Do you hear that? It's the sound of the beautiful John Williams score from each of the Star Wars films, slowly waking you up. You decide to get breakfast and on your way, you run into a Tusken Raider who's utterly confused by the smartphone in your hand. As you turn a corner, a Stormtrooper stops and asks if you're a rebel spy.
No, you're not in a dream but aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship featuring a Star Wars Day at Sea. The event is a day-long celebration on eight select sailings this year. We were able to attend the first one ever, courtesy of Disney with all expenses paid, to see if the hype was actually worth it.
Worth it is, as the day is a memory you definitely couldn't forget even if you wanted to. Your journey across this galaxy takes place in every part of the ship, from the pool deck to the dining room. Perhaps best of all, the night ends with a dance party and firework show that would even make Kylo Ren smile.
The good news? Disney is offering this opportunity in a big way next year — it just confirmed that there will be 15 sailing dates in 2017 (up from eight in 2016). If you're already going on the cruise or planning to buy a ticket, don't forget to check out our tips to make the most out of your trip.
Ahead, check out which events and activities you can expect from a full day of living out your Star Wars dreams.
The night before the big day, you get to your room and find this.
The Personal Navigator is an activity schedule that you receive every night on Disney cruises, outlining all the events you can look forward to. The Star Wars Day at Sea is obviously the most exciting!
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You wake up in the morning and grab your custom-made name tag in Aurebesh.
Throughout the day, the captain of the ship reminds you that they are on the hunt for rebels. The Stormtroopers take their job seriously and "arrest" anyone who looks even remotely suspicious.
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You head down to the kids section and pop into Padawan Crafts.
This session is for little kids who want to color in Yoda and other characters. Other events, like "Galaxy Designers," are also for kids who want to do other arts and crafts activites. Both are events for kids ages three to 14 years old. If a tween or teen is so over crafts, they can also play Star Wars Battlefront or watch Star Wars Rebels.
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As you approach the atrium, you can't help but take a few photos with your favorite characters . . .
At the beginning of the cruise, guests are each given a slip of paper and asked to rank in order which photo opportunity they'd like to have. The choices are Tatooine, Bespin, and the Dark Side. Through a lottery system, you get a certain time and name of the photo opp. However, you can still meet different characters in each of the set photo theme areas. For example, at the Dark Side, both Darth Vader and Captain Phasma are rotating through.
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Over on Tatooine, everyone's favorite droids will assist you.
The short half-hour event is a quick overview of the franchise and story, with some fun facts thrown in. For example, here is George Lucas at Comic-Con promoting Star Wars, way back in 1976.
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You can also find out how to experience Star Wars back on land.
Wendy Anderson, the Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering, was part of the Guest Speaker series on this particular sailing. Anderson delves into the details of the Star Wars adventures at the Disney theme parks.
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You notice plenty of people aren't messing around with their cosplay.
The Star Wars Superfan Contest has three rounds: Padawan, Jedi Knight, and Jedi Master. During the Padawan portion, everyone in the bar answers questions via a remote. Of course, not everyone makes it to the Jedi Knight round where guests answer open-ended trivia questions. At the very end, the Jedi Master round is decided by igniting a lightsaber to answer queries like "How many nostrils does a Tauntaun have?" If a tie happens, fans identify as many characters as fast as they can in a lightning round to determine the ultimate winner.
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You go back to your room, tired but not without a reminder of what an incredible day it was.
