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The force is strong with Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration. The 18-monthlong festivities kicked off on Oct. 1 with plenty of new and exciting experiences for guests, but one highly-anticipated addition won’t be arriving until next year. Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser is scheduled to open on March 1, 2022 as part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration.”
“It is the opportunity to finally feel like you are living in a Star Wars universe,” Jared Sell, assistant project manager, Walt Disney Imagineering, told HOLA! USA of the forthcoming hotel at a special media preview for the 50th celebration.
General bookings for the adventure in a galaxy far, far away will begin Oct. 28, 2021. According to Jared, the hotel is the ultimate Star Wars experience, where guests will “now eat, sleep” and breathe Star Wars.
“We’re encouraging all of our guests to get fully dressed up and immersed in the story,” he said. “On day two, you’re gonna be taken transport down to Black Spire Outpost of Galaxy’s Edge and continuing your story there and those story elements will come back, so there’s a payoff for those who really invest their time in the story elements in Black Spire Outpost and will continue over when you come back to the Halcyon starcruiser.”
However, living your very own Star Wars story will cost a pretty penny. Standard cabin rates start at $4,809 total for two guests or $5,999 total for four guests (three adults and one child). Despite the high price point, Melanie Braunstein, marketing strategy manager, Walt Disney World Resort, noted that the experience will “absolutely” be worth it.
“The idea of this being a first-of-its-kind vacation experience, this is that opportunity for these Star Wars fans to go and not only feel like they’re living in the movies, but play a part in it,” Melanie said. “So the thing that’s really cool about this is just something that’s never been done before like this, is that the choices that you make along the way will influence how the events of your story unfold throughout your adventure.”
Although the vacation package does not include alcoholic and specialty beverages, meals are included as well as an exclusive data band (known as a MagicBands on Earth), lightsaber training, bridge operations training and the planet excursion to Batuu.
“In classic, Disney and Star Wars fashion, you set out on a perfect cruise voyage throughout the galaxy ,but this could be the voyage that goes horribly, horribly wrong. So you’ll just have to come aboard and find out what does that mean,” Jared teased.
Fans of the Star Wars franchise can look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting some new ones during the immersive adventure. Jared said, “There’s going to be a variety of things that will pay off for those longtime Star Wars fans, and then also ways that we’ve built it so that the new Star Wars fans or hopefully, you know, new Star Wars fans will be able to experience it.”