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A No BS Guide to Being Claustrophobic at the Star Wars Hotel in Disney World

March 05, 2022 ,

We’ve officially taken TWO voyages on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser…A.K.A. Disney World’s NEW fully immersive Star Wars Hotel. This offering is a fully-immersive two-night experience similar to a cruise ship where you are launched into your own Star Wars story on a “space cruise.”

Star Wars Hotel Room

That means you don’t really leave the building for the two days, besides a trip out to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So, what about those of us that struggle with claustrophobia? We’re here with a NO BS guide to being claustrophobic at Disney’s Star Wars Hotel!

How Claustrophobic Does the Hotel Feel?

First up, let’s chat about how claustrophobic the hotel actually feels. For many potential guests with claustrophobia, the idea of being in a building where the windows aren’t real for two days sounds absolutely terrifying.

Atrium

Most common areas on Galactic Starcruiser don’t feel claustrophobic. The atrium, dining room, gift shop, lounge, and many of the hallways are spacious. The atrium and dining room in particular even have very high ceilings that help make the ship feel spacious.

For most folks with mild or even moderate claustrophobia, the inside spaces feel comfortable, but let’s talk about those “windows.” Most spaces on the ship have no windows at all save for a few small ones in the atrium, your room window(s), and the massive windows on the bridge.

The Bridge

And where there ARE windows, you’re looking out into simulated space — not the normal outdoors. That means NO sunlight. Sure, the spaces feel wide and open and even the fake space views help with that, but it’s all artificial light in there for two days.

Space Window

We’ve had five different reporters visit the Star Wars hotel; two of them occasionally experience claustrophobia and had no issues while onboard the Starcruiser. Still, if you suffer from more severe claustrophobia, you could experience some uncomfortable feelings — so what if you NEED fresh air and sunlight?

Click here to learn about the immersive elements on the Star Wars Hotel!

How Can You Get Outside?

If you’re feeling claustrophobic, what options do you have to escape the Star Wars Hotel? Well, luckily, you CAN get outside — and there are a few different ways.

Entrance Sign

First up, there’s the Climate Simulator which you have access to 24 hours a day. This is a courtyard on the ship that lets you head outside into the real Florida weather, see the sky, and get some fresh air whenever you need. That can be a great resource if you’re feeling like you need to breathe!

Climate Simulator

In story, it’s a pod that’s designed to simulate the climate of your excursion planet, A.K.A. Batuu (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios). Warning, if it’s raining in Florida, it’s raining in the Climate Simulator!

During our visits, the Climate Simulator was hardly ever crowded and it did feel like a spacious way to take a break from the indoor environment. As a note, there is NO smoking in the Climate Simulator either. To smoke, you’ll need to speak to a Crew Member to be escorted to the front of the building.

Climate Simulator

Speaking of Batuu, you also have an excursion to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on the second day of your trip. You can visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios from around 9AM to around 4PM. If you’re really missing the sun and space, you can spend the full seven hours outside.

Batuu

And if all else fails, you are NOT trapped indoors on Galactic Starcruiser. Crew Members are happy to escort you completely out of the building at ANY time — whether you need something from your car or a breath of fresh air.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

We won’t lie. This WILL break the immersion a bit, but sometimes it’s better to lose that immersion than deal with panicked or uncomfortable feelings due to claustrophobia.

Wondering what’s included in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Click here!

How Claustrophobic Do the Rooms Feel?

Now, that is not to say that there aren’t some problem areas. For instance, the standard rooms are SMALL and you’re once again stuck with a “window” looking out to “space.” So, will you feel claustrophobic in your room? Maybe.

Starcruiser Room

With more than two adults in a standard room, it can feel pretty tight. You’ve got limited space in the walkways and the bathroom. Plus, the hallways leading to the rooms aren’t the widest either — though there is enough space to walk a few folks side-by-side.

Truly, the rooms feel like they may have the most potential to trigger some claustrophobia. The good news is, if you’re immersed in the experience, you’re really only in the room to sleep.

Starcruiser Room

We also found that the rooms don’t feel nearly as claustrophobic when you’re alone. So, if you need to have some me-time in the room, just ask the other members of your travel party.

To see more of the rooms, click here!

Are There Any Other Problem Areas?

Otherwise, the biggest factor you need to worry about if you’re claustrophobic is crowds — just like the rest of Disney World. For the most part, Galactic Starcruiser is WAY less crowded than other parts of the resort, but sometimes crowds do form. 

Atrium

For the BIG story elements, all passengers are called to the atrium. This space is large, but the crowds do press in pretty tightly to see the show — like they would with fireworks in the parks. To mitigate this, you can step to the sides of the room or skip the shows altogether. You might not have the best view, but you’ll have breathing room.

Fireworks

Crowds can also form in smaller rooms around the ship such as the Engineering Room and the Cargo Hold if something exciting is happening with the story and people catch on. We had reporters crammed in the Engineering Room after a mission to hide Chewbacca with many, many other guests.

Similar to the shows, if you’re feeling overwhelmed here, step away! There is typically some space in the edges of rooms that remains empty and worst-case scenario, you can always miss the excitement in the interest of staying comfortable.

Chewbacca

One of our reporters did note a bit of motion sickness during the transport to Batuu. Out of story language, this is a brief (3 to 8 minute) shuttle ride in a windowless vehicle. The seats are comfortable but there is a good amount of motion so if you’re prone to car sickness, you may feel that here. If this is something you are unwilling to do, either skip the Batuu trip — or speak to a Crew Member to see about other transport options.

Click here to learn more about space fireworks!

Overall, most spaces on the Starcruiser feel akin to spaces on a cruise ship — particularly the hallways and the dining areas. There are often windowless hallways and restaurants on cruise ships. If you’ve found you’re okay dealing with those, you’ll likely feel fine on the Starcruiser. 

Hallway to Passenger Cabins

But keep in mind, Galactic Starcruiser is EXPENSIVE. You’re paying several thousand dollars for this experience. If your claustrophobia is so severe that you expect to miss some of the biggest story elements and/or break the immersion by heading out of the building — the experience might NOT be worth the cost. 

Hopefully, this guide has helped you to know what to expect when dealing with claustrophobia in “space.” As always, keep an eye on DFB for more Disney World tips and tricks for Starcruiser and BEYOND!

Want to see our complete Starcruiser guide? Click here!

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Got specific questions about claustrophobia and Galactic Starcruiser? Tell us in the comments! 

The post A No BS Guide to Being Claustrophobic at the Star Wars Hotel in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.



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