Cnet Review of New Star Wars Rides Disney World

Disney's Galactic Starcruiser lets you board a real-life replica of a Star Wars vessel, but information technology'll toll more than a few Republic credits.

Disney Parks

You tin live out your own space opera in the universe George Lucas created in 1977, with Disney's long-awaited Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser now open up to the public. This themed hotel sits in Florida's Disney World, where it accompanies Galaxy'south Edge (aka Star Wars Land).

The hotel has generated some controversy, particularly around its price tag. It costs at to the lowest degree $4,809 for a ii-night stay, and online sentiment for this attraction has varied from mildly hopeful to intensely critical. The criticism took a hard negative turn later on Disney released a promotional video in December. Some fans slammed the hotel'south look, the activities and the tone of the preview. The visitor deleted the video, just the harm was done, and some people said they canceled their reservations.

It doesn't help that information technology'south a primarily indoor attraction opening during a pandemic that forced Disney to shut its parks back in 2020. The company has too been weathering criticism for Genie Plus, its $15 to $20 a twenty-four hours alternative to FastPass.

Despite all this, the allure of a weekend in a galaxy far, far abroad (from your fiscal concerns) is unquestionable. Let's take a closer look at Galactic Starcruiser before you determine to splash out for this Star Wars experience.

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What is Galactic Starcruiser?

Information technology's a themed hotel designed to work with Galaxy's Edge to create an immersive experience at the Hollywood Studios park in Disney World, Florida. You stay for two nights, engaging in a bunch of Star Wars-y activities and taking a trip to the planet Batuu -- improve known every bit Milky way'southward Edge -- where you tin engage in unique missions and get guaranteed spots on rides like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance.

Your stay includes a ride on the Millennium Falcon.

Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNET

Disney described the attraction equally "part live immersive theater, part themed environment, role culinary extravaganza, part real-life role-playing game." You tin collaborate with characters on the cruiser and choose if you want to stick to the First Order's rules, aid out the Resistance in a cloak-and-dagger plot or work with the milky way's rogues.

You don't accept to engage with the narrative all the time, either. You tin can chill out whenever yous'd like. Information technology's supposed to be a holiday, after all.

Step Into Space Aboard Disney's Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Hotel

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When did Galactic Starcruiser open?

The hotel opened Tuesday, March 1.

How much does a stay on Galactic Starcruiser cost?

The cost varies depending on the number of guests and your choice of cabin, but it'll exist expensive. Disney's sample pricing shows two guests will pay $4,809 for a two-night trip, which works out at $1,209 per guest per night.

The toll per person drops as your party grows. Three guests (2 adults and i child) will cost $v,299 total, or $889 per guest per nighttime, and four guests (three adults and one child) will cost $6,000 total, or $749 per guest per night.

Those rates are for standard cabins, which can fit up to five people. Pricing for the fancier Galaxy Class Suite (which tin can suit four people) and Grand Captain Suite (which can fit up to 8) isn't immediately available on the website. Disney declined to comment further on those prices.

What happens during my Galactic Starcruiser stay?

The sample itinerary suggests your stay will exist pretty busy. Each activity lasts around xxx minutes, while dinner takes upward an hour and xxx minutes. Disney noted that story moments will occur unexpectedly, so there's clearly plenty of wiggle room within this interactive immersive theater experience.

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Day 1

You arrive at 1 p.m. and your afternoon includes transport orientation, light refreshments, learning how to play sabacc (the carte du jour game Han Solo and Lando Calrissian play in Solo), a muster (roll call) and the captain's reception.

The evening of day one volition be taken up with a dinner featuring live music and "outer rim regalia" (which sounds like a mode evidence).

This Twi'lek spent a lot of money to lath the Galactic Starcruiser.

Disney Parks/Screenshot by CNET

This volition exist followed by your commencement "unexpected" story moment, in which you pass some kind of test to join an elite smuggling ring or hibernate a stowaway to help the Resistance -- essentially joining a faction. It's unclear how many other choices y'all'll have, whether you'll be locked into this pick for later story moments or how extensively information technology'll change the remainder of your stay.

One time this is washed, y'all can take bridge training and enjoy special atrium entertainment until 8:45 p.m. After that, it would appear yous're complimentary to wander the ship as yous please.

Day 2

Hope you didn't wander the transport too late, since breakfast is at vii a.thou. It's followed by a morning trip to Batuu (Galaxy'due south Edge) and a guaranteed entry to Ascent of the Resistance.

Your next story moment comes after this, with Disney suggesting you might broker a deal for a heist or arrange to steal a ship from the Outset Order.

Star Wars land: Everything we saw at Disneyland'due south Milky way's Edge

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Then yous'll be able to ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler'southward Run and have dejeuner at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. This lunch credit gets you lot a repast at another participating Disney's Hollywood Studios restaurant if you prefer, only that would break the Star Wars immersion.

You'll return to the Halcyon in the afternoon and tin can appoint in lightsaber training, a droid racing contest, model ship building and a sabacc tournament before dinner.

Tonight will be taken upwards with cocktails and the Sense of taste Effectually the Galaxy dinner, before what sounds like the climactic story moment in which you can put your heist in motion or bring a stolen ship aboard.

The feel ends with a "spectacular finale" that runs until 11 p.m, only it'due south unclear what that will be. Nigh likely, the bandage you lot've spent the past 2 days with will bow as John Williams' The Throne Room from A New Promise'south medal ceremony plays.

Twenty-four hours 3

Breakfast runs for an 60 minutes starting at viii:30 a.grand., earlier you return to the terminal at ix:30 a.m. This one barely counts, but you'll accept a few minutes to live out your Star Wars fantasies before going dorsum to reality.

What kind of nutrient is served on Galactic Starcruiser?

Galaxy's Edge gave united states an idea of Disney's Star Wars-inspired meals, and a Galactic Starcruiser package includes two breakfasts, 2 lunches, two dinners and one quick-service meal (which includes an entree and drink) per guest. Exterior this, nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages will cost actress.

Disney's Star Wars land food: Everything to eat and drink in Galaxy's Edge

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You'll eat in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room, with breakfast and tiffin sounding like standard hotel fare (with some thematically suitable blue milk).

The dinners seem more theatrical, with the first night including "a special musical appearance past a galactic superstar." Mean solar day two'southward meal has a Taste Effectually the Milky way theme and includes three courses "inspired by the geography and environments of iconic destination planets throughout the galaxy." So you can expect Tatooine toasties, Coruscant cheese and Mon Calamari crustaceans or something like that.

What'south this I hear about a realistic lightsaber?

Yous might encounter Rey during your stay, and she'll wield Disney'due south fancy new lightsaber with retractable, internally illuminated blade. Y'all won't be able to swing information technology around though; the ones y'all utilise for lightsaber preparation take the more traditional light-up plastic sticks (which are pretty cool, but not new).

Is Galactic Starcruiser worth it?

CNET'south Bridget Carey got to experience the whole thing ahead of its public opening and documented her stay in an epic video.

"The Halcyon, where most of the action takes place in Disney's Galactic Starcruiser experience, isn't but an expensive Star Wars hotel with absurd cocktails," she wrote. "I'm in a living video game with multiple story paths. Improv actors are buzzing about in makeup, getting stage direction from earpieces and remembering little details about what I've been upward to. Actors reveal a piece of themselves with every chat, some scripted and others improvised."

Fans balked at the pricing when it was revealed concluding summer, and $5,000 to $half dozen,000 is unquestionably a massive investment for a 2-night hotel stay. If you're adamant to have a Disney-themed vacation, you could spend multiple days at 1 of its parks for a fraction of the price.

I realize at present Disney didn't make the Galactic Starcruiser for Star Wars lovers. They made it for rich people who retrieve Star Wars is nifty.

— DisCounselor Dantopia (@DisCounselor) December ten, 2021

Does Galactic Starcruiser have an in-universe story?

It certain does. The luxury starcruiser is known as the Halcyon, a Corellian MPO-1400 operated by Chandrila Star Line, and it's designed to cater to the Star Wars galaxy's fancy folk.

Marvel'south Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy dives into the vessel's history.

Curiosity Comics

"You'll voyage to the far reaches of the galaxy in legendary comfort and way," reads Disney's in-universe blurb. "Recently refurbished and reoutfitted, the starcruiser combines modern conveniences with the romance of the age of exploration."

This vessel has operated for hundreds of years in-universe, since it'south shown upward during recent stories set in the Loftier Commonwealth era (around 200 years before The Phantom Menace) and the Galactic Starcruiser narrative takes place between the events of The Last Jedi and The Ascent of Skywalker. This places it during the war with the Commencement Gild, which starts xxx years after Return of the Jedi (or 64 years later The Phantom Menace).

Its history is being explored in Marvel'south Halcyon Legacy comic series, which will run into characters like Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala and Lando Calrissian getting into adventures on the starship across diverse eras.

The Halcyon was designed past Shug Drabor, who'due south an Anzellan like the beloved Babu Frik from The Ascent of Skywalker. He's shown up in the first issue of Halcyon Legacy and contempo High Democracy-era novel Midnight Horizon.

Information technology'll also be the location of Leia Organa and Han Solo's honeymoon, before long later the events of Return of the Jedi. That story volition be told in novel The Princess and the Scoundrel, which comes out Aug. 16.

Volition people wear costumes for Galactic Starcruiser?

They sure will, and Disney encourages it. Star Wars cosplay is a staple of conventions, then many fans already have costumes and in that location are plenty of tips for making your own.

You lot tin too society an outfit from ShopDisney.com if you have a Starcruiser reservation tied to the email address associated with your ShopDisney account. These look loftier-quality, but they are expensive.

CNET's Bridget Carey contributed to this report.

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Source: https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/star-wars-galactic-starcruiser-explained-what-to-know-about-disney-pricey-sci-fi-hotel/

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