The biggest new addition coming to Walt Disney World isn’t a new roller coaster, it’s a hotel. The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is promising to be unlike anything guests have ever experienced. It’s not simply a hotel, but a two night adventure that can put guests inside their own Star Wars story. And last night we got a look at some of what we’ll actually see inside the Galactic Starcruiser thanks to a Disney holiday special and The Goldbergs' Sean Giambrone.
However, if the special preview that was made part of last night’s The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration, was meant to get people excited for the Galactic Starcruiser and send people racing to their phones to make reservations, that’s maybe not what happened. A lot of people on Twitter were clearly underwhelmed by what they saw.
$6,000-$10,000 for two nights https://t.co/d9j7LUUV1nNovember 29, 2021
The preview last night showed us a few things that had been announced, but in a more tangible fashion. We got to see the “bridge” of the Halcyon starship, and we got to watch Sean Giambrone pull a level to get to send the ship into hyperspace. We know the bridge will have some interactive elements including being able to defend the ship from attack.
We also got to see Gaia perform. She will be one of the characters on board that guests will be able to see and potentially interact with. Part of the sell of the Galactic Starcruiser is that a Star Wars-style story will be taking place around you during your stay, and you’ll have the ability to become part of that story as well.
Why do all the marketing shots of Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser make it look more Launch Bay than Galaxys Edge? I ask this as someone who is 1. invested (we have a reservation) and 2. very excited about the idea.November 29, 2021
But there’s a general feeling from many fans that what they’re actually seeing here just isn’t that impressive. It’s not that it isn’t good or that the Galactic Starcruiser won’t be fun, but it’s difficult not to consider the price tag. The Galactic StarCruiser will cost you thousands of dollars for only two days and nights and for that price, people are expecting something truly special and this maybe isn't it.
I have to keep reminding myself that TWDC is a mega corporation who does oodles of market research and feasibility testing and would not build something so disconnected from guests wants, needs, and desires (even if they are affluent). Right? Right??November 29, 2021
While some might not be that impressed, it hasn’t stopped the Galactic Starcruiser from selling out for its first few months of operation. Of course, that adds another layer of questions to last night’s preview. The fact is that in an average TV viewing audience, most people are not going to be in the financial position to be able to afford two nights on the Galactic Starcruiser. And those that can, if they wanted to go book right now, would have a long time to wait. So even using this TV time to promote seems odd.
I love the ambition of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and want it to be a long-term success, but I'm confused by mainstream marketing of an expensive, boutique experience that's already sold out for months. Is this going to accomplish anything positive, or set up disappointment?November 29, 2021
Certainly, there’s a lot more to the Galactic Starcruiser than being able to pull one lever or see one live musical performance, some of it likely isn’t ready to show off yet, and most is probably being kept intentionally behind the curtain. The best marketing for Galactic Starcruiser won’t be clips in TV specials. It will be once people actually visit the Starcruiser. If people have good things to say after actually experiencing it, if they believe it's worth the money, they’ll tell their friends and then those friends will consider making the trip.
