We now know the way Walt Disney World goes to make use of the defunct Star Wars Resort close to Hollywood Studios, and it’s not as “horny” of a undertaking as any followers would’ve preferred. This covers particulars of the conversion of the lodge in area to workplace area, which places to relaxation years of rumors, hypothesis, and wishful fascinated about the way forward for the previous Galactic Starcruiser constructing.
That is going to be a intestine punch for diehard Starcruiser followers. Many have been holding on to hope with Jedi-like energy, that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser resort constructing, which was as soon as dwelling to an envelope-pushing interactive multi-day expertise, could be transformed from a cruise on land into one thing, the rest.
They couldn’t be faulted for clinging to optimism. Across the time it closed, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro teased that “one thing will occur” with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser down the highway. That added gasoline to the fireplace of fan pleasure in regards to the “future” of the Starship Halcyon, with most of the Starcruiser’s superfans hoping for an announcement. When D23 Expo got here and went with none information, there was nonetheless optimism for the 2025 Vacation spot D23.
When discussing Starcruiser, D’Amaro additionally indicated that “not the whole lot’s going to work. What did work, although, is we took creativity and storytelling to a very new degree, to a degree that had by no means existed earlier than…It didn’t work commercially. And so, once we realized that, you simply make a name and transfer on.”
After all, “one thing will occur” is fairly meaningless by itself and open to projection of 1’s personal needs and hopes. The optimistic amongst us would possibly suppose it is a trace of a reimagining into a daily resort, which might be “one thing” main occurring with Starcruiser. The extra pessimistic would possibly suppose it’ll rot in plain sight, which can be not nothing.
There’s an unlimited expanse of center floor between these two extremes. And now, it will appear that’s occupied by “reimagining” the Starcruiser into workplace area for Walt Disney Imagineering. Most likely not on anybody’s want record, however not a complete out of left discipline shock. Higher than demolishing it or letting it rot in plain sight!
The replace on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser being transformed to workplace area comes courtesy of TheWrap and journalist Drew Taylor (a pal of the location who is extremely educated about theme parks–not simply an leisure reporter who’s out of his ingredient, as is commonly the case when the trades cowl the parks).
TheWrap reviews that a number of sources, together with a person near the Walt Disney Firm, have knowledgeable them that the constructing that previously housed Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is being transformed into workplaces for Walt Disney Imagineering.
WDI might be utilizing the constructing as a hub for a number of enlargement tasks coming Walt Disney World, together with however not restricted to Tropical Americas, Vehicles Land, Villains Land, and Monstropolis.
This is sensible. Though Walt Disney Imagineering has everlasting workplaces in Florida, the plan for a big inventive campus in Lake Nona was scratched. And since a lot of what WDI does is project-based and Walt Disney World is beginning a large new growth cycle, it tracks that they’d have to scale up workers and workplace area at Walt Disney World.
That is typically performed through compounds which are adjoining to the enlargement themselves–such because the trailer park that was constructed final 12 months backstage at Animal Kingdom–however it’s additionally potential that undertaking groups will want a centralized hub. And that this may function the compound for Monstropolis and different unannounced tasks for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
It’s additionally potential that Magic Kingdom received’t have the area for its personal compound. I don’t actually know. Imagineering needing extra workplaces backstage at Walt Disney World within the close to and medium time period isn’t in the slightest degree stunning.
TheWrap additionally reviews that it had heard “rumblings” that the Starcruiser constructing was going to be utilized for a multi-hour dinner theater-type expertise that may use the lodge’s foyer, bridge, bar and restaurant–and that the present store would additionally stay open. We additionally heard a extremely credible variation of this rumor, and the wheels have been supposedly already in movement on it.
Properly, theWrap can be now reporting that it has now been informed, “fairly firmly,” that the constructing is not going to be accessible to company in any respect. Taylor speculates that that is as a result of problem of shuttling company to the Starcruiser constructing, which is backstage behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
One supply informed Taylor that a number of Forged Member playtests had been performed within the outdated Starcruiser constructing, however that the assessments could be for a possible eating expertise within the theme park, not within the Starcruiser constructing itself. This may presumably use the pad adjoining to Oga’s Cantina, which was initially supposed for this objective. In line with Taylor, Disney is now circling again to that dinner theater concept.
To by crystal clear, I haven’t heard something about any of this in 8+ months. To the very best of my data and recollection, these playtests occurred some time in the past. I think Taylor has this principally appropriate.
It was my understanding that the Starcruiser was by no means the supposed long-term website of the dinner present for the precise cause recognized: transportation would’ve been too expensive and clunky. (Earlier than you ask: no, a strolling path from Galaxy’s Edge isn’t possible.) Somewhat, the dinner present could be held in Starcruiser with precise paying company for an prolonged interval to check the idea and as a stopgap whereas constructing the entire thing in Galaxy’s Edge.
Our view was (and is) that this dinner displaying coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was (and is) an inevitability in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. Though Walt Disney World has been burned by Star Wars investments, the dinner present continues to be a license to print cash. The area already exists for it, and it’s unlikely for use for different enlargement. The dinner present could possibly be paired with a smooth reboot of the land, which we’ve been mentioning as a chance for some time.
Now, it will appear, Disney is glad in skipping the testing of the idea with paying company. With none inside data, I think this has much less to do with transportation hurdles–a recognized amount lengthy earlier than there have been rumors of this occurring–and extra to do with the Starcruiser constructing getting used as Imagineering workplace area.
No arm of Disney is as secretive as Walt Disney Imagineering, and I simply can’t conceive of WDI being prepared to share its area with any guest-facing objective. Some overly-eager followers would’ve considered it as a “problem” to see what was occurring inside the halls of Imagineering, and the safety presence required would’ve been important–and dear.
The thought of doing guest-facing assessments in Starcruiser would possibly’ve died lengthy earlier than this. We began seeing renewed curiosity in Starcruiser and receiving an inflow of questions final summer time, main us to publish What Went Fallacious with Disney’s Star Wars Resort? That was a direct results of Jenny Nicholson’s four-hour deconstruction (to place it charitably) of the undertaking. Her video racked up tens of hundreds of thousands of views and introduced the Starcruiser mainstream consciousness.
It most likely goes with out saying, however Walt Disney World would simply as quickly individuals neglect in regards to the failed Starcruiser fully. Doing a dinner present take a look at within the venue would possibly’ve been deemed extra hassle than it was value. It may’ve impressed an inflow of copycat YouTubers to do their very own items on the defunct expertise, and introduced extra undesirable consideration on the shuttered Starcruiser.
It doesn’t take a lot creativeness to examine the sensational titles these would possibly obtain, and movies in regards to the extinct/failed/doomed/deserted/and so on. Star Wars lodge would virtually actually dwarf these a couple of dinner present take a look at.
Regardless, many Walt Disney World followers will view the conversion of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser as yet one more stain on the already sordid legacy of this undertaking. Not us.
For one factor, now we have ‘warned’ many times (…and once more) that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser couldn’t be transformed into a daily lodge. The truth is, we began sounding this ‘alarm’ even earlier than it opened. That got here as its critics have been cheering for its downfall, within the hopes that it will be transformed into an ordinary lodge.
As we’ve cautioned repeatedly, there are lots of the reason why this can’t occur. See Why Walt Disney World Will NOT Reimagine Starcruiser Right into a Star Wars Resort for a non-exhaustive record. The underside line is that Starcruiser being reimagined into a daily resort was by no means on the desk. The constructing being transformed into something involving in a single day stays was not critically being thought of.
We’ve additionally talked about repeatedly that probably the most believable final result for the Starcruiser constructing was it being transformed into workplaces.
Truthfully, our hope was not for Walt Disney Imagineering workplaces, however reasonably, it changing workplace area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The park presently has a bunch of backstage assist amenities which are in prime areas for enlargement, and relocating these to Starcruiser–and constructing extra round it–could possibly be extremely useful for the long-term way forward for DHS.
This additionally isn’t a “horny” use for Starcruiser and its surrounding plot of land…till you understand what this opens the door for. Long run, that is precisely what’s crucial for the footprint of Disney’s Hollywood Studios to be expanded, and walkways connecting Toy Story Land, Animation Courtyard, and Sundown Boulevard. That might be nice for visitors stream, however it will probably’t occur as a consequence of what’s presently backstage. It wants to occur, although, to enhance the capability of the park.
This additionally will occur in some unspecified time in the future. We’ve hinted that one of many causes Monstropolis went to Muppets Courtyard as an alternative of the extra logical location in Animation Courtyard is as a result of there are extra bold long-term plans for that plot. Whereas I’m skeptical of something unannounced, that is completely the present considering–to avoid wasting Animation Courtyard for a much bigger undertaking than Monstropolis. Consider Monstropolis as this cycle’s Toy Story Land, with Animation Courtyard being dwelling to this cycle’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
What’s been introduced so far is the 5-year plan, however there’s a much bigger 10-year plan, and it entails a bigger enlargement into and behind Animation Courtyard. Whether or not that truly involves fruition is anyone’s guess at this level (loads may change within the subsequent few years earlier than something is introduced or building begins).
Regardless, relocating workplaces is a crucial prerequisite to that and the Starcruiser campus may serve a pivotal medium to long-term function. I additionally wouldn’t be stunned if the Starcruiser constructing is demolished in some unspecified time in the future and changed with a brand new construction that’s extra environment friendly for workplaces, parking, coaching, and so on., for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
That chance appears much less probably on condition that Imagineering is now utilizing the area, although. As an alternative, Walt Disney World will proceed its wealthy historical past of repurposing buildings and shoehorning workplaces into them. Maybe one other constructing and parking storage will sprout up subsequent to Starcruiser.
Past that, I wouldn’t be stunned if different parts of Starcruiser make their approach into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The “what” of this actually relies upon upon how a lot of the R&D is rolled into the accelerated depreciation of a whopping $300 million.
There’s a whole lot of tangible expertise that was produced through Imagineering R&D that Walt Disney World and Disneyland would possibly need to reuse for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (and even elsewhere). Issues like that fancy new lightsaber, the Yoda impact, and different showpieces.
There’s an opportunity of these being added to new leisure alongside the catwalks within the land, Savi’s Workshop, Oga’s Cantina, and elsewhere. A lot of this was initially supposed for the land, and it’ll simply be a matter of Disney expressing an urge for food to take a position extra into the land.
Once more, I may completely see that occuring with a smooth reboot that breathes new life into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It may nonetheless be the blockbuster land that they wished. Disney asserting the New Mission that includes Mandalorian & Child Yoda for Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run will increase the chances of this occurring 2026.
Maybe it’s wishful considering, however I don’t imagine that’s the one Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge enhancement within the pipeline. I’ve heard nothing credible lately, however my hope and expectation is that Imagineering will need a marketable ‘package deal’ of additives, enhancements, regimaginings, and so on. for 2026.
That would embrace increasing the ‘universe’ to incorporate legacy character meet & greets, new leisure from Starcruiser, and the aforementioned dinner present. It wouldn’t shock me within the least if we get an announcement to this impact on the 2025 Vacation spot D23.
In the end, most of that is fairly irrelevant to Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser being transformed into workplace area/workplaces in area for Walt Disney Imagineering. However I wished to take what’s going to return as miserable and disheartening information for a few of you and provide hope. A New Hope, if you’ll.
That’s a large quantity of hypothesis, however truthfully, it comes with the territory. I’d reasonably lay out what I feel are the life like potentialities reasonably than depart this open-ended and let followers get carried away with working by means of extra implausible eventualities. Even long run, Starcruiser isn’t going to turn into a daily resort and even Disney Trip Membership. It isn’t going to be reworked into DisneyQuest: Star Wars Version.
I’ve been a Disney fan for some time, and I already see historical past repeating itself right here with the identical sort of hypothesis and wishful considering that dragged on for years with the Adventurers Membership and its diehard followers. Starcruiser parallels that interactive expertise in quite a lot of methods, and I hope that doesn’t lengthen to its superfans being strung alongside for too lengthy with the false hope that the factor they love will return.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser being transformed into workplace area? Is that this heartbreaking, or is it kind of what you anticipated based mostly on earlier reporting? Assume D’Amaro is honest in saying “one thing will occur” with the shuttered Starcruiser? Are you anticipating an announcement on the 2025 Vacation spot D23? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
