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News Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser coming to Walt Disney World 2021
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
They actually shuttered Disney institute for all intents in purposes…
Then slapped the “free
Love/money” housing bubble era 1000 rooms of timeshare on top
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
By Disney standards…consistent empty rooms are a complete failure…
They averaged 99.7% property wide during the millennium.
That is the bar
This isn’t days inn
They averaged 99.7% property wide during the millennium.
That is the bar
This isn’t days inn
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Not quite
I was at that groundbreaking
That was conceived in the late 90’s when they were roaring and it was excess by the time they started building it in 2002…
So they stopped the construction until they could justify the need
Now it’s a $200-$600 “value”
So id say they turned that lemon into lemon aid pretty well
mergatroid
Well-Known Member
Fair enough but I thought we were being precise. No Disney hotel has been shuttered, EVER I think they said. But if we're being precise then the starcruiser hasn't been closed yet and it's fate is still unknown. Bookings are still being taken, people are still working there and right now the mouse appears to be 'streamlining' bookings as it's success isn't as expected by them.Not quite
I was at that groundbreaking
That was conceived in the late 90’s when they were roaring and it was excess by the time they started building it in 2002…
So they stopped the construction until they could justify the need
Now it’s a $200-$600 “value”
So id say they turned that lemon into lemon aid pretty well
I read earlier you say you've spent no time researching what goes on in the hotel but the little you've heard is always negative and it's not 'Star Wars enough' (or words to that effect, I'm not trying to trick or misquote you). Whilst we've disagreed over things in the past we've remained civil (two dudes talking theme parks after all) and you've always appeared honest. I would say to you that if you research paying guests reviews it's amazing how positive they are about the experience. The price is the one constant criticism, however the love of the experience is surprisingly high.
Now if your 'research' consisted of reading what people said on here following those awful commercials Disney put out, the people who haven't been but constantly post how awful they think it is on here, or google 'I hate Disney Starcruiser', that's an understandable conclusion. However even when you exclude vloggers who were comped a stay who may have reason to big it up, there's a whole load of people who love it and have made long, detailed and honest reviews citing all the things that they love about it.
For instance @lentesta on here was extremely critical of it before he went, and I mean really critical. But he paid, went, came on here absolutely praising it to the heavens saying how wrong he'd been. Says it feels like Star Wars and raved about the interactions with the characters. He went in costume as he's a Star Wars guy and made a character for himself I believe as a movie producer? Others have been who post on here after paying and not being vloggers and they too have said how brilliant it is. It's not 'my thing' but I've defended it thus far because it interested me in what Disney would do with it and how it went. The guy who owns a channel with Disney news stories on who's practically waged war with Disney in recent years over almost everything they've done, paid to stay there in the belief he'd see how bad it was. He came back and couldn't talk highly enough about it. He was raving about it and pretty much said it's the best thing he's experienced at Disney and how wrong his assumptions were. I've actually given it a chance following the commercials and can 100% say without cherry picking reviews, the response from those who've been has been highly positive in the main.
I'm not expecting you to take the time to 'research' whether I'm lying or not ( I'm not), from one gentleman to another though if you had then I doubt you'd be making the statements about how it's not 'Star Wars' and 'cheap and tacky'. Apologies if those aren't your exact words, rather the gist of your views. I'm also not saying this to be critical of you personally as unlike several posters on here who've not been, you've not posted random comments every few weeks on this thread like "This still sucks" etc just to troll. Instead your assumptions are based on the perception of this experience which probably started going into overdrive when the commercials came out. Disney released those and as such you can have that's on them. Disney chose not to use the original trilogy and again you can have that. They say if a lie is told enough that it becomes the truth, in perception if not reality. There's been so much "Ooh dancing", "No pool", "Idiots in costumes playing space men", "Cheap looking sets and no characters" and "Nobody likes it" that too many who don't actually take the time to look into it criticise it without having a clue what it's really like.
Again I'm not expecting or trying to change your mind about whether you or others like this. It's the respect I have for your honesty that I point out you slating it whilst admitting you've little to no idea about it isn't a true reflection of your usual posting style. It's not good that they're cancelling bookings and it may ultimately fail, however don't underestimate the enjoyment of many guests who've stayed there based on a narrative of "It sucks" by many who haven't been.
Anyhow, not spoken in a while. Hope you're well and as you were
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
First off…I never said “it sucks”Fair enough but I thought we were being precise. No Disney hotel has been shuttered, EVER I think they said. But if we're being precise then the starcruiser hasn't been closed yet and it's fate is still unknown. Bookings are still being taken, people are still working there and right now the mouse appears to be 'streamlining' bookings as it's success isn't as expected by them.
I read earlier you say you've spent no time researching what goes on in the hotel but the little you've heard is always negative and it's not 'Star Wars enough' (or words to that effect, I'm not trying to trick or misquote you). Whilst we've disagreed over things in the past we've remained civil (two dudes talking theme parks after all) and you've always appeared honest. I would say to you that if you research paying guests reviews it's amazing how positive they are about the experience. The price is the one constant criticism, however the love of the experience is surprisingly high.
Now if your 'research' consisted of reading what people said on here following those awful commercials Disney put out, the people who haven't been but constantly post how awful they think it is on here, or google 'I hate Disney Starcruiser', that's an understandable conclusion. However even when you exclude vloggers who were comped a stay who may have reason to big it up, there's a whole load of people who love it and have made long, detailed and honest reviews citing all the things that they love about it.
For instance @lentesta on here was extremely critical of it before he went, and I mean really critical. But he paid, went, came on here absolutely praising it to the heavens saying how wrong he'd been. Says it feels like Star Wars and raved about the interactions with the characters. He went in costume as he's a Star Wars guy and made a character for himself I believe as a movie producer? Others have been who post on here after paying and not being vloggers and they too have said how brilliant it is. It's not 'my thing' but I've defended it thus far because it interested me in what Disney would do with it and how it went. The guy who owns a channel with Disney news stories on who's practically waged war with Disney in recent years over almost everything they've done, paid to stay there in the belief he'd see how bad it was. He came back and couldn't talk highly enough about it. He was raving about it and pretty much said it's the best thing he's experienced at Disney and how wrong his assumptions were. I've actually given it a chance following the commercials and can 100% say without cherry picking reviews, the response from those who've been has been highly positive in the main.
I'm not expecting you to take the time to 'research' whether I'm lying or not ( I'm not), from one gentleman to another though if you had then I doubt you'd be making the statements about how it's not 'Star Wars' and 'cheap and tacky'. Apologies if those aren't your exact words, rather the gist of your views. I'm also not saying this to be critical of you personally as unlike several posters on here who've not been, you've not posted random comments every few weeks on this thread like "This still sucks" etc just to troll. Instead your assumptions are based on the perception of this experience which probably started going into overdrive when the commercials came out. Disney released those and as such you can have that's on them. Disney chose not to use the original trilogy and again you can have that. They say if a lie is told enough that it becomes the truth, in perception if not reality. There's been so much "Ooh dancing", "No pool", "Idiots in costumes playing space men", "Cheap looking sets and no characters" and "Nobody likes it" that to many who don't actually take the time to look into it criticise it without having a clue what it's really like.
Again I'm not expecting or trying to change your mind about whether you or others like this. It's the respect I have for your honesty that I point out you slating it whilst admitting you've little to no idea about it isn't a true reflection of your usual posting style. It's not good that they're cancelling bookings and it may ultimately fail, however don't underestimate the enjoyment of many guests who've stayed there based on a narrative of "It sucks" by many who haven't been.
Anyhow, not spoken in a while. Hope you're well and as you were
The movies it’s based off of…absolutely…100% suck.
So that’s “headwinds” for something like this…
I haven’t devoted a lot of time to reading about this Because it was always gonna be a can of worms…the price, the very public troubles with Star Wars, the management philosophy in parks.
You don’t need me. I regret falling down the well of this thread already.
But…you’re basing it off feedback for the very small (in the grand scheme of things) people who lined up and threw money at it?
Is there just the slightest chance these are the sycophants that were in the can from the start?
And now they’ve dried up.
And I’m sorry…the line dancing looks stupid. It is what people who try to sell Star Wars without knowing it do when their bosses tell them it needs to be sold to the wrong audience.
Just like 3 bad movies.
mergatroid
Well-Known Member
Indeed, never said you did.
I mean as for the feedback, if we're saying those who pay might be sycophants then no review can be used
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
I think in this case…that’s exactly what happened…Indeed, never said you did.
I mean as for the feedback, if we're saying those who pay might be sycophants then no review can be used
Not always…rarely - actually
You’re talking about really heavy upfront charge for a foreign concept. They had to be “no matter what…” in the back of their minds before you Signed up. Not like they had a lot of time waiting on hold to rethink it.
mergatroid
Well-Known Member
So we can't use vloggers as they're biased? We can't use anyone who pays because they're sycophants? That leaves just those who haven't been to review it, how would they know?
If you search youtube under 'Honest, In-Depth Review of the Star Wars: Glactic Starcruiser with Tom Corless', you'll get a review from a guy who's at war with Disney. He's paid and has no reason to lie and every reason to slate it, he makes a lot of money slating Disney. I'll leave it there but it is possible to say that they've produced a good product but maybe mismanaged it rather than just 'assume' it's not good. Take care, it's my bedtime
Disney Institute would be the most comparable thing. A commitment people were not ready for in the way it was presented, so it could change and be unrecognizable(They kept the treehouse villas, but many others were just demolished completely and the concept of the property totally different to be successful)
If they are going to save this cruise from its leaks to not sink, it is going to look different sooner than later.
If they are going to save this cruise from its leaks to not sink, it is going to look different sooner than later.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I only giggle when they are/were smug and clueless about their concept that fails. I know "they" is a broad, sweeping term, but I'll use it to describe all senior executives from the Studio and Parks divisions who have been involved in Star Wars product in the last decade. They've been smug and clueless about Star Wars since shortly after Burbank bought Lucas and rebranded it as a Disney division.
They were smug and snobby about their fan base, almost outright disdainful of them.
The Galactic Starcruiser and all its missing details and cheaped out offerings is just one of the most obvious examples of this smugness.
Which is why I'm giggling and chuckling at all this news!
I want them to keep trying new things that are of quality and worthy of the very high price points they charge. Walt kept improving his park product, and when he announced a new project or ride on his TV show, he over-delivered on it when it opened.
The Galactic Starcruiser is the opposite of that. They over-promised and under-delivered, and still charged very high prices for it.
That is not something they should get commended for. That is something they rightly get criticized for, like in this thread.
Bingo! Another important part of why the Galactic Starcruiser deserves all of this criticism, and more.
Even the dinner show, once planned for the park's Star Wars lands as this restaurant-theater concept shown on ABC TV...
Turned into this watered down concept for the Galactic Starcruiser...
But then, just to cheap it out even more, the actual dinner show product people pay a thousand bucks for turned out like this...
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23270197/IMG_6481.jpg)
And when you eat there for breakfast or lunch when there's no small stage show happening, it just looks like this...
It's just been such a sad and depressing tale of untruthful concept art and promises not kept for the Galactic Starcruiser.
If the photo above is "good enough" for you and you'd willingly spend a few thousand bucks for that lodging/entertainment/dining experience, then that's fine. Some people buy a $35,000 Patek Phillipe and some people buy a $40 Timex, but they both tell the time. But if I'm going to spend the money for the Patek Phillipe, it had darn well be worth it. And it goes in the will for a nephew.
The Galactic Starcruiser is not only not worth it, it's a blatant downgrade and cheaped out version of what they told us it would be in the first place. That means they deserve all this criticism, with more still to come.
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
Great points!
Thinking about the summer cancellations, it occurred to me that this is a way to help with staffing and retaining CM's. They are going to two days off per week from July through mid September. This allows them to hire just one full set of CM's to staff the operation, with everyone receiving two days off per week. The days off change week-to-week, but that's not unusual for the service and hospitality industry. (It's a hotel, not a credit union or insurance office.)
Other websites reported that they've been cancelling the second seating for meals, cutting into the tips and hours the CM's were told they'd get when they transferred to the Starcruiser location.
Shifting the small passenger loads this summer onto the same days and shutting the place down two days per week allows them to keep a smaller CM crew better paid and more likely to not quit.
What happens after September though is the next big test. Disney's fiscal year starts October 1st, and that's always a time when things start or stop.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Minor correction
Disney institute used the old lake buena vista villas…those are torn down and replaced with timeshares
The treehouse villas was the last construction/part of Saratoga. They are 10-12 years old
It was my understanding that the Treehouses as structures were renovated from the old ones at Disney Institute, not ground up builds. https://www.dizavenue.com/2016/06/remembering-disney-institute-resort.html You can see what they used to look like here, from the outside they are mostly the same.
Some buildings were completely torn down though.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
You’re probably right…It rings a bell now.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Great flashback photo!
The only thing I can add is that I have distinct memory of booking one of those treehouse villas once with family via the Magic Kingdom Club, sometime early in the Reagan Administration if my vacuum tubes are working properly tonight.
They were a bookable lodging option, and quite unique and fun!
My family were all educators, and we had options for The Magic Kingdom Club. I have a pamphlet still somewhere, if it survived a move.
It had a neat little fold out of The Marketplace shopping village.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
That was really cool…
It’s almost like somebody higher up decided that building a loyal park fanbase had longterm value, huh?
But I’m not from Denver