ORLANDO, Fla. — X-Wing fighter: Check. Millennium Falcon: Check. That Baleen-class bulk freighter that Han Solo and Chewbacca were using in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”: Check.
Hundreds of recognizable and barely recognizable Star Wars spacecraft will be flying in the background scenes of the very high definition window into space of the new Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge coming to the Disney Wish when Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship debuts in summer 2022.
Disney Imagineers are honing the bells and whistles in Orlando for the space to be installed on the ship under construction in Germany.
“They don’t realize we do these things in trailers,” said Executive Creative Director Ken Horii.
It’s the first Star Wars space geared toward adults after the cruise line installed spaces in the Oceaneer Club aboard both Disney Dream and Fantasy, geared for kids ages 3-12.
“We’ve heard from adults, why are Star Wars experiences limited to the kids spaces,” said Imagineer and project coordinator Sachi Handke, noting they would hear things like, “My kids are Star Wars fans because I am a Star Wars fan and I’ve imbued them with that fandom.”
With Disney Wish, the adults look to finally have a space of their own. Well, children will be able to check it out during the daytime.
“I mean who wouldn’t want to come in this?” Horii said.
The space is meant to feel lavish, pulling inspiration from the ship of character Dryden Vos seen in “Solo: A Star Wars Story” or the casino city Canto Bight seen in “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.”
What’s in the works is a high-end bar as if travelers were on a yacht-class spaceship. For those that venture into the space, it will be as if they’re leaving the Disney cruise ship and boarding a vessel in that galaxy far, far away. That includes a promised sliding door with a signature, “whooosh” sound.
Once inside, every hour or so, a massive screen with 16,000 pixels will be displaying scenes moving among six planets from the Star Wars galaxy, running from 7-10 minutes each. They include Tatooine, Mustafar, Batuu, Coruscant, the Moons of Endor and a scene including the Ace Squadron, which are characters from a Disney cartoon called “Star Wars Resistance.”
“It’s like four movie theaters next to each other,” said concept designer Nick Snyder. “That’s the kind of resolution we’re talking about here.”
Among the scenes will be hundreds of ships, from the famous to the barely recognizable except to the most die-hard of Star Wars fans.
“There are just hundred of Easter eggs in these things,” said Snyder, who added that each ship has a story. “We literally have every toy [spacecraft] that Lucasfilm has ever created.”
Some of the ships on the 2-D screen will be rendered in a 3-D hologram tube in the lounge as well. It’s part of the high-end theme of the venue, with plush leather and chrome, yet with trophy-like oddities in jars.
“It’s creatures and things we’ve collected from all of these planets we’re going to be jumping to,” Snyder said.
The “jumping” he refers to is the hyperspace jumps between destinations.
Snyder said that unlike the films, the hyperspace jumps in the lounge will be unique since they are seen from a side view as opposed to the traditional head-on view.
“We didn’t want to go against the grain,” Snyder said. “Some people are just so in tune with the direction they’re headed.”
So since people are on an actual cruise ship, even if in a Star Wars-themed fantasy vessel, since the window is facing out one side, the hyperspace had to be from a side view.
“Plus we didn’t want to make people seasick,” he said.
Horii delved into other aspects to the space including what kind of music to expect and what’s on the menu.
During the day, expect traditional John Williams orchestrations, but at night, the musical selection is likely to shift.
“We’re exploring what do we want to change the atmosphere to,” Horii said. “Do we want to change the music, maybe make it feel more live?”
He said the space will have signature cocktails and interactive tasting experiences exclusive to Disney Cruise Line, although there may be some thematic spillover with Star Wars spaces like Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World.
Snyder praised the fact that the company will be “able to keep our alcohol in a storied situation.” Instead, the spirits will be presented in thematic bottles.
“You’ll never see a bottle of Jack Daniels,” he said.
Horii said the space will be inviting to all levels of participation. Some passengers may want to dress up, while others can just come and enjoy the show.
“It’s immersive in that it’s 100% Star Wars,” Horii said. “We don’t want to ever intimidate the wide variety of guests that are coming in.”
The space is the only announced Star Wars venue coming to the ship, but there are ship features that have yet to be revealed including original stage shows and two unannounced spaces in the Oceaneer Club.
Disney Imagineers would only comment that Hyperspace Lounge is the only space on Disney Wish “right now.”
The ship is the first of three Triton-class ships, a new class, coming to the Disney Cruise Line fleet. It’s set to debut from Port Canaveral for its maiden voyage on June 9, 2022.
It’s slated to take over the three- and four-night Bahamas sailings currently done by Disney Dream.
