Disney Reveals Just How Much Money It Lost on Overpriced Star Wars Hotel. 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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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.
Staffing alone was a huge cost, but that's not it. Starcruiser had far more 'moving parts' than a standard hotel, so maintenance and upkeep also would've been significant costs. It's also probable that $300 million does not represent the entire cost of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
How are Disney parks doing financially? As of Q2 of FY 2023, things were looking up for the parks, but the revenues for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products for that quarter (Q2 of FY 2023) did increase by 17%.
A Disney spokeswoman attributed the Galactic Starcruiser's cost to the way it thoroughly immerses guests in a fantasy world. Beyond the hotel room, the price includes expedited theme-park admission, entertainment, food and experiences like lightsaber training.
Pushing Buttons: Why the closure of Disney's Star Wars hotel isn't the end of immersive gaming. Next month, Disney's immersive Galactic Starcruiser “Star Wars hotel” in Florida will shut down, less than two years after opening.
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.
Between the steep prices, the lack of typical hotel amenities, and the reliance on modern characters in the franchise, the hotel was a tough sell for many guests. Despite the shortcomings, however, Harmon said he had to give credit where credit is due.
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.
– 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.
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?”
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.”
So, how much does it cost to rent out Disney World for the day? The cost to do this will run in the $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 range to rent out a Disney World park, depending on the park as well as the time of the year.