News Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser coming to Walt Disney World 2021

ImperfectPixie

ImperfectPixie

Well-Known Member
Disney has been way too focused on Princesses for too long (which are geared towards little girls visiting theme parks). They're treating what is supposed to be a LARP experience as if it's on the same playing field as afternoon tea at the GF or dinner at 1900 Park Fare, when LARPing is in a completely different league. (For the record, I'm not knocking the afternoon tea or dinner - I love dinner at 1900.) Yes, there's acting involved for the CMs that make those experiences happen, but what makes those fun is that it's a "show" where the characters pretend they are unaware that the guests are theme park visitors. The guests aren't part of the story...they're on the outside, looking in. That's not what LARPing is...it's not even close. I think it's safe to say that Disney didn't bring on a single person who is an expert in planning LARP experiences, and that they thought the people who plan the in-park character activities would be able to handle this.

As far as the marketing goes...they're marketing it like they market the theme parks. Commercials showing what everything looks like with an appearance by a character now and then...but there has to be some kind of verbiage, so they threw in a couple of guys talking about much work went into it (no little girl in a princess dress running down the castle stairs or toddler running to hug Mickey). But again...people don't expect to be "part of the story" when they visit MK. I know many of us love behind-the-scenes specials, but commercials and previews of a LARP are supposed to get us excited to actually participate...not feel like a pre-teen making a YouTube video explaining how many hours they spent creating a Lego project and choosing just the right colors. Everything they've released so far indicates that they're looking at the Halcyon the same way they look at Cinderella's Castle or the Millennium Falcon...and that should send red flags up all over the place. And for the love of all things good, Disney needs to stop trying to market things in the same way "influencers" do.

I really think this is the moment that Disney's executive hubris is going to bite them where it hurts. HARD.
 
mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
TikibirdLand said:
Just got done seeing Peter and Kitra's video. Honestly don't know what to think of it. I know they're Star Wars fan couple and we heard both positive and negative about Disney's treatment of Batuu. But, it was mostly positive. But, they're practically gushing over this experience. I smell something fishy in their overview. Yet, they say they're plunking down $4K for this experience. Am I a conspiracy theorist thinking Disney either paid for the video below or there was some financial quid pro quo going on here?

I guess I'll watch their content and judge by it. Certain other bloggers that are known to be putting their own money down -- that Disney shows their open distain for -- will be there as well. Maybe between them all, we'll get some balanced opinions. Still not quite sure if we will...
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They're a very wealthy couple but if people want to believe Disney has paid them to lie there's not much anyone can do to prove otherwise. I'm sure if they hated it they'd be believed though?
 
Tha Realest

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
mergatroid said:
They're a very wealthy couple but if people want to believe Disney has paid them to lie there's not much anyone can do to prove otherwise. I'm sure if they hated it they'd be believed though?
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They run a fan film site that would go down the tubes quick if they said anything negative about Disney. Disney doesn’t have to do anything other than invite them to a boondoggle or two once in awhile. If they started getting critical or negative they’d get frozen out quick. As the LA Times.
 
mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
GimpYancIent said:
Don't care about their financial status. They are comical but that's about it. Their opinions are very forgettable but humorous.
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That's good, I'm pleased for you. The reason I mentioned it is people say that vloggers will only give positive reviews because they want freebies from Disney etc. I'm reliably informed that this couple is independently wealthy through a business unrelated to youtube. If that's the case then it kind of goes against the logic some have about their motives and that's the only reason I've mentioned it.

I'm still in a position where I have no idea whether this venture will be great, be ok or be awful. There's an element of subjectivity I'd argue also. If you hate the new Star Wars then it's probably not for you, they're hardly hiding that fact though. Also that couple haven't visited it yet, they may come back and say they hated it in which case it means they hated it. It is nice however to see a couple who are Star Wars fans, who've paid for a stay and are really excited about the prospect of hopefully having a great time. They've admitted they're positive people and they're aware many are negative about the experience but they're still looking forward to it. I hope they enjoy it and have a great time, time will tell.
 
TikibirdLand

TikibirdLand

Well-Known Member
mergatroid said:
That's good, I'm pleased for you. The reason I mentioned it is people say that vloggers will only give positive reviews because they want freebies from Disney etc. I'm reliably informed that this couple is independently wealthy through a business unrelated to youtube. If that's the case then it kind of goes against the logic some have about their motives and that's the only reason I've mentioned it.

I'm still in a position where I have no idea whether this venture will be great, be ok or be awful. There's an element of subjectivity I'd argue also. If you hate the new Star Wars then it's probably not for you, they're hardly hiding that fact though. Also that couple haven't visited it yet, they may come back and say they hated it in which case it means they hated it. It is nice however to see a couple who are Star Wars fans, who've paid for a stay and are really excited about the prospect of hopefully having a great time. They've admitted they're positive people and they're aware many are negative about the experience but they're still looking forward to it. I hope they enjoy it and have a great time, time will tell.
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Glad to hear that they have an independent source of income. However, I do expect an honest review; not one biased toward the positive so that they get invited to other experiences. I also am taken that they are SW "nerds" and have followed just about every story line out there. So, they "get" a lot of the inside stuff the imagineers put into the lands and products. But, this particular link I provided seems to be so over-the-top honey-mixed-with-maple-syrup that there must be some kind of backstory not in the video.

I'm looking for balanced coverage of the experience. If it's over-the-top positive, it's suspect. If it's below-the-water-line negative, it's also suspect. For $4-6K, I'd like to know whether my non-SW DW will enjoy this kind of thing as I "might". And, yes, I can afford it. Just need the data to sort out whether it's worth it.
 
L

lewisc

Well-Known Member
surfsupdon said:
If this was a hotel themed to Star Wars with grounds, pools and waterslide, a food court and some restaurants, I might stay there. You know, also be able to come and go as you please. But this looks terrible, at least for me.
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Assume Disney converted All Star Music to Star Wars. Replace large icons. Paint some murals on the walls in the main building. Minimal Star Wars theming in the rooms. Maybe bedding would be star wars. Maybe a desk lamp that looks like BB8. Assume it was priced at least 50% higher then All Star Sports, maybe even double.

JMO but that's about all you can expect from current Disney management.
 
mergatroid

mergatroid

Well-Known Member
TikibirdLand said:
Glad to hear that they have an independent source of income. However, I do expect an honest review; not one biased toward the positive so that they get invited to other experiences. I also am taken that they are SW "nerds" and have followed just about every story line out there. So, they "get" a lot of the inside stuff the imagineers put into the lands and products. But, this particular link I provided seems to be so over-the-top honey-mixed-with-maple-syrup that there must be some kind of backstory not in the video.

I'm looking for balanced coverage of the experience. If it's over-the-top positive, it's suspect. If it's below-the-water-line negative, it's also suspect. For $4-6K, I'd like to know whether my non-SW DW will enjoy this kind of thing as I "might". And, yes, I can afford it. Just need the data to sort out whether it's worth it.
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I think your best bet it to take the views of several reviews so as to try to rule out any views that are 'skewered' if that's your biggest fear. Likewise you've got people on here insisting it's awful without experiencing it, they're going from commercials and general talk but haven't spent a single second there. On top of that you'll have to decide whether you want a 'normal' type stay or are willing to go knowing that for 2 days it would appear you've got to do what they say, when they say it if you want to get your money's worth. If you're partner just wants a relaxing stay, then this probably isn't a great idea. If you do go, I hope you both enjoy it.
 
T

themerebear6453

Well-Known Member
lewisc said:
Assume Disney converted All Star Music to Star Wars. Replace large icons. Paint some murals on the walls in the main building. Minimal Star Wars theming in the rooms. Maybe bedding would be star wars. Maybe a desk lamp that looks like BB8. Assume it was priced at least 50% higher then All Star Sports, maybe even double.

JMO but that's about all you can expect from current Disney management.
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I would be more likely to stay in that than the Starcruiser. Reason being, my expectations would be reasonable, I would have fun with the photo-ops, and I wouldn't plan my entire vacation around it. I already stay in All Star Music and Sports occasionally. An upgrade to those resorts to more relevant themes would be easy and fun. Seems like an obvious choice for Disney, but here we are.

Edit: I would have more than anything loved for the Star cruiser to live up to my original expectations. In 2019 I was beyond hyped. This just isn't it, and since Disney can't deliver this I wish they would have scaled back and delivered something more reasonable like the Princess themed rooms.
 
WDWJoeG

WDWJoeG

Well-Known Member
ImperfectPixie said:
Disney has been way too focused on Princesses for too long (which are geared towards little girls visiting theme parks). They're treating what is supposed to be a LARP experience as if it's on the same playing field as afternoon tea at the GF or dinner at 1900 Park Fare, when LARPing is in a completely different league. (For the record, I'm not knocking the afternoon tea or dinner - I love dinner at 1900.) Yes, there's acting involved for the CMs that make those experiences happen, but what makes those fun is that it's a "show" where the characters pretend they are unaware that the guests are theme park visitors. The guests aren't part of the story...they're on the outside, looking in. That's not what LARPing is...it's not even close. I think it's safe to say that Disney didn't bring on a single person who is an expert in planning LARP experiences, and that they thought the people who plan the in-park character activities would be able to handle this.

As far as the marketing goes...they're marketing it like they market the theme parks. Commercials showing what everything looks like with an appearance by a character now and then...but there has to be some kind of verbiage, so they threw in a couple of guys talking about much work went into it (no little girl in a princess dress running down the castle stairs or toddler running to hug Mickey). But again...people don't expect to be "part of the story" when they visit MK. I know many of us love behind-the-scenes specials, but commercials and previews of a LARP are supposed to get us excited to actually participate...not feel like a pre-teen making a YouTube video explaining how many hours they spent creating a Lego project and choosing just the right colors. Everything they've released so far indicates that they're looking at the Halcyon the same way they look at Cinderella's Castle or the Millennium Falcon...and that should send red flags up all over the place. And for the love of all things good, Disney needs to stop trying to market things in the same way "influencers" do.

I really think this is the moment that Disney's executive hubris is going to bite them where it hurts. HARD.
Click to expand...
I (to say the least) am not a LARP'er, but these videos and all of the advertising to date, doesn't communicate that aspect at all. If I wasn't on this board, I would have no idea that was the intent.

This is advertised like any other Disney offering (Batuu, Avengers Campus, etc) which means that either A) They don't understand what "LARPing" is or B) They realized that market is incredibly small and that aspect may actually turn off non-LARP'ers.

My guess is B, but more will come out over time.
 
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