Next month, Disney's immersive Galactic Starcruiser “Star Wars hotel” in Florida will shut down, less than two years after opening.
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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?”
– 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.
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.
The marketing surrounding Galactic Starcruiser didn't quite manage to show you what to expect, especially in the first few promo spots – Disney actually scrapped their initial “first look” promos due to incredibly negative backlash, and the reputation of the Starcruiser never really recovered.
What happened to the widely heralded attraction? 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.
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.
– 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 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.
Passengers are able to leave the Galactic Starcruiser at any point throughout their stay. Just let a Crew Member know that you need to leave and they will escort you onto a Launch Pod back to planet Earth.
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.
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.
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.
Despite all of the careful thought, planning and effort that was poured into creating such a fascinating experience, Galactic Starcruiser was not the financial success Disney was hoping for. And more than a few travel experts ultimately attributed the property's failure to the steep $1200 per-night cost of admission.
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.
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.