At the beginning of April we heard that Disney was offering Walt Disney World Annual Passholders up to 30% discount on most voyages for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in April, May and June. Now another voyage date has been added for July 2.
We thought this would come as welcome news to eligible Annual Passholders and we assumed based on the popularity of the DVC voyage which was being offered at a 30% discount that this special offer would seriously boost occupancy for Starcrusier voyages through end June. It is obviously doing just that if Disney has now made the decision to add an extra date.
The current dates still available are:
- April 27, 29
- May 1, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 19, 21, 23, 25, 29, 31
- June 2, 4, 6, 14, 18, 20, 24, 26, 28
- July 2
We can assume that Disney will extend these dates further through July and beyond if they continue to prove successful and with a new wave of Walt Disney World Annual Passholders as a result of recent sales we can safely say we think it will. We also await news of further ways Disney has planned to save the waning popularity of their most immersive experience.
Disney is also currently giving those who want to augment their Disney stay before or after with a stay at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser up to $700 in savings. Guests who book at least a 2-night stay at select Disney Resort hotels when they book a select Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage can get up to $700 off the regular room rate now through September 30, 2023. The two stays must be booked together and the discount will vary depending on the date and which resort is selected.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser had its grand opening back on March 1 and whilst it was initially booked up for majority of the first four months it appears that interest has significantly waned in the last few months. Due to its very hefty price tag it was only ever going to be an option for the wealthiest of Disney fans.
There seemed to be a glimmer of hope for the future of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser for both the company and indeed Disney fans as we heard, according to reporter Scott Gustin, the DVC voyage which is taking place in August is completely sold out.
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Disney Vacation Club Member Voyage is sold out and the waitlist is cutoff due to demand. The Aug. 19-21 voyage was discounted at 30% off and available to eligible DVC members. pic.twitter.com/M4C96rbluK
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 23, 2023
Now, the first sign that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was in trouble was seen at the end of 2022 when the first discount was offered of 30% off original Points Chart values on select 2-night Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser adventures for Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members.
This importantly shows Disney as we have already known, that there is still a lot of interest in the experience but the price point is not right for anyone apart from the extremely wealthy who have seemingly already booked and been. Now with a 30% reduction, the voyage is sold out with others still trying to get a look in.
This will hopefully show Disney that discounts are the clear way to go. With Cast Members already being offered select voyages at 50% we now await news of discounts to the offered to Annual Passholders and then to the general public. There may be hope yet for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and indeed for those with less disposable amounts of cash to get the chance to experience Disney’s most immersive experience yet.
At the beginning of March, Disney sent a news release to travel agents advising them that between October and December 2023 there will be a reduced number of voyages for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. The usual three voyages a week will be reduced to two with the exception of Tuesday October 3 and the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas when a Tuesday departure will be added. Here is what Disney had to say regarding this:
“When the voyage calendar is live, you may notice the schedule has been modified to provide two voyages per week, except for holiday weeks where we may have three voyages. We’ve been learning a lot during our first year of operation and have adjusted voyage dates to meet the needs of our guests.”
In January, Disney canceled a number of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages for select dates in July, August and September due to low-occupancy. Those guests affected have been contacted and offered another date with a 50% reduction.
It was then announced in mid-February that Disney is offering Cast Members around 50% off a standard cabin on select Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages from March through June. The Cast Member or retiree must be the one to make the booking and must also stay in the room with up to three extra guests.
At the end of February we saw that Disney had made the decision to only offer one time for guests to sit down for dinner on the March 6 – 8 voyage rather than the usual two. Dinner has always been offered in two sittings as the dining room is not big enough to accommodate all guests in one go.
Occupancy has certainly dwindled in recent months for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and with this decision it again suggests that it is running at about 50% for certain voyages. We expect to see further voyages being offered with only one dining sitting each evening as we head through 2023.
The 100 roomed Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser offers guests a two-day experience which is said to cost anywhere between $4800-$6000 per stay so with a saving of approximately 50%, Cast Members are certainly looking at a more affordable option around $2400-$3000.
Disney appeared desperate for guests to book in January when a number of our readers noticed Facebook posts which advertised the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and included lesser known characters. There appeared to be quite a few “absolutely loved this” posts from people claiming they were guests on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser which if you look at their profiles have no info at all, no town, school, or jobs. This leads us to question their authenticity. We are looking into this further and will update you with details regarding this.
The experience is billed as being the most immersive Star Wars story ever created where guests have the opportunity to journey to the land far, far away. Guests have choices to make which determine the direction their stay will take as well as learning the art of controlling the infamous lightsaber whilst going on missions inside Star Wars Galaxy Edge. It is surely a dream come true for any Star Wars fan and has been impressing guests since it opened in March 2022.
It however, definitely seems like Disney’s most immersive experience is in trouble. The likely cause of this we assume is that those who can afford it have already done it and for the rest of the Disney and Star Wars fans out there, this was sadly never going to be an option.
Disney is advertising heavily but we expect advertising is not going to be enough. The problem is and has always been the hefty price tag! It is encouraging that we have seen a discount for Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members and now for Disney Cast Members. We hope the next step will be to lower the price for all guests in order to open up this option for further Disney and Star Wars fans to enjoy. If Disney doesn’t do something we predict a significant amount more voyages being canceled before the end of the year.
As we already mentioned, this experience was only ever going to be viable for the wealthiest of Disney fan and the fact may well be that those who can afford it have already been which leaves Disney with a big problem.
Did you see the Facebook posts advertising the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser? What do you think Disney should do to rescue the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser? Let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
