News Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Permanently Closed Fall 2023

[Lilofan]

Regular folks think it's a super waste of money to have built this only to close it and tear it down. TWDC does not care, they are happy to tear it down like they did the Harmonious barges.

I have no idea, maybe there are tax reasons it's better for them to tear it down?

MGM Studios constructed that Big Blue Hat in the middle of the park only to tear it down later.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think it just was set up to cater to a very specific audience that really valued the type of experience provided - which had way more to do with the role playing and immersion and interaction with the crew, the variety of quests and experiences, etc than it even really had to do with Star Wars specifically - but if you were looking for both then you were really into it.

And those experiences and elements are not found on a cruise or anywhere else

I have posted before but I know quite a few people who did the Starcruiser and absolutely loved it and did it multiple times, etc - and it was really about those interactions more than anything.

Just too niche of a pool of people that were looking for what was offered AND had the $ to spend to obtain it

You’ve said multiple times “quite a few”…can you flesh that out a little?
Disney fans? 50 year old Star Wars people (I doubt that)?

Context is key.

But I also will remind that every aspect of wdw was crafted and marketed for 50 years to cater to mass audiences.
That is the fundamental fail with this…in the wash. It tried to put stripes on a cheetah.

They had a real easy way to make Star Wars a real longterm success in lodging…it was apparently “too obvious”…
Which is a frequent problem with Star Wars: it’s so obvious…the management fails completely.
It’s embarrassing.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

MGM Studios constructed that Big Blue Hat in the middle of the park only to tear it down later.

That and the wand were temp, boss

It was a stain that they let them stay so long

 

[GrumpyFan]

It’s useless…what exactly is hard to track here?

It’s also a symbol of failure along world drive…and what about this 20 year management of obvious falsehood spin makes you believe they can tolerate that?

Don't come at me.
They have made no indication or public comments about the future of it, which means speculation on the subject is open for discussion. You have your opinion, and others have there's.

Call me optimistic, but the Star Wars franchise still has lots of gas left in it, and I happen to believe it could be utilized in a useful manner that would still make money for them. Even though Imagineering has come up short in the last few years, I still think they could find a way to make this a more viable option for many to take part in.

 

[maui2k7]

That's a broad assumption.
They have made no public announcements about what they plan to do with it in the long term.

If they fully depreciate it then the asset is only worth salvage value on its balance sheet until it is scrapped.

 

[maui2k7]

Don't come at me.
They have made no indication or public comments about the future of it, which means speculation on the subject is open for discussion. You have your opinion, and others have there's.

Call me optimistic, but the Star Wars franchise still has lots of gas left in it, and I happen to believe it could be utilized in a useful manner that would still make money for them. Even though Imagineering has come up short in the last few years, I still think they could find a way to make this a more viable option for many to take part in.

Fans want the George Lucas Start Wars experience, not the Star Wars trilogy created by Kathleen Kennedy. If they give the fans what they want, they will come in droves and willingly spend plenty of money. Just look at Harry Potter at Universal - straight out of the movies and fans of all ages love it. You do not get that kind of praise from Galaxy's Edge. The original trilogy (even prequels) is a printing press for money.

 

[GrumpyFan]

They had a real easy way to make Star Wars a real longterm success in lodging…it was apparently “too obvious”…
Which is a frequent problem with Star Wars: it’s so obvious…the management fails completely.
It’s embarrassing.

They took a risk to try and create something new for a particular segment of their audience.
Agree it was a pricey one and they overestimated what their audience would spend and how many there were for it, but I don't fault them for at least trying. I just think they missed the mark on the demographics for it.

 

[JohnD]

Regular folks think it's a super waste of money to have built this only to close it and tear it down. TWDC does not care, they are happy to tear it down like they did the Harmonious barges.

I have no idea, maybe there are tax reasons it's better for them to tear it down?

I'm the "regular folk" who think it was a "super waste of money". Who wants to spend $5,200 to be cooped up for two days and only to be let out for one of them to wander around GE? No thanks. Doesn't matter to me what happens to it afterward. If they end up saving money to demolish it, I don't care. What else are they going to use it for? Storage?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

You’ve said multiple times “quite a few”…can you flesh that out a little?
Disney fans? 50 year old Star Wars people (I doubt that)?

Context is key.

But I also will remind that every aspect of wdw was crafted and marketed for 50 years to cater to mass audiences.
That is the fundamental fail with this…in the wash. It tried to put stripes on a cheetah.

They had a real easy way to make Star Wars a real longterm success in lodging…it was apparently “too obvious”…
Which is a frequent problem with Star Wars: it’s so obvious…the management fails completely.
It’s embarrassing.

So people of all ages but majority are say under 40, more often childless and just paying for themselves which I do think impacts things.

If I could go with 3 other friends who are all really into this concept and it costs me $1,500 that is way more doable than for me to pay $6k+ fully for my family to go

As for fandom, I think they did have that Disney/Star Wars intersection - but for most I really think it was the role playing aspect that appealed to them most (the theme just added to it). I would also say that of the people I know almost all have done it more than once - so I think for those that it does appeal to, it *really* appeals to - just a very small pool

I guess they thought there are all different Disney fans and this would appeal to a small subset and only needed to - it didn't need "broad appeal" given the size of it, but clearly that still wasn't enough to sustain that for very long

 

[monothingie]

Call me optimistic, but the Star Wars franchise still has lots of gas left in it, and I happen to believe it could be utilized in a useful manner that would still make money for them. Even though Imagineering has come up short in the last few years, I still think they could find a way to make this a more viable option for many to take part

As much as I loathe WDI, the overwhelming majority of the blame for this belongs with Lucasfilm execs(KK), the Lucasfilm Story Group, and the empty suits in Burbank that green lit it.

 

[Lilofan]

I'm the "regular folk" who think it was a "super waste of money". Who wants to spend $5,200 to be cooped up for two days and only to be let out for one of them to wander around GE? No thanks. Doesn't matter to me what happens to it afterward. If they end up saving money to demolish it, I don't care. What else are they going to use it for? Storage?

If the place was in Epcot it may be another place to eat and drink.

 

[monothingie]

Since they are writing it off completely as fully depreciated by the end of September, then I would imagine it will be bulldozed/demolished just like they had to do with the Harmonious barges. Otherwise they would keep depreciating it like many other construction projects over a period of many years/decades even if they were going to repurpose it.

Only two options are to bulldoze it or sell it. DVC is an entirely separate entity…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So people of all ages but majority are say under 40, more often childless and just paying for themselves which I do think impacts things.

If I could go with 3 other friends who are all really into this concept and it costs me $1,500 that is way more doable than for me to pay $6k+ fully for my family to go

As for fandom, I think they did have that Disney/Star Wars intersection - but for most I really think it was the role playing aspect that appealed to them most (the theme just added to it). I would also say that of the people I know almost all have done it more than once - so I think for those that it does appeal to, it *really* appeals to - just a very small pool

I guess they thought there are all different Disney fans and this would appeal to a small subset and only needed to - it didn't need "broad appeal" given the size of it, but clearly that still wasn't enough to sustain that for very long

Good points.

I mentioned it 50 posts ago…I’m “all in” if it had a real virtual/tangible playground with exclusive access…

But not even close. “Quest” style scavenger hunts and line dancing with “lunch periods”? Nope

Again…it’s Star WARS…stay in your lane and Disney can’t get that

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Only two options are to bulldoze it or sell it. DVC is an entirely separate entity…

It’s even worse than riviera…so I don’t think that scans.

Might be better than the Ft W trailers though?

 

[Bocabear]

It’s even worse than riviera…so I don’t think that scans.

Might be better than the Ft W trailers though?

It could be used for incoming talent accommodations...Corporate retreat accomodations for the Disney company...I think if they made the big executives from Glendale stay there, they might be able to come up with better plans...

 

[DubyooDeeDubyoo]

While I enjoy Star Wars for the model spaceships and good soundtracks, Lucas already produced some movies that replaced all the cool physical prop ships with digital graphics and dropped the dialogue to groan-inducing zingers.

JJ Abrams was already well known as a "mystery box" writer by that point and was not the guy to start what was intended to be a project handed off from person to person.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It could be used for incoming talent accommodations...Corporate retreat accomodations for the Disney company...I think if they made the big executives from Glendale stay there, they might be able to come up with better plans...

Who has said it’s “nice”??

I’ve yet to see that. If it’s not for geeking out on Star Wars…by all indications it’s a dump.

 

[Big T 1963]

Can you say another DVC in the works? Reimagine Repurpose Repeat another Disney setback and it goes on and on and on and on ...........................

 

[Big T 1963]

I really feel for the cast members who put their heart and soul into making the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser a one of a kind experience If the powers to be had not made this a money grab we would've all been able to enjoy this however they priced it so the majority of guests had to make a financial decision to book a 2 day voyage ...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Good points.

I mentioned it 50 posts ago…I’m “all in” if it had a real virtual/tangible playground with exclusive access…

But not even close. “Quest” style scavenger hunts and line dancing with “lunch periods”? Nope

Again…it’s Star WARS…stay in your lane and Disney can’t get that

I do think the line dancing got a little overblown but I do get the larger point and also very much how the Starcruiser didn't feel very Star Wars, at least from the outside looking in

Or, at a minimum, it seemed like for the people from Canto Bight or in the senate - the ones that had money and could recuse themselves from the affairs of the galaxy - not the parts of the stories fans really want to be a part of