Disney World is closing its Star Wars hotel that opened just last year. The immersive, and pricey, experience debuted to the public in March 2022. It's a victim of its own ambition, analysts say. We hope you enjoyed your free article.
People Also Ask
– 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is a highly-hyped new hotel offering 2-night experiences at Walt Disney World. The themed resort behind Galaxy's Edge in Hollywood Studios is now open, and this guide covers everything you need to know–including pricing, 2023 reservation info, what's included, and more!
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.
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.
Since it was announced that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel was closing this year, the final voyages sold out quickly. If you were not able to snag a reservation, now is your chance!
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.
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.
With its 100 guest rooms, the Galatic Starcruiser has a maximum capacity of 502 passengers. Assuming that every guest pays an average of $1,800 for a two-night stay, Disney could take in roughly $900,000 per voyage—or about $13.5 million per month—but that's before expenses.