Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Makes Galaxy’s Edge a Completely Different Experience

Disney World’s new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is an experience all its own. Once guests step onto the Halcyon, they’re a part of their own Star Wars story, completely immersing themselves in the world of the iconic sci-fi franchise for the next two days. The only time anyone leaves the ship during an experience is for a trip to the planet of Batuu, also known as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Sure, this trip acts as a destination for the Starcruiser on its voyage, mimicking a real life cruise ship itinerary, but it also serves a deeper purpose. Thanks to the Galactic Starcruiser’s story, everything in Galaxy’s Edge has a bit more meaning and guests who arrive from the Halcyon will experience the park area in an entirely new way.

Batuu is supposed to be the location of a secret Resistance base, which is hinted at during the Rise of the Resistance attraction (and the various character appearances of Rey and Chewbacca). The story of the Galactic Starcruiser adds a lot more context to the narrative of the park itself, as well as both of its rides. Rise of the Resistance and Smuggler’s Run tie directly into the Galactic Starcruiser, and guests aboard the ship are given Lightning Lane passes to experience both rides in their rightful place in the timeline.

Not only does the story of Galaxy’s Edge get a lot more detail with the experience on the Halcyon, actually establishing its purpose as a Resistance base, but what you do within its walls also changes when you’re coming from the Galactic Starcruiser. 

The Galactic Starcruiser is a completely immersive experience where no two guests enjoy the exact same story or events. Conversations with various characters aboard the ship allow guests to build connections and unlock specific events that have to do with those characters. You can help the Resistance smuggle Chewbacca onboard the Halcyon. You could also choose to help the First Order take the ship over. The choices are all up to the guest, and those choices determine how an individual journey plays out.

Those journeys matter a great deal when guests visit Galaxy’s Edge. Instead of just riding a couple of rides and chowing down on a Ronto Wrap, many guests will have covert missions to complete on the planet, working around the Hollywood Studios guests in the process. Someone may have orders from the Resistance to steal some cryptic information from somewhere on Batuu. Others may be asked to retrieve an object for a First Order officer. Galaxy’s Edge become a pivotal part of the story and a much different kind of playground than folks may be used to.

“The stories that might start aboard your Holcyon Starcruiser experience will follow you down to the land as part of your shore excursion to Black Spire Outpost,” explained Scott Trowbridge, Walt Disney Imagineering Portfolio Creative Executive. “And what happens there, the way we integrate the attractions, the different lens that we give our Holcyon and passengers to see those attraction experiences and other new experiences that we invite them to have on the land, and then have the results of those experiences, the results of those choices, follow you back up to the ship.”

Galaxy’s Edge will still be open to Hollywood Studios guests during the Galactic Starcruiser stops, but those coming from the Halcyon will have a very different view of the world around them.