After announcing that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will permanently close in Fall 2023, Walt Disney World reopened bookings and quickly sold out all remaining voyages.
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BAY LAKE, Fla. – Walt Disney World's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is beginning its final voyage Thursday before closing permanently. Walt Disney World announced back in May that the immersive Star Wars hotel experience would be closing after nearly two years in operation.
– 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.
– Walt Disney World's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is beginning its final voyage Thursday before closing permanently. Walt Disney World announced back in May that the immersive Star Wars hotel experience would be closing after nearly two years in operation.
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.
Scrapping the infamous Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel cost Disney $250 million, the company announced in its quarterly earnings call last week. With only 100 guest rooms, that breaks down to $2.5 million per room for the failed venture.
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.
Walt Disney World has just announced that they are permanently canceling all Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyages after September 30, 2023. The final voyage will take place on September 28-30, 2023.
Speaking on May 22 in Boston at a J.P. Morgan investor conference, Disney parks chairman Josh D'Amaro stated the obvious: “It didn't perform exactly like we wanted it to perform,” he said. “Despite the fact it was a never-before-seen experience and raised the bar, we thought it was time to sunset this in September.”
Turns out the galaxy doesn't contain enough Star Wars die-hards willing to pay for such a high-touch, high-cost experience, industry observers and experts say. “How many people who are superfans want to put in the time and the emotional expenditure of spending two days in a fully immersive experience?”
We loved this new experience at Disneyland! We are Star Wars and Disneyland fans, so we were excited to visit Galaxy's Edge. This new land at the park is very well done. The architecture, Disney cast, and the Millennium Falcon make for an immersive experience.
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.
Disney World tends to be cheaper overall for stays of one night or more, largely due to Florida's lower hotel prices. But for some expenses, like tickets and food, Disneyland is cheaper.
Billed as an immersive experience where guests can interact with characters from the “Star Wars” franchise, the 100-room hotel requires guests to book a minimum of two nights, priced at about $5,000 per couple and closer to $6,000 for a family of four. The cost of a “tricked out” suite jumps to $20,000.