News Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser coming to Walt Disney World 2021

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t call Mr. Iger by his first name like that. So disrespectful!

Kidding! He’s not “my boy.” Lots not to like about his leadership, which has all be hashed and rehashed on these boards. But to sum up my take (which is the same for Disney parks): mixed-bag Star Wars is better than no Star Wars because it generates demand for more Star Wars.

Mr Iger??

He works for Disney…don’t you know it’s “Bob”

 

[_caleb]

Theme parks did this back in the day. It was called Nickel and DIming and the Ticketing System, which did not work at a certain point of popularity.

This is why even if you don't ride the rides at a well designed theme park, you are charged the full admission price. As there is more revenue and ease in it to buy the access and enough to please everyone in your party for the day. I could recommend some books for you that explore all of this history.

Can you imagine the outcry if Disney were to make the switch from ticket books to full admission ticketing today? “You’re charging us for things we don’t even want to do!”

In some ways, the Starcruiser concept is circling back to the coupon book approach, but for interactive entertainment; you only have to pay for it if you want to experience it. I would love it if they did this for parades, which aren’t my cup of tea, but I digress.

Again, I’m pleased Disney has tried something new and different.

 

[celluloid]

Can you imagine the outcry if Disney were to make the switch from ticket books to full admission ticketing today? “You’re charging us for things we don’t even want to do!”

Nope. It ultimately works. Even if people did complain, the success financially would win out. Because it has.

This thing is not working, because it does not.

Again, the key in my previous post is that it is well designed and operated theme parks.


There is a reason they do it and succeed at it.

There would be no outcry because as a whole the parties had plenty to do and are happy with the value of their day.

This does not have that for people.

You are back around to another reason why this concept is not working out for them.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Very, very slowly.

At its current price point.

A redo of the pricing model would, long term, keep the pool of people wanting to do this experience from evaporating away. The crowd that felt comfortable with the current pricing model as come, did their spend and are now gone.

 

[Phroobar]

I getting reports that the hotel has been operating on a number of days with only 25% capacity. That is why they are canceling days. They have priced themselves out of the market.

 

[_caleb]

This is…again…making excuses for management hubris. You don’t tell a large fanbase that what they liked isn’t “the best way to go”.
There’s no logical reason to do it. You’re forgetting what “ingredients” went into this cake.

I’m not making any excuses. The “fanbase” isn’t singular, and Disney’s trying to turn the Star Wars well into a reservoir. You’re nostalgic for the OT, but not everyone is. The majority of fans grew up with a much broader Star Wars universe than that.

Have you been to the potter lands? I’m not a potter superfan…but like LOTR and a bunch of other fantasy/sci-fi properties…I enjoy it and was very curious to see how they bring it to life?
Those lands…costing less than one mediocre ride with bad ip down the road…are great because they simply tried to do the best possible to “put you there”. Not perfect…but not trying to steer you away from your fandom.

I agree and I really enjoy the Potter lands. I think those were a good choice for a themed land because they could leverage a design language that takes advantage of real-world places.

BTW, I think the live entertainment in WWoHP is cheesy and unnecessary. I think those lands get their kinetic energy from guest movement and the interactive wand stations. This isn’t the case for SW:GE, and I think the Starcruiser-type interactivity should be part of the land, too.

That has been the fundamental flaw with Disneys approach from the start. With the source material, the lands and the concrete box next to it.

They needed to use the KISS method.

To me, a good comparison will be what they do with the Fantastic Beasts land, since this is essentially the WWoHP’s Prequel Trilogy. Disney basically started with this sort of approach, a land/Starcruiser set in the era they’re currently producing and hoping to promote.

I know you would have preferred they start with an OT land. I’m fine with the ST setting. I guess I don’t keep things simple! I’ve said before I think they should make each day start with PT theming and then quickly move into OT and on to ST over the course of the day (like Colonial Williamsburg used to do with pre- mid- and post-revolution timeline, ending each day with a celebration).

 

[UNCgolf]

To me, a good comparison will be what they do with the Fantastic Beasts land, since this is essentially the WWoHP’s Prequel Trilogy. Disney basically started with this sort of approach, a land/Starcruiser set in the era they’re currently producing and hoping to promote.

The Fantastic Beasts land definitely won't have the same underlying draw as Diagon Alley/Hogsmeade, so it's going to require something more. It'll be interesting to see what they do with it.

Of course, they should just be building Hogwarts. It's kind of crazy that they aren't. That would be an even bigger draw than Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I’m not making any excuses. The “fanbase” isn’t singular, and Disney’s trying to turn the Star Wars well into a reservoir. You’re nostalgic for the OT, but not everyone is. The majority of fans grew up with a much broader Star Wars universe than that.

If you’re talking about Star Wars fans…like who drives the profit engine? Then you are wholly incorrect.

If you’re talking about casual on the street, pop culture, Disney “friendly”…that watch a movie and then forget about it once it’s both fast…and furious?
Then yeah…diehards aren’t them.

The question is what did Disney buy it for?
They wanted the former but thought it would mesh with the latter.

Which is why they don’t understand it. After the prequels? The “way” was clear and it wasn’t by insulting your backbone as George did.

That misunderstanding is the hubris I speak off…it was on the screen at first, now it’s bled out onto the physical world and that’s why this thread exists.

I didn’t start this fire, Billy Joel.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Of course, they should just be building Hogwarts. It's kind of crazy that they aren't. That would be an even bigger draw than Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade.

Wild how Orlando will soon have 6 Harry Potter rides, but you can't eat in the Great Hall.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The Fantastic Beasts land definitely won't have the same underlying draw as Diagon Alley/Hogsmeade, so it's going to require something more. It'll be interesting to see what they do with it.

Of course, they should just be building Hogwarts. It's kind of crazy that they aren't. That would be an even bigger draw than Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade.

I think forbidden journey makes them leery to try it.

It would be a violation of purpose that universal doesn’t seem to want to do since they got serious about 10 years ago…

Yes…it’s like putting marvel in a science pavilion in front of Epcot. Fortunately…I dig that ride

 

[Animaniac93-98]

There's got to be a better price point that would both make the margins Disnay would be happy with AND be low enough to fill the calendar I would think.

Absolutely there is, but Disney is stubborn and concerned about the optics of dropping the price too much too soon after opening.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wild how Orlando will soon have 6 Harry Potter rides, but you can't eat in the Great Hall.

I’m hoping they saw how stupid be our guest and the galactic snack bar are and said
“nah….we good”

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Absolutely there is, but Disney is stubborn and concerned about the optics of dropping the price too much too soon after opening.

They’re also in a proxy fight that is liking to oust Iger…strip the value for stock yield…possible both?

But I bet the kids are gonna believe this yet either?


Bad timing there

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I fully expect Disney to learn all the wrong lessons from this.

Not that they priced this too high, or should have put more effort into the experience, but that they shouldn't bother trying at all and simply cut back and scrap future ambitious projects.

 

[_caleb]

Nope. It ultimately works. Even if people did complain, the success financially would win out. Because it has.

This thing is not working, because it does not.

Again, the key in my previous post is that it is well designed and operated theme parks.


There is a reason they do it and succeed at it.

There would be no outcry because as a whole the parties had plenty to do and are happy with the value of their day.

This does not have that for people.

You are back around to another reason why this concept is not working out for them.

It works today, because we’re used to it. My family used to spend every Sunday at Knott’s Berry farm. Entrance to the park was free until 1968, when they started charging $0.25 to enter the lands inside the railroad loop. That was Knott’s leveraging the built-up demand they had created by delivering a (mixed-bag) of themed entertainment.

They call theme park attractions “attractions” because they were originally just a draw to get people to stop and buy whatever you were selling. If the internet had existed when Knott’s started charging a quarter, people would have complained: “They’re nickel-and-diming us for what used to be free!”

Things change. Now, people will pay for attractions. And parades and fireworks and shows. The Starcruiser is an attempt to take some of those things and charge the people who like that sort of thing for the experience. Disney surely knew all along that some people would like the experience and pay top dollar for it, and that others would be happy to not have to stand in line for RoTR behind a family dressed as Ewoks.

They’ll adjust (maybe lower the price, maybe change the timeline or some story elements) and keep trying to sell people experiences they enjoy.

 

[UNCgolf]

I think forbidden journey makes them leery to try it.

I'm sure that's why -- they're already using it as the facade/queue for Forbidden Journey.

Considering it would be in an entirely different park, though, they should be able to get away with it. And it was a shortsighted mistake to use it solely as a facade/queue anyways, although I suppose at that point they weren't sure how successful it would be.

 

[_caleb]

The Fantastic Beasts land definitely won't have the same underlying draw as Diagon Alley/Hogsmeade, so it's going to require something more. It'll be interesting to see what they do with it.

Of course, they should just be building Hogwarts. It's kind of crazy that they aren't. That would be an even bigger draw than Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade.

I agree! I do expect that at least somebody at Universal is watching the Starcruiser experiment with a Hogwarts overnight experience in mind. Can you imagine the comments in that thread? “They make you go to Defense Against the Dark Arts class? I’m on vacation, I don’t want to spend it going to school!”

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'm sure that's why -- they're already using it as the facade/queue for Forbidden Journey.

Considering it would be in an entirely different park, though, they should be able to get away with it. And it was a shortsighted mistake to use it solely as a facade/queue anyways, although I suppose at that point they weren't sure how successful it would be.

Ironically…that’s what we expect DISNEY to do after avatar, frozen and guardians…

…I’m sure I’m wrong about that too

 

[_caleb]

I fully expect Disney to learn all the wrong lessons from this.

Not that they priced this too high, or should have put more effort into the experience, but that they shouldn't bother trying at all and simply cut back and scrap future ambitious projects.

Right! This is why I don’t get the “parks fans’” responses here. Seems like if fans were supportive of the better aspects of new/ambitious experiments like this (with a healthy does of criticism and feedback), it would be much harder for Disney to take away the wrong conclusions (that we don’t want them to do anything new).

 

[MisterPenguin]

They are only able to fill up 25% of some voyages.

I getting reports that the hotel has been operating on a number of days with only 25% capacity. That is why they are canceling days. They have priced themselves out of the market.

I'm interested to hear what the source of "some voyages are only at 25%."

I don't deny that that may be the case.

And it's clear they aren't filling up like they used to.

BUT... how many voyages are only at 25%? Are ten percent of voyages at 25%? Fifty percent? Ninety percent?

If one doesn't know the answer to that question, then one doesn't know exactly how the Starcruiser is doing financially.

If a cruise is only 25% filled, that's $125,000 for the two nights. Is that enough to make that cruise profitable? And if it isn't, what about all the two-night cruises that are only 50% filled? That's $250,000 per cruise. Is that enough to make that cruise profitable?

I don't know. I doubt anyone here knows.