News Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser coming to Walt Disney World 2021

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I find it interesting that on the cruiser site it says the guests will get front of line acces for the Falcon and Rise once each. To me this implies that guests can come and go as they please but more importantly there is no integration to a greater story with the cruise ship. This seems like another missed opportunity if the only perks at GE are that guests get a FP for the two rides and get a separate truck entrance. I’ll be really interested to hear if any of the doors scattered throughout Batuu open up to reveal anything new for this guests of the cruise.

I want to believe there HAS to be more to this. Access to two bad (mediocre at best…nothing for people who like Star Wars…frankly) rides and a short shuttle bus?

The “itinerary” just looks meh

they can’t operate with this amount of hubris. Even Slaphead, right??

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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I just got home from a fabulous dinner out with some really witty friends laughing all night long, so I'm honestly in a great mood , but for whatever reason this photo is just so troubling.

These are clearly fun and hard working CM's wearing a pre-opening uniform, but for the love of God don't showcase them like this publicly on the 'Gram. These CM's are not yet ready for Prime Time, nor is this photo suitable for mass public distribution just a few weeks before opening a premium-priced and highly-themed offering.

Are there no Disney executives left with any sense of showmanship?!?

In no particular order, off the top of my head...

• Why? Why would you release this photo publicly? These CM's are not wearing the actual Galactic Starcruiser uniform. They look like nurses wearing generic 21st century scrubs to most folks, or to Disney fans they are obviously wearing a hybrid Launch Bay/ Disneyland Space Mountain uniform. With masks. Outdoors. They look like nurses at a supermarket picking up milk and dog food on their way home from work. It makes the Galactic Starcruiser product look average and mundane and contemporary, instead of premium and exotic and immersive.
• This is a premium priced product. The most expensive hotel at WDW, which is already an expensive place. So why showcase it like this so amateurish and casual? The Brutalist architecture of the entrance is not impressive, it's unadorned concrete, which is what Brutalism mostly was 50 years ago. This Brutalist porte cochere is not impressive or luxurious, so stop showing it. The amateur faux-fun Selfie! staging of the photo makes it worse.
• I'm a little worried about this CM demographic. They look to be an average of 25 years old. Have they been trained in luxury hotel operations? What training do they have? What luxury hotel experience do they have? Do they understand the demographic that can afford this hotel can often be very demanding? Please tell me they aren't just former Jungle Cruise Skippers or Port Orleans desk clerks who are Star Wars nerds and put in for a transfer. I'm worried just by looking at their obvious lack of job tenure, even with how excited they look.
• And again with those uniforms. Who approved branding this allegedly luxury property pre-opening with such cheap and unattractive nurse uniforms? You are literally making it worse. Do not release photos of CM's until the CM's are wearing their official, themed uniforms! This is Disney Theme Park Operation 101 level stuff.
• Who the heck is in charge? It's technically Mr. Vahle, but the multiple errors in judgement it took for him to release this tacky and brand-damaging photo only a few weeks before opening should make investors and fans alike worry.

There will be no “luxury hotel operations”…Disney doesn’t do that. They never have.

 

[matt9112]

I want to believe there HAS to be more to this. Access to two bad (mediocre at best…nothing for people who like Star Wars…frankly) rides and a short shuttle bus?

The “itinerary” just looks meh

they can’t operate with this amount of hubris. Even Slaphead, right??

Logistically i think its a nightmare though? The entire idea seems to be logistically a nightmare to not break theme.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Logistically i think its a nightmare though? The entire idea seems to be logistically a nightmare to not break theme.

I’ve thought since the start that this was a social experiment that goes back years…long before chapek.

since dak they tinkered with the “exclusive” spot…the “night kingdom” or something similar.

then you add on iger’s “only the brand matters…we have no competitors” blue ocean nonsense…

and the pictures some stock brokers have of the goat and Bob…or something?


as with all things wdw…I truly hope it turns out better than it appears. They need to stop delivering inferior product at high price tags….

but one fear I have is that this is not doing what it needs to do…which would be to spend what’s needed to deliver. No cost cutting…no “good enough”…no people that don’t fit the part from casting…and no “the store’s closed” type nonsense.

“deluxe” hotels at wdw have never operated 24/7 as is…because those employees cost above minimum wage…and this time it matters much more.

 

[Unbanshee]

I agree with you. The box truck makes sense to me from a heavy chassis and "onboard show" situation.

Worrying about what the truck looks on the outside to CM's parking before their shift as it trundles across the backstage parking lots makes about as much sense as worrying what the exterior of the Haunted Mansion stretching rooms look like to the maintenance guys at 2am.

Speaking of that, I'm looking forward to seeing some POV videos of people arriving and checking in at the Starcruiser. I wonder if the small berm and light landscaping they've placed around the entry road is enough to hide that hulking warehouse this hotel is housed in? At least for the first year or two before this stuff grows in...

Not even close. You'll drive just about 360-degrees around the building, seeing every single unsightly thing on the way in. Hell, the entrance to the thing is basically the same view as that aerial photo. The only time it'll really be hidden is in the last 8-12 seconds of your commute

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I still don’t get the “cruise” thing. Sure I mean I understand where they are going with that but to me this is not a “cruise”. There’s no sipping foo foo cocktails at poolside while listening to a steel drum band.

This is an immersive, one of a kind show. Or production if you’d rather. “Land Cruise” doesn’t really do it for me. IMO the entire marketing effort on this has been off point.

 

[jinx8402]

It's not a matter of recognizing a box truck. People might look at any box truck on the highway and automatically assume that it's the famed luxury transport. But most importantly, if the trucks are themed on the outside, it can work as a powerful advertising influence for the Starcruiser. People would think, look at how cool that thing is! I want to ride in it!!!

And ideally they would have expanded the Galaxy's Edge concept by building a fifth gate, "Disney's Star Wars Galaxy".



I think the sticking point for those complaining is the fact that they see Disney still falling behind Universal.

They think the outside should be as much of the show as the inside, and I can't say that I disagree with them.


Maybe it's an unfair comparison, but it's a comparison that was going to happen.

The problem with that comparison is one takes place inside a theme park where every visitor sees the actual outside of the box carrying them, so yes it needs to be themed.

The other is never in the public's sight, not even the ones riding it. There is absolutely no need to theme it.

 

[MurphyJoe]

And ideally they would have expanded the Galaxy's Edge concept by building a fifth gate, "Disney's Star Wars Galaxy".

While I'm still of the opinion a fifth gate is a horrible idea, a Star Wars immersive hotel could've been part of a hotel "theme park" resort. Disney could've built a collection of boutique, highly themed hotels (ground-based Star Wars, Haunted Mansion, summer regal villa for the Princesses, etc.) with centralized check-in and food court. Each hotel gets its own specialty restaurant, pool, and immersive experiences. They could charge Contemporary A-frame Magic Kingdom view pricing for the worst room and get it. Even if the Starcruiser is all that, this could turn into another Universal Studios Escape due to the marketing. Plus, I'm curious to see how guests feel about having to relocate resorts for two nights during their trip; especially since Disney doesn't seem to be making this easy if you're staying at a Disney resort.

 

[Figments Friend]

I saw the complete day by day itinerary online and $5-6,000 bucks for a card game, RC droid race, trivia contest and a lot of food doesn’t seem at all worth it. On an actual cruise at least you actually go somewhere. One of the activities is to have someone teach you how to use your data pad app. Come on.

The only way this could work is if the itinerary is fake and halfway through the muster the first order invades the ship and you spend the rest of the trip doing unexpected things for the entire trip.

I recall some time ago it was stated by Disney that yes, the First Order and Kylo Ren were to 'attack' the ship during the cruise period.
The official 'Disney Attraction' poster that was released for the Galactic Starcruiser a couple of years ago also suggests their statement as such elements feature prominently in the graphic design.

-

 

[larryz]

per CMs there are hedges along the road between GE and the drive in, on the driver's side.
The yellow circled area, has matching hedges/treelines extended (red arrow) to block the view from vehicles.
This is an old picture from October 2021. (bioreconstruct)

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WDI hedging their bets over sightlines... (sorry, I couldn't resist)

 

[larryz]

This is Disney Theme Park Operation 101 level stuff.

And we all know what code 101 means in Disney theme park operations...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I still don’t get the “cruise” thing. Sure I mean I understand where they are going with that but to me this is not a “cruise”. There’s no sipping foo foo cocktails at poolside while listening to a steel drum band.

This is an immersive, one of a kind show. Or production if you’d rather. “Land Cruise” doesn’t really do it for me. IMO the entire marketing effort on this has been off point.

This is bad marketing 101…

they are selling land cruise because they know they can’t get a bite of this as an “all inclusive” any other way…they should have unfettered access to the Star Wars “playground”, shouldn’t they? Or built a standalone attraction of some sorts…right?

but no…one fastpass on the ride based on Solo

…don’t forget also that Disney cruises are twice retail…trying to do the “wink, wink” here on the prices is no surprise either

this should be double the price to deliver…imho…adventures by Disney kinda feel.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And we all know what code 101 means in Disney theme park operations...

Currently probably 9 things spread around the parks?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I recall some time ago it was stated by Disney that yes, the First Order and Kylo Ren were to 'attack' the ship during the cruise period.
The official 'Disney Attraction' poster that was released for the Galactic Starcruiser a couple of years ago also suggests their statement as such elements feature prominently in the graphic design.

-

How are those character/movies faring over time?

…just a thought

 

[Dragonman]

How are those character/movies faring over time?

…just a thought

Check your local Ollie’s and you’ll see

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Check your local Ollie’s and you’ll see

…I can’t beat that.

but I’d like to point onto the lego store is only OT and mandalorian…so there’s that too

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I recall some time ago it was stated by Disney that yes, the First Order and Kylo Ren were to 'attack' the ship during the cruise period.
The official 'Disney Attraction' poster that was released for the Galactic Starcruiser a couple of years ago also suggests their statement as such elements feature prominently in the graphic design.

If i were a betting man I would bet that this was one of the design elements that was cut because of cost.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If i were a betting man I would bet that this was one of the design elements that was cut because of cost.

Sure…when you make “more per quarter”…definitely time to cut stuff

 

[sedati]

It's not a matter of recognizing a box truck. People might look at any box truck on the highway and automatically assume that it's the famed luxury transport. But most importantly, if the trucks are themed on the outside, it can work as a powerful advertising influence for the Starcruiser. People would think, look at how cool that thing is! I want to ride in it!!!

Oh, but what of the famed "Lever" conundrum. If someone sees a thing (hyperspace lever) but they can't do it themselves, they go insane with envy and rage. So they see this "luxury transport" and the kids want to do it. But you can't- not today, not anytime soon. You have to book a future visit at great expense. No instant gratification, vacation ruined. Tears and insanity all around.

 

[vikescaper]

Has anybody asked what happens if the “shuttle” breaks down in transit to Batuu or the Starcruiser? Does another “shuttle” come and people are transferred from one to another?