News Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser coming to Walt Disney World 2021

[po1998]

I do wonder how easily be able to convert this boutique 300 room LARP with no windows and no AC into a traditional hotel. I suppose they could Plan B it into a semi-immersive hotel and keep the screens vs the windows.

No A/C?? Where did that speculation come from?

 

[Lensman]

No A/C?? Where did that speculation come from?

Ha! I'm glad someone's paying attention!

I just threw that in for humor. We have absolutely no information about AC but of course the presumption is that this spaceship/hotel will be fully climate controlled.

 

[MisterPenguin]

What would be different with this SW resort is that presumably the guests would also be playing roles in it all. So what happens if Brad gets given a message to pass to the rebel spies, and Brad then decides he'd rather have a few beers and chat to some new-found friends? Or if Carol passes the secret document to the wrong people? Or a group of guests manage to blast the incoming general's escape pod to smithereens, instead of the enemy fighters?

If the story arc depends on the actions of participating guests, then you have a potential problem. Or do their actions not really matter because it's all pre-determined?

Generally, you give roles and clues to guests in a short and small LARP, like in a murder mystery that takes place in the course of a evening dinner. People are pretty much confined to that one room and so their clues don't leave. And even then, a smart mystery has redundancies in clues or different paths to solve the case.

In a Massive LARP, you create 'tracks' that people can follow. They pick up their own clues as they go along and they can pool their knowledge with other players, but they are not the gate-keepers of the clues themselves. Everything that's needed is fed by the actors (NPCs, or, non-player characters).

Also, in a Massive LARP, you can create scenarios that aren't exactly mysteries, but quests. E.g., in the SW LARP, you can have competing guilds and each guest is assigned to a guild. And during the event you can wheel and deal with the NPCs and other guests in the goal of making your guild the richest one by the end of the event.

One group can be assigned to be arms smugglers, another group undercover Federation agents looking to break up the smuggling ring, and another group arms profiteers and they work at cross purposes with each other. Buying arms from other guests and NPCs, hiding them, finding them, etc....

You can be contacted by a Droid that's part of the Droid resistance that are looking to be considered sentient beings with rights. You can then be contacted by an anti-Droid cabal (We don't serve their kind in here!) that has caught wind of the underground movement and chose to help or hinder them.

 

[bclane]

Generally, you give roles and clues to guests in a short and small LARP, like in a murder mystery that takes place in the course of a evening dinner. People are pretty much confined to that one room and so their clues don't leave. And even then, a smart mystery has redundancies in clues or different paths to solve the case.

In a Massive LARP, you create 'tracks' that people can follow. They pick up their own clues as they go along and they can pool their knowledge with other players, but they are not the gate-keepers of the clues themselves. Everything that's needed is fed by the actors (NPCs, or, non-player characters).

Also, in a Massive LARP, you can create scenarios that aren't exactly mysteries, but quests. E.g., in the SW LARP, you can have competing guilds and each guest is assigned to a guild. And during the event you can wheel and deal with the NPCs and other guests in the goal of making your guild the richest one by the end of the event.

One group can be assigned to be arms smugglers, another group undercover Federation agents looking to break up the smuggling ring, and another group arms profiteers and they work at cross purposes with each other. Buying arms from other guests and NPCs, hiding them, finding them, etc....

You can be contacted by a Droid that's part of the Droid resistance that are looking to be considered sentient beings with rights. You can then be contacted by an anti-Droid cabal (We don't serve their kind in here!) that has caught wind of the underground movement and chose to help or hinder them.

Sign me up to help them!

 

[GoofGoof]

I do wonder how easily be able to convert this boutique 300 room LARP with no windows and no AC into a traditional hotel. I suppose they could Plan B it into a semi-immersive hotel and keep the screens vs the windows.

That’s my exact thought. If the full on roll playing thing doesn’t take off you can make it into a regular hotel with plenty of the Star Wars aspects. You can even have some of the interactive elements as additional activity instead of being the primary entertainment.

 

[GoofGoof]

Generally, you give roles and clues to guests in a short and small LARP, like in a murder mystery that takes place in the course of a evening dinner. People are pretty much confined to that one room and so their clues don't leave. And even then, a smart mystery has redundancies in clues or different paths to solve the case.

In a Massive LARP, you create 'tracks' that people can follow. They pick up their own clues as they go along and they can pool their knowledge with other players, but they are not the gate-keepers of the clues themselves. Everything that's needed is fed by the actors (NPCs, or, non-player characters).

Also, in a Massive LARP, you can create scenarios that aren't exactly mysteries, but quests. E.g., in the SW LARP, you can have competing guilds and each guest is assigned to a guild. And during the event you can wheel and deal with the NPCs and other guests in the goal of making your guild the richest one by the end of the event.

One group can be assigned to be arms smugglers, another group undercover Federation agents looking to break up the smuggling ring, and another group arms profiteers and they work at cross purposes with each other. Buying arms from other guests and NPCs, hiding them, finding them, etc....

You can be contacted by a Droid that's part of the Droid resistance that are looking to be considered sentient beings with rights. You can then be contacted by an anti-Droid cabal (We don't serve their kind in here!) that has caught wind of the underground movement and chose to help or hinder them.

Are there any examples of these massive LARPs currently operating? I’m pretty familiar with the murder mystery style experiences but can’t think of anything remotely close to the scale you are talking about.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Are there any examples of these massive LARPs currently operating? I’m pretty familiar with the murder mystery style experiences but can’t think of anything remotely close to the scale you are talking about.

You can sometimes find them at role-playing conventions.

https://www.gencon.com/events/127555

https://www.gencon.com/events/128077

 

[NoChesterHester]

Has any timeline for this experience opening been bandied about yet?

 

[21stamps]

This wouldn't be like your regular hotel stay. It is, again, like a cruise.

So, you'd spend a few days in space, have an excursion to Batu, then once your ship returns to space port you go to your booking at the new Coronado tower. Disney would make it as seamless as possible, with you not even having to touch your luggage after you pack - you leave space room, enter hotel room, and Bam, your stuff is already there.

If you keep viewing this as a hotel, you're going to have a ton of issues related to the established hotel model. Again, this is akin to a cruise. Tell your child you're going to space for a few days.

I don’t like this analogy. Unless you’re doing a “cruise to nowhere”, then it’s not at all like a cruise. On a ship you have pools, and fresh air, and you stop in ports where you can get off the ship and explore.

If this is truly a “come in together. Leave together. No outside world allowed inbetween.”.. then it’s more like a Lock-In at the YMCA.. but much cooler.

 

[GoofGoof]

I don’t like this analogy. Unless you’re doing a “cruise to nowhere”, then it’s not at all like a cruise. On a ship you have pools, and fresh air, and you stop in ports where you can get off the ship and explore.

If this is truly a “come in together. Leave together. No outside world allowed inbetween.”.. then it’s more like a Lock-In at the YMCA.. but much cooler.

I think the cruise analogy is more around fixed number of nights with everyone getting on and off at the same time and also probably pricing. The actual experience seems much different.

I have my doubts about the no contact with the outside world aspect. If you need to completely disconnect from the outside for the immersion to work then they will not be able to allow trips into Galaxy’s Edge where you will encounter a gazillion tourists in shorts, t-shirts and Mickey ears. Unless they open the park early just for resort guests (which I would not count on at least in the beginning). I wouldn’t be surprised if the resort still offered a pool and some outside areas too. People are going to have to use their imaginations at least a little and forgive some faults in the immersion.

 

[GoofGoof]

You can sometimes find them at role-playing conventions.

https://www.gencon.com/events/127555

https://www.gencon.com/events/128077

Interesting.

I had heard of more mainstream shorter term things like murder mystery and escape rooms, but not multi-day experiences like this. This is a pretty ambitious project for Disney to try to take something like this and sell it to a mainstream audience.

 

[Lensman]

Generally, you give roles and clues to guests in a short and small LARP, like in a murder mystery that takes place in the course of a evening dinner. People are pretty much confined to that one room and so their clues don't leave. And even then, a smart mystery has redundancies in clues or different paths to solve the case.

In a Massive LARP, you create 'tracks' that people can follow. They pick up their own clues as they go along and they can pool their knowledge with other players, but they are not the gate-keepers of the clues themselves. Everything that's needed is fed by the actors (NPCs, or, non-player characters).

Also, in a Massive LARP, you can create scenarios that aren't exactly mysteries, but quests. E.g., in the SW LARP, you can have competing guilds and each guest is assigned to a guild. And during the event you can wheel and deal with the NPCs and other guests in the goal of making your guild the richest one by the end of the event.

One group can be assigned to be arms smugglers, another group undercover Federation agents looking to break up the smuggling ring, and another group arms profiteers and they work at cross purposes with each other. Buying arms from other guests and NPCs, hiding them, finding them, etc....

You can be contacted by a Droid that's part of the Droid resistance that are looking to be considered sentient beings with rights. You can then be contacted by an anti-Droid cabal (We don't serve their kind in here!) that has caught wind of the underground movement and chose to help or hinder them.

I think this really gives us some ideas for how this kind of experience could work. I was actually thinking about what analogies to various MMORPGs, but the situations, numbers and time commitment doesn't quite work analogically.

One of the keys to a good mystery interactive is that you don't rely entirely on a single fragile series of clues, but rather have fallback revelations that are more obvious the later in the game you go.

And I don't think everything necessarily needs to tie together into one cohesive narrative, either. In fact, it could be more amenable to repeat visits if there are a dozen or so different narratives/tracks that you could end up participating in, but all with the same backdrop. You know, kind of like how The Love Boat had three different stories weaved into each voyage.

I think the cruise analogy is more around fixed number of nights with everyone getting on and off at the same time and also probably pricing. The actual experience seems much different.

I agree. I don't think the cruise analogy was brought up as a full analogy to the experience, but rather as simply a response to the people who are super-tightly focused on the supposed lack of access to the outside world.

I have my doubts about the no contact with the outside world aspect. If you need to completely disconnect from the outside for the immersion to work then they will not be able to allow trips into Galaxy’s Edge where you will encounter a gazillion tourists in shorts, t-shirts and Mickey ears. Unless they open the park early just for resort guests (which I would not count on at least in the beginning). I wouldn’t be surprised if the resort still offered a pool and some outside areas too. People are going to have to use their imaginations at least a little and forgive some faults in the immersion.

I too wonder how the visit to Batuu will be handled from the immersive aspect.

How did the idea of "no contact with the outside world" come up? In particular, did someone in the thread turn the idea of "try not to break immersion in public areas" into a "stay at a rehab facility" level of curfew and proscription. I mean, they're not going to actively control private activity in your stateroom, right? And the hotel will not be a SCIF either.

I could see them selling themed cases for your iPhone and Android phones, though.

 

[21stamps]

I think the cruise analogy is more around fixed number of nights with everyone getting on and off at the same time and also probably pricing. The actual experience seems much different.

I have my doubts about the no contact with the outside world aspect. If you need to completely disconnect from the outside for the immersion to work then they will not be able to allow trips into Galaxy’s Edge where you will encounter a gazillion tourists in shorts, t-shirts and Mickey ears. Unless they open the park early just for resort guests (which I would not count on at least in the beginning). I wouldn’t be surprised if the resort still offered a pool and some outside areas too. People are going to have to use their imaginations at least a little and forgive some faults in the immersion.

That’s what I’m saying, if what people are describing is true, then it’s more like a multi murder-mystery night. The cruise analogy, besides embarkation and debarkation, doesn’t really sound too comparable. Maybe if comparing a submarine cruise..

Interesting.

I had heard of more mainstream shorter term things like murder mystery and escape rooms, but not multi-day experiences like this. This is a pretty ambitious project for Disney to try to take something like this and sell it to a mainstream audience.

Immersive hotel with allowed-costume wearing and “space view” rooms, and your own adventure, maybe crossing paths/experiences with other guests within said adventure- totally marketable to the mainstream SW fans.
Multi Day Role Playing with other guests, and never seeing sunlight- I’m skeptical.

I also think they will tie in an event at Galaxy’s Edge. Desert party, early hours.. I don’t know.. but I bet there will be something to do with the land itself.

 

[21stamps]

I agree. I don't think the cruise analogy was brought up as a full analogy to the experience, but rather as simply a response to the people who are super-tightly focused on the supposed lack of access to the outside world.

Just a bad analogy because that’s not what happens on a cruise. You do get access to the outside world, to step on land.. unless you choose not to. You aren’t actually restricted to a boat for 7 nights (or whatever length of cruise it is).

 

[Lensman]

That’s what I’m saying, if what people are describing is true, then it’s more like a multi murder-mystery night. The cruise analogy, besides embarkation and debarkation, doesn’t really sound too comparable. Maybe if comparing a submarine cruise..

Aren't we supposed to be on a spaceship? You know, cruising through space.

I wonder what hyperspace will be like? Looking forward to that.

Or are we on a space station? Is it the size of a small moon?

 

[flynnibus]

Why cruise is a good frame of reference:

The idea that pricing isn’t just a room rate... but likely tied to rooms AND guests in the room
The idea of set durations - not necessarily ‘just pick how many nights’
The idea of waves of guests that may be synchronized in their schedule
The idea of packaging where your stay package includes not just room, but entertainment and dining onsite
The idea of a bounded space that has dining, entertainment, berthing all self contained
The idea of entertainment offerings intended to be consumed onsite with self scheduling
The idea of dinner shows onsite
The idea of a continuous stay experience instead of just accommodations

And the most obvious... the story the whole thing is spun around.... STAR CRUISER and the idea you are on a transport on a journey

 

[21stamps]

Aren't we supposed to be on a spaceship? You know, cruising through space.

I wonder what hyperspace will be like? Looking forward to that.

Or are we on a space station? Is it the size of a small moon?

Either one would be cool.. I’d love if we could jump to hyperspace in the room.. sights, sounds. The thing is though, I think people are being too nerdy (for lack of a better word).. I think we can be on a “spaceship” and also go out for a morning run, or spend a morning at Galaxy’s Edge, all while being completely satisfied.. because we understand that we’re still on earth, but can use our imaginations.

 

[Lensman]

I think we can be on a “spaceship” and also go out for a morning run, or spend a morning at Galaxy’s Edge, all while being completely satisfied.. because we understand that we’re still on earth, but can use our imaginations.

Or maybe we'll be able to go on a neat inclined treadmill run with holographic simulation? It could be even better than running around flat central Florida.

 

[GoofGoof]

I agree. I don't think the cruise analogy was brought up as a full analogy to the experience, but rather as simply a response to the people who are super-tightly focused on the supposed lack of access to the outside world.


I too wonder how the visit to Batuu will be handled from the immersive aspect.

How did the idea of "no contact with the outside world" come up? In particular, did someone in the thread turn the idea of "try not to break immersion in public areas" into a "stay at a rehab facility" level of curfew and proscription. I mean, they're not going to actively control private activity in your stateroom, right? And the hotel will not be a SCIF either.

I could see them selling themed cases for your iPhone and Android phones, though.

It came up a while back when someone suggested that they should ban cell phones because it would ruin the immersion if someone’s phone rang. There were also suggestions that there should be no way to see outside since you are supposed to be in space. There was a long back and forth on whether people can or should disconnect from the outside world. These were one off thoughts and not a group consensus on the actual experience.

I think you are right that they won’t make this a lockdown or rehab type scenario. I picture people coming and going as they please. As usual there will be some who claim they can’t experience full immersion that way, but the vast majority of people will be able to use some imagination and ignore small flaws in favor of a more enjoyable overall experience.

 

[larryz]

In order be foreign flagged and thus not to have to hire U.S. employees, cruise ships have to stop at a foreign port. This is due to the Jones Act.

The Jones Act Belongs In A Museum!