There’s plenty to be made from the plethora of details we’ve learned about the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, which sets off on its maiden voyage next week. But one surprising detail we’ve learned — guests interacting with any of the fifteen characters aboard the Halcyon are not physically distanced at all, a stark contrast from the experience inside the Walt Disney World theme parks.
With Walt Disney World rescinding its face covering policy around a week and a half ago, guests aboard the Halcyon nor the actors aboard need to wear face coverings if they are fully vaccinated, and many official photos and videos as well as previews from the recent media event show characters aboard the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser closely interacting with guests aboard the ship.
Meanwhile at all Disney theme parks worldwide, character greetings are still held at a distance away from guests, generally locked behind a rope or within a taped line. The domestic Disney parks terms these “Character Sightings”, keeping characters a safe distance away from guests to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
But with the Starcruiser allowing guests to meet and interact with characters in close proximity, this could be a sign that the last physical distancing measures at Walt Disney World and Disneyland could be on their way out. Physical distancing requirements for guests went out the door almost a year ago, and some shows like “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire” don’t distance characters and dancers on stage.
The possibility also exists that with the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser being a closed environment with the same couple hundred people for two days rather than thousands of transient guests and an astronomical price tag, Disney does not believe they can provide an adequate premium experience for their high-roller guests with Character Sighting-like technology.
No matter what, Character Meet-and-Greets will return in the future, but the opening of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser could be a positive sign for those who long for the return of Character Meet-and-Greets at the Disney parks.
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This is what my friends and family have been telling me. That they are indeed planning on bringing things back. The only reason it has taken awhile is because they’ve been doing the safe and right option and doing it one step at the time. And this along with the tree lady is showing that the time is almost at hand for further progress to be made.
The elite have different rules from the lower classes