Ouannii, a Rhodesian musician, is aboard the Halcyon with the galactic star Gaia.
Disney
Disney World’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a two-day hotel experience, is closing and will make its final cruise in September after only being open for more than a year.
The experience blends elements from the company’s resorts, cruise lines and theme parks for a 48-hour journey into space. The Galactic Starcruiser first opened during the Disney D23 Expo in 2019 and will be located near the company’s Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida in March 2022.
The cost of the trip is about $1,200 per person, per day, with family packages coming in at nearly $6,000 for the two-day trip. This can be a hard number to swallow, especially considering that a typical Disney vacation for a family of four can cost a lot for a weeklong trip, depending on hotel and restaurant options.
However, the Galactic Starcruiser has been lauded as a dream come true for fans looking for the ultimate Star Wars experience. The two-day trip includes a hotel room, all food and beverages except alcoholic and specialty drinks, a day trip to the Hollywood Studios theme park, Magic Band and valet parking on delivery.
However, the Galactic Starcruiser is more than just a hotel. It is an immersive experience. Travelers spend their time on Halcyon meeting new characters and aligning themselves with the light or dark side.
The main gist of the overarching story goes like this: You are a passenger on a Star Cruiser for a two-day cruise. During that voyage, an Officer First Class and several stormtroopers boarded the ship to root out Resistance spies. Alongside these bad guys are spies, musicians, rebels, and reluctant heroes, all of which make up a Star Wars story.
And of course, some familiar faces also appear, including Chewbacca, Rey, and Kylo Ren.
The experience has earned some of the highest guest satisfaction ratings in Walt Disney World history and earned Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in Themed Entertainment.
However, the boutique hotel proved too pricey for the general Star Wars fan.
“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most innovative projects ever and has been lauded by our guests and recognized for setting a new standard for innovation and immersive entertainment,” the company said in a statement. “This distinct, boutique experience has given us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale than 100 rooms, and as we prepare for its final journey, we will take what we have learned to create future experiences that can reach even more of our guests and fans.”
Disney reportedly spent $2 billion building the two Star Wars immersive parks in Florida and California — though it’s unclear if the cost of building the Starcruiser is included in the amount.
