For Star Wars enthusiasts worldwide, the dream of experiencing space travel, constructing a lightsaber, dining at a cantina, and racing droids became a reality in 2022 with Disney World's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. This attraction allowed fans to immerse themselves in the universe of Star Wars aboard the Halcyon until its closure in September 2023.
Carly Kocurek, an Illinois Tech Professor specializing in Digital Humanities and Media Studies, is leading efforts to document this unique experience through a new documentary titled "Halcyon Daze: The Final Voyages of Disney’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser." Kocurek emphasizes the importance of preserving gaming experiences that are often inaccessible. “I care about documentation of games. A lot of the work that I have done involves games that are hard to access for various reasons,” she explains.
Kocurek first visited the Halcyon in May 2023 and was impressed by Disney's ambitious project. Reflecting on its ephemeral nature, she notes, “If the game can’t be played, the game is gone.”
To capture the essence of this experience, Kocurek collaborated with director Carrie Coaplen. Coaplen's perspective as a fan who found her voyages transformative adds depth to the documentary. “Carrie is absolutely a fan. She loved it, and she found it really transformative,” says Kocurek.
The Galactic Starcruiser's scale set it apart from other interactive experiences but also contributed to its downfall due to high costs—two-day voyages started at nearly $5,000. Despite this, fan art continues to celebrate what once was.
Kocurek observes that the community remains vibrant despite the attraction's closure. “You have a fan community that I don’t think would be this invested and vibrant if the thing was still running,” she remarks.
Currently in post-production without a release date, "Halcyon Daze" aims for festival submissions later in 2025. A Kickstarter campaign seeks additional funding for completion.
Kocurek hopes viewers will seek out other immersive entertainment experiences after watching. “It’s been a really collaborative and interesting project," she states.
Photo credit goes to Carly Kocurek at Halcy-Con during their panel presentation on "Halcyon Daze."