Over a year after taking pᴀssengers on their final voyage in September 2023, Walt Disney World’s ambitious Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser H๏τel is set to be fully decommissioned and converted into new facilities for the park. Opening in March 2022 to accompany the popular Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge park, the attraction allowed guests to take part in an experience set on a luxury intergalactic cruise, allowing them to partake in the First Order/Resistance conflict, learn to wield a lightsaber, and sample food and entertainment from throughout Star Wars. High costs, however, would ultimately spell the attraction’s closure.
Sixteen months after the last pᴀssengers of the Halcyon stepped off Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser for the final time, TheWrap has unveiled what will happen to the facilities that once housed the experimental Walt Disney World attraction. Several sources report that the building that housed the H๏τel experience will be converted into a new office for Walt Disney Imagineering, becoming a hub for the teams responsible for the upkeep and development of Disney’s various attractions and locations. The new offices are expected to handle new expansions based on Indiana Jones, Encanto, Monsters Inc., and other Magic Kingdom developments.
What The Starcruiser’s Fate Means For Star Wars
It’s A Tragedy That So Many Star Wars Fans Will Never Experience This
While Star Wars may have moved on from the Galactic Starcruiser, it remains a short-lived, controversial, yet ultimately fascinating chapter in the franchise’s history. With Galaxy’s Edge remaining consistently popular, it might have been ᴀssumed that Galactic Starcruiser could have been a welcome expansion, building upon Galaxy’s Edge interactive in-universe elements to create an experience that truly immersed parkgoers and longtime fans in the worlds they loved. Despite this, several factors spelled doom for an ambitious and experimental project that proved to be too restricting.
Alongside a high cost that earned criticism for the facilities offered to guests, criticisms of its limited storylines that could be prone to glitches in interactive elements and customer service issues would lead to the attraction not earning the attendance required to justify its high cost to run it. Nevertheless, despite the shortcomings and hurdles, many Star Wars lore fans still admire the work put into crafting the attraction’s background, while theme park enthusiasts may be intrigued by the ambitious attempt to push just what an interactive theme park experience can offer.
Our Thoughts On The Fate Of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Despite A Divisive Response, The Attraction Has Its Place In History
With the final fate of the structures that once took visitors on board of the Halcyon reportedly decided, the tale of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has seemingly come to a close. While some may be left conflicted about their experiences and others may regret not having the opportunity to join a voyage, it is certain that the experience will not be forgotten. Though it may be an infamous attraction for some, it has also gathered somewhat of a cult following, as 2024 saw the Halcy-Con fan event allow fans to share their love for the experience, and a second convention set to happen in October 2025.
Furthermore, while online bloggers, former crew members, and social media accounts can offer those interested with a glimpse of the real-world experience, the attraction will always hold a place in Star Wars canon. Whether it is the Halcyon‘s appearances during Phase One of The High Republic or the cross-era storytelling of Ethan Sacks’ Halcyon Legacy comic miniseries, Galactic Starcruiser has its place in galactic history. However, as one chapter of the park closes, many may wonder if Disney could embark on another experimental attraction, or if anything like it could ever happen again.
Source: TheWrap