and delicious. I really enjoyed eating bantha (the large elephant type things the Sandpeople ride) and the desserts are wonderful.

In addition to wonderful food, there is also live entertainment, just like on a cruise ship. Gaya is the primary performer, singing her own galactic songs, and she’s accompanied by Ouannii. Since this is very much a part of the story you’re a part of, the music is very unique, like what you wouldn’t really hear on earth. The performance is really incredible, considering that the person singing is doing it live and that it’s very complex, as both a live musical performance and live interactive theater.

Note : this is one of the elements of the Galactic Starcruiser that got a lot of criticism from people who saw leaked footage and didn’t actually understand the context and complete show experience. It was actually remarkable.

The Sublight Lounge

I would love to see Disney create more themed and unusual spaces like this in its other properties and parks. The Sublight Lounge onboard the Halcyon Galactic Starcruiser is both cozy like a place you might have shady dealings, and cool like a techno club. It’s very nice and has nooks and tables for relaxing and having really beautiful and unusual beverages from around the galaxy.

Considering the storyline of being a passenger on the Galactic Starcruiser, visiting the Sublight Lounge might include interacting with characters that roll through the bar. Like with any part of the story, it’s up to guests how involved they get in what’s happening all around the ship.

Need to Know for the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser

By now, you understand that booking a visit to the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is much more than a hotel stay. It’s fully an immersive experience and is both fun and amazingly unique. There’s still more to know and understand before committing to booking the trip. So here’s everything else that I think is important to know before sailing with the Galactic Starcruiser.

Will I get to go into Disney World?

Booking a stay at the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser does not mean that you’re visiting all the Disney Parks. When you check into the Halcyon starcruiser ship, you’re beginning a different type of Disney vacation. You do have a “shore excursion” just like you would on a Caribbean or Alaskan cruise, and during this excursion you get to visit the planet of Batuu, which is where you’ll find Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge .

Since you are going into Disney’s Hollywood Studios to visit Galaxy’s Edge, you could also go beyond the edges of Batuu (aka Black Spire Outpost), but it’s recommended that you stick to the Star Wars themed area to keep within the Galactic Starcruiser storyline.

During your shore excursion you also will have lunch in Galaxy’s Edges at Ronto Roasters. Since all of your meals are included when you book a stay at the Galactic Starcruiser, your meal in Galaxy’s Edge is included too.

Should the Galactic Starcruiser be my COMPLETE Disney World Plan?

If you would like a normal Walt Disney World Vacation following your stay on the Galactic Starcruiser, you can book that into another Disney resort hotel. Your time on the Halcyon starcruiser is very involved and you may be worn out afterwards, so maybe a complete Disney World vacation isn’t needed, but it’s up to you.

I would say that if you’re unlikely to be back at Walt Disney World any time soon, you should plan time for visiting the parks. You’ll get your Star Wars fix when you stay at the Galactic Starcuiser, so you may not want to set aside a day at Hollywood Studios (unless you didn’t get to complete your Galaxy’s Edge scavenger hunt ), but you could easily enjoy Disney’s Animal Kingdom , Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.

What if I am overwhelmed by the Galactic Starcruiser?

A stay at the Star Wars hotel is so much more than a hotel, and because it’s so involved and immersive, it can be overwhelming. The other side of the continual stimulation is that you’re onboard the Halcyon starcruiser for the duration of your stay except for your shore excursion to Batuu. This means that you’re inside, and the windows show the vastness of space and stars, not the outdoors. This can be a lot for some guests.

If you are overwhelmed by the activity and immersiveness, you can always step into the “Climate Simulation area” on the Galactic Starcruiser. This area is actually an outdoor courtyard full of plants and with an open roof to the sky and breeze. It’s a good way to relax and reset, and is helpful if the Star Wars hotel experience is becoming overwhelming.

Note : this Climate Simulation area is also where you can meet a Jedi and find out if the Force is strong with you…

Is there a low-sensory experience available for Star Wars fans?

Staying at the Galactic Starcruiser is a very all encompassing experience, but the amount of involvement each guest has is up to them. If you’re concerned about the Star Wars experience being too much, or if somebody in your travel party needs to have a low-sensory plan, you should talk to the Disney folks at the time of booking to understand both how low-sensory needs can be accommodated and what sort of backup plan they have if things go downhill for visitors.

How much does the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Cost?

Ahh, the big question: how much does a stay on the Galactic Starcruiser cost? Well, there are lots of variables, but we’ll break down the most basic level. The ONLY booking option is a 2-night stay. You can’t do just one night and you can’t add on additional nights, as booking a stay on the Galactic Starcruiser is booking an immersive theater experience.

The variations for booking are based on your cabin type, being a standard cabin, a galaxy class suite, or a grand captain’s suite. The difference between these room types is in the amount of cabin space. All cabins sleep at least four, with the captain’s suite sleeping eight passengers.

So here’s the cost breakdown, as it is based on the number of people:

• 2 guests per cabin – $1200+ per night ($4800+ for the total stay)
• 3 guests per cabin – $890+ per night ($5300+ for the total stay)
• 4 guests per cabin – $750+ per night ($6000+ for the total stay)

Things to keep in mind when you’re considering the cost:

• Cost includes all meals/beverages (alcoholic and specialty drinks are extra)
• The shore excursion to Batuu (Galaxy’s Edge) is included
• The experience is ALWAYS ON so even when you’re like “That was a fun day… I’m going to walk the ship for a bit” you’re still going to meet characters and potentially have the story pull you in, even when you think the day is done.

Is Staying at the Star Wars Hotel Worth It?

This is a loaded question: Is the Star Wars hotel worth it? Well, if you think of staying on the Galactic Starcruiser as a hotel stay, no, it’s not worth it. If you think of the Galactic Starcruiser as a home base for your Disney vacation, no, it’s not worth it and you’ll be confused. If you understand that you’re planning a stay in a Star Wars immersive theater experience that lasts two and a half days, then YES!

I know it’s easy for me to say that it’s worth it since Disney invited me to experience it before the public, but if I wanted to share this experience with my Star Wars-loving family, then yes, I would budget for it and book it. I think it’s the most unique life experience I’ve had and I do see the total value of staying at the Galactic Starcruiser.

If you’re looking for a Disney resort hotel, not an interactive theater multi-day experience check out our other Disney World resort hotel picks: Contemporary Resort — Art of Animation — Coronado Springs — Animal Kingdom Lodge — Fort Wilderness Resort

Is the Galactic Starcruiser Experience Good for my Small Kids?

We’ve talked about the appropriate age level in our family, and I think it really does boil down to the age of the kids staying at the Galactic Starcruiser. If you’re planning to bring young kids or kids that get easily overwhelmed, I don’t think the cost of the Star Wars hotel experience is worth it. There are so many other Disney experiences, including Star Wars options in Hollywood Studios, that are great for kids of all ages and dispositions. The immersive theater choice is intense, I feel. In my opinion, I would wait for that sweet spot between 8 and 14 to take our kids. 

Note : you know your own family, I don’t. Make decisions that are right based on them, not my presumptions.

I hope this answers all the questions you have, and truly dispels the misconceptions of the inaccurate media stories leading up to the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser opening. I think it’s a phenomenal creation and is so very unique.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re happy to talk about all things Star Wars and Disney World, so don’t be shy!

Tuesday 5th of July 2022

It's for sure not for everyone, but it's really cool if you're into it.

Eric Ehrlich

Monday 9th of May 2022

Thank you for the writeup and recap - we were on the 3rd voyage and your writeup captured our experience exactly - the combination of storytelling, technology, theater and environmental are woven together in a truly magical way - and every story can truly be different and personal. We plan on going again. ---

Tuesday 10th of May 2022

The storytelling aspect is really amazing. What a remarkable experience!

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

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Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)