As the countdown begins to Friday’s “Star Wars” debut, it’s beginning to look a lot like a Jedi season. With both the movie — and movie-related merchandise — taking over the holidays, you’d think you might be able to escape the fuss somewhere, anywhere. Out at sea, perhaps?
Think again. While Disney is hard at work on a new “Star Wars” theme park opening next year, right now the company is already bringing the franchise to its family-friendly cruise line.
To start, kids can now get a hands-on, interactive immersion into a galaxy far, far away thanks to an imaginative refit on the Disney Dream. The Oceaneer Club, a spacious play area below deck open to kids age 3 to 12, was transformed in October into a re-creation of the Millennium Falcon’s flight deck. The space features Disney’s signature attention to detail — eagle-eyed movie buffs will notice it’s complete with Han Solo’s tiny lucky dice hanging from the dash.
Kids, however, will be more interested in getting the spacecraft into hyperdrive and off on one of four adventures in epic “Star Wars” territories like Hoth and Tatooine.
Looking delightfully smudged and space travel-worn, the area also houses a holo-chess table re-creation, which hosts “Star Wars”-themed arts and crafts. The zone also includes a big-screen TV area for viewing Disney’s new animated “Star Wars Rebels” series, an all-important gaming area featuring iPads loaded with adventures from the series and “Star Wars” trivia. Without doubt, you have a totally immersive experience.
“It was a challenge to create something that would appeal to all ages,” says Disney Imagineer Danny Handke, the creative design lead for the space. “We also wanted to make it very authentic.”
The team achieved their goals — so much so that adults flocked to the area during open house hours for a hands-on look. They may also notice an unobtrusive interior detail of the Falcon replicating the place where Han’s and Leia’s first kiss in “The Empire Strikes Back.” It’s now the site of many parent selfie re-enactments.
Kids here can also attend the Jedi Training Academy to learn to harness the Force and attempt to repel Stormtroopers.
R2-D2 has his own space onboard, chirping and blinking behind a Plexiglass tube that’s allegedly a robot repair pod, in a clever ruse to prevent him from being overrun by excited pre-schoolers
While still being tight-lipped about the what and where, Disney’s imagineers are also promising ongoing additions and updates to the area to reflect “The Force Awakens” and future flicks. With Disney already lining up three spin-off movies, their jobs look secure.
But wait, there’s more. Select Disney Fantasy sailings in 2016 will also feature an entire “Star Wars” day at sea, when the ship will be taken over by the Empire and Federation with clones, droids and all sorts of alien life running amok on the high seas. Be assured, it will be a day long remembered.
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Disney Dream cruises start at $1,182 for two adults in an inside stateroom for a three-night Bahamian cruise from Port Canaveral, Fla. (disneycruise.disney.go.com).