Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

• 1. Conception And Development

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  In April 2017, Disney hired the website Swagbucks to survey its visitors. The goal was to gauge interest in a possible Star Wars-themed hotel with a visitor experience based on the Star Wars storyline. Plans for the Star Wars hotel were announced at D23 Expo 2017 in Anaheim, California. This announcement came along with 22 other improvements and additions to Disney parks around the world. At D23 Expo 2019, it was revealed that the hotel would be called the Halcyon. It would be a two-night immersive experience where all guests arrive and depart together. Bob Chapek, Disney's head of Parks and Resorts, said the project would be the company's most experiential concept ever. He described it as a 100% immersive experience that would culminate in a unique journey for every person who visits. Planned features included creatures and droids acting as hotel staff. Guests could wear Star Wars costumes and interact with features as if they were really in the Star Wars universe. Marketing materials suggested visitors would participate in lightsaber training and duels. They would explore and pilot Star Wars spacecraft and go on secret missions personalized toward their experience. When the hotel opened, many of these activities were replaced by lightsaber training only. Bridge Ops training took the place of piloting the ship. Estimates of the cost to build the hotel varied from $350 million to $1 billion. The 2021 opening was delayed to the 1st of March 2022, by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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• 2. Ship Architecture And Layout

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  Early renderings of the project in 2017 showed that the new hotel would be shaped like a Star Wars starship. Renderings also showed a lobby in the style of a Star Wars spaceship interior. On the 30th of May 2018, it was announced that the hotel would be located just south of Disney's Hollywood Studios. It sat to the east of World Drive. Valet parking was available for guests arriving in personal vehicles. No self-parking existed for this property. A driveway connected the Starcruiser's main terminal to the Cast parking lot of Disney's Hollywood Studios. Guests stayed on the ship named the Halcyon for two days and two nights. The minimum room rate was $4,800 for two people. The guest rooms contained full-size bunk beds and a queen-sized bed. Some rooms had a pull-down to sleep a fifth guest in the style of Star Wars bunkers. The cost included the room, ongoing entertainment, food and drinks excluding alcoholic beverages. Admission and transportation to Hollywood Studios were part of the package. Lightning lanes for Galaxy's Edge attractions were included. A quick-service meal credit for DHS came with the stay. Valet parking and a MagicBand were provided. Guests could leave the Starcruiser at any point throughout their stay. The Halcyon contained 13 decks with four being available to passengers. Decks 4, 5, 6, and 7 were accessible areas. Deck 4 held the Crown of Corellia Dining Room and the Lightsaber Training Pod. The Climate Simulator and Transport Dock to Batuu occupied that level too. The Cargo Hold, Brig, and Engineering Room were also found there. Deck 6 contained the Atrium which led to the Bridge. The Sublight Lounge and Chandrila Collection souvenir shop sat nearby. Passenger Services' Desk was located on this floor. Decks 4, 5, and 7 hosted the guest cabins. On their second day, guests traveled to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge by a shuttle-pod transportation system. This cargo box on a flatbed truck had an interior resembling a shuttle spacecraft. The shuttle-pod terminal in Galaxy's Edge stood next to the First Order ship in Docking Bay 9.

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• 3. Immersive Gameplay Mechanics

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  The story followed the Halcyon crew and passengers as they celebrated the 275th anniversary of the starline. The ship's itinerary coincided with Resistance activity. This caused the First Order to board and investigate. Guests could choose which storyline they wanted to participate in. Options included Resistance, Smuggler, or First Order paths. Visitors could choose to participate in a specific story line through the Play Disney Parks mobile app. Early photos of the Halcyon's small windowless cabins went viral before the hotel opened to the public. Many commentators on Twitter complained that they were not suitable luxury accommodation. After the hotel's opening, the high price remained criticized. Esquire wrote that the real villain here is Galactic Starcruiser's Death Star-sized price tag. One commentator said its high prices kept many from visiting. The lone storyline offered to guests dissuaded them from visiting twice. In November 2022, the Galactic Starcruiser won a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for outstanding achievement in brand experience. Charlie Hall wrote an article for Polygon describing the facility flaws and high price point. He stated the Starcruiser was something of a dream come true for a Star Wars fan. He described the overall story arc as the highlight of the stay. It made the guests an integral part of the Star Wars universe. In May 2024, a 4 hour long-form review by YouTuber Jenny Nicholson went viral. Nicholson detailed her own experience with the hotel. She mainly noted problems with customer service and glitches in the app preventing engagement with the story. Her opinion held that the Starcruiser experience failed to justify the hotel's high cost. She speculated early reviews were based on a press tour lasting four hours. Aspects such as the app were described by tour guides rather than experienced by reviewers. This was confirmed by Polygon reviewer Charlie Hall who noted he and others were never shown the app.

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• 4. Financial Performance And Closure

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  In May 2023, Disney announced that the Galactic Starcruiser would have its last two-day voyage on September 28. Then it closed permanently. The Galactic Starcruiser officially closed at 10 a.m. on the 30th of September 2023. At the JP Morgan Technology Media & Communications Conference in May 2023, Chairman Josh D'Amaro spoke about expectations. He claimed Disney expected about $100, 150 million in accelerated depreciation in the following two fiscal quarters. That amounted to $200-300 million total due to the closure. This number was later revised and confirmed by Interim CFO Kevin Lansberry to be $250 million. In January 2025, reports stated the building was being converted to office space for Walt Disney Imagineering. It serves upcoming theme park projects including the Disney Villains-themed land at Magic Kingdom. The Monsters Inc.-themed land at Disney's Hollywood Studios is another project using this space. Tropical Americas land at Disney's Animal Kingdom will also utilize these facilities. The walkway leading to the shuttle-pod remains visible though unavailable to guests.

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• 5. Public Reception And Criticism

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  Early photos of the Halcyon's small windowless cabins went viral before the hotel opened to the public. Many commentators on Twitter complained that they were not suitable luxury accommodation. After the hotel's opening, the high price remained criticized. Esquire wrote that the real villain here is Galactic Starcruiser's Death Star-sized price tag. One commentator said its high prices kept many from visiting. The lone storyline offered to guests dissuaded them from visiting twice. In November 2022, the Galactic Starcruiser won a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for outstanding achievement in brand experience. Charlie Hall wrote an article for Polygon describing the facility flaws and high price point. He stated the Starcruiser was something of a dream come true for a Star Wars fan. He described the overall story arc as the highlight of the stay. It made the guests an integral part of the Star Wars universe. In May 2024, a 4 hour long-form review by YouTuber Jenny Nicholson went viral. Nicholson detailed her own experience with the hotel. She mainly noted problems with customer service and glitches in the app preventing engagement with the story. Her opinion held that the Starcruiser experience failed to justify the hotel's high cost. She speculated early reviews were based on a press tour lasting four hours. Aspects such as the app were described by tour guides rather than experienced by reviewers. This was confirmed by Polygon reviewer Charlie Hall who noted he and others were never shown the app.

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