Friday 19 May 2023

Disney Announces Closure Of $2,500-Per-Night Star Wars-Themed Hotel After Just 1 Year

 Disney World announced it is shutting down an immersive Star Wars luxury hotel that opened in March 2022.

“We are so proud of all of the Cast Members and Imagineers who brought Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to life and look forward to delivering an excellent experience for Guests during the remaining voyages over the coming months,” Disney said in a statement, per NPR on Friday. “Thank you to our Guests and fans for making this experience so special.”

The hotel is taking its last bookings September 28 to 30. New bookings are being paused until May 26 so guests who booked reservations after September can reschedule.

Billed as being the ultimate experience for Star Wars fans, the hotel featured a launch pod to board the Halcyon starcruiser upon arrival. Guests could stay in a room with a space view and interact with the Star Wars characters throughout the ship, aligning themselves with either the dark side or the light side.

One point of contention for visitors has been the hefty price tag. Per NPR, a two-night package started at about $4,800 for two people, and went up to $5,999 for three adults and one child. These prices included lodging, meals, and admission to Hollywood Studios, but did not include alcohol or specialty drinks.

Many social media users reacted to the news by saying they were interested in trying it out but it cost too much.

“No one can afford it. And those that can, do it once and done,” one person wrote.

“It’s not ‘lack of interest!’ I just can’t afford it!” another person wrote. “Maybe don’t make it 2k a night, and I’ll gladly go! It’s a wonderful, amazing concept! Don’t get rid of it! Nooooo!”

 

“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, per CNBC

“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.”

Disney reportedly spent $2 billion to build its two immersive Star Wars parks in Florida and California, but it’s not clear how much, if any, of those funds were spent on the hotel experience specifically.

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