For Star Wars fans, experiencing what it would be like to be in a starship won't mean traveling to a galaxy far, far away, as Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, has gone public with the opening dates for the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Beginning in 2021, fans can experience a new type of "immersive vacation" in the form of a two night, cruise style itinerary, surrounded by Star Wars storytelling.
According to the website, guests will start their adventure from the Starcruiser Terminal, enter an exclusive launch pod to be transported to the Halcyon, the starcruiser. Holidaymakers will then be taken to the planet Batuu.
The cruise experience will start from the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and will take passengers to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Jeremy Schoolfield, managing editor for the Disney Parks Blog, writes that guests will remain "fully in-story" as they move from the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and back.
"It will connect you directly to a spaceport at Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, where the story you began in the starcruiser will continue and evolve while exploring the 14-acre land at Disney's Hollywood Studios," said Schoolfield.
Padawans and Jedis can also enjoy experiences such as :
- Navigate the cruiser from The Bridge and get to grips with the defense systems;
- Handle a lightsaber and release the inner Jedi Master within;
- Each passenger cabin will have a window into space, letting guests experience what it might be like to travel through space;
- Science lovers can visit the Engineering Room and learn about the inner workings of the spaceship;
- The Silver C Lounge is a place where adults and children can relax after a day of fun;
- Embark on an excursion to the Black Spire Outpost on Planet Batuu, as part of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge;
- Release the inner Han Solo and become a smuggler on the Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run; and
- Fight against the First Order in the Star Wars: Rise of Resistance.
This latest announcement joins the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which made its public debut yesterday (December 5, 2019), inside Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. Both these attractions are the latest chapters in the collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm Ltd.
While the specific dates for the opening have not yet been revealed nor prices for the experience, aspiring rebels can sign up to receive updates. Fans also can keep their thirst for adventure at bay with the last instalment of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hitting U.S. cinemas on December 20, 2019.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
About the writer
Sophia Waterfield is a reporter for Newsweek based at its London bureau. She has written for publications such as Metro UK, ... Read more