Note that your golden ticket says "Upon purchase of" a spaceship. Not "when I hand you a spaceship I'll also hand you some loot, you stoner you." the contents of the GTs hasn't been officially announced yet, but it has been heavily implied that it'll be a skin or some token in game item. Flight suit with a badge/etc.
As to what'll become of disco? I imagine that the server will continue to serve as a refuge for both persons who maintain computer rigs that aren't up to the task of managing more contemporary games and those who feel that their principle enjoyment is derived from maintaining long sought positions of authority.
Within SC itself I'm sure we'll see at least a solid dozen startup "Discovery" servers initiated by persons who wish to sit in a high chair but are otherwise uncertain about moving forward with development, ala Tenacity.
People looking for semi-RP environments like Discovery, should they play, will possibly migrate towards player squadrons that promise to maintain the same. Valinor Deep Space/Sanctuary Republic and so on while waiting to see if a legitimate private server pops up. Likely losing interest in a private server with its drama and development issues in favor of the larger persistent universe.
