STAR WARS: GALACTIC STARCRUISER Official Information & Questions Thread

[GADisneyDad14]

It’s difficult to read the tag, Chadsworth & Haig? Chads-something & Haig, lol

Ha! I was at Poly the other day in a room that has robes (CL room) and took 10 pics of the label so I could remember the brand and I can't read any of them. Chad____ & Haig there too. Or something like that.

 

[Vickie1016]

Hi everyone. Sorry in advance if this has been asked & answered.

Once our lightsaber training and bridge training are scheduled & the times show on our data pad, is there a way to switch the times prior to arrival? Or is it best to wait till we board on Day 1 and speak to CM in person?

Just want to be prepared in case the scheduled time slots overlap with something on board that we might want to take part in or are right before our schedule photo session. Thanks in advance! Everyone has been so helpful here!

 

[floribr1]

Hi everyone. Sorry in advance if this has been asked & answered.

Once our lightsaber training and bridge training are scheduled & the times show on our data pad, is there a way to switch the times prior to arrival? Or is it best to wait till we board on Day 1 and speak to CM in person?

Just want to be prepared in case the scheduled time slots overlap with something on board that we might want to take part in or are right before our schedule photo session. Thanks in advance! Everyone has been so helpful here!

Yes, you can request to have your pre-scheduled events moved to another time. I wouldn't wait until you arrive... Call the Starcruiser number (or have your TA call) to see what your options are.

 

[Vickie1016]

Yes, you can request to have your pre-scheduled events moved to another time. I wouldn't wait until you arrive... Call the Starcruiser number (or have your TA call) to see what your options are.

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Wow, thanks for replying! Enjoy your cruise! (Am I right in assuming you’re there?)

We just finished today, yes we had a good time thanks!

I guess for others reading the thread I'll throw in my 2 cents regarding my thoughts on the experience.

I thought it was well executed overall, the actors and CMs were great. We didn't try too hard to interact with the crew, but I could see that the actors went out of their way to try to connect with people, they remembered a lot peoples names, and details about them, etc. I could seem them huddling with other passengers scheming and such. The "bad guy" was especially great.

Food presentation was very nice, tasted pretty good also. Our server at dinner did a good job.

Rooms/decor was good. My kids loved the design of the bunk beds. Rooms were not large but actually bigger than I thought they were going to be.

We did the photo package but haven't gotten our pictures yet, we'll see how that turns out.

The cost of course is the big issue. It's hard to say whether it would be "worth it" for everyone, it's hard to outright recommend a $5k+ 2 night experience without reservations to everyone no matter how good it is. But it was a very unique experience. My wife and I certainly have no regrets and had a good time. We aren't hardcore Star Wars fans by any means, though I've seen all the movies, I don't think my wife has ever seen Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi, lol. But she was sad when it was over. Kids loved it too of course but they don't care about the price, lol.

 

[robert_j]

We just finished today, yes we had a good time thanks!

I guess for others reading the thread I'll throw in my 2 cents regarding my thoughts on the experience.

I thought it was well executed overall, the actors and CMs were great. We didn't try too hard to interact with the crew, but I could see that the actors went out of their way to try to connect with people, they remembered a lot peoples names, and details about them, etc. I could seem them huddling with other passengers scheming and such. The "bad guy" was especially great.

Food presentation was very nice, tasted pretty good also. Our server at dinner did a good job.

Rooms/decor was good. My kids loved the design of the bunk beds. Rooms were not large but actually bigger than I thought they were going to be.

We did the photo package but haven't gotten our pictures yet, we'll see how that turns out.

The cost of course is the big issue. It's hard to say whether it would be "worth it" for everyone, it's hard to outright recommend a $5k+ 2 night experience without reservations to everyone no matter how good it is. But it was a very unique experience. My wife and I certainly have no regrets and had a good time. We aren't hardcore Star Wars fans by any means, though I've seen all the movies, I don't think my wife has ever seen Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi, lol. But she was sad when it was over. Kids loved it too of course but they don't care about the price, lol.

Thank you! Did you get Memory Maker too or just the photo package? I have been on the fence.

 

[slg]

Any idea when January 2023 pricing will come out? Any guess on whether they might be less than December 30?

 

[amyg1]

I have some logistical questions about the last day. When is breakfast? When can you leave? And what do you do about your luggage?

My husband is a runner. He's going to not run on the second day, but he wants to get a run in the third day. I am worried about him not having a shower available. Would it be possible for him to go for a run outside the hotel on that morning, come back and shower?

We are thinking about staying at the Swan or Dolphin. I'm guessing we have to take our luggage to the new hotel at the end. If we stay at a Disney hotel, could we get the luggage transferred and head right to a park? Or do we need to plan to drop at the new hotel either way? And I don't think there is any bus transportation, so do we just assume we are using a ride share?

Thanks!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I meant to ask this when I was there, but I would be surprised if they allow running on the Starcruiser grounds. I guess maybe you could see if they’d let you just do endless laps around the front drive lanes, but outside of that there aren’t public sidewalks that are available so there’s physically nowhere to really run.

I don’t officially know if that’s the right answer and maybe someone who has actually tried can chime in, but it seems to me that would be the case.

Somewhat related, I do think not including a small gym was perhaps not the right decision. I know we would have appreciated having one during our journey.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

I have some logistical questions about the last day. When is breakfast? When can you leave? And what do you do about your luggage?

My husband is a runner. He's going to not run on the second day, but he wants to get a run in the third day. I am worried about him not having a shower available. Would it be possible for him to go for a run outside the hotel on that morning, come back and shower?

We are thinking about staying at the Swan or Dolphin. I'm guessing we have to take our luggage to the new hotel at the end. If we stay at a Disney hotel, could we get the luggage transferred and head right to a park? Or do we need to plan to drop at the new hotel either way? And I don't think there is any bus transportation, so do we just assume we are using a ride share?

Thanks!

Breakfast is 7-10 AM IIRC. You can either take a grab and go or eat at the buffet. You can leave your luggage outside your room at 8 AM if you want someone to take it, or you can leave it in your room but then you have to take it out yourself (which isn't a huge deal). You must leave your room by 9:45 AM. I don't remember the earliest you can leave, my wife thinks it was 6 AM, though I'm guessing if your really wanted to, you could leave whenever you wanted, not like they are going to keep you prisoner there, lol.

Like GADisneyDad, I am doubtful they would allow you to leave the hotel to run outside and come back. The way the place is set up and the location of it just wouldn't make a lot of sense.

I believe they will pay for a taxi when you leave to your next hotel. I did not do this (we had a rental car), but I suspect you would need to take the taxi with your luggage to your next hotel, and then drop off your luggage yourself, then go to the park.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Thank you! Did you get Memory Maker too or just the photo package? I have been on the fence.

We actually didn't purchase the photo package ourselves, we traveled with another family and they purchased the photo package for all 8 of us. I didnt see any other photographers there to use the Memory Maker for, unless you took pictures at Hollywood Studios, so we did not buy it.

 

[slg]

Can you book a trip and then move it to another date if it is before the 90 days? Can you cancel if it is before the 90 days and get a full refund?

 

[Chris401]

I would move it to the next day, if possible. At that time, people are all over the ship, doing various trainings, meeting cast members, and getting involved in the story. We had our photo session at 12 on Day 2 and we had the entire place (minus the Dining Room) to ourselves. We came back a bit early, freshened up for the shoot, changed out of costumes and ate lunch, and then headed back to Batuu.

A few odds and ends as I am planning for our trip next month.



I noticed last week that our trip dates in June were open for booking again, most likely because of a cancelation, so I called and sure enough there was a photo experience available. So definitely keep checking if like us you missed it! We have been using the Available Voyage Dates calendar on the website as a guide for when we should call again. It would be great to do the portrait experience on day 2, but I am taking what I can get at this point, which is day 1 at 8:00.

I would think there are pros and cons to the various times. It sounds like there may be story elements happening during our window on day 1, and that the ship will be crowded. On the other hand, we will be at our freshest in terms of energy, the look of our outfits, and so forth. Day 2 in the afternoon might mean a less crowded ship, but I suspect we will not be looking our best after the June Florida sun, and I do not want to rush the family back from Batuu to freshen up for a photo shoot. But we did not have a choice, so I am grateful for what I could get.

Thanks! I was able to move it to Day 2 at 4pm.

 

[Chris401]

I can't say for sure about the mixology classes. I think our cruise, or the one before it was the first to offer this and we didn't find out about it until we were in line to get on the ship. My guess though would be that they'd offer them for booking in advance. It's more fair that way (you don't have to be first in line to get on the ship to book it), and one less headache for the CMs to worry about while getting people in.

An 8:30 PM portrait experience on day 1 isn't ideal in my opinion because there will likely be parts of the ship that are off limits (like the bridge if people are doing bridge training), or otherwise crowded with people trying to do missions (like the cargo bay corridor where we had some pretty cool pics taken.

I think the best time to do the portrait experience (based on our experience) is mid afternoon of day 2. It might mean coming back from Batuu early, but that's when the ship will be the most empty and the least will be going on.

Alternately you could try for the morning of day 2 when people are leaving for Batuu. I'm not sure what hours are available to book. I also don't think there's any rule about returning from Batuu and then going back. Like if you booked a 12 PM session, went to Batuu at 8, came back for your session, and then headed back to Batuu afterwards for a few hours.

Thanks, this advice helped motivate us to keep trying!

 

[mousedroid]

I don't remember the earliest you can leave, my wife thinks it was 6 AM, though I'm guessing if your really wanted to, you could leave whenever you wanted, not like they are going to keep you prisoner there, lol.

The friend who stayed with us had an early flight and left the Star Cruiser a little before 5 AM. She had to schlep her own luggage at that time of day though.

 

[amyg1]

Thanks! We'll try to come up with a different plan.

 

[karmacats]

Can you book a trip and then move it to another date if it is before the 90 days? Can you cancel if it is before the 90 days and get a full refund?

Yes and yes. We just moved a trip from sept to dec. As long as you're before the date you needed to be paid in full, there is no charge to change dates, and you'll get a refund of your deposit if you cancel. If you just change dates you keep your original booking number, which can be important if you bought non-disney travel insurance.

 

[jrgutknecht]

We finished our journey on the 9th and I’m still processing it but wanted to share the highlights and a couple frustrating things to help future passengers or those contemplating a journey.

We’re huge Star Wars fans and created our own characters and backstories and spent way too much time creating custom costumes (but enjoyed every minute of it along the way). We consider ourselves fortunate to have gone and wanted to experience this before it changes.

no spoilers

We most enjoyed getting to meet and know like minded Star Wars and Disney fans. We lucked out with our dinner seating neighbors and met the most intelligent and articulate 8 year old ever who put our Star Wars knowledge to the test! Those who were in character and those just enjoying it were all amazing. You really get to know who your traveling with and the guests were by far the best part of this for us. Quickly followed by the actors. They did a great job. The Captain in particular was amazing. Her knowledge of obscure star wars ships was truly impressive, as was her ad libbing and performance. Gaia was a super star for real. Night 1 dinner was amazing.

The absolute worst part of the experience was the Disney Play app / Datapad. My husband is a QA tester who specializes in user interface and this app drove him insane. The frustration was so intense that by 3:30 on day 1, we had to take a break to reset our expectations and remind ourselves we were there to have fun. It’s hard to explain but there is an immense pressure to “do it all” and in the first afternoon you’re exploring the ship and trying to figure out how the game works and when its not clear or the app doesn’t do what you think it should, you worry you’re missing something. The datapad “training” wasn’t going to help either because it is kept in context of the story and doesn’t go into (or even acknowledge) you’re essentially playing a game. I think what they really need for those that want it is an out of context overview of the game experience from start to finish. Not one that spoils the journey, but one that teaches you how the game play mechanics work related to the app. We were not the only ones struggling with it and in fact we were able to help a 14 year old passenger with what little knowledge we had get over his frustrations as well. we saw many people and families in the same boat. It’s one thing to know you can’t do it all, but it’s another thing when you’re there and the meter is running. You forget that. The pressure is real. I think it comes down to the bad interface, the glitchy nature of the app, the lack of clear instruction on how the game actually works and the pressure to try to do it all. SO MY ADVICE TO ANYONE WHO STRUGGLES WITH THE “GAME” - just relax and enjoy it. You can’t possibly do everything, you can’t ”win” the game. relax and go with the flow.

The other thing that annoyed me was the inexperienced and under prepared non-actor members of the crew (excluding the food staff and servers). I realized on day 2 they were all college program students and suddenly understood why they couldn’t correctly answer simple questions, or why they were giving out incorrect or conflicting information. Example— when heading to Batuu they give you a pin so you can be identified easily. We didn’t want to loose our pins so we asked if they had the buttons or stickers we could use and store our pins. The CM handing out the pins said “sure! Just ask the passenger services crew on Batuu, they can give you a sticker”. We got to Batuu and the passenger services CM said “no, we don’t have those anymore”. there were other examples, and in some cases I felt really bad for CMs who were being berated by irate passengers. In one instance schedule conflicts (related to the app) prevented an entire family from getting into the light saber training. It quickly escalated because the CM hadn’t been trained how to handle demanding (and in this case ”entitled”) guests. There is a way to tell someone no without causing them to pull out the “I paid $5000 and you can’t let me in” card. But these CMs just don’t have that training or experience. I don’t know if this is a recent change, or this crew was just new, but the logistics of simply running the experience need white glove service, and this wasn’t that. Another silly example, the CM who runs the pod service on departure day clearly memorized his spiel for departing and enjoyed giving that to each group of departing passengers, but when he asked me before boarding “did you talk to a crew member?” I replied “about what?“ his response was “checking out”. This just hit a nerve for some reason with me because we had a letter in our cabin the night before that clearly said ”you do not need to check out”. So I replied, we were told we didn’t need to check out. He asked me to wait, walked me over to the desk where they said “you don’t need to check out, but do you need a transfer?” I replied that we were told the valet would call us a taxi for Wilderness Lodge. The reply was “no, you need to call and reserve one, CM name on the bridge can help you.” At which point we went to the bridge. Long story short, the taxi driver (who knew more than the onboard CMs) told us they changed their process that day and were now calling taxis to be dispatched only when requested, taxis were no longer allowed to queue up nearby. Again, not the level of Disney service I would expect. I know these sound nit-picky but you don’t see college students running the Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge (both of which we experienced this trip) so why is the staff running Starcruiser not of the same caliber?

We did enjoy ourselves, but would be hard pressed to do it again unless there was something new to experience. It was a great “once in a lifetime“ experience that I would recommend to anyone who can afford it and likes Star Wars and immersion in unique experiences. Happy to answer any questions, but YMMV because it seems they are already changing things and I imagine when the Minnie Vans return full force, the transfer process to other resorts will change again.

Edit to add: If you do go, as D309 (the droid in your room panel) to tell you a bedtime story. It’s Epic and in multiple parts so you can ask for more. She was actually one of the highlights of the trip, right behind the actors. i wanted to take her home to replace Alexa but sadly I don’t think that’s possible….yet

 

[jrgutknecht]

Thank you! Did you get Memory Maker too or just the photo package? I have been on the fence.

Got memory maker and there were enough photographers we got all the photos we wanted. They are the same photographers that do the packages and they strategically place themselves on both days. We never had trouble finding one to take out photos.

 

[slg]

Do they give you phones to use or do you need to bring your own?