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‘Star Wars’ to find dedicated home on Disney Dream

The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy is hitching a ride with Disney Cruise Line.

April 24, 2015

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​Disney Dream is turning 5 this year, and that means going into dry dock for some upgrades. The line on Tuesday announced that areas dedicated to "Star Wars" as well as Disney Infinity will find new homes as part of the ship's Oceaneer Club.

The Star Wars: Millennium Falcon play area will let children ages 3-12, and maybe a few watchful parents, join the Rebel Alliance and navigate the iconic spaceship and punch the hyperdrive to hit light speed and travel to other parts of the galaxy. The play area will offer themed crafts, games and activities, a large-screen TV playing the animated series "Star Wars Rebels" and gaming stations loaded with games from the Disney XD series.

It marks the first permanent "Star Wars" fixture for the cruise line, which has rolled out more nontraditional facets of its entertainment empire during the last few years on board its ships such as the Avengers Academy on Disney Magic.

"Bringing Marvel to the Disney Magic in late 2013 and 'Star Wars' to the Disney Dream later this year fits just as well as any Disney other franchise integration such as Pixar and the Muppets," said Scott Sanders, who runs DisneyCruiseLineBlog.com, a fan site not affiliated with the line. "Adding these newly acquired franchise-based experiences aboard the cruise ships provides guests with an immersive experience that would not really be possible at Walt Disney World due to the crowd levels. Just look at the popularity of Star Wars Weekends."

In addition to the new play space, a modified version of Jedi Training Academy, a popular experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios, will be coming to the ship. The academy teaches Padawans to master a lightsaber and use the Force in a showdown with Darth Vader. The dry-dock announcement follows the line's planned "Star Wars" sailings aboard the Dream's sister ship, Disney Fantasy, early next year and falls in line with the growing excitement around the new film coming out Dec. 18.

"Frankly, Disney would be going about it all wrong if they did not make use of these franchises to expand the appeal of their ships to a wider audience and the keep the ship experiences relevant to today's audiences," Sanders said. "Over the last several years, other cruise lines have begun to step up their respective games to lure away Disney's core demographic, the family."

Also coming to Dream is Disney Infinity Toy Box, a space dedicated to the company's figurine-based gaming system that pulls from all sorts of Disney's franchises, including Pixar, Marvel and classic Disney characters.

The space promises a life-size Disney Infinity Base for children to step onto for interactive game play. On display and available for use will be a complete set of figurines, which currently number 59, with more to come. Also, those who play aboard Disney Dream will have access to exclusive content through the game that they can continue to play at home.

The Dream's Oceaneer club has four spaces: Andy's Room, Monster's Academy, Pixie Hollow and Disney's Explorer Pod. The two going away will be Monster's Academy and Disney's Explorer Pod. One other new item coming to Dream during its Oct. 4-24 dry dock will be the addition of Vanellope's Sweets & Treats. It will serve gelato, ice cream, candy and other treats while pulling design inspiration from the "Wreck-It Ralph" character Vanellope von Schweetz from the film's fictional video game "Sugar Rush." The new shop will replace the space housing the ship's arcade.

Something the Dream will be bringing on board that's already on Disney Fantasy is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, which will give children a princesses or knight makeover as well as serve as The Pirates League on pirate sailing nights for pirate makeovers. Also pulling from Fantasy will be the addition of Satellite Falls, a circular splash pool for adults on Deck 13 forward surrounded by sun or canopied lounges.

The Dream will debut its changes when it returns to service Oct. 26 for three- and four-night Bahamas cruises out of Port Canaveral.