A potentially disappointing report comes in from The Wrap as they claim that rather than preparing the galaxy for the return of the Halcyon and Galactic Starcruiser, the space will instead be utilised by Disney Imagineering as they continue to make large changes to the Orlando park.
Those looking for a return to the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the $1 billion “Star Wars”-themed hotel and experience that Disney opened on March 1, 2022 and closed the following September, will probably have to put that dream aside. As of now there are no signs that you’ll be able to return to a galaxy far, far away.
According to several sources, including an individual close to the company, the building that formerly housed the immersive adventure (located near Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World) is being converted into offices for Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive arm of the company responsible for theme park attractions, retail locations and cruise ships.
TheWrap had heard rumblings that the building was going to be potentially utilized for a several-hour-long dinner theater-type experience that would use the hotel’s lobby (used for key storytelling moments as part of the Galactic Starcruiser), bridge, bar and restaurant and that the gift shop would also remain open. But TheWrap has now been told, quite firmly, that the building will not be accessible to guests at all.
This likely has to do with how cumbersome it would be to shuttle guests to the Starcruiser building, which is in a backstage area of the park. When the hotel was open, themed shuttles would transport guests to and from Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the experience’s “away day” – where guests would have exclusive interactions in Disney’s “Star Wars”-themed land Galaxy’s Edge. Those shuttles could only carry a few guests at a time, which isn’t ideal if you’re trying to repurpose the space for a more inclusive dining experience.
If true – and this is far from confirmed – then it would be a terrible shame, as despite its perceived shortcomings and undoubted high cost, the Starcruiser experience was tremendous, and one that would be very welcome should it ever return.
