News Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to permanently close this fall

[TP2000]

It’s just there so, so few rooms. So the labor alone makes it tough to justify.

That they couldn't fill. They already were shutting this hotel down two days a week in mid-summer. And for months now they've only had enough total capacity to run a half-filled dining room for one dinner service per night, or 40% or less of hotel capacity.

More rooms for the experience they were providing would have made things even worse.

 

[ChrisFL]

And yet even then, it was a value engineered and cheaped out version of the original "luxury cruise ship in space" concept they announced this thing with originally. Yet again, the released concept art at D23 Expo was wildly optimistic and outright dishonest compared to what actually showed up.



That is such a huge part of this failure. They promised a Star Wars Luxury Cruise Ship!, but they gave us a weirdly off-brand and cringey environment that had an uncomfortable similarity to a Star Wars Nite youth group party in a church basement.

Agreed, and that pic makes it look better than many other pics I've seen. The whole thing felt very generic sci-fi with a few Star Wars elements randomly around

 

[SteamboatJoe]

Classic OT wouldn’t have saved this either. There so much SW content now that people don’t need to leave their house for it

Not this exact concept but imagine if they had built a traditional resort with sections themed after an Imperial Base, Mos Eisley, and the Ewok village.

 

[Chippah]

Galactic Line Dancing ends this fall.

 

[TP2000]

So I heard from someone who knows … that the true development cost of the Starcruiser was more like $250 million for the building and close to $1 billion for the concept.

Ouch.

My goodness. I assume the concept development costs go back to the weird LARP'ing (sp?) role playing game they built in Disneyland's Frontierland back in 2014? That was obviously the first play tests WDI did for a role playing type concept.

But even then, if the project costs can be traced back to relatively small outlays starting in Fiscal 2014, that price tag for this failure seems almost criminal. Not just idiotic, as the Parks and WDI executives of the past half decade have already proven themselves to be idiots.

This seems... almost criminal.

And where is Ann Morrow today, I wonder? Did she go into the office today, or is she taking a few Comp Days into the weekend?

So, now can we call this a failure?

I think we're safe now!

 

[MagicHappens1971]

And where is Ann Morrow today, I wonder? Did she go into the office today, or is she taking a few Comp Days into the weekend?

I think we're safe now!

I'm pretty sure she got promoted after working on Starcruiser, I think she is like the VP of Blue Sky development or something

 

[TP2000]

I'm pretty sure she got promoted after working on Starcruiser, I think she is like the VP of Blue Sky development or something

Of course she did.

I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

I'm pretty sure she got promoted after working on Starcruiser, I think she is like the VP of Blue Sky development or something

Yes, she just got an industry award a few weeks ago.

Does VP of Blue Sky development ask IBM Blue what the data says to build next?

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

why do we dislike this so much?

If Len Testa’s sources are accurate, we could’ve had two mini lands instead, or the equivalent of two SWGE in Orlando.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Of course she did.

I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

People can have their gripes about Starcruiser, but the experience was truly unique and creative. Overpriced? Yes. Uncreative? No.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Yes, she just got an industry award a few weeks ago.

Does VP of Blue Sky development ask IBM Blue what the data says to build next?

Yeah I believe it was the Starcruiser's second THEA award.

 

[GhostHost1000]

He is the poster child for the saying, being nice will take you a long way because his bad investments is what caused all of this but Disney fans acted like they won the power ball when it was announced he was coming back. The pandemic made things worse but they wouldn’t be this bad if he didn’t double down on NBA, ESPN, Fox, & a non profitable business in streaming before it.

I can’t help but feel like he purposely chose someone as unlikeable as Bob C as his replacement so he could take the brunt of all the cuts caused by his overspending, that the pandemic made things impossible to hide then once everything settled down he would come back as the hero and “fix” everything.

You figured it out.

Bob 1 is bad

Bob 2 was setup, hand picked by Bob 1 and should have never been a CEO

Bob 1 comes back and throws Bob 2 under the bus and blames for all

 

[Disstevefan1]

He is the poster child for the saying, being nice will take you a long way because his bad investments is what caused all of this but Disney fans acted like they won the power ball when it was announced he was coming back. The pandemic made things worse but they wouldn’t be this bad if he didn’t double down on NBA, ESPN, Fox, & a non profitable business in streaming before it.

I can’t help but feel like he purposely chose someone as unlikeable as Bob C as his replacement so he could take the brunt of all the cuts caused by his overspending, that the pandemic made things impossible to hide then once everything settled down he would come back as the hero and “fix” everything.

 

[skimbob]

Not surprised at all. A very overpriced resort.

 

[Disstevefan1]

You figure it out.

Bob 1 is bad

Bob 2 was setup, hand picked by Bob 1 and should have never been a CEO

Bob 1 comes back and throws Bob 2 under the bus and blames for all

 

[TalkingHead]

Lake Nona cancelled, Starcruiser closing…

Indy 5 is premiering at Cannes today. Holding my breath for the ultimate Iger-era hat trick.

Update: Indy 5 currently rotten on RT. Glad Iger flew to Cannes to achieve the hat trick in person.




(Ok, ok, only rotten based on a handful of reviews but still a very magical day for the fearless leader)

 

[FettFan]

Is there a possibility the Galatic Starcruiser could be connected to Galaxy's Edge as some type of expansion?

My bet is that they’ll scale it down, add a few more annexes and turn it into another Moderate resort.

Same thing happened to the Disney Institute Resort… now it’s Saratoga Springs.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

My bet is that they’ll scale it down, add a few more annexes and turn it into another Moderate resort.

Same thing happened to the Disney Institute….now it’s Saratoga Springs.

I dunno. At least the All Stars have windows and pools.

 

[mattpeto]

Remember how they turned Universe of Energy into a show building?

At the very least, that’s where they should start: Expand DHS/GE to retrofit Starcuiser and build new attraction using the space. Use the projected revenue from ILL to fund the project.

Some have suggestions they could make the restaurant a Hoop De Doo experience as well.

It’s probably destined to be a DVC, where they will add wings, pools, etc. It can’t stay 100 rooms with bunkbeds.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

As someone who doesn’t know much about financials, if they just shutter the building and never use it, they can write it off as a loss, right?

If they repurpose it, can they still do the same?