Entertainment

'Star Wars' Fans Are Going To Love This Brand New Hotel At Disney World

by Tolly Wright
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

There will no need to stay in another "wretched hive of scum and villainy" when on a Florida vacation with other Star Wars-loving friends and family. Walt Disney World is opening a new Star Wars-themed resort that promises to be a fantastical, immersive hotel experience. The Disney Parks Blog published a video rendering and short description of the hotel on Sunday, and it sounds like it won't just look like something out of George Lucas's universe — the hotel will also offer opportunities to pretend like you are part of the action.

The resort is connected to Disney's ambitious new themed area Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios. But unlike other hotels that might aesthetically match the corresponding park, this resort is an attraction all on its own. The Disney Parks blog explains that the resort has an immersion experience that lasts for multiple days and goes beyond just appearances. It describes the resort:

This first-of-its-kind resort will combine luxury with complete immersion into an authentic Star Wars story. Guests’ journey through space will start when everyone departs together for a multiday Stars Wars adventure by boarding a starship alive with characters and stories that unfold all around them during a voyage through the galaxy.

This lines up with the description Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, gave during a panel at Disney’s D23 convention last month. According to Hello Giggles, Chapek explained that the immersive concept was going to be in full force. He boasted, "It is 100% immersive, and the story will touch every single minute of your day, and it will culminate in a unique journey for every person who visits."

In other words, imaginative guests can feel like they're starring in their own Star Wars story. Move over, Luke and Rey! While its hard to imagine how the theme park will be able to pull off this feat — creating a full experiences that will allow each guest to fully feel as if they are a part of a narrative — the rendering offered by the blog certainly inspires confidence.

The artist rendering only offers a glance at one room — likely the lobby or another sort of community room — that is clearly inspired by the spaceship control rooms in the Star Wars movies, with similar circular portal type doors and computer control stations lining the windows. The families can all be seen wearing various Jedi garb and the jackets worn by other characters. There's even a child wearing what appears to be a headpiece with blue horns to make her look like Aayla Secura, a blue alien Jedi master from Star Wars Episode II and III.

What's even more amazing is how the windows appear to be looking straight out into outer space, with TIE-Fighters and X-Wings zooming past the spaceship, presumably off to the next battle. That window won't just be in the lobby, however. According to the blog post, "Every resort window will also have a view into space."

And here you thought the light-up star stickers you had on your bedroom ceiling were magical.

According to the blog post, the luxury resort's immersive experience will also include a dress-up component. It explains, "At the resort, guests immediately become active citizens of the galaxy and can dress up in the proper attire." While it doesn't reveal what "proper attire" entails, you can bet that this likely means costumes either mimicking or similar to those worn by some of your favorite characters — think a Han Solo brown vest, a long white dress like Princess Leia, or maybe even Rose Tico's jumpsuit. It would probably also mean that guests are encouraged to try out a Rey-style hairdo and maybe sport some prop gadgets and gizmos.

The Star Wars hotel is slated to open around the same time as Galaxy’s Edge in 2019. Galaxy's Edge will open first at Disney Land in California, and Disney World second.