Earlier this week, a select group of Star Wars and Disney Parks ‘influencers’ were invited to journey to Galactic Starcruiser and spend four hours experiencing life aboard the Halcyon and – now the embargo has dropped – they’re able to give their thoughts and opinions on what they saw, and what people laying down their hard-earned cash for a two-day stay aboard the vessel can expect. There’s commentary from friends of ours, from faces we’re not so familiar with and everything in-between, and this will be continually updated so stay tuned for many of those thoughts and opinions here on Fantha Tracks.
SF Gate looked at the reviews of the more prominent invited guests, mixing the positive with the negative and mostly coming to the conclusion that the more one ‘buys into’ the adventure on offer the more they will get out of the experience (and therefore more out of the money they’ve spent).
Reviews so far are generally positive — particularly praised are the character actors who carry the experience — with a few caveats. Because the hotel itself, called the Halcyon, is supposed to be a luxury cruise ship in space, the biggest complaint is that rooms are small and cramped. Standard rooms have a queen bed, bunk beds and an additional pullout sleep space, which means it is theoretically able to sleep five adults. But most reviews agreed it would feel tight with even three people, especially considering the bathroom only has a single sink. And unlike other luxury hotels, there are no typical amenities like a pool or spa.
Disney Food Blog were less thrilled with the experience.
“Disney went all-in on an experience that seemingly puts only the wealthiest guests inside a windowless bunker for two full days.”
Around the Galaxy held a livestream with guest Terri Peters, senior lifestyle editor at Yahoo! who was there for the preview.
Terri Peters, Senior Lifestyle Editor at Yahoo! was on the Halcyon at the #StarWars #GalacticStarCruiser this week and we sit down with her to get the good, the bad and the #Jedi – LIVE! Bring your questions
The New York Times were there, giving their thoughts on the experience.
Carina Ja had a skeptical look on her face as she glanced around the lobby of her Walt Disney World hotel.
Checking in had been a cinch. But staffers were now bombarding her with a bizarre greeting (“Good journey!”) as part of a role-playing game, the parameters of which were not entirely clear. Suddenly, a siren sounded, red lights flashed and Stormtroopers appeared with blaster rifles brandished.
Ms. Ja’s side-eye turned to a smile. “That’s actually kind of perfect,” she said. “But I still don’t know if Disney is going to pull this off. It’s easy to get ‘Star Wars’ wrong, as we’ve seen with their last three movies.”
Ouch. An uncompromising “Star Wars” fan is she — exactly the type of person Disney is targeting with its latest Florida attraction, one that reflects a push by the company to create premium offerings that appeal to guests who want a more intimate experience: more high-end personalization, less waiting in line with the sweaty masses.
Jedi News were on the ground at the event, collating their social media coverage into an article on the site that will be updated as they post.
This was our first trip abroad since COVID-19 struck in March 2020, halting travel from the UK to the USA for 19 months. I was able to bring two guests with me, and I chose my sons Daniel (aged 22) and Jonathan (aged 19) who had never been to Batuu before. It was a truly amazing experience, and there really is nothing else like this as it takes entertainment to a whole new level. There is far too much to cover in one article and over the coming days we will share images, podcasts, videos and a full review of our experiences.
One of the most respected voices in the Star Wars galaxy, Amy Ratcliffe from Nerdist gave her thoughts.
When Disney revealed pricing for Galactic Starcruiser last August, it had an impact. Probably not the one Disney wanted. A sample price for two people in a standard cabin is $4,809. It’s a lot of money. A price that certainly sets expectations at a high level. So the question that pops up repeatedly is: is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser worth the money?
The question is tough to answer. For one thing, I experienced Galactic Starcruiser as part of a complimentary press preview. Is a free trip worth it? Of course. But also, whether something is “worth” it is wildly subjective and depends upon a number of individual factors.
If you love Star Wars and want to commit to this experience in full by wearing costumes and interacting with characters and living your best Star Wars life, you’ll enjoy yourself. You will one hundred percent need to collapse into a pile and rest at the end of your voyage, but I believe you will walk away feeling Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was worth the cost.
Laughing Place have already posted a superb array of videos looking at all aspects of the experience over at their YouTube Channel.
Main Entrance and Launch Pod | Atrium / Sublight Lounge / Bridge Tour | Captain’s Muster (Spioilers) | Engineering Room and First Order Mission (Spoilers) | Cabin Tour and D3-09 | Bridge Training (Spoilers) | First Order Siege (Spoilers) | Lightsaber Training | Climate Simulator | TIE Fighter Attack | Crown of Corellia and Gaya (Spoilers) | Merchandise Tour | Food Tour | Drinks Tour | LIVE Debriefing | Finale
Simplemost brought us this look at what’s on offer, explaining the immersive, interactive elements of the Halcyon.
If you’re looking to unplug on your family vacation, this is not the trip you’re looking for. In-cabin screens are fun, but your phone is the most important piece of tech you’ll need. For the full Galactic Starcruiser experience, staying engaged with your Datapad (aka smart device with the Play Disney Parks app and your linked Galactic Starcruiser reservation), is essential.
Every member of your party should have a Datapad and a profile — kids under 13 without an account on My Disney Experience can get set up for one with a parent’s permission. Those who don’t have a smartphone can actually request one for use during the voyage.
Once you’ve linked your Starcruiser reservation in My Disney Experience, your personalized itinerary will show up in a special section of the Play Disney Parks app.
DIS Unplugged were another outlet invited and brought us this report.
Charlie Ridgely of Comic Book was impressed by the scope of the venture.
Disney’s new Star Wars #GalacticStarcruiser is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, insanely immersive and surprisingly character driven. It’s the pinnacle journey for any huge Star Wars fan, which makes it a shame it’s so expensive. pic.twitter.com/H3HKNx6WCp
— Charlie Ridgely (@charlieridgely) February 25, 2022
Theme Park Review bring us this concise run through every corner of Galactic Starcruiser.
Clayton Sandell of Newsy brings us this video of his time on the Halcyon, giving a flavour of what folks can expect to see.
https://twitter.com/Clayton_Sandell/status/1497208510014279687
Clayton also asked the big question – the bantha in the room – the hefty cost to Disney creative executives Wendy Anderson and Ann Morrow Johnson.
The bantha in the room: the #StarWars #GalacticStarcruiser is quite expensive ($4,800 to $6,000 per voyage), and for many fans, it’s out of reach. Here’s how Disney creative execs Wendy Anderson and Ann Morrow Johnson answered when I asked if the experience is “worth it”. @Newsy pic.twitter.com/4EiwThBe2h
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) February 25, 2022
Dan Zehr was there, and as well as covering the event he also celebrates 500 episodes of Coffee With Kenobi, which you can listen to below.
Charlie Hall gave his thoughts on Galactic Starcruiser over at Polygon.
This week, Polygon was invited to Walt Disney World for an abbreviated four-hour preview of what would normally be a 60-hour-plus experience. What we found isn’t Westworld, not by a long shot. The narrative isn’t dynamic so much as elastic. You can’t steer the story off course by sheer force of will, push the bad guy out an airlock, or hook up with a robot. However, if you put in the effort, you will experience moments of profoundly intimate immersive theater.
It’s far from perfect. I found that the facility itself feels tiny, at times verging on claustrophobic. The price point — roughly $5,000 for a family of four for a two-night stay — puts it well out of reach for many American households. And the actual hotel experience of it all would fall flat without the cast of characters, a team of skilled, tireless actors who help bring this corner of the galaxy to stunning life. In spite of those flaws, it’s an experience I’ll always remember, something of a dream come true for a Star Wars fan.
Peter and Kitra at Ordinary Adventures bring us this full tour and extensive look at the experience.
Joel Cunningham reporting for Gizmodo had his own concerns regarding the tone of the experience.
The concept of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is that that it’s a two-night hotel stay combined with a two day Star Wars LARP (that’s Live Action Role Playing, for those not caught up with your immersive-experience lingo). You are a guest onboard the luxury starship Halcyon, a passenger ship celebrating its 275th year in space (which appears to fall somewhere between the end of The Last Jedi and the start of The Rise of Skywalker, much like its predecessor at the Disney Parks, Galaxy’s Edge). Think of it like the QE2, but with more droids. You’re there to relax, take advantage of the shipboard amenities, enjoy some fine food, and be serenaded at dinner by a galactic pop superstar (kinda like Cher, if Cher was a Twi’lek). Unfortunately, your peaceful journey is interrupted by a visit from the First Order, investigating rumors of Resistance activity onboard.
Across two nights, you’ll be both an observer to and a participant in the narrative that unfolds from there, and get to know a colorful cast of new but familiar Star Wars archetype characters along the way (which isn’t to say appearances by more familiar faces is out of the question; Disney owns the rights to all of them, after all).
Charlotte and Caitlin of Skytalkers bring us their thoughts on Galactic Starcruiser in their latest episode, STAR WARS: GALACTIC STARCRUISER REACTION & EXPERIENCE.
Bridget Carey at CNet looks at the experience in this fascinating video.
ResortTV1 were also there, bringing us this video package of their time on the Halcyon.
Fangirls Going Rogue are bringing their coverage of the experience across 2 days, today and tomorrow over at their Instagram feed, so be sure to head over there and check it out.
Stay tuned as we continue to update this article with more reviews: to paraphrase a wise Sith lord ‘this is just the beginning’.
