A few odds and ends as I am planning for our trip next month.
I would move it to the next day, if possible. At that time, people are all over the ship, doing various trainings, meeting cast members, and getting involved in the story. We had our photo session at 12 on Day 2 and we had the entire place (minus the Dining Room) to ourselves. We came back a bit early, freshened up for the shoot, changed out of costumes and ate lunch, and then headed back to Batuu.
I noticed last week that our trip dates in June were open for booking again, most likely because of a cancelation, so I called and sure enough there was a photo experience available. So definitely keep checking if like us you missed it! We have been using the Available Voyage Dates calendar on the website as a guide for when we should call again. It would be great to do the portrait experience on day 2, but I am taking what I can get at this point, which is day 1 at 8:00.
I would think there are pros and cons to the various times. It sounds like there may be story elements happening during our window on day 1, and that the ship will be crowded. On the other hand, we will be at our freshest in terms of energy, the look of our outfits, and so forth. Day 2 in the afternoon might mean a less crowded ship, but I suspect we will not be looking our best after the June Florida sun, and I do not want to rush the family back from Batuu to freshen up for a photo shoot. But we did not have a choice, so I am grateful for what I could get.
5. It's AFRICA HOT! I am rethinking my costume
We are thinking in terms of layers, with the idea that I will wear the typical sun smart gear I always do for the parks, but in themed colors (oranges, blacks, browns), and then have a major costume accessory that coordinates with everything else. Most likely the accessory piece will be for the Starcruiser only. I don't want to wear a sweat drenched cloak around the ship! Can you imagine going outside in June in something like the Organa Security Aide Jacket? I would have to air it out and probably get it dry cleaned! I also don't want to wear what everyone else is so I have been looking at boutique retailers online that cater to Burning Man for the accessory piece. Something like a neutral hooded robe or vest that I can decorate with pins, etc.
I think there is no way they will be expecting us to purchase Disney
Genie+. My bet is that we will have ILL's pre-assigned to us, based on whatever other plans we might have already made at our 60-day mark.
My kids have been asking whether they can go on other rides at Hollywood Studios during our time on Batuu. I have been telling them to think of the Starcruiser itself as a two-day attraction, and that we should focus on that and try to stay in the bubble. I still think that is the correct answer, but I could see how something like Star Tours might still make sense. Obviously we get the two lightning lanes included in our package. Is it even possible to buy Genie+ for HS if you are Starcruiser guests? Can you purchase it at midnight the night before the Batuu excursion, and then use it to book things like Star Tours and Slinky Dog Dash? I am not sure I even want to go down this path, but I was wondering if it is possible. We have recently done Savi's/droids/Ogas in the California park, and we are not planning to do those again, but we have not been to HS in a long time, and never with the kids.