News Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Permanently Closed Fall 2023

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Was there in mid-May, this unfortunately was not true for us.

The last 3 times I was there the lack of crowds based on both visual and historical familiarity were alarmingly down

And each time people say it was mobbed the week before.

I doubt we all look at things the same way

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Its funny, just personal opinion, but I honestly felt they did deliver on the value of the experience. I am just not sure, even with potentially different marketing or smoother implementation that the market exists at the price point needed to deliver good value.

Even with time, hindsight, trial and error, and working out efficiencies, this type of exclusive fully interactive/immersive experience is going to come with a premium cost that some, if not many people would be unwilling or unable to afford, even if they assumed they were getting great value out of it. At some point the cost of the experience is not affordable for some demographics, independent of if your getting value for it.

Second, without some major alterations/changes, I didn't get the "replayability" of the experience, even as a big star wars fan. That becomes a huge issue for any type of offering, but especially one where your market demographic already has 2 other limiting factors (cost and being a fan of star wars being 2 of them.) We had a great time on our cruise. Both adults and kids had alot of fun. But it was an experience that we didn't feel the need to rush back to, having experienced it. Its not like coming back to book a deluxe room year after year, or purchasing Genie+ or after hour tickets every year. Absent alot of annual changes to the offerings, we weren't going to be tempted to go back the following year. So your left with an expensive offering, with limited customer base. With those 2 variables i think you need to rely on repeat customers to be successful.

The fundamental problem is it’s not Star Wars

It’s the same problem that Disney keeps deliberately smashing themselves on the rocks over.

And we shall continue to see it

 

[flynnibus]

Second, without some major alterations/changes, I didn't get the "replayability" of the experience, even as a big star wars fan. That becomes a huge issue for any type of offering, but especially one where your market demographic already has 2 other limiting factors (cost and being a fan of star wars being 2 of them.) We had a great time on our cruise. Both adults and kids had alot of fun. But it was an experience that we didn't feel the need to rush back to, having experienced it. Its not like coming back to book a deluxe room year after year, or purchasing Genie+ or after hour tickets every year. Absent alot of annual changes to the offerings, we weren't going to be tempted to go back the following year. So your left with an expensive offering, with limited customer base. With those 2 variables i think you need to rely on repeat customers to be successful.

Repeat factor is a huge portion of course as you highlight.

But it is also a highly personalized topic too.

For instance, how many times did we see people freaking out that they wouldn't get to see EVERYTHING in the story or that they might miss out on a portion. Obviously people want to get as much out of something, or experience the best of something... but this very belief 'they gotta get it all!' defeats their very own repeatability of something. Discovery, new things, these are all things and elements designed into products to do exactly that... get more 'use' out of something. When your customers are tripping over themselves to cram through things just so 'they can do it all' - you're never going to appease those people because they are intrinsically always running to defeat themselves.

It's interesting you mention the cruise and the parks. A cruise is quite open ended because of the variances of where you go, excursions, different itineraries, etc. Cruises also have the potential to be more social, so the people you end up being with changes too. Where as the park is 95% the same each time (sans festivals, etc). I mean, I like going on POTC because it's been awhile since I've been on it... but I don't get much enjoyment personally out of doing it frequently. Which is why (personally) I don't goto the parks on a regular repeat basis. HM has been roughly the same for me for the last 44yrs in visiting.. I don't need to see it 4 times a year personally

Where I'm going with all that is... it's an interesting subject to see what different people are willing to repeat and be happy with it. I was much more interested in WDW when it was a resort and became less motivated as it has devolved into a park commando mission as the non-park elements have become weaker and less interesting.

 

[Gusey]

I provided the transcript and cued video to support my POV. Can you do the same?

I didn't hear her say that in the video, nor can I find it in the transcript. It's not in the segment I was referring to AFAIK.

Here is the screenshot

 

[flynnibus]

Here is the screenshot

Thank you - I had missed the overlay text. That helps frame up her inclusion of tim's video better.

 

[MrPromey]

Its funny, just personal opinion, but I honestly felt they did deliver on the value of the experience. I am just not sure, even with potentially different marketing or smoother implementation that the market exists at the price point needed to deliver good value.

Even with time, hindsight, trial and error, and working out efficiencies, this type of exclusive fully interactive/immersive experience is going to come with a premium cost that some, if not many people would be unwilling or unable to afford, even if they assumed they were getting great value out of it. At some point the cost of the experience is not affordable for some demographics, independent of if your getting value for it.

Second, without some major alterations/changes, I didn't get the "replayability" of the experience, even as a big star wars fan. That becomes a huge issue for any type of offering, but especially one where your market demographic already has 2 other limiting factors (cost and being a fan of star wars being 2 of them.) We had a great time on our cruise. Both adults and kids had alot of fun. But it was an experience that we didn't feel the need to rush back to, having experienced it. Its not like coming back to book a deluxe room year after year, or purchasing Genie+ or after hour tickets every year. Absent alot of annual changes to the offerings, we weren't going to be tempted to go back the following year. So your left with an expensive offering, with limited customer base. With those 2 variables i think you need to rely on repeat customers to be successful.

Regarding repeatability, you basically have no real impact on the main story, right?

They present it as "your adventure" but it's always going to end with the same battle at the end and the good guys winning in the same choreographed way, right?

Like if you go with First Order, no matter how hard you try to narc on Chewbacka, he's still getting away, isn't he?

There's no ending where Rey still beats Kylo but somehow Palpatine comes out of it with a nice wookie fur rug, is there?

They pitch it as your story and your adventure but you're really more of an extra or side-character in terms of the arch, aren't you?

That alone would kill the repeatable nature for most as far as the LARP aspect of it goes, I'd think.

When I was a kid, I learned early on to hold my finger in the forks I'd make on decision pages of choose your own adventure books so I could go back and take the other choice once I got to the end. That didn't cost me $6k a pop but I still didn't want to go all the way back to the start to go through all the motions where I could make a different selection to change the outcome and this is for adults... and there's no changing the outcome so I'm guessing that while some will, most aren't going to want to go through everything - expense, planning, time - of another trip just to see the alternate middle acts coming from the same start and leading to the same ending every time.

They might have been able to produce an A/B cruse with completely different story (good guys always winning, of course) and different characters but we'll probably never know how flexible or inflexible what they built to make this whole thing work was when it comes to that sort of tweaking.

 

[Br0ckford]

Even if was making money but not enough, that was still a miss calculation on Disney’s part. As a huge Star Was fan, it just did not scream Star Wars to me. It was Sci fi/spaced themed. Throwing in a few characters and merch does not make it Star Wars. Put a Starfleet uniform on the captain, and have klingons and Vulcans on board and they would not have felt out of place. If you went and enjoyed it, I am genuinely happy for you and feel bad you won't get to go again. If you wanted to and won't get your chance, I genuinely feel bad you missed out. Don't need Jenny's video to tell me it was a failure. The closed doors tell me that.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

Even if was making money but not enough, that was still a miss calculation on Disney’s part. As a huge Star Was fan, it just did not scream Star Wars to me. It was Sci fi/spaced themed. Throwing in a few characters and merch does not make it Star Wars. Put a Starfleet uniform on the captain, and have klingons and Vulcans on board and they would not have felt out of place. If you went and enjoyed it, I am genuinely happy for you and feel bad you won't get to go again. If you wanted to and won't get your chance, I genuinely feel bad you missed out. Don't need Jenny's video to tell me it was a failure. The closed doors tell me that.

More like fhloston paradise

 

[cjkeating]

Regarding repeatability, you basically have no real impact on the main story, right?

They present it as "your adventure" but it's always going to end with the same battle at the end and the good guys winning in the same choreographed way, right?

Like if you go with First Order, no matter how hard you try to narc on Chewbacka, he's still getting away, isn't he?

There's no ending where Rey still beats Kylo but somehow Palpatine comes out of it with a nice wookie fur rug, is there?

They pitch it as your story and your adventure but you're really more of an extra or side-character in terms of the arch, aren't you?

That alone would kill the repeatable nature for most as far as the LARP aspect of it goes, I'd think.

So yes.. the story is the same each cruise. The same things happen. I would say the only moments that are specifically fixed - so no interaction from guests - is the muster drill and the finale.

Every other story moment has interactivity from the guest. So how are distractions done, how information is passed between guests or to other characters etc. It's hard to explain because often it's all very subtle, some of it is 'set up' by the story mechanics other has to be unique as people are free to do what they want.

I improvised a feeling faint/a diabetic episode to distract Captain Keevan from something Raithe Cole was doing who improvised running over to Guest Services to get me a snack so he could then pass something on to another guest before she searched him. For the rest of the cruise the Starcruiser staff kept on checking in on me and asking if I needed more snacks. That for me was a hilarious/memorable personal moment.

Likewise on day 2 myself and my husband were split up for an afternoon mission I was in Engineering when Rey boarded the ship, she was looking for Sammie (the mechanic) and I knew where he was as my partner was with him so I had to run up the bridge to tell Sammie so he could meet with Ray. This was a 'scripted' moment but in the moment it felt very real and coincidental. I think my husband thought I'd had an actual medical emergency when I was banging on the window to the bridge as the doors were locked to get myself let in.

It's moment like these that don't get picked up on vlogs (as they are too personal to capture) and also the actors often asked for these moments to not be recorded from what I saw.

As a final aside, whilst Jennie got the worst seat in the house for dinner, I think we got the best seat in the house... for Day 1 dinner the Lieutenant Croy (First Order) sat at our table for the majority of the first nights dinner. We had no idea. We didn't pay extra. We just got given the table where he sits each Day 1 dinner and then the experience that goes with that.

 

[larryz]

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Regarding repeatability, you basically have no real impact on the main story, right?

They present it as "your adventure" but it's always going to end with the same battle at the end and the good guys winning in the same choreographed way, right?

Like if you go with First Order, no matter how hard you try to narc on Chewbacka, he's still getting away, isn't he?

There's no ending where Rey still beats Kylo but somehow Palpatine comes out of it with a nice wookie fur rug, is there?

They pitch it as your story and your adventure but you're really more of an extra or side-character in terms of the arch, aren't you?

That alone would kill the repeatable nature for most as far as the LARP aspect of it goes, I'd think.

When I was a kid, I learned early on to hold my finger in the forks I'd make on decision pages of choose your own adventure books so I could go back and take the other choice once I got to the end. That didn't cost me $6k a pop but I still didn't want to go all the way back to the start to go through all the motions where I could make a different selection to change the outcome and this is for adults... and there's no changing the outcome so I'm guessing that while some will, most aren't going to want to go through everything - expense, planning, time - of another trip just to see the alternate middle acts coming from the same start and leading to the same ending every time.

They might have been able to produce an A/B cruse with completely different story (good guys always winning, of course) and different characters but we'll probably never know how flexible or inflexible what they built to make this whole thing work was when it comes to that sort of tweaking.

I totally agree. I like the A/B cruise idea. I also think the concept could work on a seasonal level, where the next year it’s a different experience.

I also came away from our experience that the concept itself could have been developed yearly/seaaonaly around different themes. The build out of the Star Cruiser might make it tough but maybe year 1-2 was Star Wars. Followed by a reskin and then it was a guardians of the galaxy experience, or some changes and it’s a pirates of the Caribbean, ect. That way you have a chance at people who might enjoy multiple generes and be willing to spend the money on it, or tap into different fan bases willing to pay the mont for one and done experience

 

[flynnibus]

So yes.. the story is the same each cruise. The same things happen. I would say the only moments that are specifically fixed - so no interaction from guests - is the muster drill and the finale.

Every other story moment has interactivity from the guest. So how are distractions done, how information is passed between guests or to other characters etc. It's hard to explain because often it's all very subtle, some of it is 'set up' by the story mechanics other has to be unique as people are free to do what they want.

I improvised a feeling faint/a diabetic episode to distract Captain Keevan from something Raithe Cole was doing who improvised running over to Guest Services to get me a snack so he could then pass something on to another guest before she searched him. For the rest of the cruise the Starcruiser staff kept on checking in on me and asking if I needed more snacks. That for me was a hilarious/memorable personal moment.

Likewise on day 2 myself and my husband were split up for an afternoon mission I was in Engineering when Rey boarded the ship, she was looking for Sammie (the mechanic) and I knew where he was as my partner was with him so I had to run up the bridge to tell Sammie so he could meet with Ray. This was a 'scripted' moment but in the moment it felt very real and coincidental. I think my husband thought I'd had an actual medical emergency when I was banging on the window to the bridge as the doors were locked to get myself let in.

It's moment like these that don't get picked up on vlogs (as they are too personal to capture) and also the actors often asked for these moments to not be recorded from what I saw.

As a final aside, whilst Jennie got the worst seat in the house for dinner, I think we got the best seat in the house... for Day 1 dinner the Lieutenant Croy (First Order) sat at our table for the majority of the first nights dinner. We had no idea. We didn't pay extra. We just got given the table where he sits each Day 1 dinner and then the experience that goes with that.

In short… performance is still a large part because of the personal interactions and improv that went on.

Same way people loved the adventurer’s club… or even smaller variations like the different genies in DCA’s aladdin show… or even the personality of a parade performer interacting with you on the parade route 1:1

The 1:1 feeling and uniqueness never comes across in a recording of a scene people may inly see once or twice.

And yes this kind of stuff is what makes it so much different than watching a show… and you don’t need to a LARPer… you’re interacting with performers.

 

[Rhinocerous]

Was the Galactic Starcruiser canon? I feel like it would have to be with the tie-in media and all that. (And please forgive me if this opens a can of worms. I didn't read the early thread and I know how this fandom can be. If this comment breaks some kind of détente, feel free to delete it.)

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Was the Galactic Starcruiser canon? I feel like it would have to be with the tie-in media and all that. (And please forgive me if this opens a can of worms. I didn't read the early thread and I know how this fandom can be. If this comment breaks some kind of détente, feel free to delete it.)

Do you mean “canon” like the idea should have been shot out of a canon towards the sun?

 

[sedati]

Jenny used to unabashedly request free stuff in her videos. From movie premieres to trips to the Starcruiser itself if memory serves. When she committed to monetize her content changed. While she was great at her own thing I think she later took too much influence from Lindsay Ellis who is not known for saying “Thanks, I Love It”

 

[Tha Realest]

Was the Galactic Starcruiser canon? I feel like it would have to be with the tie-in media and all that. (And please forgive me if this opens a can of worms. I didn't read the early thread and I know how this fandom can be. If this comment breaks some kind of détente, feel free to delete it.)

It’s not only canon, it’s possibly where Kylo Ren was conceived.

 

[Dragonman]

It’s not only canon, it’s possibly where Kylo Ren was conceived.

That makes it all the more hilarious that he’s on the ship in the finale.

 

[pdude81]

That makes it all the more hilarious that he’s on the ship in the finale.

I think this is a reference to the book where Han and Leia spent their honeymoon on the Halcyon. So in that way the ship is canon, whether or not the happenings in SWGS are or not.

 

[Rhinocerous]

That makes it all the more hilarious that he’s on the ship in the finale.

There is something there, if you choose to dig deep enough. He resents his parents. He hates himself. Perhaps he subconsciously wants to ruin that which facilitated his existence.

 

[larryz]

There is something there, if you choose to dig deep enough. He resents his parents. He hates himself. Perhaps he subconsciously wants to ruin that which facilitated his existence.

It's almost as if Disney said to itself, "We killed the Star Wars franchise, now we might as well kill off the Starcruiser, too..."