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Post by helenabear on May 27, 2023 7:32:25 GMT -5
Well. Today being 5/26, I attempted to make a reservation on the Halcyon for DW anytime near her June birthday. When I first called, the web page of availability dates showed nothing after 7/1, but there were two plausible two-day period voyages in June. I called, went through the automated option tree, was given a short (7 min) wait-time, and then was kicked out to normal reservations (not for the Starcruiser), where I was told to try the Halcyon number again and invited to take a survey regarding the (very nice) cast member who took my call to tell me she couldn't help me. This was repeated four more times, while I kept calling back. Interestingly, the projected wait time contracted monotonically across the calls. In the middle of the set, the available pair of June dates disappeared. On the final call, when I was dumped into normal reservations, the rather brusque woman told me that they were sold out for all room categories, June through September. Interestingly, she did not suggest I take a survey. Someone clearly underestimated pent-up demand for Halcyon voyages in setting the service termination date -- a circumstance likely to attract media commentary, as it will disappoint some stockholders as well as Star Wars fans.  Honestly more of FOMO is my guess. And an ability to say one did it for whatever status reason. |
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Post by bakerworld on May 27, 2023 7:41:11 GMT -5
We're not into role playing or halloween outfits so it never appealed to us. DH would read all the stuff about it but I don't like when the guards talk to us at Rise (maybe if they were projections) cause I find it confusing. We pulled up to the Edge entrance last October I found it very unimpressive. DH said that's what Star Wars looks like - a bunker. We walked around Star Wars land in HS and I guess he's right. Frankly, living in a bunker with crap beds and weird food doesn't do much for me. 5K for 3 nights = a hard pass - LOL
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Post by BWV Dreamin on May 27, 2023 10:48:43 GMT -5
We're not into role playing or halloween outfits so it never appealed to us. DH would read all the stuff about it but I don't like when the guards talk to us at Rise (maybe if they were projections) cause I find it confusing. We pulled up to the Edge entrance last October I found it very unimpressive. DH said that's what Star Wars looks like - a bunker. We walked around Star Wars land in HS and I guess he's right. Frankly, living in a bunker with crap beds and weird food doesn't do much for me. 5K for 3 nights = a hard pass - LOL Same!!  |
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Post by oldhalfelf on May 28, 2023 11:06:23 GMT -5
And now, the latest news from Rey's transportation provider when she can't get the Millenium Falcon .... At disneyworld.disney.go.com/star-wars-galactic-starcruiser/planning/ there is: "As of May 26, 2023 at 4:30pm ET, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is unavailable for new bookings.
"However, availability may still be subject to change and a very limited number of rooms could become available for new bookings from time to time. Please continue to check the website for any updates to availability."
DW is still interested in dressing up as Jocasta Nu or one of her Jedi Library brethren. With regard to ongoing date availability, the Starcruiser reservation page should have paraphrased Jocasta Nu's famous remark: "If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist."Of course, Nu was proven wrong .... |
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Post by oldhalfelf on May 28, 2023 13:28:16 GMT -5
-- Update -- Two hours ago, there was no calendar at disneyworld.disney.go.com/star-wars-galactic-starcruiser/planning/ . Ten minutes ago, there was the full multi-month calendar with one opening date shown: July 2nd. I called instantly, and received a nine minute wait-time projection. After about three minutes I was connected and told that the one opening had been booked. Moral for anyone interested: the "...continue to check..." instruction is for real, if only for single availabilities. |
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Post by DrMinnie on Jun 2, 2023 22:59:04 GMT -5
-- Update -- Two hours ago, there was no calendar at disneyworld.disney.go.com/star-wars-galactic-starcruiser/planning/ . Ten minutes ago, there was the full multi-month calendar with one opening date shown: July 2nd. I called instantly, and received a nine minute wait-time projection. After about three minutes I was connected and told that the one opening had been booked. Moral for anyone interested: the "...continue to check..." instruction is for real, if only for single availabilities.  That’s great!! You’ll love it. |
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Post by rigby on Jun 9, 2023 9:00:20 GMT -5
fuzzylogic Just got home from our trip on the Starcruiser and let me just say you’re in for it! It was hands down the greatest thing we’ve ever done at Disney. My son who’s been to Disney almost every year of his life (he’s now 11) and sometimes twice a year and who’s been on five Disney cruises said this was the best vacation we’ve ever been on! The whole thing is just mind blowing! If you have any questions hit me up. 
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Post by MinnieMom on Jun 12, 2023 17:17:39 GMT -5
rigby - that's awesome! Glad you were able to do it and enjoyed it so much!
No questions, just happy for you.
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Post by rigby on Jun 12, 2023 18:07:53 GMT -5
rigby - that's awesome! Glad you were able to do it and enjoyed it so much! No questions, just happy for you. Thanks so much! We all can’t believe they’re closing it up. We would’ve booked it again for sure. You miss so much. It would be really interesting to see what other guests stories were like. We all actually miss being there. Real life is weird when you were saving the galaxy with Chewie a couple days ago. It was the most fun we’ve had as a family maybe ever. We were all working together and it felt like you were in a real adventure at times. The actors were amazing and all deserve Oscars. It’s depressing to think that more people won’t get to experience what they all created. The Imagineers truly outdid themselves. It’s memorizing how much is going on at any one time and they pull it all together in the end. It’s Disney magic at its best!! |
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Post by jedimom3 on Jun 13, 2023 7:31:39 GMT -5
rigby - that's awesome! Glad you were able to do it and enjoyed it so much! No questions, just happy for you. Thanks so much! We all can’t believe they’re closing it up. We would’ve booked it again for sure. You miss so much. It would be really interesting to see what other guests stories were like. We all actually miss being there. Real life is weird when you were saving the galaxy with Chewie a couple days ago. It was the most fun we’ve had as a family maybe ever. We were all working together and it felt like you were in a real adventure at times. The actors were amazing and all deserve Oscars. It’s depressing to think that more people won’t get to experience what they all created. The Imagineers truly outdid themselves. It’s memorizing how much is going on at any one time and they pull it all together in the end. It’s Disney magic at its best!! So glad y'all had such an amazing experience!! I've read/heard so many reports of how incredible the CMs are there, and how they just go above and beyond. So great y'all got to have so much fun before it went away. It is always such a shock to get back to reality! |
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Post by fuzzylogic on Jun 15, 2023 14:06:44 GMT -5
fuzzylogic Just got home from our trip on the Starcruiser and let me just say you’re in for it! It was hands down the greatest thing we’ve ever done at Disney. My son who’s been to Disney almost every year of his life (he’s now 11) and sometimes twice a year and who’s been on five Disney cruises said this was the best vacation we’ve ever been on! The whole thing is just mind blowing! If you have any questions hit me up. I didn't get this till now... We're back after almost two weeks... but... Wow. You couldn't be more right on. :-) I've been asked about it several times and it's almost impossible to describe. It was a phenomenal and really -- unprecedented experience Disney created here. It's not an attraction, a hotel, any of that. Like even RISE -- handles thousands of people that essentially watch and experience a ride -- here you are part of a nonstop interactive world. It worked so well for little kids and older kids alike. So much to discover, events to unfold, paths to choose. Really amazing. It is sad that at 400-500 guests per voyage, less than 100K guests will ever get to experience this. |
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Post by rigby on Jun 15, 2023 14:36:02 GMT -5
fuzzylogic Just got home from our trip on the Starcruiser and let me just say you’re in for it! It was hands down the greatest thing we’ve ever done at Disney. My son who’s been to Disney almost every year of his life (he’s now 11) and sometimes twice a year and who’s been on five Disney cruises said this was the best vacation we’ve ever been on! The whole thing is just mind blowing! If you have any questions hit me up. I didn't get this till now... We're back after almost two weeks... but... Wow. You couldn't be more right on. :-) I've been asked about it several times and it's almost impossible to describe. It was a phenomenal and really -- unprecedented experience Disney created here. It's not an attraction, a hotel, any of that. Like even RISE -- handles thousands of people that essentially watch and experience a ride -- here you are part of a nonstop interactive world. It worked so well for little kids and older kids alike. So much to discover, events to unfold, paths to choose. Really amazing. It is sad that at 400-500 guests per voyage, less than 100K guests will ever get to experience this. So glad you guys had a great time! It really was unlike anything we’ve ever done before or even heard of. It’s so sad that they aren’t trying to tweak it a bit so that more people can experience what they did. I have to say though that they really botched the advertising on this one. Most of our friends are not Disney freaks and they all think we’ve lost our minds going as much as we do. That said, almost all of them love Star Wars and some have more money than most. None of them had any idea what we were doing when I told them we booked the Star Wars hotel at Disney. They hadn’t even heard of it. Someone really dropped the ball on that one.  |
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Post by fuzzylogic on Jun 16, 2023 7:00:59 GMT -5
So glad you guys had a great time! It really was unlike anything we’ve ever done before or even heard of. It’s so sad that they aren’t trying to tweak it a bit so that more people can experience what they did. I have to say though that they really botched the advertising on this one. Most of our friends are not Disney freaks and they all think we’ve lost our minds going as much as we do. That said, almost all of them love Star Wars and some have more money than most. None of them had any idea what we were doing when I told them we booked the Star Wars hotel at Disney. They hadn’t even heard of it. Someone really dropped the ball on that one. Agree, this was not a content failure it was a marketing failure. Everything they built and did nailed what surely the designers and fans wanted. And I was in that camp that was going to try this from the moment it was announced -- waited for it, and booked. Ads I saw tho, didn't inspire even me. They showed pics of kids fighting with light sabers or whatever and called it a cruise much like they call visiting Batuu in SWGE the same kind of thing. They didn't differentiate it as something truly special. Part of the problem is much of SWGE is so immersive already so to call this immersive likens it to SWGE -- but with a depth no Disney-goer or non- Star Wars fan would assume. Was neat that it accommodated the all-in cosplay fan who wanted to be in the story and shooting the breeze with the bartender about your voyages as much as the fly on the wall who wanted to watch their kids enjoy or the stories unfold. Hopefully this does not signal "don't try things like this" but rather "keep pushing boundaries and trying the next exciting thing even better". |
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Post by jflatto on Jun 16, 2023 7:22:34 GMT -5
It was not just marketing but also financial. As a Star Wars fan, this might have been of interest but not at the prices they were looking at. The prices were ridiculous. It is possible that poor marketing on why the experience was different and worth more than the advertising showed might have made a difference but at the costs Disney was charging, the cost was too big a hurdle to overcome on a long term basis. Of course, it didn't help that the last two movies were poorly received as well as the flood of other content such as Marvel and DC that made Star Wars less attractive to some families.
Converting this is a half day or full day experience, especially with changing scenarios might make this viable. I hope so.
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