We have something extremely exciting to share with all of you Insiders! Jackie and Ryan attended the media event where the creators of this new adventure gave a sneak peek into what guests can expect on their two-night stay on the Halcyon Starcruiser. Disney has been working on this concept for over six years, and they started working on this when they were also building Star Wars Galaxies Edge because they wanted the stories to intercept with each other. Most fans have heard so much about the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Adventure that Disney has built for Star Wars fans, but for those who aren’t too familiar with it, you’re probably wondering what is it and what does it all entail? We’re here to give you the inside scoop!
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Adventure is a first-of-its-kind luxury vacation experience. It’s a two-day and two-night adventure where guests will be living in a Star Wars story. It’s basically a simulated cruise-style experience that allows you to be completely immersed in the world of Star Wars. You arrive at the Walt Disney World Resort terminal, board a launch pod with other guests, and are transported onto the ship, where you begin your two-day journey. During the two days, you will savor exotic galactic cuisine and perhaps even plot a secret mission with family and friends!
Starting day one, you will live out epic experiences. There are onboard activities such as Bridge training lightsaber training, and similar to a cruise, you will take a shore excursion to the planet of Batuu. The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Adventure is a combination of taking Disney’s fantastic ability to combine fan-favorite stories and create an immersive experience, all while delivering impeccable guest service. To the core, the crew’s priority is taking care of their passengers, making sure they are comfortable and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Aside from the crew, many characters are onboard, just waiting for you to create a whole new story! They could ask for your help on secret missions or draw you into plots. It is entirely up to you how you choose to help, and your decisions will lead to how you will continue on your own Star Wars story. What you do on your shore excursion to Batuu will impact your continued journey on the ship. This adventure is a part cruise, part live-action gameplay, part two-day story where you will get to live, eat and sleep in a galaxy starcruiser in the world of Star Wars. It’s two days and two nights where you can escape from the real world and live in a world of fantastic fantasy. Everyone of all ages is welcome to be just purely a kid and engage in creative playtime.
Another part of the unique experience onboard is the food. The Chef who came up with the menus made it so that it is an entirely customizable food experience. You will have buffet offerings for breakfast and lunch. Dinners will have two distinct styles. On the first night, there is a dinner show hosted by a new character named Gaya, and you will start with incredible steamed protein-filled bao buns, dipping sauces, and other fun appetizers. Night one is about super bold flavors, lots of colors, beautiful plates, and lots of texture. Night two brings something completely different–it is a taste around the galaxy! The Chef will come out and talk about every course and what inspired them to put a course together. The food will be the best from different planets, such as a Mustafarian course with lava rock bread, blue shrimp, etc.
As you can see, food plays an intricate part in Star Wars and plays well into the stories and planets. You will experience foods that taste familiar and look different. Even the beverages are unique concoctions! They are beautiful, fun, and are meant to invite conversation. If you’re not adventurous with food, you won’t have to worry because there are offerings for all kinds of palettes. The menus are built to play into the Star Wars story and play into all rich storytelling. It’s incredible to see the inspiration from planets, characters, and design elements and how they are incorporated into food!
On the Halcyon Starcruiser, you will enter a more glamorous and high-end look into the galaxy of Star Wars. Prequel aesthetics are being combined with sequel aesthetics. Audiences (guests) are showing up in galactic couture that embodies personal style, creating more of an immersive experience. If you want to expand on your own story for your trip, search no further than The Chandrila Collection, a boutique located just off the Atrium of the Halcyon Starcruiser. Here you can discover a wide assortment of themed apparel, from tunics and robes to dresses and flight uniforms, where our favorite characters inspire galactic fashion in the movies. Pieces are customizable so that you can create your own look and story. If you’re not interested in dressing up or getting into character, it’s ok to be casual! Your entire adventure on the Halycon is whatever you want to make it, and you can engage on whatever level you want to. This experience is for guests who love Star Wars and guests who LOVE Star Wars.
Technology obviously plays a massive part in how this experience is different from anything else in the world. In addition to in-person interactions, you will also have access to special features in the Star Wars: Datapad experience available on your mobile device as part of the Play Disney Parks app. On the Datapad, you can check your personalized itinerary of events and activities, as well as communications from the crew and others you may encounter along the way. When you make choices throughout the voyage, you’ll receive new communications, and you may even be invited to secret meetings and adventures! Depending on what message you’ve received, you can continue the relationship as you want your story to unfold.
The technology extends beyond the app as well! The technology in the cabins was thought out in-depth to keep the storyline authentic even in the rooms. Just like the doors in the Star Wars movies, cabin doors slide; the beds are affixed to the wall; there’s a table that pulls out from the wall; hairdryers are labeled as thermal dryers; air conditioning vents are the same nozzles you would see in a plane like you are on board a real ship. Everything you see out the windows is real media playing real-time throughout the entire ship; everything is synced together, and the ship is like one giant movie set. The Imagineers who designed this created usable space while making sure everything looked authentic and stayed true to the world of Star Wars. You’ll want to pay attention to the moldings, trim details, fabrics, materials, etc. The reality and suspension of disbelief are never broken.
Passenger services are immersed in the story as well. D3-O9 (D3) is a logistics droid who appears in an IA character-driven experience. You can contact D3 when you want to and have a conversation. She may ask you questions and will even fill you in on rumors! D3 learns and changes based on the conversations you have with her; she knows all the history of the Halcyon Starcruiser and wants to hear from you throughout the course of your journey. This is just an example of how you can create authentic and meaningful connections with characters onboard!
So what makes this entire experience different from anything anyone’s ever done before? The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Adventure is an intersection of immersive theater and gaming. You will never have the same experience twice! The connection you make with the characters you meet and the missions you get sent on is unlike anything you have ever done before. This is a communal experience where family and friends who start out playing together may start diverging and then experiencing their own stories and adventures; everyone’s story can play out differently, and it’s an opportunity to make new friends (if you want to!) and reflect. Part of the magic of this experience is the connection of the people who come to experience it together. Will you follow the rule of the First Order or join the Resistance in a secret plot? We look forward to sharing even more with you as we get to experience it ourselves!
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