As a creative producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, Anisha was instrumental in bringing the immersive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience to life.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was an immersive hotel experience set on the luxurious Halcyon Starcruiser. The two-night Star Wars-themed hotel break began at the Galactic Starcruiser Terminal where guests boarded a Launch Pod and travelled through hyperspace, before docking with the Halcyon ship and arriving at the main deck atrium. After being escorted to their cabins, guests headed back down to the atrium for the ship’s muster, led by Captain Riyola Keevan and Cruise Director Lenka Mok. Visitors then had the chance to explore the ship, perhaps enjoying a drink at the Sublight Lounge or shopping for merchandise at The Chandrila Collection.
Described as ‘storyliving’ rather than storytelling, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was designed to take visitors deeper into the Star Wars universe than ever before. Halcyon passengers were able to alter their stay as they interacted with characters, crew and other guests. State-of-the-art technology was combined with captivating storytelling to create a new type of experience. The ambitious attraction won a Thea Award in 2022 and closed down in September 2023
Deshmane joined Walt Disney Imagineering in April 2018 as an assistant producer, before taking on the role of creative producer in February 2022.
One nominator said: “Anisha is a master of game design within the physical space, considering how guests will play and branch to reach their meaningful finales and feel satisfied that they saw what they wanted, even if they cannot do everything before the end. She’s creative—writing the datapad copy, drawing the new achievement badges, crucial in crafting the story—and she knows how to build it, too. If you haven’t heard of Anisha, remember her name: I can’t wait to see what she does next.”