Star Wars Galactic Star Cruiser: A wannabe Disney Creative’s concept for saving the Halcyon.

 Star Wars Galactic Star Cruiser: A wannabe Disney Creative’s concept for saving the Halcyon.

Once again Disney, I have been following the Galactic Star Cruiser:Halcyon from fan made news and I believe that my past ideas posted on this blog for expansion of Star Wars would be nice to see. It may not be the quickest way to save the Halcyon. This morning I awoke from my sleep a dream of what the Halcyon could be despite my inability to afford it. So as I had in the past out of love for Star Wars and Disney, I am presenting my idea on how to save the halcyon. 

To begin we need to find ways to retain what guests need to spend to keep it afloat while also providing new services and offerings to guests by means of services and entertainment to replace the current $4000-$6000 price range for two nights that is currently being offered by the star cruiser. Therefore the most reasonable way to expand the reason for this price is to expand and extend the star cruiser. Judging by images the star cruiser’s architecture(judging by what limited images I’ve seen from both aerial views and the maps of the halcyon provided online via google, Disney can expand the hotel’s capacity adding another 50-100 rooms across the top of where guests currently are dropped off and expand the halcyon, adding a new sector of rooms: an escape pod bay, a new cantina, an indoor pool and a spa, all offerings that will cut the price from $4000-$6000 for a two night to hopefully $2000-$3000, as the spa will now act as another amenity aboard the Halcyon where guests can have star wars themed spa packages, and perhaps a Bippity Boppity Boutique type experience that allows guests to become different aliens while staying aboard the star cruiser. 

It is apparent to me as a “Disney adult” star wars fan that has an eye for this kind of stuff, that Disney Parks is making money off of Alcohol and one of a kind experiences like Savi’s workshop and Mubo’s Droid shop, so why not add one of a kind “Tangible” experiences to The Galactic Star Cruiser? As many of the fanbase knows, the entirety of the Galactic Star Cruiser runs off the Disney Play app Star Wars datapad. While this is great no one wants to pay $6000 for themselves or their children to be on their cell phones the entire time that they are on vacation. This isn’t bashing the datapad but vacations are supposed to be adventures and the data pad, while incredible and fun isn’t why people are going on vacation. Therefore props should be made for GSC guests to add a more tangible experience and perk to this vacation.

 By using props guests will physically hold Coaxium canisters and be able to deliver them to Raithe Kole aboard the star cruiser, be able to steal resistance plans on data spikes or holodisks and deliver them to Harmon Kroy and new characters for Galaxy’s Edge contacts who inhabit Black Spire Outpost could also be created to support these tangible experiences, in place of the Oga’s Cantina QR code, an alien can sit at the booths(maybe even Oga herself) and when GSC guests enter they can get into contact with this character to retrieve the intel needed. Perhaps by filling Galaxy’s Edge with the conceptualized characters from the art of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge,you can open more doors and missions and experiences within the LARP genre, providing tangible experiences for the guests aboard on and off world.

The next complaint I have heard about the GSC is that it feels too short for the expense. So perhaps a third day could be added allowing guests to truly get a feel for the ship characters and story as well as relax at the pool, learn Sabacc, do some bridge and lightsaber training and get their spa treatments(given that my expansion Idea is green lit). The Galactic Star Cruiser is in effect a Disney Cruise themed to just Star Wars and as such needs to offer the same amenities as a Disney cruise line in order to be able to create a four day, three night voyage and as such has plenty of things to do foods to eat and drink and games to play aside from the current offerings that seem to be overwhelming and all at the same time rather than relaxing and go with the flow which some guests want on a vacation.Hence why adding a third day aboard could allow guests time to catch their breath relax and truly get their vacation on rather than being thrust into the action and needing to stick to a mission or routine all at once, without the time to relax. Disney, no one wants to work on a vacation and by expanding the time frame while aboard perhaps it can feel less like work and more like the vacation most people desire.

While I have already presented my concept of what can be added if Disney Expanded the Halcyon(the Galactic Star Cruiser), I haven’t gone into depth on some of my own ideas on what can be added aside from a vague description of Pool, Spa, a new lounge/cantina and possibly a new interactive experience. However I find that in the fantasy western sci fi world of Star Wars there is quite a bit that can be done. “The aft” (As it will be known) will be sectioned off and split by the escape pod bay at the ship's center. From there guest rooms for the aft section will take up the next corridor leading to the aft atrium, which is in itself a massive Cantina and game center. Digital Game tables such as Holosabacc, Dejarik and Pazzak will be featured highly here creating more ways to play these exciting digital versions of this game aboard instead of the one table in the Sublight Lounge. The aft cantina should be somewhat of a Cantonica(Canto Bight) casino in space. From there guests can enter two shops, the senatorial dining room(a new themed dining room themed after the New Republic Senate), and a climate simulator chamber.

The floor below it will lead to the Chandrillan spa and indoor Gungan/Mon Calamari pool where a poolside cantina and the blue and green milk ice cream machines will be located which will also include more flavors that just blue and green milk ice cream but also other star wars favorites Meiloorun and Jogan Fruit. This floor will also be host to a state of the art Droid making experience(very similar to the droid shop on Batuu) and a lightsaber building experience featuring Master Huyang as an audio animatronic from Star Wars the Clone Wars.

The floor above the aft section will include three very new experiences to expand the story. Lieutenant Kroy’s quarters, Captain Keevan's Quarters and Gaya’s Quarters as well as the communications station for the ship as well as the cargo hold, as well as the location of the Bippity Boppity boutique style guest service aboard the ship. These will act as new exciting ways to communicate with the character actors aboard the ship rather than using the datapad. Keevan's will be a very Pantoran and Chandrillan inspired room with a feeling of it being the Captain’s true living quarters. Kroy’s will feature First Order Stormtrooper guards and a desk that allows him to peer out into the void of space giving off a Thrawn or Tarkin vibe to guests. Gaya’s will be newly painted in purple with Twi'lek adornments and a round couch where Raith Kole lounges around as well as acting a cantina with its own bar service droid.

The communications station will be a great way to get messages and receive messages from the first order or Resistance or maybe even from Hondo while aboard,while the cargo bay could be a good place to encounter Dianoga’s,store Coaxium, and interact as either a smuggler or bounty hunter aboard the Halcyon. These two locations will allow two new places for guests to expand and interact with the story as well as expand what can be done while aboard.

The Bippity Boppity Boutique style experience will be a disguise shop similar to the one found in the book Art of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. Guests of all ages(and I mean all ages) will be allowed to attend and be transformed into a variety of species: Twi'lek, Togruta, Zabrak, Chiss, Pantoran,Pauan and Mirialan could all be good choices for this as they are cool species that can still eat and drink while aboard and require limited costuming elements. However we want to allow guests to also dress as six other fan favorite species: Mon Calamari, Duro, Rodian, Sullustan,Wookie and Trandoshun, but these would be trickier to make costumes for as guests can’t really eat and drink within the hotel and park, these aren’t exactly ideal for that(Especially since Wookies, Rodians, and Sullustans all speak in grunts, growls and their own native tongues). This service will be scheduled and can be reapplied everyday while aboard, for free(After the first application), to allow cleanliness of guests to not hinder the fun of other passengers.

These services would therefore allow 200 guests to comfortably spend multiple days aboard the Star Cruiser(at least two) and one day abroad on Batuu, where Disney has the opportunity to fill the Star Wars area of the park(Star Wars:Galaxy's Edge) with aliens as they conceptualized when they first announced Galaxy’s Edge back in 2017. This will also benefit the park guests, who want to see these aliens and ride the rides with aliens like Star Tours promotes in its safety video prior to launch, something that many fans have dreamed of.

From here we can also cut guest spending aboard the halcyon and booking the GSC as a hotel by offering amenities and packages like a normal cruise ship. Take a $100 per person, Unlimited eat and drink package and a $500 unlimited alcohol Package that allows guests to prepay for their meals and alcohol rather than automatically including the food and drink in the price (upon reservation). While I don’t think you can dispense with the Star Wars ride lightning lane due to the exclusivity of the Halcyon, and turn that into a package you can offer unlimited Star Wars lightning lane for $200 a person and while all Halcyon guests are included lightning lane for Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance this package will allow guests to ride multiple times during the excursion to Batuu. Another service is a protocol droid companion that guests while on Batuu that adds exclusive missions and character interactions as well as entry into Oga’s Cantina, and Dok Ondars allowing them to skip the lines for $2000 per party but can assist guests in carrying souvenirs and create a new atmosphere on Batuu for guests.

As currently being used the guests of the Halcyon get pins that inform cast members they are there to play. What if there was a way to turn this into a package as well. Guests gain one per person when visiting the halcyon while on their excursion to Batuu, and this unlocks these interactions. What if you could charge them in three different tiers. Tier 1: will be the free one obtained gains the limited reactions and interactions with cast members comes in a bronze color. Tier 2: costs $35 a person and comes in a silver color, allows cast members to add hints to their missions and unlocks more features and interactions. Tier 3: comes in a gold color: costs $50 a person and Rey, Chewbacca and Kylo Ren will take time to find and greet them as well as allowing cast members to add hints to their missions and unlock more features and interactions. This could be a good way of also lowering the price of the star cruiser for guests to get bookings up again.

Anyways Disney Imagineering; please let me know what you think, fans you let me know what you think. If any of my ideas will help get you aboard the star cruiser or get guests to change their minds on the star cruiser please let me know in the comments section.I really need this article to take my blog off the ground and allow people to read my work. Thanks for reading.

Message from the author:

Disney please Hire me,

I have this incredible business logic combined with an imagination and nowhere to use it but this blog. While I don't have architectural or engineering expertise of any sort I have an imagination, a limited background in accounting and a degree in film studies and have been vacationing at Disney World since I was one year old and have been watching Star Wars since I was younger than that. I love Disney, I love Star Wars, I love Marvel and I would argue that if I got an interview with someone in Disney Parks Creative;preferably someone who is trying to fix the Galactic Star Cruiser Experience or Galaxy’s edge, even someone who works in Star Wars experiences in the Disney Parks that you would never regret it. I have more Ideas and I hope someday to still work for you all as a fan of Star Wars who is just happy to be getting content. 

Please take me into consideration,

M.S

Concept Sketch based on The Galactic Star Cruiser and my own concept for the Aft Section. 

Written Disclosure: this was written with fan intent and not to be critical or cause outrage or backlash from Disney. As a Fan I love WDW and WDW Imagineering and as a fan only want to show what I can bring to the table not out of hatred but out of love for the WDW Company. I am in no way affilated with Disney as of the time of the writing of this article and this was made under fan criticism with my own thoughts in mind nothing else.In other words please don't sue me disney or fans for making content marketed solely for creative fan purposes.