Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

In April 2017, Disney contracted the website Swagbucks to survey visitors in order to gauge interest in a possible Star Wars-themed hotel. As a result of the survey, Disney decided to approve such a hotel, with a visitor experience based on the Star Wars storyline.^[6][7] Plans for the Star Wars hotel were announced at D23 Expo 2017 in Anaheim, California,^[8] unveiled along with 22 other improvements and additions to Disney parks around the world.^[9] At D23 Expo 2019, it was revealed that the hotel would be called the Halcyon and would be a two-night immersive experience where all guests arrive and depart together, similar to a cruise line.^[10][11]

The planned 2021 opening of the Star Wars hotel^[12] was delayed to March 1, 2022, by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[1][13]

Bob Chapek said the Star Wars hotel would be Disney's "most experiential concept ever".^[12] Chapek described the hotel as an "100% immersive" experience that "will culminate in a unique journey for every person who visits."^[14] Planned features included creatures and droids acting as certain hotel staff; guests wearing Star Wars costumes; and an ability to interact with features of the hotel as if visitors were really in the Star Wars universe.^[15] Visitors would also be able to have lightsaber training and duels (an extension of the Jedi Training Academy in Disney's Hollywood Studios^[6]); explore and pilot Star Wars spacecraft; and go on "secret missions" personalized toward the visitors' experience.^[16] These concepts were modified into droids participating as crew members, and lightsaber training solely on the ship for passengers. Instead of piloting the ship, passengers were able to partake in "Bridge Ops" training.^[17]

One writer for The Verge called the planned hotel a "Westworld for Star Wars fans," noting the hotel amenities that would facilitate the immersive-hotel experience.^[15] Mic compared the planned hotel to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and Universal Orlando's Cabana Bay Beach Resort, two hotels containing immersive experiences, though to a lesser extent.^[18] Estimates of the cost to build the hotel varied, from as low as $350 million^[19] to as high as $1 billion.^[20]

In May 2023, Disney announced that the Galactic Starcruiser would have its last two-day voyage on September 28, and then close permanently.^[21] The Galactic Starcruiser officially closed at 10 a.m. on September 30, 2023.^[22] At the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Communications Conference in May 2023, Chairman Josh D'Amaro claimed that Disney was expecting "about $100-150 million in accelerated depreciation” in the following two fiscal quarters -amounting to $200-300 million total- due to the closure.^[23] This number was later revised and confirmed by Interim CFO Kevin Lansberry to be $250 million.^[24]

Early renderings of the project in 2017 showed that the new hotel would be shaped like a Star Wars starship.^[9][16] Renderings also showed a lobby in the style of a Star Wars spaceship interior.^[25] On May 30, 2018, it was announced that the hotel would be located just south of Disney's Hollywood Studios, to the east of World Drive.^[26] Valet parking was available for guests arriving in personal vehicles (no self-parking), or guests could use other means, such as ride sharing or a taxi. A driveway connected the Starcruiser's main terminal to the Cast parking lot of Disney's Hollywood Studios.^[27]

Guests would stay on the ship, named the Halcyon, for two days and two nights.^[28] The minimum room rate was $4,800 for two people.^[29] The guest rooms contained full-size bunk beds and a queen-sized bed; some rooms also had a pull-down to sleep a fifth guest in the style of Star Wars bunkers.^[25][6] The cost included the room, ongoing entertainment, food and drinks (excluding alcoholic beverages), admission and transportation to Hollywood Studios, lightning lanes for the Galaxy's Edge attractions, a quick-service meal credit for DHS, valet parking, and a MagicBand.^[30] Guests were able to leave the Starcruiser at any point throughout their stay.^[31] Visitors could choose to participate in a specific story line through the Play Disney Parks mobile app.^[32] Guests were only allowed to stay for two nights, and the minimum room rate was $4,800 for two people.^[33][29]

The Halcyon was described as containing thirteen decks, with only four being "available" to passengers: 4, 5, 6, and 7. Deck 4 contained the Crown of Corellia Dining Room, the Lightsaber Training Pod, the Climate Simulator, the Transport Dock to Batuu, the Cargo Hold, the Brig, and the Engineering Room. Deck 6 contained the Atrium, which led to the Bridge, the Sublight Lounge, the Chandrila Collection (souvenir shop), and the Passenger Services' Desk. Decks 4, 5, and 7 hosted the guest cabins.^[34] On their second day, guests at the hotel traveled directly to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge by a "shuttle-pod transportation system", which in reality was a cargo box that was placed on a flatbed box truck. The interior resembled a shuttle spacecraft that ferried guests between the hotel and Hollywood Studios while maintaining the illusion of traveling from space to the planet's surface and back.^[35] The shuttle-pod terminal in Galaxy's Edge was located next to the First Order ship in Docking Bay 9. The walkway that led to the shuttle-pod is still visible, though unavailable to guests.

The story followed the Halcyon crew and passengers as they celebrated the 275th anniversary of the starline.^[36] The ship's itinerary coincided with Resistance activity, which caused the First Order to board and investigate.^[37] Guests were able to chose which storyline they wanted to participate in: Resistance, Smuggler, or First Order.^[38]

Deck 4:

•  
  Crown of Corellia Dining Room
•  
  Lightsaber Training
•  
  Climate Simulator

Deck 6:

•  
  Atrium
•  
  The Chandrila Collection
•  
  Starcruiser Bridge
•  
  Sublight Lounge

Deck 7:

•  
  Deck 7 corridor
•  
  Guestroom

Early photos of the Halcyon's small, windowless cabins went viral before the hotel opened to the public, with many commentators on Twitter complaining that they were not a suitable luxury accommodation.^[39] After the hotel's opening, the high price was still criticized. Esquire wrote that "the real villain here is Galactic Starcruiser's Death Star-sized price tag", which ran up to $6,000 for a family of four, and that the small rooms did not quite justify the high prices.^[40] One commentator said its high prices had kept many from visiting even once, while the lone storyline offered to guests dissuaded them from visiting twice.^[33]

In November 2022, the Galactic Starcruiser won a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association for outstanding achievement in brand experience.^[41]

In May 2024, a long-form review of the Galactic Starcruiser by YouTuber Jenny Nicholson went viral.^[42][43] Nicholson detailed her own experience with the hotel, mainly noting issues with customer service and glitches in the app that prevented her from engaging with the story. In Nicholson's opinion, the Starcruiser experience failed to justify the hotel's high cost.^[43] Nicholson speculated that early reviews of the Starcruiser were based on a press tour that only lasted four hours, where aspects such as the app were described by tour guides rather than experienced by the reviewers; this was confirmed by Polygon reviewer Charlie Hall, who noted he and others were never shown the app.^[44] Nicholson later revealed on Twitter that her video received copyright claims by Disney for the usage of "the music playing in the background of the marketing clips" that she used in the video.^[45]

•   Media related to Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Wikimedia Commons
• "The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel" - video essay by Jenny Nicholson

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