What went wrong with Galactic Starcruiser?

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.



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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.

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Limited capacity was a big part of the problem, says Robert Niles, creator of Theme Park Insider. “The math never worked for the Starcruiser. Not at the high cost per guest to run it and the number of rooms available. Disney does blockbusters, not boutique.”

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With stories that take two days to tell and a full cast of eight main characters, it is tough to ensure continuity for the guests and create a sustainable work schedule with enough backup performers to keep the whole thing running.

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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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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.

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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.

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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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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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Disney has not commented on just how much Galactic Starcruiser took to construct, although the Washington Post estimated a cost of close to $1 billion. Now, the company can add another $250,000,000 to that total, according to Disney's interim CFO Kevin Lansberry on the August 9 earnings call.

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All passengers are welcome to bring their own food and beverage (including alcohol) with them onboard the Starcruiser.

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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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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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Aboard the Starcruiser Costumes that may distract from the experience of other Guests are not permitted. All Guests may dress as their favorite character, but they may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.

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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.

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Another of their articles cites 100 cabins, which consists of 94 Standard cabins, 4 Suites, and only two Grand Captain Suites. That equates to 506 possible guests, so basically the same number. It's important to note that both of these calculations are with every bed of every room filled to capacity.

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