Welcome Aboard!
The Starship Aurora boards Thursday, October 15, and the voyage runs through Saturday, October 17, at theDoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando, 5780 Major Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32819.This guide covers what’s fixed: when to arrive, how Missions work, when lunch is, and the moments you won’twant to miss.
Some final details are still being confirmed, and we’ll update this guide as they are.
When is a schedule not a schedule?
When it’s the Aurora’s. The schedule in this guide shows only the fixed points: Missions, meals, the Muster, and the Finale. It is a small fraction of what happens aboard.
Between those fixed points, the ship is alive from morning to night. The people you meet have their own stories,and some of them will want something from you. There are things to find, conversations to overhear, and moments that happen once and never again. None of it is listed anywhere, and much of it unfolds in the afternoons and evenings.
So plan to spend the voyage aboard. We know Orlando is full of temptations, but if you slip away to the parks for an afternoon or an evening, the story keeps moving without you. Keep your Nav handy and your eyes open: the best of Halcy-Con 3 is the part no schedule can show you.
Your CVC Navigator
The CVC Navigator (the Nav) is the voyage’s companion app on your phone: in-character messages, the schedule, Missions, achievements, and codes that move your story forward. It makes the voyage richer, but it is never required. Every Mission and scene works without it, because the cast carry the show.
To get ready:
- On the phone you’ll bring, open halcy-con.com/nav. On an iPhone, type or paste that address into Safari yourself rather than tapping a link; on Android, use Chrome or Samsung Internet.
- Tap Run the PreFlight Check. The checks run by themselves in about 30 seconds.
- Add the Nav to your Home Screen. iPhone: Share, then Add to Home Screen. Android: tap Install.
- Close the browser tab and open the Nav from its new icon, then run the PreFlight Check once more.You’re ready when it says THIS PHONE IS READY in green.
- Open the Nav again on Wednesday, October 14, or Thursday morning, on a good connection. That loads the full voyage so it works even without a signal at the venue.
If anything fails, the Passenger Services Desk can help you once you’re aboard.
Thursday: Badges & Boarding Groups
Badge pickup opens at 4:00 PM on Thursday at Universal Registration. Come as early as you like, even if your Boarding Group is later.
Passengers board the Port of Call in Boarding Groups from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Your group is set by the date and time you bought your badge, and we’ll contact you with your specific Boarding Group assignment before the event.
Once you’ve boarded, the Port of Call is open: visit the factions, browse the Merchant Marketplace, and settle in before the Voyage Muster at 8:00 PM.
Faction Recruitment: Tokens and Pins
You choose your Missions in person on Thursday night; there is no online booking. Seven factions each run two-hour Missions on Friday and Saturday, starting at 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM.
- Get your Tokens. Every passenger receives at least two Mission Tokens at check-in.
- Meet the factions. Faction Recruitment opens at 5:00 PM on Thursday. Visit each faction’s headquarters in the Port of Call (the Saja recruit at the Shrine of the Whills) and hear their pitch.
- Trade a Token for a Pin. One Mission Token buys one Mission Pin for a specific run. Each run has a limited number of Pins, first come, first served. When a faction’s Pins for a run are gone, that run is full.
- Bring your Pin. Your Pin is your place at that Mission’s briefing.
Tokens and Pins can be traded between passengers, which is the only way to change runs once recruitment is over. You can also log your Pins on your Nav Profile so it reminds you where you’re expected.
One thing to keep in mind: your Tokens work with any faction, so explore freely. But when Saturday evening comes, every faction gathers at once, and you can stand with only one.
Schedule at a Glance
These are the fixed points to plan around. The full schedule, with every session and room, is on your Nav.
Thursday, October 15
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| From 4:00 PM | Badge pickup | Universal Registration |
| 5:00 – 7:00 PM | Boarding Groups | Port of Call |
| 5:00 – 8:00 PM | Faction Recruitment | Faction HQs and the Shrine of the Whills |
| 5:00 – 8:00 PM and 8:30 – 11:00 PM | Merchant Marketplace | Universal D1–3 |
| 6:00 – 10:00 PM | CSL Gallery, Training Bridge, Ship Maintenance (closed during the Muster) | Space Coast II, Gold Coast I and II |
| 8:00 – 8:30 PM | Voyage Muster | Atrium |
| 8:45 – 9:45 PM | The Wretched Hive | Atrium |
Friday, October 16
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 and 10:00 AM | Morning Missions begin | Faction HQs |
| 11:30 AM | Lunch doors open: the N'Orlando Meal | Crown of Cantonica and Crown of Serenno |
| 12:00 – 2:00 PM | Ship activities pause for lunch | |
| 12:30 – 1:30 PM | Lunch show: Starcruiser! The Musical | The Crowns |
| 2:00 and 3:00 PM | Afternoon Missions begin | Faction HQs |
| 6:00 – 7:00 PM | The Wretched Hive | Merchant Marketplace Stage |
| 6:00 – 7:30 PM | Chef Andrew Experience (sold-out event add-on) | Atrium Dining Room |
| 8:00 – 8:45 PM | The Wretched Hive | C.S.L. 22 Lounge |
Saturday, October 17
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 and 10:00 AM | Morning Missions begin | Faction HQs |
| 11:30 AM | Lunch doors open: the N'Orlando Meal | Crown of Cantonica and Crown of Serenno |
| 12:00 – 2:00 PM | Ship activities pause for lunch; Surprise Lunch Acts from 12:00 | The Crowns |
| 2:00 and 3:00 PM | Afternoon Missions begin | Faction HQs |
| 5:15 – 5:45 PM | Faction Gatherings (invite-only: passengers who completed a Mission for that faction) | Various |
| 5:45 – 6:15 PM | Main Finale | Atrium |
| 7:00 – 10:00 PM | Starcruiser Celebration (doors 7:00, dancing from 7:30) | Atrium |
Meals: breakfast, lunch, and the N'Orlando Meal
Breakfast for room-block guests:
If you’re staying at the hotel in the Halcy-Con 3 room block, you can add the half-price breakfast buffet to your stay. Before you arrive, contact Francisco Ortiz Nunez, the hotel’s Group Housing Coordinator, to arrange it: 407.206.9865 or Francisco.OrtizNunez@hilton.com.
On Friday and Saturday, lunch doors open at 11:30 AM in the Crown of Cantonica and the Crown of Serenno. Ship activities pause from 12:00 to 2:00 PM so everyone can enjoy the lunch show: Starcruiser! The Musical on Friday, and Surprise Lunch Acts on Saturday.
The N’Orlando Meal: $30 (tax and service included)
In the unlikely event that the Aurora’s scheduled departure from N’Orlando is delayed, the Port of Call will serve boxed rations at lunch on Friday and Saturday: a turkey and Swiss or grilled vegetable sandwich, a banana,chips, and bottled water. Every N’Orlando Meal comes with
three exclusive collector cards featuring the voyage’s signature cocktails, plus a special code for your Nav. There are five cards to collect: Friday’s meal has cards 1–3, and Saturday’s has cards 4 and 5, plus a bonus extra card for trading.
- Sold in the Crowns when lunch opens at 11:30. Card payment only.
- Only 200 meals are available each day.
- The venue doesn’t offer a gluten-free option.
You’re welcome to bring your own food into the dining spaces. One thing worth knowing: events like Halcy-Con3 depend on food and beverage purchases in the event spaces. Every N’Orlando Meal helps keep the Aurora flying.
Programming and Entertainment
Talks, workshops, and performances run alongside the Missions on Friday and Saturday. Sessions are 50 minutes unless noted. Ship Programs A is Sun & Surf II–III; Ship Programs B is Sun & Surf IV.
Friday
| Time | Session | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | 101st Annual Galactic Artisan Faire | Ship Programs A |
| 9:00 AM | Encounter at Twin Suns: The Truth Revealed | Ship Programs B |
| 10:15, 10:45 AM, 2:00, 2:30 PM | The Ember Cup (15 minutes) | Ship Programs A |
| 2:00 PM | ‘Til the Spires: A Guide to the Legends, Lore, and History of Batuu | Ship Programs B |
| 3:00 PM | On The Way of the Saja and the Dissemination of the Force | Ship Programs B |
| 4:00 PM | Rally Against the First Order | Ship Programs A |
| 4:00 PM | Galaxy of Creatures, Presented by Chandrila Wildlife Preserve | Ship Programs B |
| 7:30 PM | The Path of Power: The Dark Saja | Ship Programs B |
| 7:30 PM | Lightsaber Training – Saja | Lightsaber Training Pod (Seminole A) |
| 8:30 PM | Force Flow: A Saja Movement and Meditation Session | Lightsaber Training Pod (Seminole A) |
| 8:30 PM | Lightsaber Training – Dark Saja | Gold Coast III–IV |
Saturday
| Time | Session | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Embodied Force Centering & Stretching | Ship Programs A |
| 9:00 AM | A Transdisciplinary Dialogue: Why Did the Empire Rise? Why Did the Empire Fall? | Ship Programs B |
| 10:00 AM | Dance Party with Gaya | Ship Programs A |
| 10:00 AM | Seize Your Inner Power! | Ship Programs B |
| 2:00 PM | Aurateran Devotion Ceremony | Ship Programs A |
| 2:00 PM | The Syndicate | Ship Programs B |
| 3:00 PM | The Mustafarian Tip-Yip Challenge (contestants: 18+, no food allergies, sign up at the Passenger Services Desk) | Ship Programs B |
Also on both days
- HQ Experiences at the Faction HQs: 9:20 AM, 11:05 AM, 2:20 PM, and 4:05 PM (30 minutes).
- CSL Gallery guided tours with Ni’Cole Dayba, CVC Concierge (30 minutes): Friday at 9:30 AM, 2:30PM, and 5:00 PM; Saturday at 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM. Can’t make one? The placard at the Gallery entrance tells you how to take the tour on your Nav.
Live entertainment and contests
- Merchant Marketplace Stage at about 8:30. Register at the Cantina; seating is limited. 100% of all tournament entry donations go to Blood Cancer United, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers.
Places to Explore
These spaces are open for you to drop into between Missions and sessions. Every show space closes during the Voyage Muster (Thursday, 8:00 to 8:30 PM), and every show space except the Merchant Marketplace and Sabacc for Charity closes for lunch (Friday and Saturday, 12:00 to 2:00 PM). Merchants choose when to open within the Marketplace’s hours, and the Marketplace closes at 3:00 PM on Saturday, so don’t leave your shopping until the last minute.
| Place | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant Marketplace | Universal D1–3 | Thursday 5:00 – 8:00 PM and 8:30 – 11:00 PM; Friday 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM; Saturday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM |
| Training Bridge | Gold Coast I | Thursday 6:00 – 10:00 PM; Friday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Ship Maintenance | Gold Coast II | Thursday 6:00 – 10:00 PM; Friday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| CSL Gallery: the Shrine of the Whills Exhibition | Space Coast II | Thursday 6:00 – 10:00 PM; guided tours Friday and Saturday (see above) |
| CVC Office | Space Coast III | Hours to come |
| Sabacc for Charity | Sabacc Den, Universal C1–3 | Thursday 7:15 – 8:00 PM and 8:30 – 10:00 PM (open gaming); Friday 12:00 – 5:00 PM and 6:00 – 10:00 PM; Saturday 12:00 – 5:00 PM and 6:15 – 9:00 PM |
| CSL Holoscans | Sun & Surf I | By appointment – details soon |
| VIP Captain's Club (Starlight Reserve passengers) | Space Coast I | Hours to come |
Saturday Evening
The story comes to a head on Saturday evening, in three parts.
- Faction Gatherings, 5:15 to 5:45 PM. If you completed a Mission, you’re invited to that faction’s Gathering. Every faction gathers at the same time, so if you ran Missions with more than one, you’ll have to choose where you stand.
- Main Finale, 5:45 to 6:15 PM, in the Atrium. Everyone aboard comes together for the voyage’s closing immersive scene.
- Starcruiser Celebration, 7:00 to 10:00 PM, in the Atrium. Doors open at 7:00, and the dancing starts at 7:30. The live performers step out of character to celebrate with you.