Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Isn’t a Hotel — It’s A Private Theme Park
Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser may include two nights in a spaceship-style cabin at the Walt Disney World Resort, but this experience is more like living in a high-end, uncrowded Star Wars theme park.
It’s common to see someone’s dad shoving through a crowd in the Magic Kingdom while wearing a “Most Expensive Day Ever” shirt. It’s a small, unrewarding joke among guests that the price of Disney magic is a life’s savings. Nonetheless, families still shell out for the Disney experience every day. I can’t remember the last time I visited a Walt Disney World Resort theme park without the crowds.
Yet, with Disney’s newest endeavor, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, it’s clear that the company understands the expensive pun. With many guests willing to empty their pockets for a top-notch, family-friendly experience, the Starcruiser aims to deliver.
I stepped aboard the Halcyon on its first voyage from Earth. At the bunker-like concrete entrance, we received custom MagicBands and iPhones to enhance our experience. The wearable MagicBands unlocked rooms, activities, and more, while the iPhones accessed personalized itineraries and missions. After tapping the MagicBands on our wrists to check in, we watched a short introduction video and then boarded a simulated shuttle that left the planet. We watched through digital “windows” as we flew toward the Starcruiser. A moment later, the doors opened to the ship’s sleek, alabaster atrium.
The Starcruiser’s two-story central hub looked pristine, sparkling, and wonderful. Though I’d dressed as a battle-ready rebel, I wasn’t overly excited for a live-action, role-playing experience. Don’t get me wrong, I love theater in every way imaginable. But I worried about awkward moments when pretending to live in a Star Wars movie. However, the atrium’s grand and glorious glow melted away my most discerning feelings. This was better than a movie set — this was real.
Before I could catch my breath, a ship crew member whisked us away to our cabin. He asked if we were excited. I only mumbled an unintelligent response. My brain was too focused on the plush, crimson couches, followed by the glimmering gold interior of the elevator. Once we entered the hallway to our room, my heart skipped a beat. The geometric patterns and thick plastic designs evoked the Star Wars battleship — and I was Luke Skywalker roaming its corridors.
Inside the cabin, we found the same spaceship-style decor with typical hotel amenities — beds, a shower, and a vanity. However, there was a porthole that looked into a star-speckled galaxy and a droid that greeted us through a wall-mounted phone. Her name was D3-O9, and she worked as a virtual assistant. D3 could both understand and respond to our voices. Though the droid had some limitations — she couldn’t call the front desk, for example — D3 seemed to know a lot about the ship. Throughout our stay, she’d warmly greet us and give warnings about possible dangers ahead.
On the Galactic Starcruiser, guests can do as little or as much as they’d like. They can explore the ship, dine at the buffet, hang at the bar, go on missions, or even watch TV in their cabin (standard cable channels and all). Guests can also opt to role-play as a rebel or a First Order sympathizer, or they can just be Tammy from Orlando. Whatever the decision, a theatrical Star Wars storyline evolves throughout the voyage for both players and spectators.
The datapads — or iPhones — informed us of activities on our itinerary. We learned how to control the ship’s defense systems, tinker in the engine room, and wield a lightsaber. These experiences were brief — about 30–45 minutes — yet fulfilling. In many ways, the tasks reminded me of games you might play in virtual reality but without a required headset.
Dining on the Starcruiser felt either casual or incredibly fancy. All of the food appeared strange, alien, and delicious. Buffets were available for breakfast and lunch, with dishes like Fire Melted Cheese, Sunflower Butter Jelly, and a colorful Coco-Whip with hibiscus meringue. During the dinners — where many guests dressed in lavish, space-gala garb — we dined on Braised Bantha (steak), Glazed Tip Yip (chicken), and neon-blue Felucian Shrimp.
On the first night, Galactic superstar Gaya performed her greatest hits, dancing and singing around the dining hall like an entrancing alien lounge singer. The cantina-like Sublight Lounge had mixed drinks and a full bar for guests craving cocktails from a galaxy far, far away. Like the food, the mixed drinks had Star Wars-inspired names and flavors that were difficult to place.
Over the next two days, we met aliens, droids, and crew members who were on board with different motives. Soon we’d learn that interacting with each character could send us on assignments. Even when we left for an “excursion” to the planet Batuu (a well-themed vehicle carried us to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park), the datapad tasks continued our storylines. Though there were four of us, our different responses triggered separate missions. For example, I was the only one in my party invited by Captain Keevan to defend the Halcyon with blasters on the bridge.
Without giving away too much, all of our storylines brought an array of characters — including Chewbacca — into the experience. Everything came to a head with stunning theatrics and explosive action in the atrium. The level of special effects and emotional storytelling was everything that Star Wars fans should come to expect.
The most impressive part of this two-day adventure was its intimate nature. Disney created a small but complete theme park with attractions, unique food, characters, and excitement for just a few hundred guests at a time. There are only a hundred cabins on the Halcyon, so it never felt too busy or cluttered. In addition, Disney staffs an abundance of friendly Cast Members to take drink orders, answer questions, and play along with the storyline.
When we were in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, our MagicBands gave us express VIP access to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Even Oga’s Cantina — one of Disney World’s most popular dining spots — opened up a table for us within minutes, without having a reservation.
Let’s go back to that “Most Expensive Day Ever” shirt. . . It shouldn’t be a surprise that a stay on the Galactic Starcruiser comes with an enormous price tag. One cabin can cost over $6,000 for the entire stay. Though the price includes your room, food (not alcohol), entertainment, attractions, the excursion to Batuu, and valet parking, it’s a steep price — even for Disney.
I would have craved this experience as a kid, likely using every opportunity to pester my parents for a stay there. However, it’d certainly be out of the budget, especially if we planned to vacation elsewhere that year. Of course, missing out is sometimes a part of life, but it’s still a heavy feeling for most kids. To spend less at Walt Disney World, families often stay at one of Disney’s well-themed value resorts. Unfortunately, the extravagant Galactic Starcruiser has no less-expensive option.
I decided to split a cabin with friends to save on the cost. In the end, we spent just over $1,600 each for the entire two-night experience. Considering that hotel rooms near Disney parks can be over $700 a night (plus the cost of park tickets and dining), I’m not entirely surprised by the price. After all, the Galactic Starcruiser is a private theme park experience in Walt Disney World that lasts two days and doesn’t have any crowds. Where else can someone get that?
As for the Disney magic, I was too immersed onboard to even think about it. Still, all of the feelings rushed in at the very end after we pushed our bags into the hallway for collection. Now it was time to say goodbye to D3-O9. When she bid us farewell at the conclusion our adventure, I got a little choked up. Was I sad to say goodbye to a digital robot on a screen? Or was it the exciting Star Wars adventure that I’d miss? Whatever the case, it was clear that Disney delivered on its end.
