Disney World is closing an expensive Star Wars-themed hotel, theme park says
Disney World’s stab at an immersive, two-day Star Wars-themed hotel has been marred by negative public reaction during its first year. Now, Disney is pulling the plug on the grand boutique-style hotel for good.
On Thursday, the theme park announced Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will permanently close at the end of September, Disney said.
“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment,” the company said in a statement. “This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and as we prepare for its final voyage, we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.”
The themed hotel first opened in March 2022, and the concept of a fully immersive hotel got a positive reception at first from Star Wars and Disney fans. But when the price was released, that excitement turned sour.
At the time, a cabin for one started at more than $1,000 a day. Cabins sleep up to five guests, which meant a full cabin could run around $7,000.
Price cuts since then have brought down the price, Bloomberg reported.
The hotel has 100 rooms and accounts for less than 0.5% of the 29,000 rooms Disney has across its properties, the theme park said. Among the thousands of guests who stay at the hotel, Disney says it has received widespread praise and recognition.
The park said the hotel closure comes down to a business decision to deliver an immersive experience on greater scale in the future.
This story was originally published May 18, 2023 at 4:29 PM.
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