October 2025 Price Increases

["El Gran Magnifico"]

The Baxter and Eisner era knew seemed to know what the appeal was.

The Star Wars events were much more fun and filled with life than galaxies edge is. There are parts of galaxies edge (rise especially) that are impressive - but so much of it missed the mark 100%

You mean the random space outpost land that could suffice for any one of a hundred different “space” themed projects?

 

[MrPromey]

All their Star Wars sucks…to be honest. It couldn’t be worse if that was the goal. That high priced, concrete bunker just delivered another bad idea.
They really built a monument to failure. They should have waited until they figured out what Star Wars appeal was before they touched anything

I agree in regards to a lot of it (still like Mandalorian and I liked Skeleton Crew even if it was a Donner/Spielberg knockoff) but I also know that's subjective. We came from the OG trilogy generation. I still think the prequels were crap and am always surprised to see younger generations of people who think those were the best.

I think their big mistake with the resort choices as a whole (park espeically) was anchoring the whole thing to any particular one of the three eras. I mean, Star Tours has Darth Vader so why can't Galaxy's Edge?

It's not like there is some overarching story to the entire land that the average guest is expected to grasp so who cares?

As for the Cruiser, considering who was likely footing the bill for most of those "voyages" it's mind boggling they didn't at least have an alternating date-based experience that allowed for the full cast of characters from that generation.

While that seems like a glaring problem, I think it was likely one of the least of them as far as that whole project is concerned. I don't think it would have survived any better over the long-haul if they'd gone with the originals instead or offered alternating "cruses" though the alternating narratives may have gotten more people who liked it to come back at least one more time.

 

[Tom P.]

I like the Pigeon Forge area a little more than I do the Idrive and other tourist corridors in Orlando. Disney is just closer for me.

I love Walt Disney World, but I detest the touristy areas of Orlando once you leave the Disney bubble. Conversely, I like Dollywood -- it's okay -- but I love the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. Go figure.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I love Walt Disney World, but I detest the touristy areas of Orlando once you leave the Disney bubble. Conversely, I like Dollywood -- it's okay -- but I love the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. Go figure.

For me, yes PF is touristy. And yes there are some expensive options. But the general feeling I get is it is laid back and not the high pressure of Orlando


I’ve always viewed it as if you want to spend - you’ll find plenty of opportunities to spend. If you don’t want to spend there equally options available to you.

 

[LittleBuford]

Kind of the same logic as why most motels and lower priced hotels offer free WIFI while all the big hotels charge for it, sometimes with significantly high prices

Do they? I’ve never heard of a hotel in this day and age charging guests for WiFi. Or maybe I’ve just never been to a fancy enough place!

 

[LittleBuford]

They apparently couldn't find a way to make it work to enough guest satisfaction to maintain consistent bookings, even when leaning mostly on cast interaction and the theme park next door that was built with the money of the masses.

I may be misunderstanding you here, but guest satisfaction wasn’t the issue—by all accounts, the Starcruiser received overwhelmingly positive reviews from those who did it. The real problem was the prohibitive price point.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Do they? I’ve never heard of a hotel in this day and age charging guests for WiFi. Or maybe I’ve just never been to a fancy enough place!

Resort fees…fairly common if not mostly standard now

 

[LittleBuford]

Resort fees…fairly common if not mostly standard now

Ah! Yes, I’ve certainly encountered resort fees, though I’m not sure that’s what @MrPromey meant.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I may be misunderstanding you here, but guest satisfaction wasn’t the issue—by all accounts, the Starcruiser received overwhelmingly positive reviews from those who did it. The real problem was the prohibitive price point.

Oh please…it was DOA and they would say anything to try and curb that. Disney…nor any company…is not required to tell the truth. They are only required to sell stuff. Full stop

The ratings are pretty common sense here…
They were provided by Disney sycophants…not Star Wars sycophants. Which is why it was DOA.

Gen X Star Wars fans…the ones who have the dedication and the funds to buy it…never wanted it.

You know how bad something has to be for them to take the embarrassment of pulling the plug in public after a year?

Unheard of…there’s failure…and then there’s this.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Ah! Yes, I’ve certainly encountered resort fees, though I’m not sure that’s what @MrPromey meant.

Well that’s really how they package them…it sounds better…but it’s just an add on to the room rates by another name. Cause they can.

Get ready…Disney will do it. Dvc has been the only block and also an enabler at this point.

 

[LittleBuford]

Oh please…it was DOA and they would say anything to try and curb that.

I’m going on the data shared with us by @lentesta and on what forum members who stayed there posted about it.

We only got ~20 surveys for it, so there's a relatively wide margin of error.

Ignoring the survey questions about the (non-existent) pool and park shuttle service, the Galactic Starcruiser was the highest-rated Disney resort in the United States since we started online surveys over a decade ago:

1. Galactic Starcruiser (overall "A" grade at 91.6)
2. Riviera DVC, "A" grade at 90.0
3. Grand Flo Villas DVC, B, 88.4
4. Treehouse Villas DVC, B, 87.6
5. Bay Lake Tower DVC, B, 86.4
   :

The Dolphin is in last place at 80.0, if you consider that a "Disney" resort. Otherwise last place is Pop Century at 80.8.

Some notable Starcruiser numbers:

• Its Recommend to a Friend score was 95 out of 100, the highest we've ever seen
• Its Food rating of 93 is the highest we've ever seen
• It's the only resort ever to maintain a perfect 100 score in Staff Friendliness

I mean, it had issues. But it did a great many things right.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I’m going on the data shared with us by @lentesta and on what forum members who stayed there posted about it.

Feel free to look at the tree…in spite of the forest behind it

To your point though…I like lens data.
He can’t make people be honest though

I seem to think there was a very biased feedback from those that paid. We can guess why?

But I’ve been wrong before

 

[LittleBuford]

Feel free to look at the tree…in spite of the forest behind it

There you go with the riddles again! I’m not sure what you want from me. I offered a gentle correction and nothing more. Acknowledging that the Starcruiser garnered largely positive reviews (which it did) is not the same as defending it (which I’m not—they should never have opened it if they weren’t prepared to charge less).

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There you go with the riddles again! I’m not sure what you want from me. I offered a gentle correction and nothing more. Acknowledging that the Starcruiser garnered largely positive reviews (which it did) is not the same as defending it (which I’m not—they should never have opened it if they weren’t prepared to charge less).

You’re right…I corrected.

 

[lentesta]

I’m going on the data shared with us by @lentesta and on what forum members who stayed there posted about it.

I believe Disney when they say guests gave it the highest satisfaction scores in the history of WDW. I saw an internal memo that said more than 80% of guests rated it Excellent (or whatever the highest rating was). That number supposedly went up as it got closer to closing.

I seem to think there was a very biased feedback from those that paid. We can guess why?

In our own surveys, I always assume people add the words "...for the price I paid" to the end of every survey question. It's really hard to ignore cost even when people are told to try.

That said, we've done other research that says people who stay at a more expensive WDW hotel than they normally do for non-WDW trips, are more satisfied than those who don't. So the Starcruiser's broadly in line with that.

 

[networkpro]

There's also another thing to consider: What was the projected pool of potential customers for the Star Cruiser and how many "cruises" were planned per year ? That's the simple math issue to determine its profitability at that price point.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I saw an internal memo that said more than 80% of guests rated it Excellent (or whatever the highest rating was).

well yeah…. But that’s the few people who actually looked at the cost and lack of flexibility and said “yes.”

If I sell the worlds greatest lemonade for $100 a glass - it doesn’t really matter if 80% say it’s the best lemonade they ever tasted - there won’t be enough people who want to spend $100 for a glass of lemonade to keep me in business.

The fact that the Disney company didn’t understand that simple concept is absolutely insane.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I believe Disney when they say guests gave it the highest satisfaction scores in the history of WDW. I saw an internal memo that said more than 80% of guests rated it Excellent (or whatever the highest rating was). That number supposedly went up as it got closer to closing.

Well…we are treading on some dangerous ground here. Is it a business? What’s the goal?

In our own surveys, I always assume people add the words "...for the price I paid" to the end of every survey question. It's really hard to ignore cost even when people are told to try.

That said, we've done other research that says people who stay at a more expensive WDW hotel than they normally do for non-WDW trips, are more satisfied than those who don't. So the Starcruiser's broadly in line with that.

In general I would agree.

Just my opinion…but there’s a very instinctive trait amongst humans to not feel ripped off/stupid and admit that…

Is there a way to discern whether they loved it? Or they associate so much with being in wdw…or even just Star Wars…as a part of their overall being that they are overpowering and their instincts to believe it?

We know…it’s indisputable…that Disney parks trigger this in some. It’s a fact.

For Star Wars? That love was locked in time for many. It became legend. So much so that a lot of an entire generation waited in line all day in a 50 degree rain for the box office in state college, pa (i’ve heard ) to open…and then sat in the middle of the night to watch whatever the HELL that was that George vomited out onto the screen in May of 1999 at them? It’s still an unsolved mystery…

…I mean…I’ve “heard”…yeah…

Back to this “cruiser” thing…It’s the time frame of the closure that doesn’t have me convinced. They’ll let things go/rot for damn near ever for the public image…this was never properly explained…not even close

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There's also another thing to consider: What was the projected pool of potential customers for the Star Cruiser and how many "cruises" were planned per year ? That's the simple math issue to determine its profitability at that price point.

Are you trying to say there was no market for this?

It was pretty hotly debated in the blink in time where they actually opened it…but there really should be none now.

We can debate the reasons…and of course will forever here (there’s still a bob saget thread)…but the reality of the “what happened” is settled. It’s the “why?”

 

[MrPromey]

I may be misunderstanding you here, but guest satisfaction wasn’t the issue—by all accounts, the Starcruiser received overwhelmingly positive reviews from those who did it. The real problem was the prohibitive price point.

Okay, perhaps it's perceived guest satisfaction.

Obviously, there were people out there who could afford to do it that chose not to.

Do you think it's because in every single case, they weren't Star Wars fans?

Obviously, if you went and you spent the money, they already got you so of course, I'm not talking about the opinion of folks who already experienced it. I kind of assume they expected most guests to be one-and-done which is why they didn't offer story variations and that's why I think the idea of running alternate "cruises" would have only slightly delayed the inevitable.

It doesn't seem like a group of wealthy repeat hardcore fans was going to keep that Starcruiser afloat, at least not enough to make up for the many more people who simply decided to never spend on it in the first place.

I could have maybe found a better way to word that to be "looking like it was worth it for what you'd get to most people" or something.