Interesting. We have a portrait session at 4pm on day 2. Do you think that creates a problem?
STAR WARS: GALACTIC STARCRUISER Official Information & Questions Thread
- Thread starter GADisneyDad14
- Start date
lundve
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2005
Our “report” is post #2236 linked here of if that helps - it was easy enough for me to find probably much harder for you
https://www.disboards.com/threads/s...estions-thread.3855087/page-112#post-63919381
ofcabbagesandkings
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2014
Now that they've announced that Star Wars Launch Bay is returning to HS, do you think there is a chance that we'll get a LL for that character greet too? It would be great to get photos with BB8 without having to stand in a long line, especially if we're all dressed up for Batuu excursion day.
I doubt it. It would require you to leave Batuu which is allowed of course but breaks the immersion GS is shooting for. Also, the characters at Launch Bay are not in sync with the GS timeline.
FeistyDisneyMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2019
For people doing the parks as well as Star Cruiser, does it seem better to do your park related resort stay before or after star cruiser? Considering 4day hoppers, but not sure if they should go at the beginning or the end.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2014
For us, we absolutely wanted Starcruiser at the beginning of our stay and finished with WDW at the end. Personally I wouldn’t want it any other way, unless forced to by schedule or travel logistics.
I agree with this. When you get off the Starcruiser, you are going to be on such a high that the last thing you will want is to return to "normal" life. A few days to decompress afterwards would be my strong recommendation (if possible).
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2014
Haha - yeah, on our departure day we were at our next resort by the pool with drink in hand by like 10:30am or something and hardly budged all day. Happy as a clam.
jrgutknecht
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2000
Absolutely! We did 3 days after at WL. The only thing I’d change is do a full resort day on departure. Don’t try to hit a park.
Chrisizzle
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2019
Hello all,
How does one get to the Halcyon from another Disney resort?
I believe they discontinued the bus from Disney Springs.
Distance and heat aside, is it theoretically possible to walk to Galactic Starcruiser from another park or resort?
Or, is it strictly by individual car, be it your own, rental, taxi, or ride share?
How does one get to the Halcyon from another Disney resort?
I believe they discontinued the bus from Disney Springs.
Distance and heat aside, is it theoretically possible to walk to Galactic Starcruiser from another park or resort?
Or, is it strictly by individual car, be it your own, rental, taxi, or ride share?
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2014
You can’t walk, so it’s only by vehicle of your choice. I “think” they are doing taxi vouchers if you’re coming from a Disney resort but frankly I’ve lost track of this topic a bit, hopefully someone else can chime in and confirm.
Disney Dad ADL
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2015
Yes they were still doing taxi vouchers as of early June
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2014
Quick question for those in the know, in general, are these times OK?
Day 1 - Bridge Ops Training - 9:00 - 9:45 pm
Day 2 - Lightsaber - 3:00 -3 :55 pm (we'll be back from Batuu long before)
Day 1 - Bridge Ops Training - 9:00 - 9:45 pm
Day 2 - Lightsaber - 3:00 -3 :55 pm (we'll be back from Batuu long before)
robert_j
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2017
I just got off the Starcruiser today and my family had a great time overall. No spoilers here, but I will share some reflections and would be happy to answer questions.
First, the logistics behind the experience are staggering. The coordination is seamless between the app, the team of actors, and the physical mechanics of the ship and Batuu itself. It all just works, and it feels natural to the point that you take for granted that, say, the messages you receive on the app will reflect actual conversations you just had; that your work on a ship terminal will unlock your magic band’s ability to access other parts of the ship; and that you can have naturalistic interactions with droid a.i. from a terminal in your cabin. But I can only imagine what is required to pull this off. It is basically an interactive choose-your-own adventure that has to adapt to everyone’s choices and make them all feel special and central to the events that are transpiring without actually having everyone doing the same thing in the same place at the same time. And the team (mostly) manages to pull this off. There are so many things that could break the immersion, but it works.
The level of service is also very good. It is true that there are a lot of members of the college program on hand, mostly around the atrium as the front line for customer service. But what they may lack in experience they make up for in sheer numbers. And I found the servers to be top drawer, in both the main dining room and the Sublight Lounge. The kitchen staff was wonderfully accommodating for any special requests and dietary restrictions. The crew servicing the rooms were great. But, more foundationally, you feel the service in the fact that this massive experience manages to go off without a hitch.
So, what are the caveats? First, it does not feel sustainable. Can they maintain the level of the casting? Will the technology underlying the app and the systems remain robust? Will there be a commitment to staffing at the same levels? Will the physical structures hold up? Any of this could break the experience. On the last point, I am sorry to say that while the Starcruiser has many cool details, and the technology is impressive, the physical construction often feels cheap. The budget seems to have gone into screens and software, as opposed to quality countertops and finish. I noticed cracking drywall around my bathroom door, and it has only been a couple of months. With a few exceptions (the Sublight Lounge, for example), the physical locations do not have the high level of finish that Batuu does, more the feel of a conference hotel (with pricey viewports).
I will also go out there and say that it does not feel very Star Wars to me. There are Jedi and droids and Twi’leks, sure. But in general the look and feel are much closer to Star Trek than Star Wars. The design is all too clean and tidy, like a Federation starship, and many of the principal characters (captain, first officer, engineer, etc.) feel like they would be more comfortable in a Star Trek spinoff. You even do bridge training (!), which is more central to Star Trek than Star Wars. So you end up with a Star Trek/Star Wars hybrid experience that is constantly engaging but can feel more like generic sci-fi than Star Wars specifically.
I agree with those who have said that the experience will vary depending on what you are willing to put into it. I just wish that you did not have to work quite so hard to stay on top of things, or even to feel welcome to participate. After the initial hours, it felt like a core group of guests got locked in as the “insiders,” to the point that it was very difficult by day 2 to become involved in special events or even to become aware that it was possible to have certain types of interactions because no one was talking to you or seeking you out anymore. There are a fair number of things that happen outside of the app. But having these experiences depend on chance encounters and/or taking the initiative, which I was game for and prepared to do, but I guess not enough.
I wish that there had been a few more structured in-person interactions throughout the experience so that people who were willing to interact could actually signal that they were. Instead, by day 2 my kids (and I) were getting disappointed because we knew a lot was going on and we wanted to help out, but we weren’t getting invitations for things, even though we had completed all of our missions and were constantly circling the ship looking for ways to help. There is a certain core experience that everyone will get regardless, but the team makes it too hard to go deeper.
I liked the food a lot, but I will say it felt hugely wasteful the way it was structured, bringing out piles of food to the table, much more than anyone can eat, particularly if there are picky eaters (like, say, my kids). Why not just let us ask for what we want and produce less waste? I also would have appreciated being able to eat my dinner without feeling like I was missing out on the story.
But, all of these caveats aside, we had a wonderful time! We were consistently engaged throughout, with fabulous food, a winning cast, and a feeling like we were VIPs and really being taken care of throughout our trip.
Some additional odds and ends:
--Maybe we are entering into a new phase of clientele, but the cosplay was a lot less than I was expecting. Many people made at least a token effort, but there were a surprising number of people in regular summer gear. So don’t sweat your costume too much, I guess, or even feel obligated to have one if it is not your thing.
--I had my portrait experience on the evening of Day 1, and the timing of it was fine. The problem with Day 2 is that, without going into spoilers, there is a lot going on, even during the “quiet” times when you are supposed to be away from the ship. I was also, predictably, a lot more tired on Day 2, and feeling a lot more gross after being in the sun of Batuu.
--I would not spend money on Memory Maker, but I would get the portrait experience if you can get it.
--The suites are great if you can get one. We happened to get a galaxy class suite because that was what happened to be available when we booked after a cancellation opened up last month. We liked having the extra space to spread out. And my son’s single favorite feature was the little crawl space connecting the two rooms.
--We did indeed get a 12:00 PM check out from our Disney Hotel (the Polynesian) on the day of our check in to the starcruiser. We did not have to ask for it – there was a message on our phone. It helped to make the morning more relaxed. The starcruiser also counts as an on-site hotel for the purposes of booking individual lightning lanes.
--You can indeed get Genie Plus on your day in Batuu and ride other things at Hollywood Studios. I gave my kids one hour after lunch (from 1:00-2:00) to do other things: we stacked lightning lanes for Star Tours, Slinky Dog Dash, and M&M Runaway Railway. But this was after spending the morning strictly on missions (which I recommend) and having lunch on the starcruiser. We were back by about 2:30 or so, which is the absolute latest I would recommend, notwithstanding the fact that your tour director and itinerary will say you can get back as late as 4:00.
--You can indeed use your meal voucher at a different park on a different day. We used it today (check-out day) at Satu’li Canteen at Animal Kingdom. We got credit for the meals plus adult beverages for me and my wife. So if you are planning to go to a park on disembarkation day, that is a way to get some savings, eating lunch on the ship on Batuu Day and saving your credit.
--The alcohol is a fortune, and 18% gratuity is built into the price, so watch out.
--If you want to do things like Oga’s, etc., have the starcruiser staff book it (via their customer service number before you leave) instead of doing it through the regular reservation system. That way, it will be built into your cruise itinerary and not conflict with other things.
--I did get a phone call a few days before I left getting us all set up with the app, etc. That was also when I learned that I should not have booked Oga’s on my own, and they got me a different and better time.
--They still have the nice quality pins for Batuu. But the gift shop is missing a lot of items: no barware (e.g., glasses, mugs); some of the costume items (there was a jacket I had been eyeing). But they have plenty of lightsabers.
Let me know if you have questions!
First, the logistics behind the experience are staggering. The coordination is seamless between the app, the team of actors, and the physical mechanics of the ship and Batuu itself. It all just works, and it feels natural to the point that you take for granted that, say, the messages you receive on the app will reflect actual conversations you just had; that your work on a ship terminal will unlock your magic band’s ability to access other parts of the ship; and that you can have naturalistic interactions with droid a.i. from a terminal in your cabin. But I can only imagine what is required to pull this off. It is basically an interactive choose-your-own adventure that has to adapt to everyone’s choices and make them all feel special and central to the events that are transpiring without actually having everyone doing the same thing in the same place at the same time. And the team (mostly) manages to pull this off. There are so many things that could break the immersion, but it works.
The level of service is also very good. It is true that there are a lot of members of the college program on hand, mostly around the atrium as the front line for customer service. But what they may lack in experience they make up for in sheer numbers. And I found the servers to be top drawer, in both the main dining room and the Sublight Lounge. The kitchen staff was wonderfully accommodating for any special requests and dietary restrictions. The crew servicing the rooms were great. But, more foundationally, you feel the service in the fact that this massive experience manages to go off without a hitch.
So, what are the caveats? First, it does not feel sustainable. Can they maintain the level of the casting? Will the technology underlying the app and the systems remain robust? Will there be a commitment to staffing at the same levels? Will the physical structures hold up? Any of this could break the experience. On the last point, I am sorry to say that while the Starcruiser has many cool details, and the technology is impressive, the physical construction often feels cheap. The budget seems to have gone into screens and software, as opposed to quality countertops and finish. I noticed cracking drywall around my bathroom door, and it has only been a couple of months. With a few exceptions (the Sublight Lounge, for example), the physical locations do not have the high level of finish that Batuu does, more the feel of a conference hotel (with pricey viewports).
I will also go out there and say that it does not feel very Star Wars to me. There are Jedi and droids and Twi’leks, sure. But in general the look and feel are much closer to Star Trek than Star Wars. The design is all too clean and tidy, like a Federation starship, and many of the principal characters (captain, first officer, engineer, etc.) feel like they would be more comfortable in a Star Trek spinoff. You even do bridge training (!), which is more central to Star Trek than Star Wars. So you end up with a Star Trek/Star Wars hybrid experience that is constantly engaging but can feel more like generic sci-fi than Star Wars specifically.
I agree with those who have said that the experience will vary depending on what you are willing to put into it. I just wish that you did not have to work quite so hard to stay on top of things, or even to feel welcome to participate. After the initial hours, it felt like a core group of guests got locked in as the “insiders,” to the point that it was very difficult by day 2 to become involved in special events or even to become aware that it was possible to have certain types of interactions because no one was talking to you or seeking you out anymore. There are a fair number of things that happen outside of the app. But having these experiences depend on chance encounters and/or taking the initiative, which I was game for and prepared to do, but I guess not enough.
I wish that there had been a few more structured in-person interactions throughout the experience so that people who were willing to interact could actually signal that they were. Instead, by day 2 my kids (and I) were getting disappointed because we knew a lot was going on and we wanted to help out, but we weren’t getting invitations for things, even though we had completed all of our missions and were constantly circling the ship looking for ways to help. There is a certain core experience that everyone will get regardless, but the team makes it too hard to go deeper.
I liked the food a lot, but I will say it felt hugely wasteful the way it was structured, bringing out piles of food to the table, much more than anyone can eat, particularly if there are picky eaters (like, say, my kids). Why not just let us ask for what we want and produce less waste? I also would have appreciated being able to eat my dinner without feeling like I was missing out on the story.
But, all of these caveats aside, we had a wonderful time! We were consistently engaged throughout, with fabulous food, a winning cast, and a feeling like we were VIPs and really being taken care of throughout our trip.
Some additional odds and ends:
--Maybe we are entering into a new phase of clientele, but the cosplay was a lot less than I was expecting. Many people made at least a token effort, but there were a surprising number of people in regular summer gear. So don’t sweat your costume too much, I guess, or even feel obligated to have one if it is not your thing.
--I had my portrait experience on the evening of Day 1, and the timing of it was fine. The problem with Day 2 is that, without going into spoilers, there is a lot going on, even during the “quiet” times when you are supposed to be away from the ship. I was also, predictably, a lot more tired on Day 2, and feeling a lot more gross after being in the sun of Batuu.
--I would not spend money on Memory Maker, but I would get the portrait experience if you can get it.
--The suites are great if you can get one. We happened to get a galaxy class suite because that was what happened to be available when we booked after a cancellation opened up last month. We liked having the extra space to spread out. And my son’s single favorite feature was the little crawl space connecting the two rooms.
--We did indeed get a 12:00 PM check out from our Disney Hotel (the Polynesian) on the day of our check in to the starcruiser. We did not have to ask for it – there was a message on our phone. It helped to make the morning more relaxed. The starcruiser also counts as an on-site hotel for the purposes of booking individual lightning lanes.
--You can indeed get Genie Plus on your day in Batuu and ride other things at Hollywood Studios. I gave my kids one hour after lunch (from 1:00-2:00) to do other things: we stacked lightning lanes for Star Tours, Slinky Dog Dash, and M&M Runaway Railway. But this was after spending the morning strictly on missions (which I recommend) and having lunch on the starcruiser. We were back by about 2:30 or so, which is the absolute latest I would recommend, notwithstanding the fact that your tour director and itinerary will say you can get back as late as 4:00.
--You can indeed use your meal voucher at a different park on a different day. We used it today (check-out day) at Satu’li Canteen at Animal Kingdom. We got credit for the meals plus adult beverages for me and my wife. So if you are planning to go to a park on disembarkation day, that is a way to get some savings, eating lunch on the ship on Batuu Day and saving your credit.
--The alcohol is a fortune, and 18% gratuity is built into the price, so watch out.
--If you want to do things like Oga’s, etc., have the starcruiser staff book it (via their customer service number before you leave) instead of doing it through the regular reservation system. That way, it will be built into your cruise itinerary and not conflict with other things.
--I did get a phone call a few days before I left getting us all set up with the app, etc. That was also when I learned that I should not have booked Oga’s on my own, and they got me a different and better time.
--They still have the nice quality pins for Batuu. But the gift shop is missing a lot of items: no barware (e.g., glasses, mugs); some of the costume items (there was a jacket I had been eyeing). But they have plenty of lightsabers.
Let me know if you have questions!
Last edited:
robert_j
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2017
So, here is the problem: There are no good times, in the sense that there is always something going on, even while you are eating, and you will miss some story moments and/or miss some opportunities for interactions regardless of when you have things. On the other hand, bridge ops always relates to where you are in the story at that moment, so you get beats that others do not. For Lightsaber, I will just say that there were events at that time on the ship that I would not have wanted to miss. But that may have been true of other times as well.
Disney Dad ADL
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2015
Most of the private events have multiple times, but yeah the one I'm guessing you are thinking of only has 1 time. I should have taken a snapshot of my calendar, lol. There were 8 people in my party so I got to see at least a couple different schedule variations, but I've already forgotten most of the times unfortunately
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2014
Seems as good as any to me, although the Bridge Ops would have been a little late for us (after dinner and some visits to the Sublight Lounge, my aim may have not been so good at that hour). If I recall correctly our original schedule had light saber training sometime around that time on day 1.... either the day before of day of the voyage it updated to be before dinner, which frankly worked better for us (drinks aside, 9-9:45 was a tad on the later side for my 7 year old for an organized activity like that, so earlier definitely worked better for us). But overall I'm not sure I'd overthink the schedule too much - I'd be happy with pretty much whatever given the overall flow of the voyage. There's not really a bad time, IMO.
iheartglaciers
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 1, 2014
Any rumors or projections on when 2023 bookings will open? I thought for sure it was going to happen in early June with the 2023 vacation packages, but I was wrong!
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