How much did Disney lose on Galactic Starcruiser?

Disney Parks made a surprising announcement in May: its Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience in Orlando, Florida, will close in September after just ~18 months. During the Walt Disney Company's Q3 earnings call, the company revealed that the closure would result in a $250m loss.



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But the Starcruiser was also said to be immensely costly to operate, primarily because it employed a cast of about a dozen core actors who had to perform and interact with guests in full-day shifts. The Galactic Starcruiser features about a dozen core actors who interact with guests throughout the two-day experience.

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And while it received glowing reviews from guests, ultimately it performed below Disney's expectations, according to Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D'Amaro. “It didn't perform exactly like we wanted it to perform, so we decided that we were going to sunset this in September,” D'Amaro said.

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– Disney announced earlier this year that the company would be closing its Star Wars-themed “Galactic Starcruiser” hotel, with its final voyage scheduled from Sept. 28-30.

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In its most recent quarterly report, Disney revealed an embarrassing $250 million loss on its overpriced Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel.

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Alcoholic drinks on board the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser are not included in the vacation package and must be paid for separately. Some non-alcoholic drinks are included (like soda and coffee), but alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty drinks require additional payment.

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Launched with tremendous fanfare in March 2022, the Galactic Starcruiser had spent the good part of a decade in development and took an estimated $400 million to build, according to Dennis Speigel, founder and CEO of International Theme Park Services, an industry consulting firm.

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After spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build an immersive “Star Wars”-themed hotel at Walt Disney World, Disney said on Thursday that, amid sweeping corporate cost-cutting, it would close the underperforming attraction in September, only about 18 months after it opened.

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On May 18, when Disney announced that it was shutting down its ambitious Star Wars-themed Galactic Starcruiser hotel in Orlando at the end of September, just 19 months after opening, company executives did not immediately elaborate on what went wrong, framing the closure as merely “a business decision.”

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It just failed to generate enough interest. The sticker shock lasted longer than the novelty value. I'll take my lumps, putting out a video ahead of its debut detailing the five reasons why Galactic Starcruiser will succeed. It lasted just 19 months.

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What if you need to leave in the middle of your stay? Passengers are able to leave the Galactic Starcruiser at any point throughout their stay.

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One of the reasons a stay at the Galactic Starcruiser is so expensive is that it's more like a cruise experience rather than a hotel. Most meals and activities onboard are included in the price.

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One factor is that people may be less interested in theme parks. From what we're seeing with our bookings, that pent-up demand has somewhat transitioned to cruises and Europe, Greg Antonelle, the co-owner of Florida travel agency MickeyTravels, told the Journal.

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Your starcruiser voyage includes a 2-night stay in a cabin or suite with cosmic views of planets, stars, and other ships traveling through the galaxy. Standard Cabins can comfortably sleep 4 to 5 passengers, Galaxy Class Suites sleep 4 passengers, and Grand Captain's Suites sleep up to 8.

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