If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting a galaxy far, far away, setting foot on the Outer Rim planet of Batuu at got you closer than you’ve ever been before. Now, Disney is about to take thing one step further and do what they do best — innovate beyond belief.
When the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — Walt Disney World Resort’s Star Wars hotel — opens to Guests, it will be an experience like nothing else the world has ever seen. Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek has promised that the immersive stay will leave Star Wars fans “blown away” and is “truly unlike anything we have ever done before.”
Brand new technology is a big part of what is going to make the Halcyon — the name of the luxury ship Starcruiser Guests will board — so amazing. Recently, Disney filed three patents that will undoubtedly have a major impact on the Star Wars Resort experience.
Here, we’re going to dive into each patent and evaluate how it might be used to make our favorite far away galaxy come to life right here on Earth.
Now, it seems that holograms are coming to the Starcruiser! If the concept art depicting the all-ages Silver C Lounge [above] is any indication, it looks as though holographic menus might appear on each dining table.
The patent itself reads, in part:
An image generation system comprising: a rotor and a base including a motor for spinning the rotor about an axis of rotation; a display secured to the rotor, wherein the display includes a display surface; a blur screen secured to the display, the blur screen having a vertical edge substantially parallel to the axis of rotation and including a first light emission barrier…
This certainly sounds like it could be describing a device like the one sitting in the center of the table at the Silver C. Perhaps we’ll also have a holographic waitstaff at our beck and call?
The windows on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser have been a hot topic of conversation throughout its construction — in large part because, while they are physically present, Guests won’t be able to see anything out of them.
In recent sneak preview images of Halcyon staterooms, such as the picture above, Walt Disney World fans have gotten a glimpse at how the screens covering the windows will look. Instead of seeing the central Florida landscape, passengers will look out at starry sky with a variety of other starships passing by.
Who knows, we might even get my personal dream, a view of the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca at the helm! Since Star Wars hotel concept art [below] indicates that the Wookiee will be one of the characters onboard the luxury space liner, this isn’t actually out of the realm of possibility.
A display system useful for achieving a wide field of view infinity effect. The system includes a frame assembly adapted for mounting on a wall of viewing space. The system includes a display element with a display surface. The system includes a magnifying lens supported within the frame assembly with a rear surface facing the display surface and with a front surface facing the viewing space.
This patent could also potentially play into the lightsaber training experience that will be offered on the Halcyon. The seemingly interactive target screens might utilize technology similar to the viewports throughout the rest of the ship.
The third and final recent tech patent for the Star Wars hotel involves “aerial vehicle entertainment.” In all likelihood, this will play a role in the development of the intergalactic vehicles — like the aforementioned icon, the Millennium Falcon — that Guests see flying through the galaxy while onboard the Halcyon.
The Bridge area [above], for example, will seemingly have massive viewports through which passengers can, perhaps, battle Imperial TIE fighters and take part in other immersive activities.
This technology could be used to simulate flying devices or vehicles that may be part of the resort stay. For example, the resort stay may include a visit to Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Orlando, and these vehicles could be used to simulate starships in the distance.
Why is this Star Wars technology so important?
As University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management assistant professor, Carissa Baker, noted in OBJ’s article:
“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser could be a culmination of ideas about immersion in the industry. In terms of the patents, the Star Wars series always has been connected with futuristic technology, and the spaces need to look like it is really part of that story world. This also is going to be a premium product, considering the mandatory two-night stay, limited occupancy, intimacy of settings and potential price tag.”
“The detail needs to be spot on, considering the close and lengthy scrutiny the space will get.”
It seems as though Walt Disney Imagineering has outdone themselves in regard to the technology that will be used to create an unbelievably immersive experience for those who choose to board the Galactic Starcruiser hotel.
Because of the hype that has surrounded the Walt Disney World Resort project since it was announced at the 2019 D23 Expo, there is no choice but for the onboard tech to deliver on its promises — in order for this massive, first-of-its-kind undertaking to be a success, there is no other option.
Credit: Disney 
