The cost of Disney's Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is justified if you're open to having fun and engaging in play.

• Disney's new Galactic Starcruiser theme park attraction was previewed by CNBC on board the Halcyon. Although the "voyage" is expensive, it is definitely worth it for the immersive experience if guests are willing to participate.
• The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is an "immersive adventure" that combines elements of the company's resorts, cruise lines, and theme parks into a 48-hour space journey.
• The two-day adventure includes a hotel room, all meals except alcoholic and specialty drinks, a day trip to Disney's Hollywood Studios park, a Magic Band, and valet service at drop-off.

The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser offers a new interpretation of immersion on its newest theme park attraction.

The adventure commences as soon as passengers step onto the Halcyon, a starcruiser operated by Chandrila Star Lines, and continues until their departure two days later.

On Monday, CNBC got a sneak peek of Disney's new "immersive adventure" aboard the Halcyon, a 48-hour space journey that combines elements of the company's resorts, cruise lines, and theme parks.

The Galactic Starcruiser, a Disney World Resort located in Orlando, Florida, has sparked both excitement and criticism among potential passengers since its initial tease at Disney's D23 Expo in 2019. With a price tag of approximately $1,200 per person per day, the experience has been shrouded in mystery until now.

Let's discuss the bantha in the room immediately: Is Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser worth the cost of admission?

To play, you must be willing.

The Halcyon will reward passengers with what they contribute during their journey. If you let go of skepticism and immerse yourself in the narrative without reservation, this trip will be an unforgettable experience for you and your loved ones.

Breaking down the cost

The Halcyon is an expensive travel option, with a cost of approximately $4,800 for two adult guests and nearly $6,000 for a group of four (three adults, one child).

A week-long Disney vacation for a family of four can cost a significant amount of money, especially when considering the cost of hotels and restaurants.

For Star Wars fans seeking an unforgettable experience, a two-day trip aboard the Halcyon may be worth the cost, even if it's for a shorter duration. The package includes a hotel room, all meals except alcoholic and specialty beverages, a day trip to Hollywood Studios, a Magic Band, and valet service at drop-off.

While the rooms are spacious and equipped with typical hotel amenities such as a television, in-cabin safe, hair dryer, and bath and shower products, guests will spend minimal time in them.

The Millennium Falcon-inspired bunk beds were designed with inspiration from various aspects of the Star Wars universe.

Lucasfilm's vice president and executive creative director, Doug Chiang, revealed to CNBC that the team aimed to maintain a balance between familiarity and novelty in the design of the ship. The cabin doors, which are unlocked using a Magic Band, open by sliding rather than swinging on a hinge. This minor adjustment enhances the overall immersion of the experience.

The experience itself, which is something that has never been attempted before, is layered on top of all that.

Ann Morrow Johnson, executive producer and executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, stated, "One of the most intriguing aspects of it is that we frequently discuss, 'What is it?'" She explained, "It is not a cruise, theme park, hotel, 48-hour immersive theater, live action game, or any one thing specifically. Instead, it is a unique intersection between all these elements."

The two days are filled with numerous storylines, and it is up to you to decide how you spend your time and react to what you see. This will ultimately determine how your story unfolds and resolves itself.

Since 2016, Disney has been working on the Galactic Starcruiser in conjunction with the Galaxy's Edge theme park land to create a unified narrative.

The guests on the Halcyon spend their first evening getting acquainted with new characters and determining their loyalties. Are they members of the Resistance, loyal to the First Order, or do they straddle the line between good and evil as a scoundrel?

On a two-day starcruiser voyage, you encounter Lieutenant Harman Croy, a First Order officer, who is searching for Resistance spies. Despite the captain, Riyola Keevan, and the cruise director, Lenka Mok, being unenthusiastic about his presence, they ultimately allow him to board the ship.

Sammie is reluctantly recruited into the Resistance when Croy determines that Mok's astromech SK-62O is harboring Resistance secrets and must be detained.

On the ship Halcyon, there is a galactic superstar named Gaya, a Twi’lek, her human manager Raithe Kole, a Rodian musician named Ouannii, and an aspiring musician and Gaya super fan named Sandro. Additionally, the Saja, a Jedi group, have found a safe haven on the Halcyon and use the training pods to teach guests the art of using a lightsaber.

Some familiar faces, including Chewbacca, Rey, and Kylo Ren, also appear in the new version of the sentence.

In 48 hours, guests engage in various activities, form alliances, and contribute to the unfolding story, culminating in a climactic event on the second night of the voyage.

The call of adventure

Guests on the media voyage were provided with a "data pad," an iPhone pre-installed with the Disney Play App, which enabled them to access their itinerary, interact with wall terminals, and have pre-programmed conversations with characters on the ship. Disney Imagineers aim to improve the experience in the future by allowing guests to use their own devices.

During the early part of the journey, I attempted to access the restricted area using my data pad and Magic Band on one of the wall terminals. Despite multiple unsuccessful attempts, I eventually received a communication message on my data pad from Kole.

Kole offered me access to the restricted section of the terminal in exchange for my help with an engineering problem. I was presented with several response options, similar to a role-play video game, and ultimately agreed to his offer. He granted me access to the engineering room and I was well on my way to becoming a scoundrel.

If I had rejected his offer, I would have had to find another way to enter the engineering room in the future. The door to the engineering room could only be opened with a keypad, which required a Magic Band to grant access. In the room, there were levers and mechanisms that needed to be activated to accomplish the mission. After completing the task, I received a new message with instructions for the next step.

When I ran into Kole in the hallway, I discreetly informed him that I had resolved the issue, and he responded with a firm handshake and joked that there was more to come. Indeed, there was.

During the two-day event, you have the chance to connect with various individuals. Your interactions with them through the data pad will determine whether you will receive future missions from them. Frequently, these missions put you in close proximity to the character and other guests who are on a similar journey.

I aligned myself with Kole, Captain Keeven, and Mok after rejecting Croy's request to work with him. This decision led to my invitation to attend secretive meetings in the engineering room and on the navigation bridge. These relationships also impacted my trip to Galaxy's Edge on the second day of the voyage.

I was not merely riding the Millennium Falcon in Galaxy's Edge for fun, but collaborating with the smuggling team to obtain coaxium, a valuable and volatile fuel, to deliver back to the Halcyon. The coaxium was successfully loaded onto our starcruiser and played a crucial role in the climactic scene.

Now, visiting Oga's Cantina involves conversing with a specific bartender to obtain a confidential message that will assist us in reaching out to a hacker who can assist in disabling First Order sabotages on the ship.

In addition to the main missions, there are optional mini-events on the Halcyon, such as trivia games, a sabacc tournament, and droid racing. While those who want to be fully immersed in the story will have little downtime during the journey, guests who choose to rest in their cabins will still be notified of key story moments.

As I rested in the early afternoon on the second day, I observed the animation outside my viewport shift from softly rolling stars to rapidly moving lights. We were traveling through hyperspace. Suddenly, we were encircled by TIE fighters. This served as my signal to put on my shoes and return to the atrium. Upon my arrival a few minutes later, I discovered that the First Order had established a blockade and Croy was attempting to seize control of the Halcyon.

Johnson stated that it is impossible for any single person to witness everything on a cruise in one go. He added that some of his most cherished memories are those shared moments when passengers exchange stories about their experiences on board the Halcyon. These stories, or gossip, about the different events that are taking place aboard the ship, are what make the adventure a shared and living experience.

Taste of the galaxy

Also core to the experience aboard the Halcyon is the food.

Unlike Galaxy's Edge, the Galactic Starcruiser is a program of food, with each dish contributing to the overall story, said chef Brian Piasecki and his team.

Star Wars-themed dishes were served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with lunch buffets featuring familiar dishes like grilled cheese and tomato soup, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and salads, but with a unique twist.

The uniquely shaped food trays, with three rectangular depressions, are perfect for the breakfast and lunch buffets. They have a sci-fi aesthetic but are also highly functional, making them ideal for trying a variety of dishes.

The dining room has a traditional soda fountain and offers free Blue Milk and Green Milk, which are popular in Galaxy's Edge. Additional alcoholic beverages can be purchased separately.

On the first night aboard the Halcyon, guests enjoy colorful bao buns and noodles while Gaya, a galactic songstress, performs a mix of pop, jazz, and rhythm and blues. Her performance earns her an ovation from Croy and the passengers.

Gaya's outfit colors are reflected in the different-colored bao buns, as Piasecki noted.

The second dinner was a "galactic feast," showcasing dishes inspired by various planets in the Star Wars universe. This meal was where Disney's culinary skills truly shone.

The courses were served all at once, with numerous crew members rushing into the dining room to deliver the plates. The menu included a cheese and bread dish inspired by the molten planet Mustafar, blue shrimp from the jungles of Felucia that arrived billowing in cool smoke, and a beef and seafood plate from the Wookie home world of Kashyyyk.

The Galactic Starcruiser offers alternative menu options for those with less adventurous tastes or dietary requirements.

The Crown of Corellia Dining Room and the Sublight Lounge both offer alcoholic beverages for purchase, including elevated signature cocktails based on traditional drinks.

The Hoth Icebreaker is a lemon drop martini served in a blue glass with vanilla and lemon foam, and an isomalt sugar garnish.

The bottom line

Will the immersive experience offered by Disney be worth the high cost for future guests? This innovative theme park experience is a remarkable achievement in storytelling.

As the passengers gathered in the atrium to watch Croy pace the mezzanine, I observed a little girl standing on a velvet cushioned bench.

The First Order officer scoffed as he told her that everything that was happening, the entire blockade, was her fault. She glared defiantly at him, recalling how she had pulled on his gloved hand only hours before and called him a “mean old man.” The crowd chuckled at her reaction.

And she didn’t flinch.

I softly chanted her name to my fellow passenger, and it eventually became a roar. Croy's face was red with excitement. She was smiling.

To me, that’s worth the price of admission.