News Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser coming to Walt Disney World 2021

[TiggerDad]

It got posted in the other SW Hotel thread...

Tell me again why we need two SW Hotel threads?

 

[nickys]

Tell me again why we need two SW Hotel threads?

I know right? I'd actually forgotten there were two until @MisterPenguin posted that. Hadn't even realised the alerts were for different threads.

 

[flynnibus]

Even though this whole idea is very cool and exciting to me, I am apprehensive
about the "no outside view" bit. A big part of Disney World is the Florida weather,
throwing open the curtains and seeing what it looks like outside for the day.
Not being able to do that wigs me out. (Even tho our family often gets up in the
dark to get places for rope drop/EMH, lol)

Plus, the whole component of "it's hot out, let's go lounge in the sun by the pool".
Perhaps the pool will be under a dome?

I don't know. Might make more sense to transport through space then be on a resort
on Baatu or something.

I suppose we'll see.

When you goto a movie or play... do you decide you really would rather be outside and wander outside instead?

This is not a hotel - this is a multi-day experience.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Whenever @wdwmagic posts something (to the site's front page), he links to a forum thread. I tend to accept that one as the official discussion thread.

You all check WDWMagic's front page every time you come to the forums, right?

 

[MisterPenguin]

As others have mentioned upon entering on the bottom floor you would "ride" a hydrolator up to the main ship orbiting above.

Is that a Gungan ship?

 

[flynnibus]

all I gotta say is... they better top what paramount did with the Star Trek experience decades ago.

 

[MisterPenguin]

If they are going for full immersion then why are there Hondas in a parking lot out front? This is where I'm excited to see how far they take the story immersion and how they handle the Earth-meets-Star Wars conundrum.

At some point you have to wave your hand and say, "You're now in a new place. And don't ask how you got here."

If you theme the exterior of the hotel to be a SW spaceport, then what do you do about the parking lot? If you then theme parking lot, what do you do about the roads leading to the parking lot? And so on...

You get to Pandora, four light years away, by crossing a bridge, for example. You get to the Land of Tomorrow in the MK by turning right. In DSH, you enter an L.A. tunnel and exit in Batuu.

At some point there is a demarcation between one reality and another. Standing outside that demarcation and asking why this isn't themed to the new reality on the other side of the demarcation is a fool's quest that will continually move the goal post until it encompasses the whole universe.

 

[Kamikaze]

At some point you have to wave your hand and say, "You're now in a new place. And don't ask how you got here."

If you theme the exterior of the hotel to be a SW spaceport, then what do you do about the parking lot? If you then theme parking lot, what do you do about the roads leading to the parking lot? And so on...

You get to Pandora, four light years away, by crossing a bridge, for example. You get to the Land of Tomorrow in the MK by turning right. In DSH, you enter an L.A. tunnel and exit in Batuu.

At some point there is a demarcation between one reality and another. Standing outside that demarcation and asking why this isn't themed to the new reality on the other side of the demarcation is a fool's quest that will continually move the goal post until it encompasses the whole universe.

The spaceport (lobby/first floor) is here. You go into it and somehow are transported to the starship. A well themed elevator could do that trick pretty well.

 

[larryz]

I can't see there being usual amenities in this hotel like a pool, gym etc or am I wrong?

Did you view the clip from The Passengers? Ain't nobody gonna want to test that theory out!

 

[mmascari]

I can't see there being usual amenities in this hotel like a pool, gym etc or am I wrong?

Anything you can do inside should be completely in character just fine.

A themed pool. Perhaps with a dome over it and views of the stars or a planet that the ship is around.
A gym with equipment. A futuristic treadmill (they already look that way sometimes).
A running track. Inside the building, more like the track on a cruise ship.

The whole thing could be more like a luxury space liner.

What's not going to work is stuff that's outside. Going outside would take you outside the bubble.

Sure, you'll go outside to get a bus to one of the other theme parks. But, that's breaking the bubble for sure. Bus stops right out front, next to parking and next to the spaceport entrance. In the limited area where you can see the outside of the structure. With no paths around the building.

 

[wedenterprises]

At some point you have to wave your hand and say, "You're now in a new place. And don't ask how you got here."

If you theme the exterior of the hotel to be a SW spaceport, then what do you do about the parking lot? If you then theme parking lot, what do you do about the roads leading to the parking lot? And so on...

You get to Pandora, four light years away, by crossing a bridge, for example. You get to the Land of Tomorrow in the MK by turning right. In DSH, you enter an L.A. tunnel and exit in Batuu.

At some point there is a demarcation between one reality and another. Standing outside that demarcation and asking why this isn't themed to the new reality on the other side of the demarcation is a fool's quest that will continually move the goal post until it encompasses the whole universe.

I agree.

A bridge into Pandora works well from Discovery Island, but could be harsh from the parking lot. They could use the same principles of transition, but they would then have to keep in mind that on one end isn't another fantastical universe, but the *real* real world. They mayhave to treat that transition a bit differently than a simple straight bridge.

The parking lot at Animal Kingdom can be themed to "Animal Kingdom," it doesn't have the problem of needing to be themed to Pandora, which is a potential story problem with a SW Hotel at the highest level of immersion. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have universes that exist in the here and now, so it makes perfect sense to have a parking lot and entrance full of modernity. I don't think you can theme a parking lot to Star Wars if you want that really-for-real feeling. However, they might! Maybe you just drive up to a Star Wars spaceship, park your car and that's the fun of it! This is where I'm interested to see how far they push immersion and how much they hold back to simply let fun be fun.

 

[danlb_2000]

I guess it depends on just what the target demographic is.

If they aim this as families, and the concept art clearly includes them, then there will have to be compromises. So I would expect there will indeed be some facilities such as TVs, a pool and so on. There's a guy on his laptop right there in the art, after all!

However, what they could do is to have two different "experiences". One a family friendly one, where really there's much more of a pick and choose "menu" of experiences.

And one which is definitely aimed squarely at the cos-play, comic con goers who want a total immersion experience.

But I think some people will be sorely disappointed either way. Even if they make the more adult orientated experience over 18s only, they won't tolerate a guest berating someone because their mobile phone went off, or are simply taking it all less seriously. Unless they have one a month, for example, which is exclusively for members of xxxxxx organisation who could impose their own rules on participants (I assume there is a suitable Star Wars fan club group to insert name here).

They are going to aim this at families, that's where the money is.

 

[danlb_2000]

When you goto a movie or play... do you decide you really would rather be outside and wander outside instead?

This is not a hotel - this is a multi-day experience.

You don't spend two whole days in a movie theater or play.

 

[nickys]

They are going to aim this at families, that's where the money is.

I agree.

However, as I posted a while back, there is a whole internet full of people who wet themselves over this resort. There is certainly money to be made from having some kind of special version of the "experience" for them, typically they have significant disposable income and a willingness to pay whatever it takes. Most of them have probably never been to WDW but would happily come for this, even if they never set foot in any of the other parks.

 

[flynnibus]

You don't spend two whole days in a movie theater or play.

Point isn't duration - Point is "when you go do X... does your brain immediately start thinking about wanting to do Y?" - if so, stay away. Otherwise, like the people who go camping for a weekend and not just overnight... enjoy the entertainment you went for, not the stuff not there.

 

[GoofGoof]

I agree.

However, as I posted a while back, there is a whole internet full of people who wet themselves over this resort. There is certainly money to be made from having some kind of special version of the "experience" for them, typically they have significant disposable income and a willingness to pay whatever it takes. Most of them have probably never been to WDW but would happily come for this, even if they never set foot in any of the other parks.

The key is does Disney have a true desire to attract the hardcore SW geek crowd who aren’t necessarily going to WDW but just SW resort? If so then yes, this resort could follow a strict set of rules where the guests are part of the story and people are not expected to break character or leave or even look outside and it would be a truly immersive experience but will likely not be as attractive to families/kids and casual SW fans who also want to do other non-Star Wars stuff. I think that’s what a lot of posters here are picturing. A “murder mystery train ride” style experience where the guests are part of the story and the resort is the focal point of the experience.

On the flip side if Disney built a SW themed hotel similar to the one in the concept art with windows appearing to look out in space and all the bells and whistles but they choose not to focus on the cosplay aspect and have regular resort things like pools and windows to the outside and a lounge on the top floor with views into SW land and of fireworks I think that would also be wildly popular and attract a broader audience that looks more like the typical WDW demographic. Hard core SW fans wouldn’t like it as much.

It would be out of character for Disney to opt for the fully immersive option 1 when option 2 is much more likely to bring in guests who will stay longer and spend more overall at WDW. It will be interesting to see if they forgo extra profits to try to attract a niche demographic that isn’t in their normal wheelhouse.

 

[GoofGoof]

They could tell you that your phone won't work in space.

People will have to make some concessions to gain full immersion. One of those is likely to be phones and pads. Can you imagine being in a tense scenario where the transport is being boarded by Imperial stormtroopers to search for Rebel spies, and someone's cell phone rings?

Darth Vader would not approve. I know it would twist my knickers as well, if I paid some ginormous amount of money to immerse myself in the Star Wars universe, and somebody else ruins it by taking a phone call in the middle of the action...

I don’t see many people agreeing to give up their phone for a day or multiple days at a time.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I don’t see many people agreeing to give up their phone for a day or multiple days at a time.

That used to be the norm for a cruise back in the day before satellite coverage. You'd have to go days or even a full week without phone coverage.

 

[Tavernacle12]

I’m curious if the hotel will be closed off to non-guests entirely. Presumably it’d have access to the other three parks and therefore access back, so you’d be able to visit it via bus transport like you can with any other hotel on property. Unless they bar entry to those without a room key.

 

[GoofGoof]

That used to be the norm for a cruise back in the day before satellite coverage. You'd have to go days or even a full week without phone coverage.

Lots of people still do it on flights now too, but they scramble to get those phones out as soon as the plane touches down.

Social media is so important to many people these days. People are going to want to take pictures (with their phones) and post the pictures somewhere too. It seems to me like a lot of people are more interested these days in documenting how much fun they are having vs just having the actual fun.