News Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Permanently Closed Fall 2023

[Trauma]

Could we have apologies now from all those who insisted that this thing was going to be a good idea?
Because.. ugh told you so.

They just want to applaud Disney for trying something new.

Also don’t forget it’s just because of price point, it has nothing to do with Disney killing the IP.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Could we have apologies now from all those who insisted that this thing was going to be a good idea?
Because.. ugh told you so.

 

[Disney Analyst]

 

[Serpico Jones]

It’s not Star Wars.

Disney never bothered to ask around and figure out what and why Star Wars is.

Whoever the next ceo is…needs to dedicate his/herself to finding an actual, verified Gen Xer who is NOT from Stanford to run LFL…then actually stay the hell out of it and watch.

I could do it better. And I work cheap. I wish I was joking but I don’t believe it to be the case

George Lucas handed Disney a detailed 60 page outline for an entire trilogy of films that also had mechanisms in place for various spin-offs. Iger chose to throw it into the garbage.

 

[TDLFan]

Take this with whatever grain of salt you like, but a buddy of mine involved in Galaxies Edge told me how people involved we're annoyed with the whole concept and how they'd have to come back one day and retheme the work to George's creations. They had just wished Disney had gone with the original plan. There weren't many people surprised on that team when Disneyland's opened and it was a ghost town. But with everything in corporate America, it's all yes men and when it doesn't work, terms like "brand fatigue" arise to keep the idiots in their positions. Maybe this will be a slight change of winds. The best thing this company could do would be to find any living person involved with Disney in the 90's, I'm talking parks, animation, ect. Throw a ton of money at them, let them do their thing and steer this darn ship out of this hurricane.

 

[MiddKid]

Well, I'm not going to pile onto slamming the entire concept as my family is actually booked on the upcoming June 24th voyage.

Short version: I'm the target audience that was likely in the original proforma. Family of 5, DVC Members, could afford it. Only issue is that my wife and 3 daughters have very little interest in SW. So when I saw the original price I said no way. Especially since the main person to enjoy the theme is just me.

Fast forward a few months and the people who actually did experience it, loved it. We booked in December and that was driven by two factors:

• While not huge SW fans, my family does love theater, escape rooms, theming, etc. My teenage daughters don't bat an eye at getting dressed up and goofing off/playing along. So regardless of the characters/story, I know my girls will get into the interactivity of it.
• My oldest is off to college next year and one's mind suddenly turns toward a lot of "this is the last year we'll get to do this as a family" type thoughts...this was the final straw to booking.

We had an existing trip/cruise planned for late June/early July to celebrate the in-laws' 50th anniversary so we tacked this onto the front of the trip. So glad we did so that I can experience this before it goes away forever.

My recent concerns have been that with "cruises" half full and demand waning that the experience would start to be cut back. My hope with today's announcement (and the recent discounts) is that demand may pop here a bit in the last few months as people who were putting it off jump in to do it before it closes. Kinda like when any show announces a closure date (Phantom recently on Broadway) that there is a sudden surge in demand.

Not defending the concept in any way...I can see why they are closing it and I fully understand how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to experience it...just happy I'll get to give it a try with my kids before it goes away!

 

[Magenta Panther]

So anyway...maybe this disaster will persuade Disney to invest in REAL Disney IP, not Iger's acquisitions. Maybe the yeti in EE will get fixed, Peter Pan's Flight will at least get the Shanghai upgrade, we'll get a Villains land, Country Bears will be get a new soundtrack, maybe we can get Journey Into Imagination back, complete with Dreamfinder...wishful thinking, perhaps, but I can't help but feel a little hopeful that some lessons will finally be learned...we'll see what happens...

 

[Bocabear]

the other big failure was one of design...When the plot has to have a storyline that it is an older cruising ship you have already lost... no one cares, they want an amazing experience, they want to be positively blown away by the ship they are on...The ship and sets they built look value-engineered from the start...Where are the lofty spaces, the crazy beautiful outrageous design of a 'Cruise Ship in outer space"?
The sets of "Avenue 5" is what people imagine in this fantasy world... a real atrium space, Ridiculous huge windows into space... What was built seemed underwhelming from the start... They could have built bigger and better and drop the LARPing and just have it be a hotel on a distant planet and do something amazing with the design...people would come and spend money for that...

 

[Trauma]

View attachment 717221

I wonder if the Penguin is changing his screen name or just taking a day off?

Who am I kidding he will still find away to pixie dust this dumpster fire.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

George Lucas handed Disney a detailed 60 page outline for an entire trilogy of films that also had mechanisms in place for various spin-offs. Iger chose to throw it into the garbage.

…yeah well George kinda made his bed there. He didn’t really understand the OT’s place in time and space either…which is insane…and managed to lose his credibility as well.

I’m Lucas and Disney have made variations on the same mistakes…and then dug in and insisted they weren’t wrong…which amplified the mistakes.

 

[Mike S]

Yes, thank you! I'd heard that from folks far more knowledgeable than I am about Star Wars and its various franchises.

But clearly, that strategy isn't working here. And Disney just wasted a lot of money and precious resources on this failed concept.

Why not give it one last shot? Turn the shuttle ride from the park into a time travel machine and go stay on the Starcruiser with Luke & Leia and the whole gang of original good guys and bad guys!

I guess I'm just surprised they are so stuck in their pre-approved silos that they can't think outside the box a tiny bit, or try and put themselves into the customers shoes.

They don’t even have to go with time travel, they already have Mando in Galaxy’s Edge ruining their precious timeline.

 

[Trauma]

So anyway...maybe this disaster will persuade Disney to invest in REAL Disney IP, not Iger's acquisitions. Maybe the yeti in EE will get fixed, Peter Pan's Flight will at least get the Shanghai upgrade, we'll get a Villains land, Country Bears will be get a new soundtrack, maybe we can get Journey Into Imagination back, complete with Dreamfinder...wishful thinking, perhaps, but I can't help but feel a little hopeful that some lessons will finally be learned...we'll see what happens...

They should re-theme Peter Pans Flight to the smash hit Disney+ live action remake.

Don’t ya think?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

the other big failure was one of design...When the plot has to have a storyline that it is an older cruising ship you have already lost... no one cares, they want an amazing experience, they want to be positively blown away by the ship they are on...The ship and sets they built look value-engineered from the start...Where are the lofty spaces, the crazy beautiful outrageous design of a 'Cruise Ship in outer space"?
The sets of "Avenue 5" is what people imagine in this fantasy world... a real atrium space, Ridiculous huge windows into space... What was built seemed underwhelming from the start... They could have built bigger and better and drop the LARPing and just have it be a hotel on a distant planet and do something amazing with the design...people would come and spend money for that...
View attachment 717225

A 3000 room moderate with a Star Wars bar and stormtroopers around the pool would have been FAR more lucrative and successful. So would more/better rides in the land…but I digress

 

[LittleBuford]

Well, I'm not going to pile onto slamming the entire concept as my family is actually booked on the upcoming June 24th voyage.

Short version: I'm the target audience that was likely in the original proforma. Family of 5, DVC Members, could afford it. Only issue is that my wife and 3 daughters have very little interest in SW. So when I saw the original price I said no way. Especially since the main person to enjoy the theme is just me.

Fast forward a few months and the people who actually did experience it, loved it. We booked in December and that was driven by two factors:

• While not huge SW fans, my family does love theater, escape rooms, theming, etc. My teenage daughters don't bat an eye at getting dressed up and goofing off/playing along. So regardless of the characters/story, I know my girls will get into the interactivity of it.
• My oldest is off to college next year and one's mind suddenly turns toward a lot of "this is the last year we'll get to do this as a family" type thoughts...this was the final straw to booking.

We had an existing trip/cruise planned for late June/early July to celebrate the in-laws' 50th anniversary so we tacked this onto the front of the trip. So glad we did so that I can experience this before it goes away forever.

My recent concerns have been that with "cruises" half full and demand waning that the experience would start to be cut back. My hope with today's announcement (and the recent discounts) is that demand may pop here a bit in the last few months as people who were putting it off jump in to do it before it closes. Kinda like when any show announces a closure date (Phantom recently on Broadway) that there is a sudden surge in demand.

Not defending the concept in any way...I can see why they are closing it and I fully understand how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to experience it...just happy I'll get to give it a try with my kids before it goes away!

Hope you have a great time! I was waiting for the price to come down before giving it a go, but it seems I’ll never get that chance.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Not discrediting the idea that Han, Luke & Leia would be popular, Lucasfilm specifically designed these new characters because everything that happens is “canon”. So they didn’t want Rey or Kylo or any legacy characters to say unscripted things in their interactions.

Not saying I agree with Lucasfilms logic, just wanted to throw that in here

Well they’re stupid…and it’s what I’ve been saying since 2015

The appeal of Star Wars to its core…and that’s why you bought it…is that they lived in a predigital age where they had to use their imaginations (ironic) to keep the IP Alive…privately…in our heads.

Star Wars fans never wanted “thematic consistently in the timelines”…they want to let their kid box imagination run wild, hands on, in the universe…which means screw the consistency…just build the coolest things possible that make you come back. Disney has never gotten that.

 

[TP2000]

I'm not surprised. When I think of a Star Wars hotel, I think of Darth Vader, the original Stormtroopers, the Rebellion, Luke, Leia, Han R2, 3PO, and so on. I don't think of a blue-faced lady and cosplayers.

That can't be said enough, and God knows I've already said it enough!

The fact that a pair of Stormtroopers, Chewbacca and that sporty young lady who wears the gauzy linen outfits were the only characters a casual Star Wars fans would know on board this 48 hour experience was a mistake. Even the die-hard fans would only get that group, plus be able to identify the bad guy wearing the Mighty Ducks mask whose name escapes me.

Instead we had people we've never seen or known, and who seemed incredibly cringey and like they dropped in from some other Sci-Fi franchise; Gaya, Captain Kavan, blah, blah, blah. Who cares? I want to drink in the bar with Han Solo and Luke!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well, I'm not going to pile onto slamming the entire concept as my family is actually booked on the upcoming June 24th voyage.

Short version: I'm the target audience that was likely in the original proforma. Family of 5, DVC Members, could afford it. Only issue is that my wife and 3 daughters have very little interest in SW. So when I saw the original price I said no way. Especially since the main person to enjoy the theme is just me.

Fast forward a few months and the people who actually did experience it, loved it. We booked in December and that was driven by two factors:

• While not huge SW fans, my family does love theater, escape rooms, theming, etc. My teenage daughters don't bat an eye at getting dressed up and goofing off/playing along. So regardless of the characters/story, I know my girls will get into the interactivity of it.
• My oldest is off to college next year and one's mind suddenly turns toward a lot of "this is the last year we'll get to do this as a family" type thoughts...this was the final straw to booking.

We had an existing trip/cruise planned for late June/early July to celebrate the in-laws' 50th anniversary so we tacked this onto the front of the trip. So glad we did so that I can experience this before it goes away forever.

My recent concerns have been that with "cruises" half full and demand waning that the experience would start to be cut back. My hope with today's announcement (and the recent discounts) is that demand may pop here a bit in the last few months as people who were putting it off jump in to do it before it closes. Kinda like when any show announces a closure date (Phantom recently on Broadway) that there is a sudden surge in demand.

Not defending the concept in any way...I can see why they are closing it and I fully understand how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to experience it...just happy I'll get to give it a try with my kids before it goes away!

Just cancel, dude.

I’m the same demographic and I wouldn’t touch it. The kings of “theme” can’t screw up an IP more. That needed to be punished and lo and behold…it has.

I’m proud of the customers…which is what I beg for but is rare

 

[ChrisFL]

The concept of a luxury style cruiser like you'd find on Coruscant is also not really the hero stuff you see in the movies. So you don't get the rebel looking ships to stay on and you don't have an empire ship to stay on...you have a pseudo Coruscant ship I guess, even though it didn't really fit aesthetically much with anything in known canon, even compared to what Batuu has

 

[Bocabear]

A 3000 room moderate with a Star Wars bar and stormtroopers around the pool would have been FAR more lucrative and successful. So would more/better rides in the land…but I digress

I agree! Even if it was not a moderate but a premium resort...There could have even been different sections corresponding to different setting locations... It was an experiment but the results were hampered by the value engineered approach right out of the gate...

 

[Magenta Panther]

Disney has been overall going to crap awhile now and glad to see this failure. To me, Disney deserves this!

I will never forgive Iger for what he did to Luke, Leia and Han Solo. He broke up Han and Leia, killed off Han, and turned Luke into an intergalactic teat-sucking hobo. This is sweet sweet retribution as far as I'm concerned.

HA HA