Disney's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel now has opening timeline
There's good news today for those who want to experience a 'galaxy far, far away.'
We're now one big step closer to being able to experience the immersive world of Star Wars. One of the most-anticipated additions to its Disney World Resort — Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. just released a new teaser video loaded with details -- including a spring 2022 opening timeframe.
This is in line with rumored opening dates that have circulated based on job postings for cast members and construction permits filed in recent months.
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The full video linked on the official Disney Parks Blog features Disney Imagineers talking through the creative process and some of the complexities behind building what is set to be the most immersive experience in existence for guests.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is a project more than five and a half years the making, and Scott Trowbridge, portfolio creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, said the storyline for the Starcruiser experience was developed alongside the storylines for other touchpoints and attractions at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
"We're inviting guests to step into a galaxy far, far away and live out a Star Wars story over two days and two nights," said Ann Morrow Johnson, executive producer and creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering.
That's right — while the story begins when you walk through the terminal and are transported to the bridge of the Starship Halcyon, you won't be spending the full experience onboard the ship.
Guests will be able to take special transport to the planet of Batuu (aka Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge inside Hollywood Studios) to explore and continue the story throughout the park. Guests will have the chance to 'fly' aboard the Millennium Falcon in the Smuggler's Run attraction and try and evade the First Order on Rise of the Resistance.
Both of those attractions play a part of the larger story that unfolds over the course of the experience.
Related: Guide to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney World
In the recently released video, Disney Imagineers also discussed how guests will have an opportunity to not only watch the story as it happens around them but will be able to truly step into roles and play a part in the story. Who you talk to, the missions you take on, the choices you make while aboard the ship and while on Batuu will shape your own unique experience in this epic story that will be told.
Do you want to be a fighter pilot that helps the resistance throughout your stay? You can come in full cosplay gear (as long as it meets Disney costume guidelines, of course) and live out that story.
Do you want to train as a Jedi? Grab your lightsaber and learn how you can tap into the Force.
Alternatively, you can also take a step back to simply watch the story as it happens around you while still getting a truly immersive and breathtaking experience that is unique to your journey onboard.
The goal was to create a dynamic experience that everyone can enjoy — regardless of their knowledge level inside the Star Wars galaxy.
"There's something for people who have loved the older movies or who are really into the TV shows or the novels or the graphic novels, those types of things. There's just a lot of different ways to access the content," said Anisha Deshmane, assistant producer at Walt Disney Imagineering.
Based on the discussion, it sounds like guests might also have access to exclusive deals for souvenirs or special experiences as a member of the Starcruiser passenger manifest.
Related: Everything we know about the Star Wars hotel
Could we see a May 4, 2022, official opening date for the Galactic Starcruiser? It's certainly possible that the opening will coincide with the unofficial May-the-Fourth Star Wars holiday, but there's no confirmation on the exact date beyond 'spring'.
But regardless of the exact opening date, it's clear that this experience will be unlike anything in this galaxy. Disney is taking the term "immersive" to a whole new level, inviting guests not only to experience the story first-hand but also play a unique role in a larger canon story that exists beyond the confines of the resort and the park gates.
"I think that's one of the things that's so special about Star Wars, right, is that there is that depth and breadth of storytelling within the galaxy far, far away," said Johnson. "It allows us to generate this completely new storyline that is specifically so that our guests can live out their stories within this piece of canon. But it really does touch and connect to movies, tv shows ... the land, and it all kind of interweaves with the history of the planets that we know and love."
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