News Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Permanently Closed Fall 2023

[RoysCabin]

Really interesting post. I think your right about the differences between star wars and potter. Trying to make things like themed food (as opposed to food themed to star wars like the darth maul eclair) didnt really work as they felt forced - its space so we will make the food blue because we all know space people eat blue food

I think star wars does have some iconic locations like the cantina, Jabba’s palace, corusant etc but Disney chose a difficult approach

I think the other reasons for the starcruiser failing were the setting and the lack of repeat value. You needed to be a fan of a specific and divisive movie timeline to get the most out of the experience and I guess like the way that a live show looses its lustre on repeated viewings when you find the spontaneity is scripted repeating the same experience would have diminishing returns.

Maybe offering multiple timelines and adventures would have helped

Yeah, that’s on the nose about the food; a lot of people get so hyped for Potter because they want to taste a butterbeer, for example, or walk through a specific hallway in the school, and Star Wars doesn’t really have a parallel to that outside of the Cantina (Jabba’s palace wouldn’t be a welcoming place, but could be a fun setting for a ride).

I think for full immersion properties you need that mix of excitement and “coziness” and familiarity. Think a full scale Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings, or a hotel that’s just the starship Enterprise.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Yeah, that’s on the nose about the food; a lot of people get so hyped for Potter because they want to taste a butterbeer, for example, or walk through a specific hallway in the school, and Star Wars doesn’t really have a parallel to that outside of the Cantina (Jabba’s palace wouldn’t be a welcoming place, but could be a fun setting for a ride).

I think for full immersion properties you need that mix of excitement and “coziness” and familiarity. Think a full scale Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings, or a hotel that’s just the starship Enterprise.

That’s the thing about Star Wars though, it is so expansive and there are so many locals and planets, and they chose this never heard of before planet and gave it no kinetic energy and it’s really just a humid more built up Tattooine (with no sand, it gets everywhere).

They then replicated the “No one’s ever heard of trope” for the entirety of the Starcruiser. Why? Because they were so afraid of breaking “canon” that they wanted everything to be new and be connected to everytbing aside from the other way around.

Outside of the placemaking, Universals team members give literally 0 effort to making you think you are really there.

 

[dreamfinder912]

This is true, but most of the reports I saw complaining about children were that their parents left them wandering and swarming characters rather than interacting or pursuing any part of the story. It's hard to sneak Chewbacca past security when 15 children are yelling his name and asking him questions.

I didn't see any of that so I can't corroborate.

I was in a group that had Disney's approval to charter a sailing in January of 2024 for cosplaying adults only. It is definitely in part to the unsupervised roaming packs of children we experienced on our previous cruises. We had one shrieking "go first order" the entirety of the finale. Cast tried to help, but the parents refused to stop their kid. I felt bad for the first timers on board. I also wanted to do an adults only so I could interact with characters more freely.

The unsupervised child swarm is very real and keeps a few story paths/events too congested. And the other side of that issue is as an adult trying to join the game, I wait for the children to be done. Because they're kids and if their parents aren't there or don't care to tell them hey lets not take up too much of their time they don't know there are others around, and they'll just keep having fun. (Again, as they should. The issue here is with their parents. That kind of awareness is taught and learned over time)

It's easy to join a conversation of all adults. But I'm not comfortable joining when it's a kid. Even when that kid is talking about something totally unrelated, I can't be the one to make the next comment. So I was really looking forward to the adults only so I could get more involved in the paths that I've had to miss.

 

[ppete1975]

Had this been built to be the star destroyer in episode 4 with the story being from that movie (sneaking through corridors avoiding vader and the storm troopers) seeing luke leia han chewbacca, and missions that actually helped the rebel alliance.. or you could join the empire at boarding, instead of lame pull this lever push that button or bad flight simulations, or a lightsaber training that wasn't what people wanted.

And make the bar jabbas throne room with an animatronic jabba, this could have worked.

Instead it was too lame for the target audience, and generic. The activities weren't enough to keep your target demographic sadly the white male 40-50 year old with disposable income interested, and not enough stuff for the families that you tried to target to do. If you were under 4 was there even anything to do? If your spouse doesn't care about star wars why not a wing that had shopping like a cruise ship. Or if the dad and billy wanted to cosplay and do star wars, let them. But at any time mommy, baby george, and lucy could take a transport back to earth and go to the magic kingdom (with valid admission ticket of course).

 

[danlb_2000]

That’s the thing about Star Wars though, it is so expansive and there are so many locals and planets, and they chose this never heard of before planet and gave it no kinetic energy and it’s really just a humid more built up Tattooine (with no sand, it gets everywhere).

They then replicated the “No one’s ever heard of trope” for the entirety of the Starcruiser. Why? Because they were so afraid of breaking “canon” that they wanted everything to be new and be connected to everytbing aside from the other way around.

Outside of the placemaking, Universals team members give literally 0 effort to making you think you are really there.

Galaxy's Edge is a very immersive environment, it's just not an environment I want to be immersed in, even as a huge Star Wars fan.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Galaxy's Edge is a very immersive environment, it's just not an environment I want to be immersed in, even as a huge Star Wars fan.

I agree.

 

[FigmentFan82]

GE should have had a downed imperial cruiser that you can go into for an empire themed attraction

 

[WaltsTreasureChest]

I want Darth vader in a Star Wars hotel

 

[GimpYancIent]

GE should have had a downed imperial cruiser that you can go into for an empire themed attraction

Good suggestion. It could have been. Now it will just be an abandoned derelict.

 

[kingdead]

Galaxy's Edge is a very immersive environment, it's just not an environment I want to be immersed in, even as a huge Star Wars fan.

There's nothing there that's in the movies themselves outside the Falcon, is there? No Death Star or sarlaac pit or cantina band or Dagobah hut or, for the prequel heads, podracing. There's almost zero effort put toward making those childhood fantasies real.

In comparison, Wizarding World has Hogsmeade, the Diagon Alley stores, the famous school train, the famous possibly racist goblin bank, and I think you get to go inside Hogwarts itself on Forbidden Journey. I've forgotten a lot of Potter so maybe there's more? But yeah, the overall effect of Galaxy's Edge is like being Luke in the beginning of Episode IV--stuck in a backwater while all the real stuff goes on somewhere else.

 

[DznyRktekt]

There's nothing there that's in the movies themselves outside the Falcon, is there? No Death Star or sarlaac pit or cantina band or Dagobah hut or, for the prequel heads, podracing. There's almost zero effort put toward making those childhood fantasies real.

In comparison, Wizarding World has Hogsmeade, the Diagon Alley stores, the famous school train, the famous possibly racist goblin bank, and I think you get to go inside Hogwarts itself on Forbidden Journey. I've forgotten a lot of Potter so maybe there's more? But yeah, the overall effect of Galaxy's Edge is like being Luke in the beginning of Episode IV--stuck in a backwater while all the real stuff goes on somewhere else.

Race really?

 

[James Alucobond]

There's nothing there that's in the movies themselves outside the Falcon, is there? No Death Star or sarlaac pit or cantina band or Dagobah hut or, for the prequel heads, podracing. There's almost zero effort put toward making those childhood fantasies real.

In comparison, Wizarding World has Hogsmeade, the Diagon Alley stores, the famous school train, the famous possibly racist goblin bank, and I think you get to go inside Hogwarts itself on Forbidden Journey. I've forgotten a lot of Potter so maybe there's more? But yeah, the overall effect of Galaxy's Edge is like being Luke in the beginning of Episode IV--stuck in a backwater while all the real stuff goes on somewhere else.

Most properties don’t have a Hogwarts analogue. The setting is really central to the narrative of Harry Potter, whereas Star Wars just hops planets regularly, with many being nondescript swamps, forests, or wastelands. The droids, vehicles, props, and costumes are much more central to the Star Wars identity than is any particular location.

 

[UNCgolf]

Most properties don’t have a Hogwarts analogue. The setting is really central to the narrative of Harry Potter, whereas Star Wars just hops planets regularly, with many being nondescript swamps, forests, or wastelands. The droids, vehicles, props, and costumes are much more central to the Star Wars identity than is any particular location.

To take this a step further -- while Universal nailed Diagon Alley, they actually botched Hogwarts! You see the exterior and a small part of the interior as the queue for a ride.

As you said, it's central to the narrative and by far the most important setting. It's somewhat understandable that they didn't go all-in when they built Hogsmeade originally, as Hogwarts would have been more expensive/harder to do well, and they didn't know how big of a success it would be. Now, though, it feels crazy that they aren't building Hogwarts as the HP area in Epic Universe.

As for Star Wars -- Naboo is probably the only planet that A. featured heavily in one of the films and is thus recognizable, B. is visually interesting beyond just desert/forest/etc., and C. is not completely infeasible to build (Coruscant, e.g., would be amazing but is not achievable). Naboo is just kind of a vague mashup of Byzantine and Baroque (i.e. not really unique), though, and was never going to be an option for multiple other reasons.

Disney didn't really have any great choices in terms of pulling from the movies for a specific, immersive setting. While I think Galaxy's Edge is relatively disappointing overall, I'm not sure what else they could have done in terms of the location.

 

[CAV]

It was the same people coming back again and again to the point where newcomers would have a problem integrating into the storyline.

This was a really fun experience for a self selecting crowd and there was no way to offset the sour grapes once the price points were announced. Part of the problem is that Galaxy's Edge itself is remarkably poor value for the normal paying guest; it's two rides, one of which is unreliable, and that's it unless you're willing to put more money down. Had there been more free experiences in the park itself or even more exciting, less exclusive upcharges a la the Harry Potter wands, I don't think the Starcruiser would have gotten quite the same backlash, but they chose to design the park in the absolutely most extractive way possible and I don't think that some online griping is a particularly unjust reaction.

Its even funnier the second time. Its not complicated. 1) there is a multitude of Disney fans. 2) there is multitude of Star Wars fans. 3) there is NOT a multitude of Disney Star Wars fans. 4) there a fewer still Disney STYLE Star Wars fans. 5) there is even fewer Disney STYLE Star Wars fans who would pay $6K for a weekend. 6) of that number who would pay $6K, n infinitesimal number would do it year after year.

 

[some other guy]

To take this a step further -- while Universal nailed Diagon Alley, they actually botched Hogwarts! You see the exterior and a small part of the interior as the queue for a ride.

As you said, it's central to the narrative and by far the most important setting. It's somewhat understandable that they didn't go all-in when they built Hogsmeade originally, as Hogwarts would have been more expensive/harder to do well, and they didn't know how big of a success it would be. Now, though, it feels crazy that the HP area in Epic Universe isn't Hogwarts.

As for Star Wars -- Naboo is probably the only planet that A. featured heavily in one of the films and is thus recognizable, B. is visually interesting beyond just desert/forest/etc., and C. is not completely infeasible to build (Coruscant, e.g., would be amazing but is not achievable). Naboo is just kind of vaguely Byzantine/Baroque (i.e. not really unique), though, and was never going to be an option for multiple other reasons.

Disney didn't really have any great options in terms of pulling from the movies for a specific, immersive setting. While I think Galaxy's Edge is relatively disappointing overall, I'm not sure what else they could have done in terms of the location.

I still think the could have done it up as a Worlds' Fair, like the New Republic or whatever they were in lolmousewars sets up a showcase of different worlds, and everybody has their booth, even a few Imperial loyalist remnants as an olive branch.

Race really?

podracing would probably be a much better ride than a movie sequence

 

[MisterPenguin]

I want Darth vader in a Star Wars hotel

I'm not one to kink-shame...

 

[WoundedDreamer]

Galaxy's Edge is a very immersive environment, it's just not an environment I want to be immersed in, even as a huge Star Wars fan.

This is an elephant in the room with Star Wars... The films are about a dystopic sci-fi future (err... past) where an oppressive empire dominates the lives of innocents. The environments in Star Wars are designed to show the social decay that occurs within oppressive regimes. Tatooine is an example of a planet that has been neglected and passed over by the Imperial government. Overtime this has created a vacuum of crime and degeneracy. The planets under Imperial control are dominated by a regime that is willing to kill, steal, and destroy to increase its stranglehold on the planets it governs. The installations of the imperial military are designed to demonstrate a cold and lifeless efficiency that will be ruthless in its quest for domination. One of the messages of Star Wars is that no one is safe from the regime. Naboo and the Cloud City are two examples of beautiful environments filled with people who want to be left alone. But ultimately, war is the outcome regardless. Why? Because evil will not stop at a few conquests or a little oppression. Eventually, the evil will come to your doorstep.

This is the problem with a Star Wars land. The world of Star Wars is not a place we're supposed to want to visit or emulate. They function as warnings. The films are inviting us to stop the evil empire from rising, address social problems and suffering before they metastasize into threats, and fight evil where it exists. The Star Wars world is different from Disneyland and Walt Disney's core ethos. Disney is about inspiring people to take chances and have optimism in the future. Star Wars is about a fight to bring balance to the force, in other words to root out evil and oppression until none is left in the world. Both have their place in the pantheon of great entertainment and storytelling. I love both of these different properties. But it's not entirely unsurprising that Galaxy's Edge is a little uncomfortable to be in. It's materially different from Disneyland and Walt Disney.

Of course... I might be overthinking this.

 

[DznyRktekt]

I was asking why Gringotts was called out as "the famous possibly racist goblin bank".

 

[Robbiem]

I was asking why Gringotts was called out as "the famous possibly racist goblin bank".

Opinion | Why most people still miss these antisemitic tropes in "Harry Potter"

A trending Jon Stewart podcast clip reminds us that as long as fantasies remain structured around antisemitism, Jewish people will be at risk.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The Star Wars world is different from Disneyland and Walt Disney's core ethos. Disney is about inspiring people to take chances and have optimism in the future. Star Wars is about a fight to bring balance to the force, in other words to root out evil and oppression until none is left in the world.

But look at Star Tours. You see the characters you want to see from the film, you do encounter some danger / thrill along the way but overall it’s a fun Disney style adventure.