The Chaotic Dinner Experience at Disney’s New ‘Star Wars’ Hotel

WelcomeWelcome aboard the Galactic Starcruiser, a windowless Star Wars space yacht permanently docked in a galaxy far, far away, right alongside Florida’s Interstate 4. It may not be Westworld meets Naboo, but it’s the closest Disney has come to letting you play as a padawan.

Walt Disney World’s groundbreaking venture — officially named Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — is more than just a hotel; it’s an immersive performance. Opening to the public on March 1, 2022, each two-night adventure will be packed with Resistance missions and First Order antics, leading to interactive storylines that involve you, the guest, culminating in a showdown between Kylo Ren and Rey. (Unfortunately, sharing a bunk with Luke Skywalker and C-3PO isn’t in the cards, as the experience is set between Episodes 8 and 9, so they won’t be making an appearance.)

While the hotel resembles a starship, it operates like a terrestrial cruise: Each stay spans two consecutive nights, with all meals, activities, and entertainment included. Priced at nearly $6,000 for a family of four (or almost $5,000 for just two), it stands as the most expensive experience offered at Disney World, leaving even its most devoted fans astounded. This ambitious endeavor has been in development for years, crafted alongside Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park, and aims to deliver the next level of immersive entertainment for Star Wars enthusiasts, gaming fans, and anyone willing to spend a pretty penny just to catch a glimpse of Chewbacca from afar.

I was among the first guests to embark on a recent preview stay aboard the Halcyon — the crown jewel of Chandrila Star Line’s fleet of fictional spaceships. During my stay, I slept in a capsule-style bunk bed that fit most adults, completed quirky missions for various characters on board, and gazed out of my viewport into the marvels of “space.” Like a Las Vegas for cosplayers, you won’t see sunlight for two long 17-hour stretches while aboard the Halcyon, but I found that it only enhanced the experience.

Naturally, like any great cruise, the overall enjoyment hinges significantly on the food, which serves as both nourishment and entertainment for guests. Dining aboard the Galactic Starcruiser is reminiscent of experiences on a luxury cruise liner, where modern culinary techniques (think blue concoctions, smoke, and ice spheres) might feel familiar to those who've dined at upscale tasting menus since the early 2000s. Yet, within the confines of a themed experience set in Mickey Mouse’s Florida realm, the culinary offerings are quite impressive. (Consider the Bantha blue milk and green milk available alongside a Coca-Cola fountain machine.)

Disney has a history of crafting immersive theme menus for far-off galaxies — Satu’li Canteen, a fast-casual Avatar Mytoury, serves wholesome grain bowls, while Docking Bay 7 in Disney’s Star Wars park features ribs cut to resemble prehistoric forms and cubed, kid-friendly chicken nuggets. During my preview stay on the Halcyon, breakfast included some familiar options, like buttermilk waffles adorned with the ship’s emblem, but also delivered two standout dishes: a delightfully cheesy, egg-infused potato stack and a corn dog-style Scotch egg dipped in cake batter, served with a turmeric aioli.

The lunch buffet (because what’s a cruise without one?) presented a variety of intriguing dishes that I struggled to fit onto my segmented cafeteria tray. Many items featured familiar, child-friendly flavors, creatively packaged for a space theme — a grilled cheese bubble waffle paired with tomato cream dipping sauce; a cosmic Uncrustable encased in a crusted green orb hiding PB&J. Other options, like a savory granola bar served with curry sauce for dipping, were inventive, delicious, and decidedly off the beaten path for Disney.

Dinners followed the classic cruise format with assigned seating and a familiar server, though each night offered a different theme. The first evening resembled a galactic celebration, featuring Twi’lek pop sensation Gaya performing her hits and leading a lively dance party between servings of vibrant bao filled with “tip-yip” chicken and a passionfruit tart with a shiny mirror glaze. The second night embraced a more literal “Taste Around the Galaxy” theme, showcasing Mustafarian bread with whipped cheese dip and Bantha beef short ribs. While few dishes were revolutionary — after all, this is a simulated voyage parked in a theme park lot — the kitchen's most eccentric and talked-about creation was perhaps its finest: Felucian blue shrimp, elegantly presented on a platter of dry ice. (In reality, it’s tiger shrimp infused with butterfly pea powder, but the visual impact was striking.)

Top left, an alien pop star delights guests during the first dinner. Top right, a breakfast dish featuring an egg and potato stack. Bottom left, ice spheres cool an onboard cocktail. Bottom right, the atrium of the Sublight Lounge.

Everything is included in the overall cost except for cocktails, mocktails, beer, and wine. If you couldn’t get into Oga’s Cantina, the notoriously crowded bar within Disney’s Star Wars-themed Galaxy’s Edge, the ship’s Sublight Lounge is a much more lively alternative, with festivities spilling into an atrium adorned with red benches. Like at Oga’s, drinks here are pre-mixed, but the menu features unique creations like the Fiery Mustafarian — a mezcal margarita paired with a test tube of “lava extract” for an extra kick — alongside more traditional choices like an Old Fashioned or Negroni, which the park’s cantina doesn’t offer. Cocktails are served at the table during meals, including a bloody mary with “Carbonite-dipped Bloody Rancor cubes” at breakfast. While there’s no cantina band — one of several puzzling oversights — complimentary late-night snacks, such as a smoking cloche filled with cheese balls, and engaging digital gambling at the Holo-Sabacc table nearly compensate for it.

The waitstaff engage fully in character, swapping out typical phrases like “you’re welcome” and “good morning” for expressions such as “my honor” and “good passage.” Menus embrace a cosmic lexicon, referring to carbonation as “sparkling bubbles,” potatoes as “tubers,” and vegetables as “flora.” Guests are encouraged to don their finest intergalactic attire, whether it’s Jedi robes, elegant senate garb, or, as one guest did, skin dyed a striking shade reminiscent of International Klein Blue. (My ambition to roam as Emperor Palpatine was thwarted by Earth’s rules, as adults cannot wear costume masks.)

The primary attractions during the Star Wars experience on board revolve around interactive gameplay with the ship's characters, both live and through the Play Disney Parks app. Here, a “choose your own adventure” storyline unfolds, revealing plot twists and surprises over the two-day stay. Join the Resistance in person or via your “datapad” and you might be called to the Halcyon’s engineering room to discover codes for Chewbacca's escape; align with the First Order, and you’ll devise a scheme to compromise the ship from within.

The more you engage and fulfill digital tasks for these characters, the more you’ll witness unfolding action. When the narrative clicks, it feels magical; when it falters, it can feel exhausting. I often felt the pressure to do more, and the convoluted plotlines can be overwhelming, especially for guests who appreciate Star Wars but aren't die-hard fans — or those seeking a relaxing vacation amid all the excitement.

There’s no gym, pool, or hot tub, and puzzlingly, no space spa either, which would have been a treat after a hectic day filled with meetings and activities — an Endorian seaweed wrap or a Hoth plunge pool would have been perfect. The two-night experience feels both too brief and overwhelmingly fast-paced; it truly needed to be three nights. Even a few additional hours would ease the sense of urgency: multicourse meals are served in less than 90 minutes, and guests are hastily ushered off the ship by 11 a.m. on departure day. Despite spending my days in theme parks, I left feeling exhausted and somewhat dazed — akin to the aftermath of three back-to-back New Year’s Eves.

Yet, even with its quirks, I can confidently say that Disney’s new, delightfully eccentric hotel experience is the most enjoyable time you can have at Disney World. After disembarking, I compensated for the lack of sunlight during my stay by heading to the Magic Kingdom, where Cinderella Castle and Fantasyland felt ordinary compared to the ship’s stunning interiors; even the Dole Whip seemed lackluster after days of indulging in delightful treats with surprising flavors. There’s a certain magic bottled up within the walls of that cruise-hotel, and as a casual Star Wars fan, I left feeling unexpectedly transformed. It’s impressively inventive, particularly for a franchise with so many corporate influences. While some narrative adjustments could enhance the experience, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is wonderfully offbeat — the highest praise I can offer to the biggest entertainment entity in the galaxy.

Carlye Wisel is a theme park journalist and expert who covers topics like the invention of Butterbeer and Disney’s secret food lab on her podcast, Very Amusing With Carlye Wisel.