We now understand how Walt Disney World goes to make use of the defunct Star Wars Lodge close to Hollywood Studios, and it’s not as “horny” of a mission as any followers would’ve favored. This covers particulars of the conversion of the lodge in area to workplace area, which places to relaxation years of rumors, hypothesis, and wishful occupied with the way forward for the previous Galactic Starcruiser constructing.
That is going to be a intestine punch for diehard Starcruiser followers. Many had 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, can 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 gas to the hearth of fan pleasure concerning the “future” of the Starship Halcyon, with lots 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 totally new stage, to a stage that had by no means existed earlier than…It didn’t work commercially. And so, after we realized that, you simply make a name and transfer on.”
In fact, “one thing will occur” is fairly meaningless by itself and open to projection of 1’s personal wishes and hopes. The optimistic amongst us would possibly assume it is a trace of a reimagining into a daily resort, which might be “one thing” main taking place with Starcruiser. The extra pessimistic would possibly assume it’ll rot in plain sight, which can also be not nothing.
There’s an enormous expanse of center floor between these two extremes. And now, it might appear that’s occupied by “reimagining” the Starcruiser into workplace area for Walt Disney Imagineering. Most likely not on anybody’s want listing, however not a complete out of left area 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 positioning who is extremely educated about theme parks–not simply an leisure reporter who’s out of his ingredient, as is usually the case when the trades cowl the parks).
TheWrap studies 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 places of work for Walt Disney Imagineering.
WDI will likely be utilizing the constructing as a hub for a number of growth initiatives coming Walt Disney World, together with however not restricted to Tropical Americas, Automobiles Land, Villains Land, and Monstropolis.
This is smart. Though Walt Disney Imagineering has everlasting places of work 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 an enormous new improvement cycle, it tracks that they’d have to scale up employees and workplace area at Walt Disney World.
That is typically carried out through compounds which can be adjoining to the growth themselves–such because the trailer park that was constructed final yr backstage at Animal Kingdom–however it’s additionally attainable that mission groups will want a centralized hub. And that this may function the compound for Monstropolis and different unannounced initiatives for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
It’s additionally attainable that Magic Kingdom gained’t have the area for its personal compound. I don’t actually know. Imagineering needing extra places of work backstage at Walt Disney World within the close to and medium time period will not be in the slightest degree shocking.
TheWrap additionally studies that it had heard “rumblings” that the Starcruiser constructing was going to be utilized for a multi-hour dinner theater-type expertise that might 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 had been supposedly already in movement on it.
Effectively, theWrap can also be now reporting that it has now been informed, “fairly firmly,” that the constructing won’t be accessible to friends in any respect. Taylor speculates that that is because of the problem of shuttling friends to the Starcruiser constructing, which is backstage behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
One supply informed Taylor that a number of Solid Member playtests had been carried out within the previous Starcruiser constructing, however that the checks can be for a possible eating expertise within the theme park, not within the Starcruiser constructing itself. This is able to presumably use the pad adjoining to Oga’s Cantina, which was initially supposed for this goal. In keeping with Taylor, Disney is now circling again to that dinner theater thought.
To by crystal clear, I haven’t heard something about any of this in a very good 8+ months. To the most effective of my information and recollection, these playtests occurred some time in the past. I believe Taylor has this largely right.
It was my understanding that the Starcruiser was by no means the supposed long-term web site 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 will not be possible.) Relatively, the dinner present can be held in Starcruiser with precise paying friends 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 exhibiting 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 growth. The dinner present may very well be paired with a mushy reboot of the land, which we’ve been mentioning as a risk for some time.
Now, it might appear, Disney is glad in skipping the testing of the idea with paying friends. With none inside data, I believe this has much less to do with transportation hurdles–a identified amount lengthy earlier than there have been rumors of this taking place–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 keen to share its area with any guest-facing goal. Some overly-eager followers would’ve seen it as a “problem” to see what was taking place throughout the halls of Imagineering, and the safety presence required would’ve been important–and expensive.
The thought of doing guest-facing checks 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 season, main us to publish What Went Mistaken with Disney’s Star Wars Lodge? That was a direct results of Jenny Nicholson’s four-hour deconstruction (to place it charitably) of the mission. Her video racked up tens of tens of millions of views and introduced the Starcruiser mainstream consciousness.
It most likely goes with out saying, however Walt Disney World would simply as quickly individuals overlook concerning the failed Starcruiser totally. Doing a dinner present check within the venue would possibly’ve been deemed extra hassle than it was value. It might’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 concerning the extinct/failed/doomed/deserted/and so on. Star Wars lodge would nearly definitely dwarf these a couple of dinner present check.
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 mission. Not us.
For one factor, we have now ‘warned’ repeatedly (…and once more) that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser couldn’t be transformed into a daily lodge. In actual fact, we began sounding this ‘alarm’ even earlier than it opened. That got here as its critics had been cheering for its downfall, within the hopes that it might be transformed into a normal lodge.
As we’ve cautioned repeatedly, there are various the reason why this can’t occur. See Why Walt Disney World Will NOT Reimagine Starcruiser Right into a Star Wars Lodge for a non-exhaustive listing. 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 essentially the most believable final result for the Starcruiser constructing was it being transformed into places of work.
Truthfully, our hope was not for Walt Disney Imagineering places of work, however slightly, it changing workplace area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The park presently has a bunch of backstage help services which can be in prime places for growth, and relocating these to Starcruiser–and constructing extra round it–may very well 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 notice what this opens the door for. Long run, that is precisely what’s essential for the footprint of Disney’s Hollywood Studios to be expanded, and walkways connecting Toy Story Land, Animation Courtyard, and Sundown Boulevard. That will be nice for site visitors move, however it may possibly’t occur attributable to 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 a substitute of the extra logical location in Animation Courtyard is as a result of there are extra formidable long-term plans for that plot. Whereas I’m skeptical of something unannounced, that is completely the present pondering–to save lots of Animation Courtyard for a much bigger mission 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 to this point is the 5-year plan, however there’s a much bigger 10-year plan, and it includes a bigger growth into and behind Animation Courtyard. Whether or not that really involves fruition is anyone’s guess at this level (rather a lot might change within the subsequent few years earlier than something is introduced or building begins).
Regardless, relocating places of work is a essential prerequisite to that and the Starcruiser campus might serve a pivotal medium to long-term function. I additionally wouldn’t be shocked 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 places of work, parking, coaching, and so on., for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
That risk appears much less doubtless 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 places of work into them. Maybe one other constructing and parking storage will sprout up subsequent to Starcruiser.
Past that, I wouldn’t be shocked if different parts of Starcruiser make their method 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 numerous 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 might completely see that taking place with a mushy reboot that breathes new life into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. It might nonetheless be the blockbuster land that they needed. Disney asserting the New Mission that includes Mandalorian & Child Yoda for Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run will increase the percentages of this taking place 2026.
Maybe it’s wishful pondering, however I don’t imagine that’s the one Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge enhancement within the pipeline. I’ve heard nothing credible just 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.
Finally, most of that is fairly irrelevant to Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser being transformed into workplace area/places of work in area for Walt Disney Imagineering. However I needed to take what’s going to come back as miserable and disheartening information for a few of you and provide hope. A New Hope, if you’ll.
That’s an enormous quantity of hypothesis, however actually, it comes with the territory. I’d slightly lay out what I feel are the practical prospects slightly than go away this open-ended and let followers get carried away with working via extra implausible eventualities. Even long run, Starcruiser will not be going to grow to be 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 kind of hypothesis and wishful pondering that dragged on for years with the Adventurers Membership and its diehard followers. Starcruiser parallels that interactive expertise in various 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 can assist 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!
