Disney cancels many summer Galactic Starcruiser voyages

[EilonwyWanderer]

I don't know that anyone is really saying it's not worth it, I think most people are just saying it's prohibitively expensive for the package they're offering. I really cannot convince myself that that amount of money for my family of four isn't better spent elsewhere for a vacation. I'm sure it's amazing, but I'll never know because at that price point it's not for me, it's for people who make a heck of a lot more money than I do and don't mind spending that on what's basically a LARPing weekend. I wish I could do it!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's really hard to say "It's not worth it" if you haven't been. I was on the "This is way too expensive" side of things but my kids wanted the voyage as their Christmas gift so I caved and we went. When I stated above that "It's worth every penny" that is not exaggerating at all.

The experience however is really only set up for those who have little issue parting with their money. I can totally understand where you're coming from where you're saying it's worth it but the complaints about the costs are largely because at that price point it's not even a conversation about value for the money spent, it's that the money spent is too high to even consider it at least seriously.

I don't really have a large issue with the cost, it was designed to keep fervor but not too much such that it was too accessible but it's going to require a certain type of person to pay that amount. What they've found is that they underestimated their pool of people willing to do so even in the midst of travel rebounding fiercely they've struggled. This type of experience with the cost so high cannot rely on repeat visitors because few are going to pay that multiple times over so they need newcomers in a frequent enough pace to keep it going. There have been many reports of lower than hoped occupancy for a long enough time that I think we can tell the shortcomings to the current iteration of it.

 

[CarolynFH]

The actors were top notch and the emotions they showed were about as real as emotions can get. They put 110% into their roles and no one ever broke character.

I think this is an important point. It might be difficult for Disney to maintain an adequate staff of talented, enthusiastic actors, especially if they can’t maintain steady employment for them. OTOH, maybe they have steady employment at WDW in a variety of roles in addition to their Starcruiser roles.

 

[Brocktoon]

I predict that eventually Batuu and the hotel will both be rethemed to the OT. That's the SW that's proved enduring.

They put Batuu and GC together when it looked like the sequels were going to be hugely popular, based on The Force Awakens' success. Then Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker came out.

Pretty sure Disney and the LucasFilm folks built in a plan for retheming the Halcyon if needed, as they built an 'in canon' history with appearances in various eras. The Halcyon has been around since the High Republic era allowing retheming for:

- High Republic era - lots of new media / The Acolyte
- Clone Wars era - Eps 1-3
- Rebellion Era - Eps 4-6
- New Republic Era - Eps 7-9 and beyond

I'd think the OT Rebellion era would be the 1st of any special retheming we'd see, but they can change up the Halcyon for anything Star Wars that is popular from the High Republic onwards

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

Just got an email offering $700 off a 2 night stay at Disney World if you book it with a Starcruiser Voyage.

Are they spying on my Disboard conversations?!

Still have to pay full price for the Star Wars Cruise so that's never happening!

 

[_19disnA]

Too funny that this is a topic and I got an email from Disney today offering a reduced price. Clearly the demand is dropping off to be offering discounts.

 

[Marrila]

Too funny that this is a topic and I got an email from Disney today offering a reduced price. Clearly the demand is dropping off to be offering discounts.

View attachment 734648

I received the same offer in the last hour.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I got the e-mail offer as well.

 

[_19disnA]

Haven't been to Disney since 2019. Perhaps that offer went to everyone who has an MDE account?

 

[desertgirl]

We have never paid a cover charge for Oga's.

Maybe they are referring to the price of the park ticket?

 

[Chuck96]

It’s $700 of your regular resort stay from the rack rate only. Not nothing, but not much either. That said, I hope everyone who wants to do this gets the chance to do it as originally Designed. It’s not for me, but I am heartened that paying customers with real interest have enjoyed themselves and felt it was worth the expense.

 

[gharter]

Sadly, this isn't a surprise. It looks like a fun trip, but grossly overpriced.
As rumors have suggested, allowing people to book a day on the Halcion would, IMHO only make that worse unless it was a day when the 2 day trips weren't happening.

 

[Dizzy Lizzie]

By the looks of things it seems Disney didn’t put much thought into this hotel. I like idea of it. I think pretending to be apart of the SW universe sounds fun. But for that price? No.

Also a lot of SW fans aren’t happy with Disney. The new movies were a disappointment for many. So you can cross off those people willing to partake.

Then you have people who have no interest in roleplaying.

They should have just built a SW theme hotel with special events that can happen while staying there. You can part take in activities that allow you to pretend to be in SW universe. Have those gusts stay in the area of the hotel dedicated to those activities. Or just allow your guests decide how much they want to be apart of the role play. Or just have a restaurant with a dinner theater. I just feel like Disney could have handle this better.

 

[Mle8308]

Too funny that this is a topic and I got an email from Disney today offering a reduced price. Clearly the demand is dropping off to be offering discounts.

View attachment 734648

It's not $700 off a Starcruiser voyage, it's off your regular Disney hotel if you stay before or after your voyage. A little confusing if you don't read it closely.

 

[RoseGold]

I didn't get the email, guess they know from tracking my phone I don't care about Star Wars and don't pay cash for Disney hotels, LOL.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I didn't get the email, guess they know from tracking my phone I don't care about Star Wars and don't pay cash for Disney hotels, LOL.

We haven't stayed on site since 2017. It's just marketing. I got a lot after the WDW 2017 trip including pin codes, even my husband got some. After we went to DLR in 2019 majority of my e-mail offers are actually DLR related but I still get WDW. When we went to WDW in 2022 I had already gotten a few e-mail stuff from WDW and then continued to get stuff afterwards. We've never stayed deluxe or mod just that one time at a Value.

Has nothing to do with your interest or means to pay cash for Disney hotels.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's not $700 off a Starcruiser voyage, it's off your regular Disney hotel if you stay before or after your voyage. A little confusing if you don't read it closely.

Yeah my hypothesis is they are trying to encourage people to make a trip out of and are trying to sweeten the deal.

The tagline for the e-mail was "Choose your path and become a part of your own Star Wars story, then relax and unwind at a Disney Resort hotel." Plus in the fine print it says "Resort hotel stay must occur on dates immediately before or after the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage, but does not need to be on consecutive nights. A maximum of 2 nights in a Resort hotel room may be booked with this offer." So they are kinda making it easier for someone to come for a more encompassing stay but it brings me back to my original comments on this thread about the hassles and atmosphere that is WDW these days.

 

[Marrila]

We haven't stayed on site since 2017. It's just marketing. I got a lot after the WDW 2017 trip including pin codes, even my husband got some. After we went to DLR in 2019 majority of my e-mail offers are actually DLR related but I still get WDW. When we went to WDW in 2022 I had already gotten a few e-mail stuff from WDW and then continued to get stuff afterwards. We've never stayed deluxe or mod just that one time at a Value.

Has nothing to do with your interest or means to pay cash for Disney hotels.

The offer appears to be only WDW Resort Hotels, not the DVC properties.
I think they are attempting to sell a compromise between one part of a family that is Star Wars or die, and the rest who want a typical theme park vacation including a nice pool.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The offer appears to be only WDW Resort Hotels, not the DVC properties.
I think they are attempting to sell a compromise between one part of a family that is Star Wars or die, and the rest who want a typical theme park vacation including a nice pool.

I didn't say it was for DVC properties so not sure what you're referring to unless you meant to quote the other poster. I'm just saying it's all marketing, who they send stuff to always is marketing. It doesn't mean they assume you have no interest in something or don't have the financial means to do it so why bother (although I'm assuming the PP might have been sarcastic there).

 

[Marrila]

I didn't say it was for DVC properties so not sure what you're referring to unless you meant to quote the other poster. I'm just saying it's all marketing, who they send stuff to always is marketing. It doesn't mean they assume you have no interest in something or don't have the financial means to do it so why bother (although I'm assuming the PP might have been sarcastic there).

I think they must have numbers that indicate they are close to saturating the market for the expensive star wars immersion experience.
They seem to be testing a compromise and sending it to a wide variety of potential guests.
I agree, it's all marketing.