Guests who were part of the final “voyages” aboard the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser received a survey that suggests Disney is reconsidering shuttering the immersive experience completely, according to The Wrap.
Is There Still Hope for the Galactic Starcruiser?
The immersive hotel experience shut its doors on September 30, 2023, closing less than two years after its opening. Guests who were passengers on its final voyages received an “unusually specific” survey that “suggests to some that current [Disney] CEO Bob Iger and other Disney executives may be rethinking their decision to shutter the Starcruiser completely.
In the survey, questions asked appeared to point to a desire to rework the experience and reopen as a more affordable and streamlined offering.
Pre-screening questions in the survey eliminated those in certain professions, like bloggers and journalists, as well as those who completed graduate school. After passing those, participants were paid a fee between $150 and $250, asked to sign an NDA, and given a private link to the live survey.
The questionnaire was comprised of four sections: “Pre-Arrival,” “On Board,” “In Your Room,” and “Overall.” An additional section was also included for guests to fill out titled “Moments That Shaped My Halcyon Starcruiser Experience,” which was broken down day by day with various sections like “Return from Batuu” and “Dinner: Taste Around the Galaxy.”
One question on the survey asked guests how long it took for them to come up with their character, as guests are encouraged (but not required) to roleplay while onboard. Other questions were more general, like asking which events impacted guests’ personal stories, or whether they considered themselves introverts or extroverts.
There were also questions referring to the AI concierge protocol droid D3-09 and the use of the Star Wars “Datapad,” the phone app that guided much of the experience, as well.
With these specific questions, it is possible that Disney could be looking to revive this experience in some form at a lesser cost, or simply could be “trying to exit this thing with as much data possible,” as one designer said to The Wrap.
Back in June, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Josh D’Amaro said “something will happen” with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in an interview, but had “no hints yet” to give. Iger reportedly rejected ideas to retheme Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to something like “The Mandalorian,” or to offer tours for day guests.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opened in March 2022 at Walt Disney World, with the experience priced at nearly $5,000 per cabin. The three-day, two-night immersive adventure offered guests to become part of their own “Star Wars” story, complete with themed meals, live entertainment, and a climactic battle for the galaxy.
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