Grand opening on March 1, the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser promises an extravagant first-of-its-kind experience and the burning question on everyone’s lips is whether or not it’s worth the mid-four-figure price tag. A standard room aboard the interstellar voyage will set a couple back $4,800 while a room with 3 adults and 1 child can fetch upwards of $5,999.

On our hosted media tour of the facilities, we got a “sampler platter” of the offerings with a selection of its interactive experiences — including a taste of the dining room’s meal options — but NOT the opportunity to stay overnight.

So, based on what we saw during our four hours inside, it begs the question: is it worth the equivalent of a down payment on a new car? The answer? Well, we’re sorry to say that results may vary. But we promise that’s not the cop-out of the answer it sounds like. There’s just a few important factors to consider.

You don’t need to be a cosplaying, lightsaber wielding, Star Wars trivia master to enjoy Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — although, clearly, those are the guests that are absolutely going to get the most out of the entire operation. What really is a clear indicator if this is the right thing for you is if your are open and receptive to interactive theater.

Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Town Alive is by far the most accurate comparison in that characters establish a narrative that works towards a broader goal built upon the actions of its guest participants. The key difference with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is that you are a captive audience. Whereas the Knott’s experience factors in that you might leave the Ghost Town story to go snap an anachronistic picture with Snoopy or hop on a roller coaster before stuffing your gullet with funnel cake, the Star Wars experience is a full commitment for those two days on board.

One thing that photos and even video can’t share is the feeling of being part of the story. When we were on the bridge of the ship gnashing buttons and shifting controls to help achieve the task at hand, there was a sense of camaraderie and kindredship with everyone in the room. As we blew up the giant target (we’ll avoid spoilers here) on this mission, we literally all collectively burst into cheers with our fellow nerdizens. There were several moments during our abridged media tour where I got literal goosebumps and even a moment or two where I got a little choked up. These are not the type of thing you can easily convey in a tweet or a TikTok. This insane level of immersion is what you’re paying those big dollars for and if that’s not appealing to you, that is definitely not a wrong answer. So what else can you look forward to?

Disney has repeatedly noted that the experience is setup to allow guests to participate as much or as little as they wish with the interactive story elements. While it’s most certainly true that you can enjoy the unfolding narrative without having to interface with a droid or flick a single interactive console switch, the problem is there’s not much else to offer you.

If it were true that the experience didn’t really have a large reliance on participating in the broader story, then there’d be other activities and offerings for more timid voyagers. Using the most relatable comparison of a cruise ship, guests wishing to abstain from the excitement of the day would have other options — perhaps a dip in a pool, an appointment at the spa, take in a show, watch a crafts demonstration or literally just lounge and relax. There’s no rows of loungers, no coffee shops, no cozy spaces to nestle into a book. The idea of a cruise is the premise for the story more than functional representation of what Disney is actually selling. This is the most important thing to know about the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.

If you are content to be immersed in incredibly dense and rich storytelling without having to directly participate in it then you’re actually not in unfamiliar territory. Many of the most successful theme park offerings of late are built around passive activism wherein the premise is that YOU are an integral key to the (forbidden) journey or the (rise of the) Resistance but your personal participation is actually largely inconsequential. Passive activism is a very enjoyable way to experience themed entertainment but passive activism the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is not.

So is the experience worth the money? I can’t answer that because I haven’t experienced it completely. Your mileage will vary largely on the amount of effort you put into the trip. If you let yourself soak into the story, its activities, its many storylines, then you should find yourself a really rewarding personal journey. If you largely standby the sidelines as everything unfolds, you should still have a really great time (the grand finale moment on the final night of the experience is INSANE) but you might wonder where all your hard-earned credits have gone the past few days.

What I definitely know is that if I had a Porg’s nest egg to join the journey then there’s absolutely no question that I’d book that trip.

See it for Yourself

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages begin March 1, 2022. Take a look at ALL our coverage at the link below.

MORE INFO: MouseInfo’s Coverage of Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser

DISCLOSURE: MouseInfo’s on-site coverage is provided courtesy of Disney. We were hosted with airfare, lodging, and select meals during the press preview in exchange for our honest thoughts. The press preview did not include overnight lodging at the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser.