That Time Disney Turned Me Loose in Star Wars: Cargo Bay & Hyperspace Lounge | Hollywood Studios Keeps It Classic
Spoiler Alert: I ate a frog egg over Coruscant...
Hello, Dear Readers! A very Merry Christmas to you all!
This week was understandably slower in terms of Disney Park news, but it wasn’t without a few surprises. For instance, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is set to undergo a lengthy refurbishment, but perhaps not as long as required for that retheme fans have been expecting? It’s slated to reopen in Summer 2024.
The bigger story is “The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure,” a new stage show inspired by the animated The Little Mermaid (not this year’s live-action remake), is set to replace the defunct Voyage of The Little Mermaid show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Fall 2024.
The fact Disney is sticking to the timeless film instead of a remake is Howard Ashman music to my ears.
Lastly, there was that video of a Duke Weaselton free-roaming robotic character from the Zootopia grand opening, as well as some news about the retheme of Disneyland Paris’ hotel.
As for the former, yes. Sure. It’s impressive. But personally? I’m over teases of new tech that’s followed by the disclaimer that there are no plans to use it in the parks. At this point, it feels like “Hey, here’s what you can’t have; isn’t it great?”
As for the Disneyland Hotel at the Disneyland Paris Resort, I’m planning to cover more of that in the weeks to come.
Now, even though we’re in peak holiday mode, what I’m sharing with you this week has more to do with palm trees than Christmas trees. But hopefully, it will be just as welcome.
These past few years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to take part in some incredible experiences at the parks and aboard Disney Cruise Line.
Therefore, I thought I’d pull back the curtain and share with you the time Disney let me check out the Disney Wish’s Star Wars offerings ahead of the ship’s July 2022 debut.
“It's been 84 (almost 2) years, and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used. The sheets had never been slept in. Titanic (The Wish) was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was.”
(As someone who thinks in movie quotes, you better believe this line from “Titanic” crossed my mind more than once.)
Star Wars Cargo Bay
Once aboard the sparkling new ship, and after checking out my stateroom (which was “Frozen”-themed in case you were wondering), I had about an hour or so of free time before my first scheduled interview. And so, I set my coordinates for the Cargo Bay, only to discover I had the freshly painted space entirely to myself.
Part of the Oceaneer’s Club aboard the Disney Wish, Star Wars: Cargo Bay is a themed area dedicated to younglings. But it doesn’t look like it.
Adults (who are welcome here at select times) won’t only appreciate the original trilogy's grunge aesthetic but also its impressive collection of galactic creatures.
Set free in Disney’s newest Star Wars offering, I was able to push every button, study every screen, and get to know its remarkably life-life audio-animatronic porg, napping Loth Cat, semi-hidden dianoga (that aquatic hairy eyeball from “A New Hope”), and a worrg a la Jabba’s Palace.
(So sorry about the vertical videos!)
Overall, getting to take my time exploring this new, immersive Disney-designed space (and without crowds) that few outside of Imagineering have seen was a real trip.
But I wasn’t done yet.
After scouring every inch of Cargo Bay on my own, I was scheduled to return later that day for a detailed tour courtesy of Imagineering and to learn more information first-hand.
For instance, just like how Disney’s Marvel Studios theme park locations and experiences are all connected, the idea behind Star Wars: Cargo Bay is that it’s an extension to the story playing out on Batuu (aka Galaxy’s Edge), and even plays host to a mission featuring Rey and Chewbacca.
Well, at least, for now.
According to Show Director Tony Giordano, who I spoke with for The Direct, the idea behind Cargo Bay is “that we’re on our way to Batuu,” but the show story is flexible:
“So, the idea that we're on a ship to anywhere - right, now the idea is we're on our way to Batuu - but we can honestly go anywhere. And as the stories continue to grow in the Star Wars galaxy, we can change the storytelling."
And, as Giordano noted, “as the storytelling changes, we can bring in a different character, and we can do down those storylines…”
Just when Disney Cruise Line intends to adopt those new characters and storylines, and who or what will see on the Disney Treasure, is unknown. But you know I’ll be all over it when we find out!
Still, Giordano wasn’t the only member of the team on hand to offer a tour.
The mighty Chewbacca made an appearance and was generous with his own Shyriiwook commentary, eventually taking over the tour, pointing out a few porg nests, and even posing for pics.
The highlight, however, was when he led me over to the mother porg and her nest full of eggs.
Now, having seen The Last Jedi, I was understandably nervous at first.
But it seems Chewie and this porg bonded during their time at Cargo Bay. Take a look below:
Hyperspace Lounge
The next Star Wars-centric space Disney turned me loose in was Hyperspace Lounge.
While Star Wars: Cargo Bay is a kids’ space where adults can visit, Hyperspace Lounge is the reverse in that it’s geared towards adults but little ones can visit with their families during the day.
But that’s where the parallels end.
While Cargo Bay looks like it sounds, Hyperspace Lounge was inspired by Dryden Vos’s yacht from Solo: A Star Wars Story with similar stylings to the Canto Bight casino from The Last Jedi.
Think sleek. Think bright. Think Mon Mothma’s apartment from Andor.
In true Star Wars fashion, blast doors serve as the entrance and are just as cool as you think they’re going to be, but the real shocker was the size.
It’s tight like Oga’s Cantina at Galaxy’s Edge, and then a bit smaller, dotted with domes and displays of galactic artifacts.
But if you know anything about Hyperspace Lounge, it’s all about the centerpiece “viewport” into space, with *simulated* whooshing jumps through hyperspace to different planets and points within the Star Wars timeline.
Cameras fail to do the quality of this screen justice. I remember wishing I had more time just to see all of the various locations.
It’s also why I have high expectations for the 20,000 Leagues-themed Periscope Pub and the Haunted Mansion Parlor on the upcoming Disney Treasure.
Realizing how big of a draw the lounge would be on a normal cruise (especially amidst the buzz surrounding the-then pricey Kaiburr Crystal Camtono drink), I was well aware it would never be this empty again.
But, in addition to getting a look about sans crowds, I was also granted a demonstration (and a sample!) of the lounge’s signature “mocktail” themed after Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) himself.
I remember it being earthy, a bit tangy, and with a touch of Eucalyptus flavor?
But let’s be honest. Regardless of how it tastes, the real draw is the Grogu-inspired garnish topped with his own favorite snack of frog eggs (boba pearls).
I also have to shoutout its name: “Temple Twist.” (An homage to Grogu’s backstory. IYKYK)
I’ll be sharing more of my own personal adventures from covering the Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line in the weeks and months to come!
What I’m Working Watching/Reading…
Due to the holiday season, news has been on the slow side. So until Hollywood and the theme park news cycle picks back up, I’ve been busying myself with What If…? Season 2 which I’m LOVING.
Next to Loki Season 2, it may be my highest-ranked on-screen MCU project of the year.
So far, “What If… Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” is my favorite. The banter between the team reminded me of what we’ve been missing in the MCU without an Avengers team.
I’ve also been down a Hunger Games rabbit hole due to The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The film works much better if you’ve read the book, and both together add so many new layers and perspectives to the original books and films.
While I love and appreciate that every film has been directly lifted from Suzanne Collins’ work, I can’t help but see potential in a series to further explore this universe and the other districts.
Lastly, as mentioned the week prior, I’ll be jetting off to Walt Disney World in January for the opening of Epcot’s Festival of the Arts, the return of park hopping, and more which I’ll be sharing more about here in the future.
In the meantime…
“The promise of excitement
Is one the night will keep
After all there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas”
You can follow me on Twitter at @DisneyParkSavvy.
Have a magical day & Merry Christmas!