News Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Permanently Closed Fall 2023

[WDWTrojan]

I think the price point was absolutely the biggest problem. I don't know how Disney thought that kind of experience at that cost would ever have a large enough audience to be sustainable.

While it didn't look like an experience I'd personally enjoy -- despite being a massive Star Wars fan at one point in my life, although not so much now -- I think there are a lot of people who would have gone at a lower price point. The asking price was absurd.

It's possible that price point was the only way Disney could turn a reasonable profit (especially since they didn't even try to offer discounts before shutting it down), but in that case, there was a significant design failure somewhere along the line.

The one smart thing is they under built it with only 100 rooms. I think they really failed at marketing the experience as a premium offering to those who might even consider spending that amount, particularly by not really involving the OT - fans of which are most likely to have that kind of money to burn, given the demo.

As others have said, if Universal offered a 2-night Hogwarts experience for $6K that involved being sorted, a big banquet dinner, simulated quidditch, lessons by Professor Sprout and others, along with and some other cool experiences, it would be sold out for the next two years.

 

[UNCgolf]

The one smart thing is they under built it with only 100 rooms. I think they really failed at marketing the experience as a premium offering to those who might even consider spending that amount, particularly by not really involving the OT - fans of which are most likely to have that kind of money to burn, given the demo.

As others have said, if Universal offered a 2-night Hogwarts experience for $6K that involved being sorted, a big banquet dinner, simulated quidditch, lessons by Professor Sprout and others, along with and some other cool experiences, it would be sold out for the next two years.

I agree, but I don't think HP/Hogwarts are comparable to Star Wars in this area. The IPs are similar in popularity overall, but HP revolves almost entirely around Hogwarts, and attending it is essentially the only fantasy any HP fan would ever want to fulfill.

Star Wars doesn't have something like that, even if it was based around the OT (although I'd agree that Darth Vader etc. appearing would be a bigger draw than the ST characters, especially to people that are currently more likely to have disposable income). There's not some specific location where everyone wants to go.

 

[flynnibus]

Wow. She is really good at what she does.

Are you kidding?

The whole first halfis completely speculative... then makes completely unfounded claims like those that could receieve the emails were somehow more likely to be positive about it? And then calls into question Scott Gustin... a user with a well established history of solid information... instead of you know... just asking said person for the cite of their info?

No.. instead we go on twitter and just hypothesize that these people must not actually have any real cite... while creating her own speculation. This is on brand for typical online #$%^stirrers who will spend more energy making noise and doubting something, rather than just going to the source.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

We only got ~20 surveys for it, so there's a relatively wide margin of error.

Ignoring the survey questions about the (non-existent) pool and park shuttle service, the Galactic Starcruiser was the highest-rated Disney resort in the United States since we started online surveys over a decade ago:

1. Galactic Starcruiser (overall "A" grade at 91.6)
2. Riviera DVC, "A" grade at 90.0
3. Grand Flo Villas DVC, B, 88.4
4. Treehouse Villas DVC, B, 87.6
5. Bay Lake Tower DVC, B, 86.4
   :

The Dolphin is in last place at 80.0, if you consider that a "Disney" resort. Otherwise last place is Pop Century at 80.8.

Some notable Starcruiser numbers:

• Its Recommend to a Friend score was 95 out of 100, the highest we've ever seen
• Its Food rating of 93 is the highest we've ever seen
• It's the only resort ever to maintain a perfect 100 score in Staff Friendliness

I mean, it had issues. But it did a great many things right.

I still maintain that this thing would have been a smash success at the right price point. The price point is what killed it.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

As others have said, if Universal offered a 2-night Hogwarts experience for $6K that involved being sorted, a big banquet dinner, simulated quidditch, lessons by Professor Sprout and others, along with and some other cool experiences, it would be sold out for the next two years.

$6k for 2 nights? I think it would follow the same exact death spiral as SWGS. It would be sold out for a little bit, but once the small Venn Diagram intersection of “People who can afford that” and “People who want to do that” is exhausted, it’d die just like the starcruiser.

 

[UNCgolf]

$6k for 2 nights? I think it would follow the same exact death spiral as SWGS. It would be sold out for a little bit, but once the small Venn Diagram intersection of “People who can afford that” and “People who want to do that” is exhausted, it’d die just like the starcruiser.

I don't know -- that HP experience would be pulling from a much, much larger audience than the Starcruiser ever could.

The number of people who would be interested in that kind of Hogwarts experiences is light years beyond the number of people who want something like the Starcruiser, even at that price point.

Assuming the execution was good, of course.

 

[flynnibus]

We only got ~20 surveys for it, so there's a relatively wide margin of error.

Ignoring the survey questions about the (non-existent) pool and park shuttle service, the Galactic Starcruiser was the highest-rated Disney resort in the United States since we started online surveys over a decade ago:

1. Galactic Starcruiser (overall "A" grade at 91.6)
2. Riviera DVC, "A" grade at 90.0
3. Grand Flo Villas DVC, B, 88.4
4. Treehouse Villas DVC, B, 87.6
5. Bay Lake Tower DVC, B, 86.4
   :

The Dolphin is in last place at 80.0, if you consider that a "Disney" resort. Otherwise last place is Pop Century at 80.8.

Some notable Starcruiser numbers:

• Its Recommend to a Friend score was 95 out of 100, the highest we've ever seen
• Its Food rating of 93 is the highest we've ever seen
• It's the only resort ever to maintain a perfect 100 score in Staff Friendliness

I mean, it had issues. But it did a great many things right.

Can you make this into a 2.5hr video on youtube. I hear that's how you get all the credibility these days..

 

[WDWTrojan]

I don't know -- that HP experience would be pulling from a much, much larger audience than the Starcruiser ever could.

The number of people who would be interested in that kind of Hogwarts experiences is light years beyond the number of people who want something like the Starcruiser, even at that price point.

Assuming the execution was good, of course.

Agreed. There would be the perfect mix of adults with money to burn plus families with kids who are now super into the books. It's just a much wider audience. Star Wars seems far more niche with kids/young adult today than Potter.

 

[UNCgolf]

Agreed. There would be the perfect mix of adults with money to burn plus families with kids who are now super into the books. It's just a much wider audience. Star Wars seems far more niche with kids/young adult today than Potter.

I'm not even sure if it's more niche -- it's just that Hogwarts basically is Harry Potter. Star Wars doesn't really have any similar iconic location that just about every fan wants to experience (maybe something like the Mos Eisley cantina, but you can't build a 2 day experience around that).

 

[James Alucobond]

I'm not even sure if it's more niche -- it's just that Hogwarts basically is Harry Potter.

Which is why it will be interesting to see if the repetitious Haussmann facades in the new Potter land do anything for fans.

 

[Tha Realest]

Can you make this into a 2.5hr video on youtube. I hear that's how you get all the credibility these days..

Oh you’re big mad about this.

It is a very informative video by a person who was inclined to like it and paid her own way. Why are you so reactive to her?

Those who love the Disney company’s ability to do stuff like this should take the sort of constructive criticism she offers instead of reflectively attacking the messenger.

Incidentally, her takedown of the bought and paid for influencers was the best part of the video that I’ve watched so far (about an hour in).

 

[lentesta]

Incidentally, her takedown of the bought and paid for influencers was the best part of the video that I’ve watched so far (about an hour in).

Ooooh. Which part is that?

 

[lentesta]

I still maintain that this thing would have been a smash success at the right price point. The price point is what killed it.

I was told that they knew it couldn’t be profitable at that price point.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I worked at Starcruiser and we were personally shown GSAT scores by our leadership and were told that the scores were the highest (ever) in the company….

 

[flynnibus]

Oh you’re big mad about this.

It is a very informative video by a person who was inclined to like it and paid her own way. Why are you so reactive to her?

I’m indifferent to her… frankly i have zero interest in her opinion because she is just one random person to me. I listen to her experience - but her evaluation is pretty much just one customer’s opinion IMO. What i spoke up about is people putting her video up as some masterpiece of takedowns. It’s not.

Those who love the Disney company’s ability to do stuff like this should take the sort of constructive criticism she offers instead of reflectively attacking the messenger.

If the messenger could deliver a message in an effective way it might be better heard.

 

[Disney Rocks]

I’m indifferent to her… frankly i have zero interest in her opinion because she is just one random person to me. I listen to her experience - but her evaluation is pretty much just one customer’s opinion IMO. What i spoke up about is people putting her video up as some masterpiece of takedowns. It’s not.



If the messenger could deliver a message in an effective way it might be better heard.

I mean, the video has 5+ million views in a week. If that's not effective mass communication, I don't know what is.

Compare that to the bizarre PlanDisney podcasts that the Mouse puts out themselves and averages 5k viewers. And that Jenny (rightfully) mocked.

Honestly, I hope the final part is what people pay the most attention to...in which she argues that the Starcruiser going down is the canary in the coalmine for Disney's current Spirit Airlines-esque business model for the parks. It's a pretty devastating rundown of everything Disney has paywalled in the last five years.

 

[Tha Realest]

I’m indifferent to her… frankly i have zero interest in her opinion because she is just one random person to me. I listen to her experience - but her evaluation is pretty much just one customer’s opinion IMO. What i spoke up about is people putting her video up as some masterpiece of takedowns. It’s not.



If the messenger could deliver a message in an effective way it might be better heard.

Kevin Perjurer’s excellent FastPass video is rightly held out as the gold standard for theme park documentaries (web series or not). It amassed a ridiculous 20 million views despite its length since it premiered almost three years ago.

Nicholson’s video has been out a week and a half, is twice as long, and already has a third the views.

Dismiss her all you want; that’s your prerogative. But these are ridiculous numbers and it is penetrating into the broader culture in ways few works have.

She may only speak to her own experience - which she reaffirms often in the video! - but she also has a megaphone to 1.1M followers who vibe with her deep dive long form videos.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

But, Is there any data on those who would have repeated it, as opposed to a one and done…?! That and the price point seem to have been the last nail in the coffin.

I don't have data but I do know several people who did it multiple times. I will say most of them are you get people (individuals or couples) would could sit the cost

I think the price point and that they never tried different options, just the one experience. I know a lot of people, including mys of who would have loved to do like a "day cruise" but just couldn't commit to multiple days and thousands of dollars for something I am not sure I would have loved (as I am very introverted)

Maybe the rumors of them looking to do some thing with it would be for enabling different options and storylines and experiences at different price points

 

[donaldtoo]

OK, can nobody here just admit it was a massive, stupid miscalculation, and failed miserably…?!?!?!
WTH…?!?!?!?!?!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

OK, can nobody here just admit it was a stupid miscalculation, and failed miserably…?!?!?!
WTH…?!?!?!?!?!

I don't think anyone is arguing that and in fact fully agrees with it. Clearly failed.

It can be a wonderful, top notch, well executed experience that many people who got to do it lived it and are sad they can't do it again and still be a mistake and a failure - they aren't mutually exclusive