Right.
I'm not talking about the aspects of the Starcruiser that are typically part of the theme park experience. I'm a regular parks visitor and participant on a WDW discussion board– you think I don't know what's typical to the theme park experience?
I'm talking about the elements of the Starcruiser that aren't typically part of the theme park experience, like the degree of gamification, interactivity, role-playing, etc. Surely you can recognize that there was something novel about what Disney did here.
Much of it was indeed rumored to have initially been planned for inclusion in Galaxy's Edge. I, for one, would like to see them follow through with that and implement them in the parks. Specifically, the "reputation score," some actual gamification, being sent on "missions" (beyond crate scanning) by characters, etc.
Are they? Do tell! LOL.
I'm aware of (and have experienced) some of these: mystery dinners, escape rooms, Medieval Times, MagiQuest, etc. Some that have lasted many years don't seem to be much better than this was in terms of quality. Perhaps lower pricing = lower expectations.
Oh, they've learned a whole lot more than that! If you watched Jenny's video, you'll know that she pointed to things like Phineas and Ferb's Showcase Adventure (2012), Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (2012), A Pirate's Adventures: The Treasures of the Seven Seas (2013), and the Legends of Frontierland (2014) interactive games as being playtests for the Starcruiser. These were all included in park admission, but added a level of interactivity that was pretty innovative at the time. Those playtests must have revealed strong and broad appeal and high enough guest satisfaction that Disney thought they could charge a premium for an exclusive (and two-night) version themed to Star Wars.
But you'll notice the Starcruiser didn't include animated set pieces like those games featured. Seems like another strike against the Starcruiser.
For many decades the theme parks have had people meet characters, and explore stories in various intimate ways, including moments like Olivanders and building a light saber with great success.
Yes, the lightsaber build/ritual at Savi's workshop is one of the few interactive things that did make it into SW:GE, and it's a pretty big upcharge at $250!
When I was a kid, we were regulars at Knott's Berry Farm. Despite being the ugliest, least-convincing dummy I'd ever seen, Old Sad-Eye Joe in the ghost town jail somehow always knew my name. And that made a lasting memory!
In my opinion, the Starcruiser was a pretty big innovation in the same vein. It included a degree of complexity (technological, logistic, and storytelling) that hasn't really been done before on this scale and for general audiences. Maybe it was just ahead of its time, or maybe there just isn't the market for it. But I think Disney was on to something, and I'd like to see more of it down the road (at a lower cost, that is).