What To Know Before You Board The Galactic Starcruiser
This article will contain spoilers for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Disney's Galactic Starcruiser is the new attraction at Disney World for "Star Wars" fans. For a hefty price tag, you, your friends, and loved ones can spend a couple of days living in a galaxy far, far away. There, you'll enter a story set in the time between "The Last Jedi" and "The Rise of Skywalker." You'll be the center of the universe in a battle between good and evil with plenty of scoundrels in between. How you choose to act and interact affects your version of events and the things you will see happen around you.
We've prepared this list of things you should know before you go.
Only what you take with you
Luke Skywalker once asked Yoda what was in the dark side cave. Yoda nodded sagely and said, "Only what you take with you." Much is the case with the Galactic Starcruiser. You will get as much out of the story as you put in. If you don't participate, the story and interaction will sail right by you. For those of you who prefer in person, face-to-face interactions, the characters and castmembers aboard the ship are there for you to play with. If you're an introvert and would rather communicate via text, that's pretty much what your datapad is set up for. If you've spent any time at Galaxy's Edge playing with the datapad there, you know exactly how it works and how to do most of the puzzles involved. You'll have to scan for transmissions, hack terminals, and interact with characters right there. There are also terminals around the ship that you'll need to interact with for some missions and can help grant you access to parts of the ship that might otherwise be restricted. You're going to want to play with everything you can.
Don't bring in a bad attitude either. Your energy gets directly reflected back at you when you interact with the story. If you bring negative energy, you're not going to feel the story like it should be.
Wear costumes
When you visit the Halcyon, consider wearing clothing that feels in-universe. It doesn't have to be uncomfortable, but you want something to add to the immersion. I spent one day in jeans and a Lando Calrissian shirt. Another day, I alternated between a Han Solo jacket and a Jar Jar Binks-themed Hawaiian shirt. It doesn't need to be completely in universe, but something to remind you that you're in "Star Wars" will help your immersion immensely and aid in the immersion of others.
There were definitely others on the voyage that went a lot further. There were both a Chiss and a Twi'lek among the passengers and it really helped increase the believability of the universe. Anything you can do will help. You will be interacting with other passengers, so the more you can do on the wardrobe or make up front, the better you make the experience for everyone.
Know you won't see everything
Don't expect to see or do everything aboard the Halcyon. Everything is different. You'll need to compare notes with other passengers to get the full story; this is a feature of the storytelling, not a bug. There are many terrific moments that arise out of you simply sharing your stories with other passengers and them sharing theirs with you. At first, I thought the shows at dinner would be the same show that those who chose the later dinner would see, but it wasn't. The events on the rest of the ship were all happening simultaneously. There really aren't spoilers, so be sure to share everything that happens publicly. You might want to keep your allegiances to yourself (especially if you're working for the First Order), but you'll want to let people know what's going on around the ship because it's all interconnected. Talking is the only way to really get a sense of the full story on board.
There are also plenty of parts of the ship you might not see, depending on your story. I was convinced I wouldn't make it into the cargo hold, but finally got a mission that granted me access and I had to find it. It wasn't clearly marked at all.
Your decisions matter
Although the finale will largely play out the same every time because Kylo Ren and Rey can't kill each other at the end, that doesn't mean the story is the same for everyone. Rey and Ben both have to go on and participate in the events of "The Rise of Skywalker." Necessarily, the story needs to divide everyone up into groups of about a dozen people to give them all something to do in the lead-up to the finale on an intimate scale.
The events that will pop up on your schedule are a direct result of the interactions you have and the missions you complete on your datapad. For me, I chose to fight for the Resistance and completed missions to that effect. In my bridge training session, I ended up helping jump to the Hoth system to relay a message to the Resistance. Then, I ended up completing a mission in the Engineering bay, helping Chewbacca and Sammie (the ship's mechanic) fix the sabotage the First Order had perpetrated. After that, I had to make it to the bridge for one more secret debrief from the captain, which turned into a desperate attempt to flee from the First Order who arrived in a Star Destroyer.
Know that your experience will be one of a kind.
Watch for the small moments
The best moments aboard the ship are the most intimate. Whether that's conversations and interactions you have with cast members or moments you get to witness. Be on the look out for them. For me, the moment that struck me to tears was Rey meeting Chewie aboard the ship the first time. It happened in a random side-hallway on Deck Four and as I looked around, it seemed like there weren't more than 10 people around to witness it.
Other incredible moments included watching other guests interacting with their stories in these out of the way places or standing back in the Atrium and watching a lot of smaller stories play out simultaneously.
Another favorite was Lt. Croy — the local First Order officer — and his fandom over Gaya, the Twi'lek signer entertaining on the ship. He'll come to witness her performances and when he does, be sure to keep an eye on him. It's rewarding.
Whatever you do aboard the Halcyon, be sure to pay attention. You might get only one chance to see your favorite moment of the voyage, and you might be the only person to see it.