Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Halcyon Prepares to welcome first guests

The word is out that many Disney bloggers, travel writers, and video hosts have been invited to experience the all-new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World. The Disney Blog is among that group.

There is a small group of travel writers who were invited to have the full Star Wars hotel experience, but most, including us, are just getting a half-day tour of the hotel. Don’t get me wrong, we’re super-stoked to get invited even just for a tour.

The first paying guests will launch on their own adventure starting March 1, 2022. They’ll be invited into the Star Wars galaxy where their own Star Wars story will come to life. We covered what this guest experience will be like a year ago in this post.

My Star Wars story dates back to 1977 and seeing the original Star Wars movie in a small theater in Hazeldell, Washington. By the time I made it, word had gotten out and the line to see Luke, Princess Leia, Han Solo and C-3PO encircled the theater building entirely.

It was a fourplex with Star Wars playing in all four theaters, so the line moved pretty quick and before you knew it, I found myself in a galaxy far, far away. That summer all I wanted to do was go back and pretend I was in that amazing world created by George Lucas.

Three years ago, I got to visit the planet of Batuu and I stepped into that Star Wars galaxy in a real physical way for the first time. But as good as Disney’s imagineers and artists are, the outside world still intrudes from time to time.

Inside the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser you board the Halcyon and for the first time are in a full 360 immersive Star Wars environment, where every non-guest is a citizen of the Star Wars galaxy with their own stories to tell.

So yes, I’m excited to step into that world.

We’re embargoed from sharing our experiences until Friday morning, so you’ll have to stay tuned. But Disney has been given some outlets their own previews and a few pics have leaked out if you search around.

Disney also recently released a new video that talks about the story being told on the Starcruiser and shows a few spaces on the starcruiser in more detail. We’ve shared a few images from that video on this post and have embedded it below.

If you watched that other trailer, I urge you to give this new one a try and reset your expectations.

Yes, they’ve assigned a little homework for future passengers of the Halcyon. I’m sure it will help fill in some of the backstory of the ship, but you should also be able to enjoy your trip without having read the books or comic books.

My expectations are pretty high for the price Disney is charging guests, but I’m also realistic. This is role playing, it’s not meant to be the real thing, just a close enough facsimile that if you squint your eyes, you can believe you are actually on a space ship zooming across the galaxy. Even the best live action role play is still play acting. But that’s okay, that’s fun too.

Guests are encouraged to dress up in outfits that fit into the Star Wars galaxy. There’s a lot of leeway, but most weapons are prohibited. But again, it’s not required to dress up, it will just add to the experience if you do.

We’ll be back on Friday with reflections of our own experience onboard the Halcyon. We’re also hoping to interview a few of the imagineers and artists who worked on brining this experience to Orlando.

It’s very likely that I, like most of the people reading this blog, won’t be able to afford an adventure on the Galactic Starcruiser anytime soon. If you think it’s in your budget, please allow me to remind you that The Disney Blog is supported, in part, by travel bookings made by its readers with my spouse, Stacey Frost, who is is an authorized Disney travel planner (along with other Orlando attractions and most cruise lines). She would gladly help book your adventure and explain the ins and outs of creating magical Disney and Star Wars memories for you and your traveling companions. Fill out this form or email her and she will get back to you.