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Credit: Disney/Twitter (@bioreconstruct)Although the opening day of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel at Walt Disney World Resort has officially been pushed back to 2022, progress on the first-of-its-kind Disney Parks Resort is continuing on a daily basis.
Related: Starcruiser Imagineer Teases “Detour or Two” to Iconic Planets
The Starcruiser was originally announced at the 2017 D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, and was slated for a 2021 opening before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted construction.
Most recently, Twitter user Bioreconstruct shared images of how the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park is undergoing changes to make way for Galactic Starcruiser Guests who will be taking a “port excursion” to Batuu.
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Bioreconstruct’s first Galaxy’s Edge post noted:
Aerial photo today, and in park photo yesterday, of the transport shuttle terminal in Batuu. For guests of Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel.
Aerial photo today, and in park photo yesterday, of the transport shuttle terminal in Batuu. For guests of Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel. pic.twitter.com/LDvXIpRUGw
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) July 10, 2021
Related: First Look: ‘Star Wars’ Hotel is Literally in Batuu’s Backyard
Although we don’t yet fully know how the excursion to Black Spire Outpost will be woven into the Galactic Starcruiser storyline, we do know that booking passage on the Halcyon luxury starliner will grant Guests access to both of the popular Star Wars rides at Galaxy’s Edge — Millennium Falcon – Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Riding Rise of the Resistance without having to obtain a boarding group in the attraction’s virtual queue system is a huge perk for Galactic Starcruiser passengers.
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As we can see from the photos [above], immersion will not be broken as the Starcruiser’s themed space shuttles — buses, in reality — transport Guests to Galaxy’s Edge from the Star Wars hotel and back again. They will disembark on Batuu and won’t see the rest of the Hollywood Studios theme park.
It is important to note that, at this time, none of the changes that are being made to Galaxy’s Edge will impact Guests — construction is occurring behind the gates photographed by Bioreconstruct.
Bioreconstruct also shared a photo of where Guests will board their transport shuttles at the Starcruiser site. The caption reads:
Aerial look at where transport shuttles will dock at Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel.
Aerial look at where transport shuttles will dock at Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel. pic.twitter.com/u9tZZ003oD
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) July 10, 2021
Related: Bob Chapek: Galactic Starcruiser Will Leave Guests “Blown Away”
From the photo [above], it appears that Guests will wait in the small waiting room, then walk down a hallway similar to a jetway to get on their shuttles. This means they will not see the outside world at all while they travel to Batuu.
In “The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” book, writer Amy Ratcliffe spoke to several Walt Disney Imagineers who have been working on the Starcruiser. They shared details about the brand new droid that will “drive” the transport shuttles.
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The description of the driver droid, named Rex VO3A, by Imagineering reads:
“This is the droid that drives the shuttle back and forth from Batuu up to the ship. She’s actually not of the Halcyon, she is of the transport that is operated out of Black Spire Outpost.”
Related: New Details Emerge For Crown of Corellia Dining Experience at Galactic Starcruiser
The level of detail that has gone into every aspect of the Starcruiser’s design — down to making sure the interior matches the color scheme of the Chandrila Star Line, popular Star Wars characters are featured, and every astromech droid has a backstory — is sure to make for an unbelievable experience for Star Wars fans of all ages.
Related: SURPRISE Darksaber Arrives at ‘Star Wars’: Galaxy’s Edge
In regard to the new Disney hotel’s place in the Star Wars story, it will fall between Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) and the Skywalker Saga conclusion, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in the timeline. This is where the entire Star Wars land is set.
Related: Sneak Peek of Nearly Completed Galactic Starcruiser Hotel Room
Stay up-to-date on the latest Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser news on the new Disney World Resort hotel’s official webpage. Please note that reservations are not available at the time of publication. You can, however, learn about dining options, lightsaber training, and other onboard experiences.
Are you looking forward to blasting off to a galaxy far, far away on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser?
Ready to wield a lightsaber? Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical Walt Disney World Resort vacation to any of the Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom — and Disney Springs!