by Disney Magic Diva
Photo credit: Disney
After years of anticipation, Disney recently announced voyages on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (the “Star Wars hotel”) would begin on March 1, 2022. General bookings open October 28, 2021, but pre-sale bookings are available for certain travelers and departure dates. Club 33 and Golden Oak members were able to book on October 5thand 6th, Walt Disney World Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members can book October 7-9th, and Disney Visa Cardholders can book October 12-16th.
We relied on the Force (and our annual passholder status) and were able to book a cabin on the inaugural voyage! Here’s how our experience went.
The only way to book a cabin during the pre-sale is by phone. On October 6th, we called the Annual Passholder line (407-560-7277) to verify what phone number we should call to book, and what time the phones would be open. We were advised to call the general Disney resort reservation line (407-939-5277) and phones would open at 7:00 am ET.
On October 7th, about an hour before we could call to book, we got an email from Disney with a PIN code and a different phone number to call to book. (407-827-7379). We called the number in the email at 6:58 am and 6:59 am, and both times got recordings saying, essentially, “We’re not here yet.” At precisely 7:00 am ET, we called and got a recording saying we had reached the Galactic Starcruiser Reservation Center and that the wait time was over 2 hours. Let the Disney hold music begin.
After about 90 minutes, a cast member came on the phone to ask how he could help. We said we’d like to make a reservation for Galactic Starcruiser, and he asked a few questions to be sure we were ready.
“Are you aware this is a 2-night voyage?”
“Yes.”
“Have you read the information about this adventure on the website?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have dates in mind you’d like to book?”
“Yes.”
Then he confirmed our contact info and passholder status and said he would transfer us to the Galactic Starcrusier Reservation team. No one ever asked for the PIN code.
This is when the real stress set in. The line was obviously connected – minutes were ticking away on the phone – but there was absolutely no sound. No static, no Disney music, no recorded voice saying they’d be with us soon, nothing. Just silence. For 5 ½ hours nothing but silence. It was as if we were stranded in the void of space.
Finally, we heard a phone ringing on the other end of the line, and a cast member answered and uttered those words we waited so long to hear: “Welcome to the Galactic Starcruiser Reservation Center.” The cast member verified our name and asked for preferred departure dates. We asked for the inaugural voyage of March 1, 2022, but said we’d take the earliest date possible. Luckily, standard cabins were still available for March 1, and we were soon booked!
Since the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser webpage advises you to be prepared with any “extras” you may want (e.g., reservations at Oga’s Cantina, Savi’s Workshop, Droid Depot or the Captain’s Table) we were ready to book those too. We specifically were looking to book the Captain’s Table. Unfortunately, since the table only seats 11 guests, reservations were already full. The other activities can be booked 60 days before your departure, so it was too early to book those.
TIP: If Captain’s Table is a priority but booked for your voyage, ask the cast member to check other dates. Our cast member was willing to search for the first voyage with availability at the Captain’s Table, but we preferred to stay on the inaugural voyage and forego the Captain’s Table experience.
We asked about making resort reservations for a pre- and post-voyage stay. The cast member couldn’t do that for us (although she said they are working on being able to) but offered to transfer us to the regular resort reservation team. She did caution us, though, that the wait there would be quite lengthy as well, so we opted to book that stay online.
You should also be prepared to choose first or second seating for dinner (5:30 pm or 8:00 pm), put down a 20% deposit, (remainder due 90 days before departure) and listen to a very long list of terms and conditions the cast member must read to you. The actual booking process took about 25 minutes. The email confirmation came within a couple hours and was 19 pages long! If you print it, be sure your ink cartridge is full. It printed as a black page with white font like the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser website.
The rest of the day was spent debating which resorts to book for our pre- and post-voyage stay, booking flights, and continually checking My Disney Experience to admire the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser reservation listed under My Plans.
DIVA TIP: If you don’t have the patience, time, or desire to spend hours on the phone, let Patricia at All for Dreams Travel book your voyage! Her service is free, and you won’t be subject to seemingly endless hours of stress!
***Disclaimer – We at Tips from the Disney Divas and Devos hope you enjoy reading our articles and encourage you to share any you feel may be of interest to someone else. We do ask, however, if you choose to share the photographs attached to our articles, you give credit to the photographer. Thank you for your cooperation and sharing our love of Disney!
