News Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Permanently Closed Fall 2023

[Sirwalterraleigh]

But it was also their doing: their greed for profit made them charge insane room prices. I wonder if this thing could have survived had they charged a reasonable price.

Oh don’t get me wrong…I have zero sympathy for the devil here, Mick Jagger

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I still believe they are going to rework it into the land and offer premium day trips and just ignore the rooms. Probably similar to what the vloggers got on opening, I think was a 6 hour snapshot with the storyline, some activities and food included.

I forgot about that, they had a shorter "abbreviated" experience but gave a lot of the highlights (probably didn't include the line dancing though)

If they’re gonna try anything…that will be it.

You know what would be smart? A full on rework to connect it to the park. Addressing the shortcomings in the park…

But…not gonna snorkel with that one

 

[celluloid]

Dinner show/day excursion and each former guest room will be where a personal story moment happens similar to an Escape Room.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Dinner show/day excursion and each former guest room will be where a personal story moment happens similar to an Escape Room.

Gonna use any material that will sell?

If not…watch that flop too

 

[ChrisFL]

If they’re gonna try anything…that will be it.

You know what would be smart? A full on rework to connect it to the park. Addressing the shortcomings in the park…

But…not gonna snorkel with that one

Do you mean physically connect it, like the tunnel in MK to Space Mountain? or thematically connect it?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Do you mean physically connect it, like the tunnel in MK to Space Mountain? or thematically connect it?

Both would be preferable

But I have said (too many times) that the proper way to do a Star Wars land would be have a “planet” side and an “space” side with an ingenious (like potter) connection method…

They could do it here. Add an actual Star Wars thrill ride in the space between?

Now you have fixed mediocre land

Fattoo

 

[Tha Realest]

"Josh D'Amaro talked about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. When asked what will happen with it once it closes, D'Amaro said: "No hints yet...but something will happen.""

“That’s the next guy’s r problem - I won’t be here”

 

[Lilofan]

"Josh D'Amaro talked about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. When asked what will happen with it once it closes, D'Amaro said: "No hints yet...but something will happen.""

I have never reported to an exec who ever said " I don't know ". There are other ways to dance around that question.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Josh D'Amaro mentioned the future of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in an interview with The Points Guy.

The "something" is backstage utility and office space, and salvaging stuff that can be used for spare parts at Galaxy's Edge. (Not joking or speculating btw, that to my understanding is/was the plan, unless that plan has changed in just the past couple weeks).

 

[Disstevefan1]

Josh D'Amaro mentioned the future of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in an interview with The Points Guy.

 

[LittleBuford]

Oh boy this could be a very long story. Ive gone three times, with a fourth booked.

Your cabin, with an in room droid (AI) D3-09 who will have story specific messages for you. If you tell her it's your honeymoon, she will do a vow renewal. Each night at "bedtime" she will sing a lullaby or tell a bedtime story (it's about the hero of the rebellion, R2-D2) she will know what uouve been up to on the ship, and she will as for your help. If you go first order, she will be overridden by secret first order messages. You can choose to have her captured. You can help her broker deals. The cabin also has your viewport window which moves in real time. The ship moves in and out of lightspeed, asteroid fields and fights through blockades. Your window is accurate to what is happening on the bridge.

The best guest service on property. Some people have said "it's how Disney used to be." I went to but was a kid during the "good ol days" of Disney customer service going above and beyond (and beyond!) Everyone is engaged and excited to help your journey and be part of your story.

Unlimited food and (non alcoholic) drinks. It's a themed buffet breakfast and lunch, and two table service dinners. But all afternoon and evening you'll find snacks at passenger services, and before the sublight lounge opens at 1, you'll find coffee, fruit, and to go breakfast options. The bar snacks, ranging from crispy veggie bites to smoked cheese plates are also included.

The day 2 Batuu excursion with lightning lane access to the 2 Batuu rides. The pin and magic band will signal to Batuu CMs that you're a Starcruiser passenger. Interactions vary, but are generally more focused on you. You'll get a different greeting from Hondo before entering the cockpit of the Falcon. And a full meal and drink (alcohol or not) that day in the park. Some people treat this as their DHS day, I think they're insane, but they find value in doing that.

Bridge and saber training. They're not just video games and glow sticks. Your Saja will talk to you as you cycle through saber training. Your answers to them matter. Your bridge training will have some sort of interruption. How you react to that will matter.

Additional game elements on the play app. Your messages disappear after the voyage but any badges, titles, cargo, maps etc you earn stay. The game itself i saved for last because it is much more than what's available on Batuu normally.

The game/story is the reason my party keeps going back. Ive discussed this with others but it does genuinely morph from "oh tee hee look we are in 'space' and there are droids to "if I don't get the captain out of the atrium and away from the compass, we will let all of Ryloth down" at breakneck speeds. It's scripted. Raithe Kole will, 100% of the time, steal the stone from the compass. He will get away with it 100% of the time. But when Raithe asks for your help, you want to help him. And you get emotionally invested in doing so. You go get a counterfeit stone made on Batuu, you worry the plan won't work. Some people bring physical props back with them on the transport. And this doesn't just happen to people in costume who enjoy LARPing. This happens to anyone involved in the story.

There are four main paths on the datapad like this. And limitless ways to join one or many and get involved. Each path has its own story, it's own finale. Imagine those 20 minute streetmosphere sketches. But it's two days. And what you say, from your name to whatever you say just in conversation is remembered.

The things you say and do matter in real time. Alliances change, code words that work for some won't work for others, all based on the choices you make. You will be spoken to by many if not all performers. Lt Croy will question you, and he will remember how you answer. And others will hear of how you replied. You can be spied on, you can be a spy.

The value in Starcruiser isn't the cabin or the food or the park ticket. It's the story. The actors, the crew. It sounds crazy to say, but it changes you. In some indescribable but irrefutable way.

Thanks for sharing this detailed report. I hope you enjoy your final trip as much as you did the other three.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

“That’s the next guy’s r problem - I won’t be here”

…not many left in the goat pen to eliminate at this point

 

[celluloid]

Gonna use any material that will sell?

If not…watch that flop too

Why would they start caring now? We have a company that is full Steam ahead on failing domestically.

 

[some other guy]

Why would they start caring now? We have a company that is full Steam ahead on failing domestically.

hey, be fair!
they're full steam ahead on failing in China, too

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

My opinion is the Starcruiser was a great concept and something I want to see Disney try. The problem is that the execution of the concept was an overpriced, very poorly implemented and marketed product.

The concept/angle was sound

Where it failed…pretty much across the Star Wars board…is a lack of understanding of the appeal of the IP. Like it’s stored in a secret vault that only Gary Kurtz knew of and he’s buried with the key.

No. It’s all over the place…like an energy field… it’s what surrounds all fans and binds them (see what I did there?)

Just forget Star Cruiser…what are the two efforts from the Disney era of LFL that get the least amount of shade thrown at them? On the aggregate.

There in you find the answer.

 

[Lilofan]

The "something" is backstage utility and office space, and salvaging stuff that can be used for spare parts at Galaxy's Edge. (Not joking or speculating btw, that to my understanding is/was the plan, unless that plan has changed in just the past couple weeks).

With the temps in Orlando having heat index 100-106 degrees in the near future it would have been a nice place for a cooling off stations to avoid heat stroke.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

With the temps in Orlando having heat index 100-106 degrees in the near future it would have been a nice place for a cooling off stations to avoid heat stroke.

Where do you think the fumes from 8
Mpg Escalades are going?

 

[Mireille]

Oh boy this could be a very long story. Ive gone three times, with a fourth booked.

Your cabin, with an in room droid (AI) D3-09 who will have story specific messages for you. If you tell her it's your honeymoon, she will do a vow renewal. Each night at "bedtime" she will sing a lullaby or tell a bedtime story (it's about the hero of the rebellion, R2-D2) she will know what uouve been up to on the ship, and she will as for your help. If you go first order, she will be overridden by secret first order messages. You can choose to have her captured. You can help her broker deals. The cabin also has your viewport window which moves in real time. The ship moves in and out of lightspeed, asteroid fields and fights through blockades. Your window is accurate to what is happening on the bridge.

The best guest service on property. Some people have said "it's how Disney used to be." I went to but was a kid during the "good ol days" of Disney customer service going above and beyond (and beyond!) Everyone is engaged and excited to help your journey and be part of your story.

Unlimited food and (non alcoholic) drinks. It's a themed buffet breakfast and lunch, and two table service dinners. But all afternoon and evening you'll find snacks at passenger services, and before the sublight lounge opens at 1, you'll find coffee, fruit, and to go breakfast options. The bar snacks, ranging from crispy veggie bites to smoked cheese plates are also included.

The day 2 Batuu excursion with lightning lane access to the 2 Batuu rides. The pin and magic band will signal to Batuu CMs that you're a Starcruiser passenger. Interactions vary, but are generally more focused on you. You'll get a different greeting from Hondo before entering the cockpit of the Falcon. And a full meal and drink (alcohol or not) that day in the park. Some people treat this as their DHS day, I think they're insane, but they find value in doing that.

Bridge and saber training. They're not just video games and glow sticks. Your Saja will talk to you as you cycle through saber training. Your answers to them matter. Your bridge training will have some sort of interruption. How you react to that will matter.

Additional game elements on the play app. Your messages disappear after the voyage but any badges, titles, cargo, maps etc you earn stay. The game itself i saved for last because it is much more than what's available on Batuu normally.

The game/story is the reason my party keeps going back. Ive discussed this with others but it does genuinely morph from "oh tee hee look we are in 'space' and there are droids to "if I don't get the captain out of the atrium and away from the compass, we will let all of Ryloth down" at breakneck speeds. It's scripted. Raithe Kole will, 100% of the time, steal the stone from the compass. He will get away with it 100% of the time. But when Raithe asks for your help, you want to help him. And you get emotionally invested in doing so. You go get a counterfeit stone made on Batuu, you worry the plan won't work. Some people bring physical props back with them on the transport. And this doesn't just happen to people in costume who enjoy LARPing. This happens to anyone involved in the story.

There are four main paths on the datapad like this. And limitless ways to join one or many and get involved. Each path has its own story, it's own finale. Imagine those 20 minute streetmosphere sketches. But it's two days. And what you say, from your name to whatever you say just in conversation is remembered.

The things you say and do matter in real time. Alliances change, code words that work for some won't work for others, all based on the choices you make. You will be spoken to by many if not all performers. Lt Croy will question you, and he will remember how you answer. And others will hear of how you replied. You can be spied on, you can be a spy.

The value in Starcruiser isn't the cabin or the food or the park ticket. It's the story. The actors, the crew. It sounds crazy to say, but it changes you. In some indescribable but irrefutable way.

There was a recent episode of Podcast: The Ride with Andrew Barth Feldman where he talked about his trip to the Galactic Starcruiser that hews pretty closely to your experince and it explained the appeal more than any of Disney's advertising. (It actually sounds a lot like Evermore but more focused on a single experience rather than some sort of continuing story.) It's ideal for theater kids, improv folks and tabletop RPG/LARP enthusiasts. If you aren't prepared to throw yourself into the story, you aren't going to get any value from it. He made it sound fantastic. When the naysayers complain that the rooms look too small or the activities look dumb or the food doesn't look good, it's because those are not the focus of the experience, it's all in service to the story. The cast and the story are what you're paying for. And I think it was probably a first-in-class experience there.

The first problem was that Disney didn't really communicate that, hell, I didn't really understand it until I heard that podcast. The second problem is... how big is the clientele for that kind of experience? You really have to be an active, willing participant to get the most out of it; you have to realize it's not a relaxing getaway, it's like an interactive murder mystery that you act (improv) out over 48 hours. I don't know that even with an IP that kids love like Star Wars that kids are going to understand it or be able to really engage in. You have to be pretty confident and savvy to "yes and" your way into an experience like this, so it's not really suited for families at all. And the third problem is the price. No matter how committed you are to it, $5-6k is a chunk of change for most anyone to throw at a 2-ish day experience. A fourth-ish problem, and maybe this would have been addressed if it had lasted, is that, with a smaller target audience, I would have to imagine it would have had to depend to a decent extent on repeat customers, which would require eventually updating the story. I know you can role play into multiple factions and have different experiences in the same story, but even if you wanted to play each faction that's 3 or 4 visits before you're replaying the same thing at least once? Unless it just turned into an expensive version of midnight showings of Rocky Horror where the guests all throw toast together or whatever they do.

Knowing what I do now, I really wish I could have experienced it. But even knowing what I know now, I don't know that I would have been willing to pay even the 30% discount prices they were offering. I wish they could have found a way to make it profitable, or at least break even and keep it going as a boutique experience that could support itself. Hopefully they can learn from their failure and maybe come up with another way to offer a similar experience. But not like Evermore which appears to rely on free labor.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There was a recent episode of Podcast: The Ride with Andrew Barth Feldman where he talked about his trip to the Galactic Starcruiser that hews pretty closely to your experince and it explained the appeal more than any of Disney's advertising. (It actually sounds a lot like Evermore but more focused on a single experience rather than some sort of continuing story.) It's ideal for theater kids, improv folks and tabletop RPG/LARP enthusiasts. If you aren't prepared to throw yourself into the story, you aren't going to get any value from it. He made it sound fantastic. When the naysayers complain that the rooms look too small or the activities look dumb or the food doesn't look good, it's because those are not the focus of the experience, it's all in service to the story. The cast and the story are what you're paying for. And I think it was probably a first-in-class experience there.

The first problem was that Disney didn't really communicate that, hell, I didn't really understand it until I heard that podcast. The second problem is... how big is the clientele for that kind of experience? You really have to be an active, willing participant to get the most out of it; you have to realize it's not a relaxing getaway, it's like an interactive murder mystery that you act (improv) out over 48 hours. I don't know that even with an IP that kids love like Star Wars that kids are going to understand it or be able to really engage in. You have to be pretty confident and savvy to "yes and" your way into an experience like this, so it's not really suited for families at all. And the third problem is the price. No matter how committed you are to it, $5-6k is a chunk of change for most anyone to throw at a 2-ish day experience. A fourth-ish problem, and maybe this would have been addressed if it had lasted, is that, with a smaller target audience, I would have to imagine it would have had to depend to a decent extent on repeat customers, which would require eventually updating the story. I know you can role play into multiple factions and have different experiences in the same story, but even if you wanted to play each faction that's 3 or 4 visits before you're replaying the same thing at least once? Unless it just turned into an expensive version of midnight showings of Rocky Horror where the guests all throw toast together or whatever they do.

Knowing what I do now, I really wish I could have experienced it. But even knowing what I know now, I don't know that I would have been willing to pay even the 30% discount prices they were offering. I wish they could have found a way to make it profitable, or at least break even and keep it going as a boutique experience that could support itself. Hopefully they can learn from their failure and maybe come up with another way to offer a similar experience. But not like Evermore which appears to rely on free labor.

The problem is a mix of three factors:
1. They p!sssed off all the Star Wars fans that threw 45 years of money at it
2. It’s really not Star Wars…it’s Disneys echo chamber facsimile of it
3. It Costs too much

…therefore almost no one bought it

Oh and they cheaped it…that too

 

[Dan Deesnee]

I'm going to repost something I posted a while back. I think either this will happen OR it will be utilized to "expand" Galaxy's Edge:
______

Why can't they just make this a separate ticketed, multi-hour experience? You arrive at galactic star cruiser at 9 am, you board and experienced an adventure for the next 3-4 hours. They can run this 2-3 times daily and charge $175-$250 a ticket just like they do the parties and after hours events.
_____

My money is on them doing something like the ticketed event.