News Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Permanently Closed Fall 2023

[Riverrafter21]

Maybe the “In Space No One Can Hear You Scream” Alien character breakfast will be coming here.

That's it! Turn the cruiser into the Nostromo and have a real escape room type adventure with Xenomorphs

 

[LittleBuford]

The way grocery prices are going up you won’t be eating bread soon.

But that just proves my point. Yes, there will come a day when $20 for a "premier" brand of bread seems reasonable, but that day isn't now, just as $5,000+ for a two-night "cruise" is more than most people today are willing to consider.

Multiple posters in this thread have stated that they were truly interested in this experience but stopped even thinking about it once the price was announced. There's no reason to doubt or dismiss what they're saying just because you dislike the sequels.

 

[SteveAZee]

I had posted a while ago (and perhaps others have thought of this too) of converting the starcruiser to a single night hotel entered only from the park... sort of like spending the night in the castle, but instead you enter through the park, go to your room (bags are delivered, perhaps, from the other hotel you're staying at on property) and then you can have a themed dinner and some entertainment/events, go to sleep, wake up for breakfast, and reverse the entry process.

It seems like a lot less heavy lifting for cast and a single day/night (4pm to 11am) may be enough for most people.

 

[Riverrafter21]

That's it! Turn the cruiser into the Nostromo and have a real escape room type adventure with Xenomorphs

Think of all the fun activities.

- Use you Disney Parks app to scan cast members for Xenomorph embryos
- Team up to dissect a face hugger
- Help the crew blow the airlock and get the creature off the ship
- The colonial marines could make a dramatic entrance
- You could use a stilt walker to move around in a power loader suit

 

[DisAl]

There have been discussions about the "tipping point" for price vs. value for years. In this case it turns out that it is more like an avalanche point. Another good concept that was way over priced and way under delivered. WDI leadership has made some terrible decisions in the last few years and I have no sympathy for them at all. The only ones I have any empathy for are the cast members affected by the closure.

 

[Incomudro]

One of the things a said a while back about this was that even people with lots of money to spend recognize some degree of value that should come with that expense.
In this case luxury prices usually bring luxury accommodations.
People used to spending big bucks on vacations are used to getting top level appointments and treatment to go with it.
Here, Disney was charging a fortune and guests were sleeping in cramped space ship quarters on thin mattresses.
They were sharing the ship in tight confines with lots of people.
Even if you've got cash to burn, how many people are going to want to blow it that way?
If I had the money - sure I'd have done it for the kids if they were still little.
But, as a couple?
Or with grown kids (as I have now) who despite liking Star Wars wouldn't really be into it anymore?
Then add to that the fact that the time line isn't the best.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Add in the Lake Nona thing. It keeps snowballing and it's one thing after another. What is going on?

With all that money, they could’ve fixed the Yeti, ALL the AA’s in Dinosaur AND built a SW themed character restaurant.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

If it was Spaceballs themed, this wouldn't have happened.

My biggest question is what is going to happen to the Space Transport Box Trucks?

 

[Trauma]

One of the things a said a while back about this was that even people with lots of money to spend recognize some degree of value that should come with that expense.
In this case luxury prices usually bring luxury accommodations.
People used to spending big bucks on vacations are used to getting top level appointments and treatment to go with it.
Here, Disney was charging a fortune and guests were sleeping in cramped space ship quarters on thin mattresses.
They were sharing the ship in tight confines with lots of people.
Even if you've got cash to burn, how many people are going to want to blow it that way?
If I had the money - sure I'd have done it for the kids if they were still little.
But, as a couple?
Or with grown kids (as I have now) who despite liking Star Wars wouldn't really be into it anymore?
Then add to that the fact that the time line isn't the best.

I don’t experience anything close to what I consider luxury accommodations at Disney.

I usually stay at a Grand Villa at Boardwalk and can’t seem to get working refrigerators or rooms without something broken.

I just pay the price because it’s close to the parks.

I can go to the Four Seasons but then I can’t walk to Epcot.

Disney can get away with this because of the parks.

It is what it is.

 

[erasure fan1]

Each thing you mentioned has specific issues for that specific project.
Star Cruiser priced out the majority of it's fans - the brand wasn't the issue, the price was
Solo released 6 months after the previous SW film with barely any marketing - still made a good chunk of change and is arguably better than any of the sequel films
SWGE Cali - again $, you gotta pay a hefty price just to get into the park
Arguably none of these things speaks negatively to the Star Wars brand, rather what was done with in in that specific instance

Also, SW fans while they complain constantly, still come back to the brand.

Wait, so you're saying that the star wars name alone can't carry it. That's exactly what I said. I also said Mando shows that it still can have power.

Here's where I have an issue with your logic. Star wars fans were some of the most dedicated fans of all time. So fans will show up in droves to star wars conversations in Europe but Cali and Disneyland is too expensive? I don't buy it. People showed up in droves for star wars weekends. But they won't show up to Disneyland because of cost?

The force awakens did 2 billion plus. But we get 2 movies half a year apart and that's the issue? Again, I don't buy it. The name has been knocked down a couple pegs. It's not enough to just slap the star wars logo on something anymore and it's instant gold. I do think it speaks negatively to the brand. A ghost town at galaxys edge opening was not a great look. Price was an issue for sure. But not for the reason you are getting at in my opinion. It's people thought the product wasn't worth the price. And that is a reflection of quality. Just look at the opening to Potter respectively.

The brand can still be powerful. It can still be great. But the people in charge of it need to either go away, or do a major overhaul in their approach. And as long as Kennedy is there, I don't see things changing.

 

[Fordlover]

There was nothing overt about Lando or the droid. Nothing on screen. And Star Wars films aren’t “kids movies.”

Not exclusively kid movies, but kid friendly for sure. Death scenes aren't gruesome, relatively easy to follow storyline, language is mild, classic good vs. evil, no sex scenes or nudity. My disclaimer is I've only seen episodes 1 - 8

If kids don't watch the movies, I can't see a family of 4 dropping 6K for two nights for an immersive experience that the kids would be completely lost in. Evidently, I'm not alone.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

You think too much like a rational, normal person.

For whatever reason, which we'll likely never really know, senior executives in both Burbank and Glendale are so stubbornly against using the original characters that America loves the most. It's weird.

It was obvious the Starcruiser in its current Kavan/Gaya format wasn't going to last much longer. But would it have killed them if they closed for two months to rework it into a Star Wars Classic experience with Han, Leia, Solo, Chewie, Darth Vader, R2D2 and C3PO? They could have come up with some 10 second plot point about how the shuttle ride to/from Galaxy's Edge was also a time shift or time travel thing.

The only thing that surprises me about this is that they didn't try anything else. Their original concept using cringey new characters no one knows, let alone loves, fell flat on its face. I'm surprised they didn't try some last ditch attempt to save it with Han Solo and Luke and Leia.

I’ve been thinking about this and I think the reason why they don’t use the “classic” movies as a theme is twofold…one, they convinced themselves that NO ONE can make SW better than Disney, and second, they didn’t want to give Lucas any credit for the success of the SW franchise…George is now sitting back and saying, “see, I KNEW I shouldn’t have sold this to the Mouse”…

 

[Mike S]

Maybe the “In Space No One Can Hear You Scream” Alien character breakfast will be coming here.

 

[Disstevefan1]

It's possible they were making money, but just not making enough money.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

…Disney parks are designed and profit off a MIDDLE CLASS model…to billions a year. This was a shot In the face of that model…and the empire started to get restless. Just my opinion.

This is true. The people who spend $3,000 a night on hotel rooms generally aren’t the “going to disney world” type. I mean there are a few of them obviously, but not enough to sustain an entire hotel.

 

[Bocabear]

The scale of the entire operation was too small for them to make enough money...I believe it was just an experiment to see what they could get away with... and what people were willing to pay.. they will now take all they have learned and use it to create the next thing with all of the information they have amassed... People will pay 5k for a tiny, ill-appointed cabin if they have televisions for windows...and a lackluster banquet hall can be a luxurious dining room if you tell people it is in outer space...Hopefully they have learned that they can do better, and the Disney brand deserves better.

 

[FigmentFan82]

Wait, so you're saying that the star wars name alone can't carry it. That's exactly what I said. I also said Mando shows that it still can have power.

Here's where I have an issue with your logic. Star wars fans were some of the most dedicated fans of all time. So fans will show up in droves to star wars conversations in Europe but Cali and Disneyland is too expensive? I don't buy it. People showed up in droves for star wars weekends. But they won't show up to Disneyland because of cost?

The force awakens did 2 billion plus. But we get 2 movies half a year apart and that's the issue? Again, I don't buy it. The name has been knocked down a couple pegs. It's not enough to just slap the star wars logo on something anymore and it's instant gold. I do think it speaks negatively to the brand. A ghost town at galaxys edge opening was not a great look. Price was an issue for sure. But not for the reason you are getting at in my opinion. It's people thought the product wasn't worth the price. And that is a reflection of quality. Just look at the opening to Potter respectively.

The brand can still be powerful. It can still be great. But the people in charge of it need to either go away, or do a major overhaul in their approach. And as long as Kennedy is there, I don't see things changing.

no, SW is a strong brand. a convention is a very different thing than booking a Disney vacation. SW Celebration also doesn't happen every year so it is a special thing, not applicable in this situation, but does lend to show the strength of the fan base and brand.

Yes, Solo had a bad release strategy and internal issues with the film. Not indicative of the brand itself. Anyone who actually watches Solo knows it's one of the better films they made.

GE Cali opened 2nd. People knew what it was, they didn't need to rush to it opening day. Is it not popular?

People seem to think that when something doesn't work out in the SW world that it's all doom and gloom. I don't find that to be true

 

[Smiley/OCD]

or ya know.. could simply be that not only was the price almost entirely out of reach to the typical family but guests at a Star Wars hotel expect to see the most famous characters they’d grown to love for 40+ years. The non-ip vs ip argument doesn’t work here because clearly, it’s specifically supposed to be themed around the Star Wars IP and fails to do it properly. It’s not rocket science.

Original content truly only works best for an original, new concept. Not to say you can’t do sequels or extensions tastefully, but you have to do it in a way that respects the core foundations of said franchise (see Star Tours). Disney hasn’t been very good at this as of late, with the exception of basically the first couple seasons of Mandolorian and the like. You don’t go on a Mickey Mouse ride and then you’re presented with an alternate universe of said franchise where Mickey and the Gang, familiar landscapes, etc. aren’t core characters or parts in little to no capacity. That’s just stupid. You keep the core foundations, locations, etc. folks love from the movie and simply continue and add more parts to the story, development, etc. from there. It’s not that hard.

THIS!! It’s like making TS movies without the original incarnations of Buzz & Woody…oh wait, they did that…

 

[Big T 1963]

I know I am just echoing what has been said here by others but I was really excited for this. I am not a cosplayer but I thought it would be fun to spend a few days in an immersive environment and "be part of" my favorite movie. Concept art looked good, Disney's talking points seemed good, then the price came... and I just stopped caring. I knew it would be expensive but this was just so far out of my budget that it was not even worth dreaming about, they were/are asking for more for three nights then what I have spent to go to the parks for a week with flights! Then the vlogs and videos came and I was happy to hear that those who went liked it, the execution seemed small not grand but seemed exciting but it also it looked "fake". For what they where asking it needed to be grand and "real" for me to get on board again to even start dreaming about it again. That never happened and I wish I felt disappointed that this is going away but I just don't care.

Disney has dropped the ball on Star Wars since they got their hands on it. Yes Dave and the team over on D+ are working on fixing it but even the most recent series of Mando was at best a C+. I am afraid that they are transitioning to not telling stories and selling more merch, and I don't want to go down that direction. Disney's desire to shy away from the original films and characters is mind boggling. But Disney's handling of Star Wars is a thread in its own right.

Just to further drive in how crazy the cost on this was at $5000 a night for a couple you could take an actual cruise. For example if you take a cruise on RC Allure next May for three nights with their current deals and promotions and stay in a massive Aqua Theater Suite your paying about $3000. If you want to spend a little more you can pay just under $6000 in a Star Loft, again a massive room, all your alcohol, a number of other perks, and for lack of a better term a BUTLER (Royal calls them Genie) who is going to take care of you the whole cruise. Nothing close to this came with Starcruiser. If you want to skimp and stay in a simpler cabin you most likely can take a longer cruise however to try to compare the price evenly I used a three day experience. Can I afford the RC suite... again no but if I had some cash kicking around I know where I am spending it.

I agree with you zakatack99 if there was more bang for your buck for what they were charging for SWSC (like a cruise) then this wouldn't have been an issue... however I really think Disney should've been looking at this from a different perspective with the price points taken in consideration what an average Disney guest was going to spend on this experience along with their trip to WDW but here we are again where this money could've been used for something else that everyone could've enjoyed

 

[Disstevefan1]

The scale of the entire operation was too small for them to make enough money...I believe it was just an experiment to see what they could get away with... and what people were willing to pay.. they will now take all they have learned and use it to create the next thing with all of the information they have amassed... People will pay 5k for a tiny, ill-appointed cabin if they have televisions for windows...and a lackluster banquet hall can be a luxurious dining room if you tell people it is in outer space...Hopefully they have learned that they can do better, and the Disney brand deserves better.

So they spent all that money to build the Starcruiser as an experiment........ Got it.

So the Starcruiser was not a failure it was a successful experiment that was executed and returned some data.

I wish Disney would "experiment" and build some attractions.